Alicia Keys is "Girl On Fire!"

Alicia Keys Attends Stand Up To Cancer Event

 
Alicia Keys has been quite busy promoting new music, a cool sneaker line with Reebok and being a mom and wife! She promises that her next album release will her most honest and compelling. Based on the singles released so far, I believe the music will live up to her words! Many watched her wonderful, eye-opening performance on the 2012 VMAs (MTV Video Music Awards) with cohorts Nicki Minaj and a very special appearance with Olympian Gold Gymnastic winner Gabrielle Douglas, needless to say they wowed with the Inferno version of new single "Girl On Fire." Keys has also been the object of internet gossip for dating and later marrying super music producer, artist and entrepreneur Swizz Beatz while he was still married. Many women felt she didn't live up to her "Super Woman" anthem songs and she would surely receive bad karma for her perceived indiscretion back in 2009. Well, fast forward and Alicia Keys is still adored and enjoyed by legions of fans. I believe celebrities are often the target of disgruntled "cyber haters" who live for any hint of scandal to release their venom. Alicia's work with her foundation "Keep A Child Alive" that provides AIDS medication and other assistance to individuals in poverty stricken African countries is what should generate headlines. Or a snapshot of all the little girls wanting to learn to play piano because of the images of Alicia Keys should dominate public opinion, aside from the quality music she has provided throughout her career! This fifth album release is being well received by both critics and fans alike! We sure need good music in this economic climate and as we battle depression of all sorts, we can realize just how many of us are "a girl on fire!"

Alicia Keys is indeed a girl on fire! I love the theme and I feel this way about my own life for different reasons! Just to experience personal growth and development, self-acceptance, validated, comfortable with so many aspects of my being makes me a "Girl On Fire!" Alicia recently performed a song "Not Even An King" at the Stand Up To Cancer telethon fundraiser executive produced by Gwyneth Paltrow which raised over 81 million. This song deeply struck a chord and affirmed some thoughts that were roaming around in my mind! The song has so much meaning and depth. I believe at the crux of this lyrical truth is if you have love, you have it all and so many people don't regardless of having all the wealth in the world. I think this song is so befitting, given our pop culture fascination, idolatry or worship of celebrities. We are inundated with celebrity sightings, unrealistic images of beauty and Forbes wealthiest entertainers lists, this has helped to warp our value system! I had an "aha" moment in listening to "Not Even An King," I realize that I have learned to say "enough!" To know when I have "enough" while still working on goals and overcoming obstacles, but to realize I have a deep love (fulfillment) within that translates into a great measure of perpetual wholeness. With or without a partner, untold wealth or flawless beauty,  I have what "Not Even A King" can afford and that's real authentic love permeating throughout my life! Check out the performance below!

Treatment Can Stop HIV/AIDS in its Tracks

Alicia Keys is one of my favorite celebrities, aside from her recent brush with scandal, she's doing a wonderful job with her AIDS advocacy. We're all imperfect and no one really knows (I don't believe the ex-wife's or his mistress with a child's story) and many don't care how she acquired her husband, music producer Swizz Beatz.  I'll leave that to her detractors to figure out, in the meantime, I'll continue to applaud Alicia Keys for her work with a cause very close to my heart!




On Tuesday (June 9), I had the privilege of speaking at the United Nations' Women Global Coalition on HIV/AIDS and I wanted to share this experience with you. I've included the video of my speech (at the bottom of this post) and am sharing my complete transcript below. Today, I ask that you take a pledge to fight AIDS. Join me and Keep a Child Alive by taking the pledge.


The women of the world know what to do. And they do it. They would do more if they had equal rights and weren't discriminated against. That is what we need to fix more than anything in our world. With my organization, Keep a Child Alive, we put the trust directly in the people on the ground, who are extremely capable to run these programs but lack the funding, medicines and health care professionals.

If we show to the next generation of men and women affected by the AIDS pandemic that we care by providing the necessary resources of universal treatment that doesn't end, doctors and nurses, food programs, micro-loan opportunities -- this will empower them to live their dreams. And stop the pandemic in its tracks.


We believe that, with AIDS treatment, anything is possible. We watch people become reborn with treatment. And I've seen it myself! At our clinic in Uganda, ALIVE Medical Services, a father came in one day, his name is Bashir, unable to walk and on his deathbed. He had seven children at home. Within one month of ARV therapy and food parcels from our ALIVE clinic -- Bashir looked like a new man and over the past year, his health has restored to a level where he is actually a father again.


With the help of a small loan from us, he opened a boda-boda spare parts shop not far from the main road to Jinja. With funds from the shop, he is now able to send all seven of his school-aged children to school. That is empowerment. He can care for his family and contribute to his community because he is healthy. Without effective treatment, his seven girl children would have lost their father and their outcome would have been painful at best.
 
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