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Black America Web
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Op-Ed: Ashes to Ashes, Big House to Dust: Why White Folks Are Grieving Over Destroyed Relics To White Supremacy
Source: Steve Schaefer / Getty Black folks have spent all week cackling, meme-making, and yelling collective gratitude into the smoke as we watched the ancestors give multiple divine smacks to the face of white nostalgia and its sadistic fetish for racial oppression. In the span of days, three shrines to white supremacy caught heat, holy fire, and even a drop kick from a tree. First, a fire engulfed the big house at Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation, where scores of enslaved Africans labored and died. Then, days later, came news out of Oak City, North Carolina, that in April, the Confederate Fort Branch Museum got demolished by a tree because it, too, was probably tired of the revisionist lies. And then earlier this week, the Kalorama mansion burned in Washington, D.C.'s whitest neighborhood, where racist housing covenants used to keep Black folks out, except when we were scrubbing toilets and polishing silver. Black folks are now standing by with popcorn, tea, Juneteenth grills, sage bundles, and Soul Train lines, watching to see what gets smited next should the ancestors have some righteous rage and ancestral wind left. Because there's lots more racist kindling out there. Maybe a lightning bolt at Mount Rushmore straight through George Washington's stone wig. Perhaps a few sinkholes to swallow the remaining Christopher Columbus statues, or maybe just hit them with a weeklong pigeon orgy. Maybe they can bless us with a heat wave that melts every wool waistcoat and makes butter churns explode at Colonial Williamsburg. Or maybe they'll dispatch a hungry termite plague on the Daughters of the Confederacy headquarters. Meanwhile, white folks have been sobbing and grieving over these destroyed historic relics like somebody intentionally knocked MeeMaw's ashes off the fireplace mantle. They've also taken to popular social media pages such as Plantations and Mansions to call Black folks 'haters' and 'racists,' and they're crawling onto our pages to give us breathless lectures about not 'erasing the past.' Source: The Washington Post / Getty But Black folks aren't trying to 'erase' history when we celebrate the destruction of these monuments to white terrorism. We're tired of white folks venerating the parts of it where their ancestors were committing genocide, slavery, and all other manner of human rights violations and calling it 'civilization,' 'progress,' and 'democracy.' We are unapologetically declaring that we don't care about granite altars to genocide, cast-iron heroes of enslavement, or roadside shrines to domestic terrorism masquerading as Southern 'heritage.' We don't need these chambers of horror, haunted houses, statues, and other relics to remember atrocities. We have books, archives, museums, and oral histories of those still living. As a historian with a Ph.D. in African American history, let me say this with my whole chest: Destruction is not always erasure! It is often correction. There's a false premise that preservation of all history, in every form, is inherently virtuous. It ain't. Should Nazi swastikas be maintained on buildings or Hitler statues appear on street corners in Germany for the sake of teaching 'valuable lessons?' Should Indigenous nations across the Americas be forced to maintain monuments to conquistadors who raped, pillaged, and renamed everything they touched—for the sake of 'historical context?' Do people really believe that enslaved people were standing around and saying, 'Wow, what a teachable moment that ride through the Middle Passage was, or that lash across my back is?' Mature societies that truly want progress don't fetishize their hate symbols, nor do they honor their shame. They confront them, dismantle them, teach about them, and bury the symbols that glorify the horrors. The very idea that we should retain relics, monuments, and institutions built on white supremacy for the sake of 'reminders' is ahistorical and dishonest. These old relics aren't neutral. They are tools of power and propaganda that don't teach history. They shape memory and rewrite history in service to power. Confederate monuments, for example, weren't put up right after the Civil War. They popped up decades later as part of a 20th century campaign of narrative warfare to reassert white dominance during Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement. Source: Joe Raedle / Getty Real historians know that history isn't just about preservation. It is about interpretation, confrontation, and accountability. Some relics deserve to be in museums, stripped of their pedestal and power. Others, especially the architecture of white supremacy, deserved to be bulldozed into dust and spit on for good measure, not to erase the past, but to end its hold on the present. Because memory without justice is nostalgia for oppression. Black folks and other groups on the receiving end of white hatred don't need to see violent relics on display, so we don't forget how sadistic our oppressors can be. We live with the echoes of that inhumanity every day through police brutality, discrimination, racial disparities in all indices of wellbeing, voter suppression, mass incarceration, eco hazards, underfunded schools, and…and…and… While racist white folks are out here sobbing about a burned-down big house, they're silent about Donald Trump and his ilk banning books, gutting DEI, firing teachers, shuttering archives, eliminating Black Studies programs on college campuses, purging Black and queer authors from libraries, rewriting slavery as 'skills training,' slashing healthcare access, gutting reproductive rights, criminalizing homelessness, and recreating Jim Crow. If your moral compass needs a plantation house, a statue of a slaver, or a dusty Confederate flag and some damn cannon balls to know right from wrong, then you are broken. ut don't expect Black folks, whom you've spent centuries demonizing and calling outsiders, to join in solidarity at the altar of whiteness so you can feel connected to the past. SEE ALSO: White Folks Gave Us 'Black Fatigue,' Now They're Trying to Steal It America Welcomes Afrikaner 'Refugees' to Rescue Whiteness SEE ALSO Op-Ed: Ashes to Ashes, Big House to Dust: Why White Folks Are Grieving Over Destroyed Relics To White Supremacy was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
