Two Cups of Tea at Hope’s Café
Glow Up, Folks! I am a little late to the party, having only discovered this phrase recently. For the uninitiated, this means: “a significant positive transformation in appearance, confidence, or
overall presence, often reflecting personal growth and self-improvement.”(Copilot)
This can refer to a change in personal appearance or in a larger sense, to increased confidence, a noticeable difference in how one presents oneself to others. Glowing up can be the result of greater mental and emotional wellbeing, or lifestyle changes.
The term owes its usage to black culture in the Bronx. As the story goes, Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins wrote a scat song (music rooted in early jazz and West African musical traditions, where fixed syllables are assigned to percussion patterns) to tease his friend who had just joined the army.
The made-up words “hip” and “hop” were alternated “in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers. Cowboy later worked the “hip hop” cadence into his stage performance.[25][26] The group frequently performed with disco artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them “hip hoppers”. The name was originally meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music and its broader culture.[27] “ (Wikipedia).
There would seem to be something both ironic and hopeful in the fact that “glowing up” comes from the black culture, where poverty rates have always been high.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reports that “ In 2022 poverty rate was the lowest on record for Black Americans at 17.1 percent. In 2023, the poverty rate for African Americans rose to 17.9 percent. In 2024, 18.4 percent of Black Americans were poor. This was 2.4 times the rate for non-Hispanic White Americans. More than 8.4 million African Americans were living with incomes below the official poverty rate.
The supplemental poverty measure (SPM) rate extends the official poverty measure by accounting for several government programs that are designed to assist low-income families but are not included in official poverty measure calculations. The SPM also accounts for geographic variation in housing expenses when calculating the poverty thresholds and includes federal and state taxes, work expenses, and medical expenses. The SPM does not replace the official poverty measure; however, it does provide a different metric of economic well-being that includes resources from government programs and tax credits to low-income families.
“In 2024, the SPM poverty rate for Blacks was 20.7 percent, an increase from 18.5 percent in 2023. The SPM poverty rate for Blacks in 2021 was 11.3 percent. The large increase in the SPM rate was due to the end of many pandemic-related programs that expired. The SPM child poverty rate for Blacks under the age of 18 in 2024 was 22.7 percent, up from 20.3 percent in 2023 and 8.1 percent in 2021.”
Always at a disadvantage in multiple arenas, how astounding that blacks would find ways to inject hope, as they have through the centuries, with music being a prime avenue. Hip Hop, first viewed with disdain, became embedded in the culture. Talk about “glowing up.” They exemplify it! Hope’s Café salutes them.
The invitation is open to share two cups of tea anytime at Hope’s Café or anywhere you share companionship and conversation.
May we be bearers of hope, the “wait staff” at Hope’s Café, for each other and all those we encounter. Shalom, Kate
*** A white, blue-eyed blonde, always aware of my privilege, I ponder that this blog went this direction that I didn’t anticipate. My black adopted now five year-old granddaughter perhaps makes me more aware of culture-related issues. The child loves music. She shows talent already for both singing and dancing. (But please don’t make me listen to Kpop Demon Hunters songs again anytime soon! It has taken me nearly a week since we returned from our most recent visit not to hear them in my sleep! )
Hope's Cafe 