THANK YOU! I Won the Women’s Media Center Social Media Award. Because of YOU.
I started this post last night at 3:57am. I wanted to be asleep but I wasn’t making any efforts to get to sleep. My eyes were burning because it was 3:57am but I wanted to write.
Yesterday was one of those days that was BEYOND my wildest dreams. In a year where opportunity after opportunity has been presented to me and each one blew me outta the water more than the last, I am amazed at what is happening in my life. I am AMAZED at God’s fingerprints all over me. I thank the day my mama named me “God’s Love” because on that day, she blessed me to stay blessed, and for THAT, I thank her.
In August, I was on my trip to Equatorial Guinea when I got an email saying I’d been been nominated for a Women’s Media Center Social Media Award.
“You are one of two dozen nominees on the cutting edge of social media, selected by Women’s Media Center leaders including Loreen Arbus, Donna Deitch, Jodie Evans, Jane Fonda, Carol Jenkins, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem. The nominees represent a diverse group of journalists, bloggers, activists, and other social media innovators who spread their online messages with unusual creativity, resourcefulness, and impact. The work done by you and the other nominees complements the work of the Women’s Media Center to make sure women’s and girls’ voices and stories are visible and powerful in media.”
I almost fell OUT. The work of the Women’s Media Center is amazing and they are a force to be reckoned with so I was doing a jig. Like this:
AND DO YOU SEE THOSE NAMES UP THERE??? Chile… STAWP! I remembered that someone from the Women’s Media Center came up to me, Issa Rae, Chescaleigh and Dr. Goddess before our panel at BlogHer in August to ask if it was ok for them to take our pics but I hadn’t thought much about it.
This was the ONE award that WMC gives out that is chosen by the general public, so voting began about a month or so ago. The day I received the names of my fellow nominees, I sat in the chair at home with my mouth agape. Ummm… Issa Rae. Janet Mock. Emily May. Jessica Luther. Stacy Burns. Wait. Wayment. WAYMENT. They put me in a category with these AWESOMELY EPIC SUPERWOMEN?!?!?
WELP. I’m not gonna win but I’m PERFECTLY fine with that. I won’t even campaign too hard so I accept my loss early. But this is a loss I was honored to take. Because the 19 women who were nominated along with me are people who I just have nothing but respect for. Seriously. Ask my friends. Many of them heard this from me.
So I tweeted about it a couple of times and put one link underneath one of my blogposts for folks to vote for me. And I placed it on Facebook like twice. I didn’t e’em go hard in the paint much.
And then about two weeks ago… I was having one of THE SHITTIEST days I’ve had in a while. One of those days where I was just like I’m gonna lay in bed because… let’s just say FOR REASONS. And I checked my email around 10pm to find:
“We are thrilled to tell you that you have been voted the winner of our 2012 Social Media Award. Congratulations! The Internet thinks you are fantastic, and so do we. We love your passion for bringing a bigger spotlight to women and girls living with HIV and AIDS, and we love that you can bring real criticism of entertainment media, like on Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone, yet keep it funny at the same time.”
CHILE WHEN I TELL YOU I LOST MY SHIT??? Listen. I SAID LISTEN. I. lost. my. shit. I was DONE. I believe I hit my dougie which led to a cabbage patch which then became the wop. And then I did a body roll.
OHMYGAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WON!!! And it’s because of my work here AND with The Red Pump Project!
I replied back to Michelle, WMC’s online manager with just as much excitement. WHY HIDE IT??? It was like God was all “I know you’re down in the dumps but girl STAWP. I gotchu.” And in the email, I was told I had to keep quiet about it because the winner of the award would be announced the night of the dinner, as the surprise of the evening.
And then I was all. Wait. HOW THE HELL DID I WIN??? WHAT THE HELL? DID THEY GET THIS WRONG? Yes, those CAPS are necessary because I was screaming. And I actually emailed Michelle that and she said “Your people did right by you. No doubt.”
MYYYYYY PEOPLE! YOU GUYS AND GALS! YOU DID RIGHT BY ME! YOU. DID. RIGHT. BY. ME.
OHMYGOODNESS. YOU AMAZING AWESOME SUPPORTIVE INCREDIBLE FANTASTIC BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
YOU.
You voted for me when I didn’t even TRULY believe I had a chance in hell to win. YOU VOTED FOR ME WHEN YOU COULDA VOTED FOR ANYONE ELSE ON THAT LIST. You voted for me when I didn’t understand how tall I stood.
My face on the BIG screen when my award was announced
THAT’S ME!!!
Y’all did right by me. And for THAT, and so so so much more, I thank you.
The community you’ve helped me build online is like Grandma’s cooking. It’s like my Mama’s rice and stew. It’s like new shoes that fit you just right. It’s like your favorite song coming up in iTunes. It’s like laying on the couch with your boo in a snuggie. This community is FILLED with love. YOU GUYS are love. My name means love so it’s only right we found each other.
So you gifted me with a day that dwarfed any others I’ve had so far, in my career anyway. And that recap is to come tomorrow, detailing what happened in that room and why it was the most EPIC night I’ve had. I just didn’t want THIS day to go by without me expressing my appreciation for my readers, my family, my friends.
You did right by me.