The Herald Scotland
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
How Average White Band 'touched the core' of Black America
Yet a group of six guys from Scotland are among the most influential figures in the contemporary sound of all those genres, and that's despite literally being called the Average White Band. "Those are some Scottish guys," former U.S President Barack Obama said in an interview with Bruce Springsteen. "And those boys can jam." The Boss concurred. Read More: Chuck D of Public Enemy said seeing them on Soul Train was "a revelation", they've been sampled by NAS, N.W.A, The Beastie Boys, De La Soul and Del tha Funkee Homosapien to name but a few. Glasgow's David McCallum may have provided the basis for Dr Dre's 'The Next Episode' but the AWB leave him in the dust - the website WhoSampled credits 169 to one song alone. Go one step removed and you can probably trace Kendrick Lamar's funk and soul infused To Pimp a Butterfly to the Average Whites, Eminem once said "I'm a product of Rakim", who famously sampled the group's 'School Boy Crush'. Anthony Baxter, the director of You've Been Trumped, is currently in the process of making a film about the group entitled Soul Searching. A snippet will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, with some of the biggest names in music already on board. He tells The Herald: "I've been blown away by how deeply their music is revered in the United States, I've spent the best part of the last couple of years filming extensively and whether it's the audiences they had on their last tour, which was 80% black in pretty much every place I went to, or they incredible impact they've had on some of the biggest names in music today, predominantly hip-hop artists and music producers, they've told me what the band means to them. 'Whether it's Flava Flav, Questlove, or a woman called Melody Spann Cooper who runs Chicago's longest-running black music station who told me: 'they touched the very core of who we were'. "Chuck D said to me, 'you just feel it and that was the epitome of soul'. DJ Premier said 'their funk wasn't made up, it was from their heart and soul'. Average White Band (Image: Supplied) "Questlove told me that when he came across the band on Soul Train it was at that moment he decided he wanted to become a drummer. He played their live album every day for 10 years, because he just loved it so much. "In Scotland everyone knows their songs but I think the story of how they've impacted hip-hop and black music culture in America is one that really surprised me with how deep it goes. 'In Detroit there was this band of brothers called The Jitterbugs who pioneered this dance move called The Jit, and 'Schoolboy Crush' was one of the real influences on that dance move. 'In Los Angeles I spoke to two former Crips and the infamous Crip Walk was really influenced by 'Schoolboy Crush'. Their music has penetrated the culture in America in a much deeper way than I'd initially thought and it's just been a real joy to see how revered the band is." On the face of it, it's a pretty unlikely combination. Six white guys who grew up in post-war Scotland not just doing R&B and funk, but doing it so well they became adored in the places which gave the world that sound. Mr Baxter says: "There were six of them in the beginning and they listened to this kind of music coming in from the United States – Aretha Franklin was their heroine. 'They would search through all the latest Black music coming in, it was being played in one or two pubs around Scotland and they would seek out that music. 'They've explained to me that their Scottishness helped, not only just in the sound of their voices in singing this very soulful, funky music but also when they were growing up after the war it was extreme austerity and I think people like Chaka Khan were going through a similar kind of thing – so there were parallels there." The filmmakers are hoping to have it finished by the end of this year, which marks 50 since the Average White Band topped the charts Stateside. It's produced by Montrose Films along with Screen Scotland, Kartemquin Films, Vertigo Films, and Sky Originals, and it's hoped with the threat of Trump tariffs in the air there will be some Hollywood interest. Mr Baxter says: "I came to know the music of the band when I was growing up but I didn't really know much about their backstory until I read a piece a journalist friend of mine wrote about them. 'I contacted Alan Gorrie about three years ago and sat down with him and spoke about making a film. Since then I've embarked on a journey and found this extraordinary story which was far more multi-layered than I had ever anticipated. "There are still one or two very high profile musicians who are keen to speak to me for the film but what we have already is a terrific story. 'We've uncovered some amazing archival footage along the way, part of the ambition I have is to put the viewer back in 1970s America when they've come across there. "This is more than a music documentary, people will celebrate the music but also be able to immerse themselves in the world of Average White Band and that profoundly important point in music culture. "It's funky, it's R&B, it's soul… it's Average White Band.'
