BEFORE the official status
Looking through old photos, it became evident that Diva Demeanor has been in this world long before the official 501 c3 status, name or website. Diva Demeanor was something that flowed out of me naturally into everything that I created. Here is a short visual look at that. My hope is that you begin to look at your own life and discover what has been on the inside of you for years that you did not even notice because it was so subtle and natural. That thing may very well be your place and purpose in this culture and the reason why you were created.
2012
Tre9, founder of Eyes On Me Inc. and Hip Hop Hope Missions also saw that Christian Hip Hop and Urban missions were very male dominated. He wanted to be an answer to the problem of having a community full of young girls but no role models to speak directly to them. He hooked me and hip hop artist, Hilary Pradia, up to come together and create "Hip Hop Hope Ladies Night" periodically for the mission.
2013
While teaching dance fitness at a studio, the owner asked if I could teach a kids hip hop class. I took the opportunity to create "Diva Dance Academy" featuring hip hop choreography to christian hip hop music, giving a special preference to female artists, mentoring, and games.
I created a dance routine to one of Tre9's song and it was the girls absolute favorite. I decided it would be cool to invite Tre to come to class to meet the girls, encourage them and also see them dance. I noticed how easy it was to use hip hop as a platform to create magic and transformation in their lives.
2013
I don't know where the idea came from, but I felt the need to take a small group of girls from hip hop hope, take them to a nice hotel for a sleepover, take them to a big hip hop concert then have a girl talk with me and Hilary Pradia.
Every homeless outreach we have done has been completely random and from the outpour of our hearts. The first one was Thanksgiving day, Tre9's wife, Amanda said "I want to go see my friends." It did not feel right for all of us to be eating these huge meals together knowing that miles down the road the homeless are hungry and without their families. Me and her hopped in the car, bought 100 burgers from McDonald's and spent time with Houston's homeless that night. Just two women on a mission, what a beautiful night. The next instance was me on my way to work, it was a particularly cold day in the city and a I passed by people standing under a bridge shivering, I KNEW I had to do something immediately. I sent out a quick text to see which one of my girls wanted to go right after work downtown to hand out hot chocolate to the homeless. They responded immediately and thats how it was formed. After Diva Demeanor was official, we did this again but with hot chocolate, blankets, gloves and beanies.
2014
I took my trip to my very first outreach with XXX Church. I had a heart for women in the sex industry and especially the porn industry. I had heard of strip club outreaches and outreaches serving women in the streets but never anything about porn stars. I wished some way existed to reach them with love. I did not know of any so I decided to create my own. I researched and learned that the attend porn conventions each year and I decided to create an outreach...while planning I learned that XXX Church has been doing this for years, setting up shop inside, meeting the girls right where they are at, showing love, and showing the girls that they are more than just their sexuality and their bodies, truly serving them with love. This made me love out the box missions even more because there is where I felt truly at home.
Seeing the rugged hearts of the men in hip hop and community outreach, I wished women who had that same heart had a place in the culture and could come along side the men and work in their unique strengths. I created Thoroughbreadz Divas in an attempt to illuminate this idea. I wanted beautiful women to come together to serve this city and at the same time show the world that women in hip hop are more than just video girls, girlfriends and props but have a purpose. Not pictured, are the times in college where I was over the sisterhood department in an organization and created events called "Not Just Eye Candy" to show girls their purpose. The church event "Missio Dei" that I created out of the frustration of male Christian Hip Hop artists having huge concerts and panel discussions but me wanting to hear from their WIVES and learn from them. I got a panel of Christian hip hop wives, and other strong servants in the city to share their story and do a Q&A.
In everything and in every role that I have played in my life, Diva Demeanor was oozing out of the seams without me even realizing it. The life coaching, the women's outreach groups, the type of out the box outreach we do, women's roles in the culture, using hip hop as a platform for life change, and supporting my sisters, everything I was screamed Diva Demeanor and set the platform for what it has become. The same goes for YOU. There is something that has been brewing inside of you for years, it comes out naturally and without effort. It touches every part of your life and it lights you up inside. It is your purpose. It may not be a business, a non profit or a community center but it is SOMETHING that you are meant to gift this world with. Get active and get serving in the areas that mean the most to you. Check out the Diva Directory and find somewhere to serve. Through service, you discover your place in this world.
