Check out the 'I Do See Color' years in review
Most popular IDSC reader posts since joining Substack in 2022
Wrapped on Spotify is fascinating to me, mainly because the songs, the albums and the podcasts that I think would make it to the top of the list rarely do. And I always end up trailing off down some peculiar path or losing interest completely in something I was fanatical about at the start of the year. Then, I find something new.
It’s fun to see what was of interest to me then and now. Same goes for my YouTube 2025 Recap.
But what may have stood out the most this year was the kind of items that were the most popular on my Amazon Affiliate list. None of the top six (two are the same brand) were choices I would’ve predicted to be the most popular, but I’m happy to see the ones that my Substack subscribers and casual readers decided to buy. I still co-sign all six, especially those that assist in helping Black authors and Black businesses.
Instead of doing just a Substack year in review for 2025, I’ve decided to do a Substack all-time-posts in review since my content migration from Medium to Substack in mid-2022. I know Substack has a “top” posts category on the homepage, but Google Analytics has a few interesting (and different) results for the past three years. In addition to listing the top 10 posts (according to Google Analytics), I’ll tell you my take (or experience) on this post as of today in 2025. Here’s hoping you enjoy learning what inspired me to write these posts and clicking away to read them too.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy (upcoming) New Year!
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I prioritize featuring intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and Black-owned businesses. All four of my Substack publications include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a VERIFIED Black-owned business.
Shamontiel’s most popular Amazon Affiliate recommendations on Substack
Michael Harriot’s “Black AF” (available in hardcover, Kindle and audiobook)
Michael B. Jordan’s sea moss drink (sold out at the date of publication — PURE Moss, Pomegranate Moss, Mango Ginger Moss, Variety Pack Moss)
Top 10 IDSC posts from 2022-25
1. Is applying for the DataAnnotation job worth it ~ BlackTechLogy: The 45-minute artificial intelligence editing test was my second round at working on AI writing
2025 take: I wholeheartedly support Illinois becoming one of the few states to regulate employer use of AI. House Bill 3773 amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to make it a civil rights violation for employers to use AI tools that result in discrimination based on race, gender, age, or disability. Without laws like this, the same annoying AI companies will continue to flood job postings on Indeed, LinkedIn and the loathsome job site riddled with Better Business Bureau complaints (i.e., Glassdoor). Job seekers can barely get through legitimate job postings because of AI jobs that are clearly dismissing certain demographics. Even worse, other companies are refusing to interview minority job seekers at all as soon as they see you after you pass their employment exams.
2. I spent two hours looking at the Statue of Liberty’s feet ~ The millionth reason I love Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s ‘NAH’ podcast so much
2025 take: Malcolm-Jamal Warner created the perfect podcast, which balanced entertainment and education. I don’t regret dodging meeting him in person or ignoring my colleague who suggested we take a photograph together. Although I’ve interviewed a bunch of celebrities, I tend to get nervous around those who I’m actually a fan of. I’m not shy. I just don’t want them to do anything that’ll make me not be a fan anymore. (Three rappers I’ve interviewed have already done this. I refused to give MJW the chance to be on this list.) This podcast episode was one of many examples of why I love his work. In all the Black history lessons I learned growing up, the Statue of Liberty history totally slipped by me.
3. Kim Fields and Joey Lawrence made me throw in the towel on ‘Brotherly Love’ podcast ~ Never downplay your Blackness to make white people feel comfortable
2025 take: Since the 1960s, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union (Local 130) have been using a non-toxic, green, vegetable-based powder in the Chicago River to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. And I love that energy. Be proud of your culture, your race, your gender, your everything.
Now picture how bummed out I was as a huge fan of “Living Single” and a former teen who definitely thought Matthew Lawrence was the finest brother of that family trio. (He still is!) Kim Fields and Matthew on the same podcast? Yes ma’am. Until — no ma’am. Overall, this podcast wore on my patience almost immediately, from Matthew gushing over Elon Musk and bitcoin to him ridiculing and bullying his brother Andrew Lawrence. I still tried to like it, but I threw in the towel after hearing a Black woman (read: Kim Fields) announce to three White men (specifically anti-Obama Joey Lawrence, who doesn’t seem to realize the crack epidemic and music discrimination from MTV happened in the ‘80s) that she doesn’t want to be described as Black.
It really rattles me when Black people complain about the phrase “Black show” or “Black movie” or “Black actress” or “Black director.” (Arizonian Erika Alexander is another one who complains nonstop about the phrase “Black show,” but I like that fellow actress Kim Coles sees it more complimentary.) This anti-Black energy reminds me too much of that moment on social media when Chilli corrected someone for calling her “chocolate” and claimed she was “caramel.” Anybody with eyes can see this lady is a dark brown complexion. Embrace it all. Celebrate it. Admire the river.