The Herald Scotland
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Anything but Average: Why AWB were a simply great Scottish band
Scoppa went on to say that the group went beyond merely sounding like a soul band. It was a soul band. "There's no question about that, although there's the obvious question about how in the world the sextet got to this level of proficiency and emotional involvement in a culturally alien idiom". Read more: The band attracted lots of critical praise for their exemplary musicianship and songwriting skills – the same qualities that appealed to the Atlantic Records label, one of the biggest and most influential labels ever. Atlantic released the AWB album and saw it be certified gold and top both the pop and the R&B charts in the States. Its single, Pick Up the Pieces, did the same. Some critics alighted upon the 'Average' in the band's name. "Average White Band is rubbish!!!", exclaimed one writer on the UK magazine, Beat Instrumental, in 1973. "They should be called Extraordinary White Band. Why? Simply because these six, white, dedicated musicians have something unique – the ability to play black soul music that not only sounds right, dammit, but FEELS right, too!" Then there was this, from a Rolling Stone writer in December 1974: "Their name has a nice sense of irony and confidence, because the Average White Band plays music that is anything but white; despite their pale faces and soft Scottish accents, they play, sing and write as if to the ghetto born. "Make no mistake", added Judith Sims. "This band isn't 'good for a white soul band' - they're just plain good, with high-intensity rhythm, strong, ungimmicked vocals, and a wealth of original material that ranks with the best R&B songs". Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Ben E King were all said to have admired the band. And, famously, when they became one of the first white groups to appear on the venerable US music show, Soul Train, the host Don Cornelius told the audience: 'It's something that has to be seen to be believed. They play and sing like they were raised on cornbread and black-eyed peas.' One of the very first Scottish bands to make it big in the States, the Average Whites deserved all the critical and commercial success that came their way. It was not doffocukt to see why they had such a successful crossover into the US music market. As the Scottish music historian Brian Hogg has put it, the AWB album continued the group's "intuitive and rhythmic understanding of black music, but infused with a great sense of discipline [than on their debut album, Show Your Hand]". Pick Up the Pieces, that great instrumental, was their calling card. On YouTube there's a video, shot in 1977 at the Montreaux International Festival. It's all there: that great opening sax riff, the driving drumbeat and rhythm guitar chords, that energetic funk groove. The band were much, much more than one song, however. Others come to mind: Let's Go Round Again, Person to Person, Cut the Cake, You Got It, Nothing You Can Do, and a brilliant cover of the Isley Brothers' Work to Do. Plus, they were great live - even until the very end, when the original line-up from the glorious days of the Seventies had been whittled down to just the remaining original founding members, Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre. Anthony Baxter's new documentary should be worth watching.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Book Review: Afro Sheen Is A Blueprint For Black Economic Power
By Sonari Glinton | Forbes Contributor If you care about Black entrepreneurship, business history, or the roots of modern branding, Afro Sheen by George E. Johnson is here for you. This memoir tells the real story behind Johnson Products, the first Black-owned company on the American Stock Exchange. Johnson straightened Black hair with Ultra Sheen and celebrated it with Afro Sheen. He helped fund Soul Train and kept the civil rights movement afloat. Johnson not only ran one of the most important Black companies, but he also built a model for Black power on his terms. If only modern Black moguls followed his template. Even if you've never heard of George Johnson, you've seen his work. It was on the shelves, on your TV, in the music, in the mirror. Johnson didn't have a college degree or institutional investors. He did have hustle galore, chemistry skills, and vision. Johnson started working at age 6, getting blood out of the overalls of a stockyard working neighbor. He dropped out of Chicago's legendary Wendell Phillips High School after two years. Wendell Phillips produced Nat King