OK, ladies, now let’s get in—well, you know the rest. Five short weeks ago, we introduced you to The Glow Up, a new section of The Root intended to empower, inform and inspire all iterations of black women through the lens of beauty and fashion. And week after week, our audience has continued to grow along with our content, making us more excited to engage with you every day.
Obviously, while we love beauty and fashion, The Glow Up is so much more—and so are you. You’re not just building wardrobes; you’re building careers, businesses, families, relationships, identities and futures. And we want to build with you, having a deeper discussion about what beauty truly is and what it means to be a black woman—every type of black woman—in 2018 and beyond.
We love the interactions we have with you in our comments sections, but we think the best way to really get to know you—and what you need from us—is on our favorite friendship-building platform, Facebook. (Tell the truth—you’ve met some of your virtual besties there.) We want you to think of us as your favorite group-text thread—a community of homegirls open to discussing everything from the latest Fenty launch to how to start your own beauty/fashion brand to how the #MeToo movement is personally resonating in your life.
And since the point of social media is to get social, we figured we’d kick things off with a party—an awards party, to be exact. That’s right: The Glow Up’s Facebook page will kick off this Sunday with a red-carpet rundown of the 2018 Golden Globes!
Facebook will be livestreaming the Globes’ red-carpet preshow 6-8 p.m., and The Glow Up will be live, too, naming our hits and misses in this year’s sea of black fashions (unfortunately, not the black fashions we were hoping for this year) and discussing the significance of this year’s fashion statement of solidarity. While the red carpet may not be so colorful, we’re hoping the conversation will be as we kick off what will be the first of many live events, threads, theme days, videos, insider access and tips, giveaways and more!
This is a members-only group, and we want it to be a safe, sister-friendly space. So before we get started, let’s cover a few ground rules (in no particular order):
- No negativity or blocking admins.
- No giveaways or promotions without admin approval.
- No GoFundMe/Kickstarter/fundraising posts allowed.
- Limit self-promos to one day a week (#MeCrushMonday is a good time).
- No affiliate links and no selling Avon, jewelry, hair extensions or similar situations.
- No colorism/racism/homophobia/transphobia—in fact, no discrimination of any kind.
- No name-calling.
- No hair-shaming—all textures welcome here.
- No explicit photos of any kind.
- No mansplaining—or whitesplaining. (Yes, everyone is welcome to subscribe; just remember that The Glow Up is intended for black women first and foremost, and please behave accordingly and respectfully. You are guests here.)
- Critique is cool; cruelty is not. Call a thing a thing and keep it moving.
- Please use your best judgment, and don’t make us have to add to this list.
The Glow Up’s Facebook page will also have daily themes, which will help curate our content and guide our conversations throughout the week:
- #MeCrushMonday: As weekdays go, Mondays typically get a bad rap, and while we love a good #ManCrushMonday, we like to focus our energy on where it belongs—ourselves! What do you have to offer the world each week? How are you making the best of your personal assets so you can crush it?
- #TransformationTuesday: If you’re a fitness buff, you may already know this hashtag well. But transformation can happen in so many areas of our lives, and we want to know how it’s happening for you.
- #WomanCrushWednesday: From celebs to community activists, there are so many women doing amazing things, and we want to highlight them! This is also a great chance to bring our attention to some of your #Faves that you think we should feature on The Glow Up!
- #ThrowbackThursday: It seems self-explanatory, but what we know is that in fashion, everything old is new again. Whether it’s a trend you’d like to see return or an unforgettable icon, #ThrowbackThursday is an opportunity to look at how far we’ve come.
- #FearlessFriday: What are you dying to try—and what’s holding you back? It could be taking a new dance class, building a business or finally doing the “big chop”: What are you waiting for? This is an opportunity to share and confidence-build with one another—and do the things we dare.
- #SexySaturday: The weekend is a great time to get in touch with yourself (pun intended) and reconsider what sexy means to you. Maybe it’s time to refresh your lingerie drawer or make the first move on someone you’ve been checking for. Whatever your pleasure, sexy is a state of mind, and we want to go there.
- #SelfCareSunday: “Self-care” has become a buzzword in recent years, but how many of us are actually doing it? Your self-care may mean making it into church on Sunday—or just making the bed. But Sunday is your chance to relax, relate and release with The Glow Up crew, and we’ll be there for you.
We hope you’re as excited about getting social with us as we are to meet all of you. You can follow us on Facebook right HERE and NOW, and start picking out your awards-party outfit. Remember, Sunday is #SelfCareSunday, so if you show up in jammies, you’ll still look good to us!
See you Sunday!