4. Stop calling Black women ‘intimidating’ ~ The ‘intimidation’ incident that made me quit my last job
2025 take: I have had some very cool bosses over the years — two of which I’m LinkedIn Connects with and one who found me on Bluesky. If I saw any of these three women, I’d greet them with open arms. I could do without ever seeing a couple though. Seven years later, and I have no regrets about leaving one particular company with the worst boss ever. From racist professors to racist bosses, everybody has their limits. I hit mine. There is no amount of money that could make me tolerate daily condescension, juvenile gossiping, badgering people to text them all weekend (including one day after a family member died and during the three-day bereavement), and playing the victim when you respond to all of the above.
5. ‘The Resident’ brings awareness to Black mothers dying during childbirth ~ Kira Dixon Johnson and Charles Johnson’s experience at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center became inspiration for Netflix doctor series
2025 take: Yet again, another reason I miss Malcolm-Jamal Warner. He was incredible in this episode and made me wonder how often Black doctors, Black nurses and other medical professionals have to deal with this from their counterparts. I was in tears in that final scene with Warner and Devon Pravesh (who played Manish Dayal). Although the show kinda fell off when Shaunette Renée Wilson left, it was amazing up until her immigration plot.
6. I miss Black Expressions Book Club ~ IDSC ‘BlackTechLogy’ December Exclusive: There’s nothing like strolling into Black bookstores
2025 take: I had no idea that purchasing a Sakold Pet Hair Eraser, Cordless Handheld Vacuum would earn me a free audiobook from Amazon Audible, and I jumped to download the app and add a seventh book to my library. But it took me forever to find a book that I thought was worth giving up a free credit. With book clubs like Black Expressions, I would have so many options that I wouldn’t know which one to choose first. On Amazon Audible, I kept getting nonstop “Harry Potter” recommendations. Hard pass!
7. One Black Woman’s Vote 2021-2024 ~ An archive of political posts from a proud Liberal, 92% for Kamala Harris and two-time Election Judge
2025 take: This story gallery being so popular surprised because “One Black Woman’s Vote” used to be its own Substack publication. It was doing OK because of one or two posts but not great. I didn’t intend to keep it going after the presidential election and sulked over the results. I shut down OBWV and moved all the old links to IDSC, and it somehow took off on IDSC. Because of this, I decided to keep it going in 2025 on a monthly basis.
8. Black-owned businesses can survive without anti-DEI Target ~ Black consumers, be careful with Black-owned businesses who care more about luxury than equality
2025 take: My boycott has been going on for five years, long before Trump’s DEI rampage. Two Target locations disappointed me completely, and Better Business Bureau complaints didn’t help matters. Target showed its ugly face long ago, and I have no sympathy for their loss in sales. They played us. Big time. Now karma is winning.
9. The more insults I hear about Jay Z’s hair, the more I like his freeform locks ~ From the Team Natural movement to the Crown Act, let Black people enjoy their hair
2025 take: What makes this post so significant to me is I had a relative make a comment about how the men she dates are better than the ones I do because my hair is “round-the-way girl.” After some very choice words from me and reminding this lady that this “round-the-way girl” has a whole career, degree and that she tried to use my credit card to buy her (now-ex) boyfriend a birthday cake, she humbled herself slightly. But that 20-year-old comment still makes me look at her funny. The wildest part is she went on to marry a man who wears his hair in locks and started wearing her hair naturally. We really have to get past this “good hair/bad hair” goofiness. My guess is the half-Jamaican guy who claimed dreadlocks is “dirty hair” is probably still clueless. He’s also going bald in his very early 30s so this might be jealousy. Anyway, as much as I liked Jay Z’s swag with a low cut, the ridicule made me newly fond of his hair. And he's still charming than a muthafather anyway.
10. Pixlr’s AI Image Generator is a welcome relief for Black web writers ~ BlackTechLogy: Could AI photo software be hurting Black graphic designers?
2025 take: Although ChatGPT photo generator doesn’t have nearly as many peculiar errors as Pixlr does (ex. six fingers, too many arms, half-face drooping) and AI gives me the option to create the kind of diverse photos missing from fair-use sites, I still try to support African-American photographers when I can find online photos that make sense. AI-generator photos are still my shiny new toy. Unlike job vetting with AI, I can use this option to actually embrace diversity and show bits of my personality. (Look at the default image of this post for a prime example!) I love picking out every single detail in a photo and occasionally adding a hint of my personality somewhere in them.
Enjoying this post?
Read “Check out the ‘Black Girl In a Doggone World’ years in review ~ Most popular BGIDW reader posts since joining Substack in 2022” too!
Read “Check out the ‘Homegrown Tales’ years in review ~ Most popular HT reader posts since joining Substack in 2022” too!
Read “Check out the ‘Window Shopping’ years in review ~ Most popular WS reader posts since joining Substack in 2022” too!
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!