Cole, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Sam Cooke. After getting denied a $250 loan for a business, he lied to a loan officer about needing vacation money and walked out with a check. He started his business in a makeshift lab and built it into a $39 million company by the mid-1970s. That's over $ 215 million today. But Johnson wasn't simply hustling to feed his family; part of his mission was to serve the community. And throughout the book, you can read about his commitment to and his involvement in the community. Probably as consequential as his company (especially to denizens of the South Side of Chicago) was his co-founding of Independence Bank. Johnson Products offered maternity leave, profit-sharing, and health insurance. This was at a time when most companies, Black or white, didn't. Johnson's career is instructive for entrepreneurs, as Jason Wingard wrote in this publication. The entrepreneur Johnson gives credit for his career to another Chicago business great, S.B. Fuller. Fuller (who mentored George Johnson and publishing giant John Johnson) was a former sharecropper who became a multimillionaire selling soap door to door. Fuller taught him that capitalism, when used right, could lead Black folks to liberation. Johnson took the lesson and built something even bigger. He used his company cafeteria as a launchpad for Jesse Jackson's Operation Breadbasket. That story is wild. Jackson was broke and still in the seminary. Johnson pulled together a group of Black businessmen to cover his rent and back a push to get Black-owned products on grocery shelves. When Dr. King needed payroll covered, Johnson wrote the check. Upon receiving the loan, King wept. The book also lays out just how much the mainstream beauty industry ignored Black folks. White-owned companies didn't market Black consumers, and Black folks didn't trust the few hair care products made by white companies. This was a time when Black men straightened their hair to pass. Black women spent real money and time (!) in salons. Often, barbers and stylists acted as amateur chemists, mixing batches of their own products. Johnson saw the opportunity. Probably most consequentially were his efforts to reach Black heads and pocketbooks. He knew TV ads weren't aimed at Black audiences. So he didn't just buy airtime, he produced a TV show and then gave Don Cornelius the money to start Soul Train. I dug into this story for Planet Money in 'Soul Train and the Business of Black Joy'. George Johnson and Don Cornelius weren't just selling music or beauty products. They were building a distribution network for Black culture and monetizing it. 'We started on TV in October of '71. That year, sales were $11.2 million. By 1975, $39 million… Absolutely because of Soul Train.' One of Johnson's closest collaborators was Tom Burrell, the ad legend who said, 'Black people are not dark-skinned white people.' Johnson didn't need to be told that. He was producing commercials featuring Afros, dark skin, and joy, decades before that was mainstream. Reading Afro Sheen, I kept thinking about how much of George Johnson's influence we just absorbed without naming it. Afro Sheen was in every Black household I knew. But nobody talked about the fact that the man behind it was funding civil rights, building banks, and cutting checks to Dr. King. Soul Train wasn't just a vibe—it was a business move that helped anchor Black Hollywood. 'We had just put up a 30,000 square foot new headquarters… he looked up at the building... and he said... 'This is Black Power.'' Johnson built a modernist headquarters in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood, right along the Dan Ryan. The plaza had sculptures, brick pyramids, clean lines, and big signage. It was a message to the city of Chicago, on its way to work. When Dr. King toured the building in 1966, he looked around and said, 'This is Black Power.' And he was right. If Afro Sheen were fiction, it would sound too perfect. But it's real. And Johnson gives us the receipts. This book belongs on the shelf next to Shoe Dog, Built to Last, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, because it's all three at once. I interviewed Mr. Johnson for an upcoming Planet Money episode. You'll be able to hear his voice in that story soon. You can also watch a clip of our conversation now on my Substack, Vanilla is Black. This isn't nostalgia. It's a blueprint. And right now, when Black businesses are still undercapitalized and cultural landmarks keep disappearing, this story matters more than ever. We'd be fools not to study it. Enjoyed this piece? I break these stories down weekly on my Substack, Vanilla is Black.