P.S. I have a Facebook fan page but you can also connect with me on my personal page by subscribing (which is different from friending because I don’t want to get close to that number limit). You can subscribe to me so we can interact there too. Because I love hearing from y’all. You know we go together. 😀
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33 Comments
Congrats. well deserved!
Aww, Luvvie. You so deserve it and I want to cry reading this! Enjoy every gift God gives you, honey. And walk in the amazingness that you are. We love ya!
LUVVIE! I am so proud of you. Your blog is one of the greatest things on the internet. And basically all I do is hang out on the internet, so I would know. You deserve all this praise and attention for the amazing work you are doing AND for being hilarious. How you manage to do both is a credit to your intelligence and skills. Congratulations!!!
You definitely deserve it Luvvie! Congratulations!
Congratulations!!! Well deserved. *in my Shug Avery voice*:God is tryna tell you us thin right now!! It’s your time. Enjoy it. You are doing great things with your talents. Proud of you.
Congrats Luvvie! I read your blog like er’day! You are the best and you deserved it!
Congratulations!! Your blog is one of very few that actually get me to post a comment (and yes I even went to a whole ‘nother webpage to vote for you too!) It’s entertainment without dumbing it down and I am all the way here for it!
P.S. that gif of ole boy….iDied!!!!
I’m so thrilled for you!! I’ve had your site bookmarked for a long time and then you did the 30-day challenge and I’ve never laughed so hard! You are like my bff in my head, and i’m totally here for all the laughter, giggling and hollering. Whatever you do please don’t stop blogging you are a force to be reckoned with! Love ya girly and congratulations!!
Whoop whoop. Congrats!!!
Many, many congratulations, Luvvie! You deserve all this and so much more 😀
Congrats you deserve it! I love your work and I voted for you!
– A fan in Turks & Caicos
Heyyyyy congrats, you definitely deserved the award. Your work is great.
You go girl!!!! You are so very deserving if that award and so much more. Have loved your blog for a couple of years now. Keep shining! C
Cant wait to see what the future holds for you.
CHILE Congrats!!!!!! You slay me every afternoon, I aspire to be a writer whom brings joy and tomfoolery in abundant helpings! Neva eva eva eva doubt yourself and your gifts!!! *Jiggling my jugssss with the shoulder shake down!!!!
Congrats Luvvie! So well deserved. I’ve benn following you around on the interwebs for a long time now…from the days of your vids of your wall slides & have watched you grow. This is super awesome! God will only continue to Bless you because of who you are & how you represent yourself.
Congratulations Luvvie! You are blazing a trail and it’s wonderful to see you get recognized for work well done. Don’t ever stop doing what you do. #Blessed&HighlyFavored
Congrats Luvvie!! Such a well deserved award!
Yay!!!! Congrats on your win!!! I to come out of lurking to give you your props. You are awesome and totally deserve that award.
Congratulations!!! This is the best thing I’ve heard all week. Well-deserved! Shine on!
Conrats Luvvie…girl you do the damn thing on this blog…good things are coming to you and they are well deserved!
Keep up the great work and keep giving me a reason to NOT do work lol
KMN
Congratulations. All your hard work paying off. This is much deserved. I wish you many more blessings and awards to come.
Congrats! You totally deserve it given you had me rolling with the 30 day challenge and your name was the very first on the voting site lol. Issa Rae is a freaking genius with a huge a following so that should say….we got your back!
Congratulations! That’s amazing! I’m a newbie to your blog, and I absolutely love your wit! Well deserved!
Congratulations! Very well deserved. Keep up the great work and may the blessings continue to pour in. 🙂
remember yesterday when i quit you? i’m here today to beg you to take me back – i told you i couldn’t be without you for long!
congratulations Luvvie!!! super proud of you and and honored to witness your rise to the top – you inspire me!
Congratulations on he win!!!! You deserve it. I check your site between college homework and double toddler tantrums to give me life. The Red Pump Project has inspired me in another way that I’ll have to tell you about one day. Congrats again! btw, I’m so glad you claiming me now, lol.
Congrats!
Oh Luvvie,
I am in tears of joy for you sweetie. I couldn’t be more prouder than I am today. Well deserved. Well done. *Love it when you get your body roll on!*
YAY!!!!!!!
coming out of lurkville to yell…CONGRATUATIONS!!!!!(in my Vesta Williams voice and expressions)
*going back to lurking
Congrats! You truly deservve it. I always tell my friends to visit your site, especially when we need a great laugh. Continue to do what you do and God will definitely continue to bless you. He gave you an awesome talent of writing and you are using it in the best way possible.
Sidenote: This last body roll is from Smang it!!! I’m hollering!!!! LOL
Congratulations!!! You deserve it!
Girl, just keep doing what you’re doing, cuz you do it well. You bring so much to my attention. I’ve read some posts on here and on FB when I was pissed off about something and literally cackled out loud.Not laughed, not chuckled, not guffawed. Loud country ghetto fabulous CACKLED. The bonus is you’re a truly wonderful person, with a heart for God and the people. The innawebs love you and so do I!!!!
Next Steps: Luvvie’s Locutions: A dictionary of terms, phrases, colloquialisms and ratchetisms. #git’erdone