Buzz Feed
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
33 Pieces Of Bright Home Decor To Rescue Yourself From Boredom
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. Shopping · Your space will be so vivid, you'll need sunglasses just to walk through your front door. 1. A plug-in color-shifting mushroom light that'll automatically turn on when the sun goes down, casting a soft, enchanting glow that will have you feeling like you're slumbering in a mystical forest. Promising review: "I LOVE this night-light. It's in my bathroom and is a lovely addition. It turns off the second the lights go on, which is nice that I don't have to worry about accidentally leaving it on. Super cute and the little itty-bitty lighting element does a good job lighting, just enough so I don't have to turn the main lights on in the middle of the night." — 1Thand Get it from Amazon for $5.99. 2. A funky floral shower curtain here to transport you to the '70s. Blast some Michael Jackson or The O'Jays and prepare to dance like you're on Soul Train while conditioning your hair. Promising review: "This shower curtain is well made and design is beautiful! It makes me extremely happy every time I see it and instantly brightens my day!" — EB Get it from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in 14 colors and seven sizes). 3. A cool neon sign to light up your living room, bedroom, or even your home office/gaming room with an electric burst of positivity. When you're in a rut (or just lost your fifth online match in a row), this sign will remind you to ~glow~ on with your day. Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in pink or blue). 4. A set of darling silk tulips I'm sure will have people wondering how you have the time (and money) to *always* have a vase of fresh flowers. These artificial flowers are made out of a silk material that mimics the look and feel of real flower petals. The best part: They never need water and will stay "alive" and beautiful forever. Promising review: "I've seen these all over TikTok and had them in my cart for months…ended up buying them and THEY ARE WORTH THE MONEY. Soft, soft, soft and look so real, I'm going to buy more." — Brittney Jackson Get a set 20 from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in dozens of color combos). 5. Some decorative prismatic window film allowing you to bask in all the colors of the rainbow and still let some sunlight in while maintaining the utmost privacy. Now you can walk around in your underwear, a face mask, and a messy bun without a care in the world. Promising review:"I absolutely love this! TikTok made me buy it for my sunroof and I'm so glad I did! It's so beautiful when the sun comes through! And you get so much for the price!! If you're on the fence, buy it!!" — Ashley Ann Get it from Amazon for $5.80+ (available in four styles and 13 sizes) 6. Or a rainbow prism suncatcher casting a dazzling array of colors all across your room. This little piece of magic is made from crystal, and when the sunlight hits it just right, you'll be dancing in a room full of rainbow reflections. Trust me, your happy vibes will be off the charts with this gem. This can be hung indoors or outdoors. Promising review:"This might be the best thing I've ever purchased. My room looks magical on sunny afternoons. If you love yourself, buy these crystals. Not only are the rainbows pretty, but the crystals are too." — Tiffany Tyree Get a set of three from Amazon for $9.98. 7. A set of rainbow wineglasses so exquisite that you'll want a second set to keep on display at all times, especially while the first set is in the dishwasher. Amazon The Wine Savant is a New York-based small business established in 2017 that specializes in unique, quality drinkware and accessories. Promising review: "Love these! I've run them through the dishwasher once so far and they held up fine. Glass is thin near the top, which I love in a wineglass. I would recommend!" — Tricia Get a set of six from Amazon for $49.95. 8. A set of colorful checkered hand towels that'll bring a gorgeous pop of brightness to your bathroom and kitchen while still remaining cuddly soft and — most importantly — super absorbent. Promising review: "Best kitchen/hand towels I have found on Amazon yet. I get so many compliments on these!! Just bought some for my sister and mom, they love them so much. Soft and absorbent, just the right thickness, has some wear and tear after just a couple of months, but we use them daily and have washed and dried them a lot. Definitely worth the price." — CA Get a set of four from Amazon for $17.98+ (available in four colors and in a combo). 9. A bunch of cute little macaron boxes because who wouldn't want to pop open a pink or blue macaron to find their favorite earrings or daily vitamins? It's like having a little piece of Paris right on your nightstand. Amazon Promising review:"Just received these cute little boxes and am in love with them. Very thick and sturdy plastic but easy enough to open. These will work perfectly for filling solid perfumes and giving out as stocking stuffer gifts as I don't have to worry about it being a snug fit/lid falling off. I imagine these would also be great for pretend food for kids' playsets or for a kid's trinket box. Overall I love them, love their feel, love the colors and am very happy." — Mary Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.99. 10. A set of popular fairy lights with eight different light modes, including a twinkling option, so you can create a cozy atmosphere. Plus, the controller is attached right to the lights so you won't have to worry about ever losing it. Promising review:"Love the ease of these lights! I bought two sets for two different bedrooms for my daughters and they ABSOLUTELY love them! They are easy to hang up over the curtains. I love that I don't have to worry about trying to string together several strands of Christmas lights that are way too long and super heavy over the curtain rod. The LED lights are very lightweight so they don't put any extra weight on my curtain rods. Also, we love the different light modes that it can do. My girls love the warm glow that it gives to their bedrooms. The first thing my almost teenage daughter said was, 'My room looks like a Pinterest room!' So overall, it was a WIN-WIN! Definitely worth the money!" — MyMomShopsAtGoodwill Get it from Amazon for $15.79+ (available in two sizes and four styles). 11. A set of delightfully bright fruit-inspired coasters bound to make your coffee table look like a decorative fruit basket every time you place drinks down. Amazon Promising review:"Are you kidding me? How could anyone rate these anything less than 5 stars? Mine arrived fairly quickly. They are colorful and the pattern is exactly as pictured. They are wrapped individually. What a good buy! I plan on using mine in a door wreath because they are perfect for decorations." — J&SZack Get a pack of seven from Amazon for $4.99. 12. Or a quirky punch needle coaster with colors so vibrant and cheerful, it's like a mini art installation right there in your living room. Besides protecting your table from those pesky coffee rings, it'll make you smile every time you go to see it. Check out a TikTok mentioning the coasters for more deets. Shiro Design Studio is an Etsy shop established in 2020 that specializes in handmade punch needle pillowcase and home decor products. Promising review:"I bought these for my daughter for Christmas. She loves them. They are very cute and well made." — Sharon Get it from Shiro Design Studio on Etsy for $11.25 (available in 12 styles, and you can also contact the shop for custom colors — also available in more styles here). 13. A splurge-worthy, hand-painted Mackenzie-Childs enamel tea kettle that feels like it's been plucked straight from a storybook. It features an elegant glass knob and a sleek wood handle that makes pouring your favorite brew so easy. The vibrant colors and meticulous details make it a focal point in any kitchen, transforming even the most mundane tea ritual into a luxurious experience. Get a closer look at it on TikTok! Promising reviews: "Really, has anyone ever gotten anything from MacKenzie-Childs and NOT been completely over the moon? I love this teapot! I wish I could afford the whole line of Courtly Check enamel a start!" — Debbie Dombrowski "As silly as it sounds, I see this teapot on so many TV shows sitting on the stove. I just had to have one, and this is perfect — it brightens up my white kitchen. It doesn't whistle so you can't leave the room with it on the stove. But if you watch Real Housewives and see this on every single stove, it's the one, and I love it!" — Jackie M Get it from Amazon for $159.95+ (available in two sizes and five colors). 14. A lovely moon phase garland to bring a whimsical touch to your bedroom, perfect for those of us who are fascinated by the mysteries of the universe. Amazon Base Roots is a woman-owned home decor shop that blends modern and traditional design elements. Promising review:"I'm an incoming freshman this fall and I bought this to add some personality to my dorm. It has beyond exceeded my expectations! I placed it directly on top of my dorm bed as shown in the display photos and am so pleased with how it looks. It fits perfectly with the gray/white color scheme I was going for and have received numerous compliments from both my friends and RAs when they've visited. I cannot stress enough how much of an 'aesthetic feel' it adds to my dorm." — jhsgf Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in two colors and styles). 15. A cherry toilet brush as a fun, unexpected detail that'll bring a pop of color to your blah bathroom. The brush itself is disguised as the stem of the cherry and fits perfectly into a glossy, red base that looks just like the fruit. It's so cute, it's a guaranteed conversation starter! Check out a TikTok of the cherry toilet brush in action. Promising review: "This toilet brush makes me want to clean my toilet. It is so cute, exactly what I wanted, and works perfectly!! Fits nicely into my bathroom decor. It was delivered in perfect condition and I've used it three times now. If you're thinking about buying it!" — Michelle Maroon Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (also available in an orange style). 16. A halo projector lamp here to bathe your living area in vibrant rings of colorful light. It's basically the cooler, more artistic cousin of the TikTok-viral sunset lamp and doesn't just stop at one simple sunset hue; it projects up to five colorful halos of light that can transform any room into a mesmerizing, funky art installation. And! You can bend and shape each lamp head, directing the halos wherever you want and adjusting their size. See it in action on TikTok! Promising review: "Love this lamp so much! So easy to put together and love that they give gels to create your own little mix-and-match of color. The lights are pretty bendy and don't get too hot even after hours of use (you can still touch and bend them without getting burned). VERY bright light but creates a great wash for ambient reflective lighting." — Max Ferg Get it from Amazon for $119.99. 17. A strawberry vase that's un-berry-bly adorable. Why settle for a plain flower vase when this one will start up a conversation with everyone who lays eyes on it? Amazon Promising review:"Oh my god I am obsessed with this. This is literally my favorite purchase I've made on this website. When I got it I was so excited. The paint is very vibrant and pretty and it's a lot bigger than I thought. I'm in love with this vase and I think you will be too. You need to get this." — Jemma Get it from Amazon for $28.95. 18. A cute little retro-inspired clock adding so much vintage flair to a room, you won't waste any opportunity to stop and admire now you're running late! Promising review: "Love this wall clock! It has a beautiful shape and the sweep hand is really nice (unlike the type that tick, tick, ticks). Best item I've bought in a long time. A deal for real!" — VEBeatles Get it from Amazon for $16.99. 19. A dreamy pastel duvet cover set that comes in so many shades of the rainbow, you can have a set to reflect every changing mood or season. Amazon The set comes with one duvet cover and two pillow shams — be sure to grab a duvet insert if you need it! Promising review:"In the process of giving our bedroom a new makeover. Needed new bedding ASAP for our new mattress. I work 12–13 hours a night in healthcare; I'm exhausted and the last thing I want to do is shop. I took a chance with this duvet cover. Couldn't beat the price! If I could give the quality and comfort of this Duvet cover and pillowcases 10 stars, I would!! Definitely a great buy at an extremely affordable price. The quality exceeded my expectations. It is so soft, true to size and color, wrinkle-free, and has a well-made zipper at the bottom. There are also ties on the inside to keep your Duvet in place. I absolutely LOVE everything about this cover. Can't wait to get home in my bed after a long, exhausting work shift on my feet. My furbaby loves it too! Thanks Amazon for simplifying my life! ❤️" — Theresa Get a set from Amazon for $24.69+ (available in sizes twin–California king and in 29 colors). 20. A vintage-inspired light switch plate, aka the perfect statement piece you didn't know you needed to really spiff up the mid-century modern vibes of your home. Atomic Surplus / Etsy Atomic Surplus is an Idaho-based Etsy shop established in 2018 that specializes in handmade home accessories. Promising review:"These plates are fantastic and Sam is great to work with. I placed a large order and changed out every plate in the house. They look fantastic and I'm so happy I stumbled on Atomic Surplus. What a terrific find." — Meg Morton Get it from Atomic Surplus on Etsy for $30+ (available in a variety of styles and colors). 21. A set of digital flower market prints I'm sure fashion icon Twiggy would have hung in her humble abode in the '60s. With their combination of vibrant colors and patterns, these'll help you create a gorgeous gallery wall that brings a smile to your face on the daily. Soft & Soft / Etsy Soft & Soft is a family-owned Etsy shop established in 2020 that specializes in digital art prints. Promising review: "Obsessed isn't even the right word to use when describing how my roommate and I feel about this. Download was simple and we are so excited to hang these up in our new space. When I say stunning, I mean STUN-NING!!!!" — Taryn Cooper Get a set of nine digital prints from Soft & Soft on Etsy for $7.20 (originally $12). 22. A northern lights projector so you can experience the mesmerizing magic of the cosmos right in your bedroom. This gem doesn't just throw a dazzling display of colors across your ceiling; it also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and can serenade you with soothing sounds to help you drift off in a zen-like state. Promising review:"I love this light! The stars are beautiful, the colors are beautiful. I like that it shuts off in four hours. I use it in my house so I don't have to turn the lights on all the time. I like it so much, I just ordered three more to give to my grandchildren. It also has sounds like the sound of rain, or ocean waves. And you can even play your regular music on it. Don't be afraid to try it! It's like having the northern lights anytime you want." — Amy J Nelson Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in four colors). 23. A set of pastel watercolor stickers if you're getting bored of staring at plain and dull apartment walls. These stickers are easy to apply *and* remove so there's no danger of not getting back your security deposit back. Promising review: "They are great! We had so much fun putting them on the wall. They stuck beautifully and they look adorable!" — Barbra Zullo Get a set of 123 stickers for $9.99+ (available in 21 styles). 24. A set of gem agate bookends that look like you went on an Indiana Jones quest to obtain them, and rightfully so — your precious books deserve only the best to hold them up in place. Amazon Promising review: "Love it — the rocks are BEAUTIFUL. These are great book holders. I have them across my fireplace mantle and have had nothing but compliments. Highly recommended for the crystal quality and I'll definitely be ordering more in other colors in the future. Thanks." — GH Get a pair from Amazon for $29.89+ (available in six colors and four weights). 25. A swiveling velvet barrel chair ready to steal the spotlight with its vibrant color. Reviewers rave about how incredibly comfortable it is, making it the perfect spot for curling up with a good book or unwinding with a glass of wine. It'll help liven up a room and add dimension if you're working with limited space in your home! Promising review: "I recently did a room renovation and decided to add a chair to add variety to my comfort space. This chair fits my aesthetic perfectly and was so easy to put together! I'm 5'3 and don't have issues with back support. It's also super comfy." — Ryah Deniece Get it from Amazon for $169.99+ (available in nine colors). 26. An adorable flower pillow that's not only a treat for the eyes but also provides comfy support for your bum or lower back, especially during those endless hours spent in your work chair. It comes in a rainbow of colors and several sizes, letting you dial into your perfect level of whimsy. Check out a TikTok of the flower pillows in action. Promising review:"I bought these pillows to liven up my office space. They are whimsical and fun. The larger pillows would be great to set on the floor and sit with children or pets! Love these." — lovetoread Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in 13 colors and three sizes). 27. An easy-to-apply roll of peel-and-stick daisy wallpaper perfect for that accent wall you have planned, but why stop there — it'd look so charming inside a cabinet, drawers, and even on stair risers. Amazon Check out a TikTok of the daisy wallpaper and how it looks inside a cabinet. Promising review: "In love with this daisy paper!! My project turned out beautifully!! Good quality and amazing adhesion!" — Tony Get a 16.5-foot roll from Amazon for $36.64. 28. A decorative ceramic lips holder that looks like it came straight out of an Andy Warhol pop art poster. Use these to store all your lippies or those little jewelry pieces that are just too precious to toss in a drawer or leave lying around. Promising review: "I love this as I'm getting into my super pink era. 💅🏼 It's a nice weight and not easily breakable. It holds a lot of knickknacks too, from lipsticks to trinkets. I also think it's really cute. Going to get several to put around my home." — Agusta Get it from Amazon for $14.96 (available in three colors). 29. A set of self-adhesive removable stair decals so bright and cheerful, you'll surely feel like you're 🎶 walking on sunshine (whooooa-oh) 🎶. Amazon Promising review: "These went on smooth as butta! I've gotten so many compliments and guests assume I painted it. Just have a box knife and patience. It's worth the time investment! I've had mine on now for a year and it stays on just fine." — Amazon Customer Get a set of decals from Amazon for $26.09+ (available in five patterns). 30. A set of tiny strawberry candles so un-berry-bly adorable you'll want to sprinkle them throughout your home. Just be prepared to receive a lot of compliments (and maybe even a few 'missing' candles here and there). So make sure you keep both eyes on these little treasures — they're just too precious to let go! Amazon Check out a TikTok of the strawberry candles in action. Promising review;"These are just the cutest little candles and ever so summery! Their size, appearance, and scent are just like real strawberries. Perfect as little take-home favors or decorations for a backyard picnic!" — M. Milton Get a set of four from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in red and pink). 31. A majestic mountain tapestry bringing all the grandeur of nature right into your home, no hiking boots required! Amazon Promising review:"Beautiful tapestry! Nice stitched edges, good quality print of the design. It was going to go elsewhere in the house but it selfishly ended up by my bed because it's so pretty." — Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in five sizes and four designs). 32. A cheerful USB-powered rainbow night-light here to add a pop of color to your space and lift your mood. Now we're only missing that pot of gold that was promised at the end of it. Amazon Promising review:"Super cute! Feels durable and I had it up and going in a few seconds. Has the retro feel I was going for and a happy rainbow to remind me everything will be all right and to love people. ❤️🌈" — Kelly Billy Get it from Amazon for $11.68. 33. A vintage-inspired orange juice ceramic vase just waiting to be your main squeeze if you're looking to add a little bit of sunshine to your decor. Promising review: "Literally the most perfect home decor ever invented. It is the perfect element to add a bit of your personality into your home. Would recommend 10/10." — Codi Kimball Get it from Amazon for $28.95. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
