Lockdown Love

An excerpt from Entrepreneur - 

She Made Personalized Cards for Her Husband in Prison. Then She Realized Thousands of Prison Wives Would Buy Them.

Danielle Macias started True Blue Stationery as a side hustle. She soon discovered there was more demand than she could possibly meet.

By Elizabeth Greenwood, Author of LOVE LOCKDOWN: Dating, Sex, and Marriage in America's Prison System

Image credit: Danielle Macias

Danielle Macias never set out to be a stationery designer. Back in 2014, when she started her business, she was working full-time as a medical diagnostic scheduler and supporting her husband José through his 25-year prison sentence. They met as teenagers and married while José was incarcerated in Kern Valley State Prison, in California. Between visits, she wrote him love letters, decorating the envelopes and sheets of paper with simple designs. “I’m a horrible artist,” Danielle, 34, says. Still, a friend with whom she carpooled to the prison caught a glimpse of an envelope Danielle had prepared for José, 35. It was adorned with a cartoon image of a mailbox and the phrase “love letter” in a striking script. She asked Danielle where she had gotten this prison-specific piece of stationery, and Danielle told her she’d made it. She asked Danielle to make something similar for her, and True Blue Stationery was born.

“I didn’t go into this thinking I’d make a whole business out of my cards,” Danielle says, “but it took off pretty quickly.” She had tapped into a large and underserved customer base: There are more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, 93% of them men. And on the outside, there are millions more caring for them from afar, like Danielle. 

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379077

The 2nd Amendment Is Not Intended For Us

An excerpt from Slate - 

“The Second Amendment Is Not Intended for Black People”

Tracing the racist history of gun governance.

BY DAHLIA LITHWICK 

Black gun owners take part in a rally in support of the
Second Amendment in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
on June 20, 2020. Reuters/Lawrence Bryant

On a recent episode of Slate’s legal podcast Amicus, host Dahlia Lithwick spoke with historian Carol Anderson, professor and chair of African American studies at Emory University, about her new book, The Second. Anderson’s work explores how the Constitution’s Second Amendment was not only crafted to suppress Black Americans, but was continually enforced throughout the centuries in a racist manner, leading to everything from the terrorizing of Reconstruction-era Black Americans to the police killings of even legally armed Black people today. A portion of the conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, has been transcribed below.

Dahlia Lithwick: I wonder if you could start by talking about what led you to this exploration of the connection between slavery, the founding, and guns.

Carol Anderson: It began in 2016 with the killing of Philando Castile. In Minnesota, you have a Black man who was pulled over by the police. The officer asked to see his ID. Castile, following NRA guidelines, alerts the officer that he has a license to carry a weapon with him but he says he’s reaching for his ID. The police officer begins shooting and kills Philando Castile. We see the film of it. It is horrific.

We have a Black man killed simply for having a gun—not for brandishing it, not for threatening anyone, simply for having a license to carry a gun. The National Rifle Association, that protector of the Second Amendment, goes virtually silent. And I thought, how is the NRA silent on this, particularly when it was calling federal law enforcement jackbooted government thugs at Ruby Ridge and at Waco? On this, they’re like virtually silent. Journalists began asking, “Well, don’t African Americans have Second Amendment rights?” And I thought to myself, that’s a great question, and that’s what led me on to this hunt.

In the epilogue to your book, you put in Trevor Noah’s quote from when he looks at a whole host of incidents in which police officers talk down a white man with a gun: They persuade him to disarm and they arrest him. Noah makes the argument that “the Second Amendment is not intended for Black people.” I think the argument is saying that the Second Amendment is in fact working exactly the way it was intended to work with respect to Black folks, and that is as a tool of persistence, subordination, and destruction. I just want to be super clear that you’re not saying the Second Amendment is broken, that it was conceived to do a thing that it doesn’t do. You’re saying the Second Amendment does precisely the thing it was crafted to do.

Exactly. You nailed it.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/08/second-amendment-guns-racist-black-americans-history.html

Brothers help underprivileged students afford historically Black college...

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/brothers-raise-money-help-students-080018355.html

Black Kids Labeled Negatively Early

An excerpt from Neuroscience News - 

The Older People Think a Black Child Is, the More Likely They Are to Wrongly See the Child As Angry

Summary: The older an adult believes a Black child to be, the more likely they are to believe the child is exhibiting angry emotions, even when they are not. The same emotional perception shift does not occur when an adult sees an image of a white child.

Source: North Carolina State University

    

             These misperceptions occurred significantly

           less frequently for white children.

            Credit: North Carolina State University

A recent study from North Carolina State University finds that the older an adult thinks a Black child is, the more likely the adult is to incorrectly view the child as being angry. There was no similar shift in adults’ perceptions of white children’s emotions.

“Our earlier work had established that racialized anger bias is imposed on both Black adults and Black children,” says Amy Halberstadt, co-author of a paper on the work and a professor of psychology at NC State.

“This study shows again that Black children are more likely than white children to be seen as angry, even when they are not angry, which has ramifications for receiving unfair consequences.”

“The new part in this study was to see if anger bias increased as a function of the child’s age,” says Alison Cooke, first author of the study and a former Ph.D. student at NC State.

“Do people see Black children as older and does that increase the likelihood that people will incorrectly perceive Black children as angry?”

https://neurosciencenews.com/race-perception-anger-19074/

Black & Beautiful Luxury Shoe Designer

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

‘ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS’: MEET THE YOUNGEST, BLACK FEMALE LUXURY SHOE DESIGNER IN THE INDUSTRY #BLACKBUSINESSMONTH

by Alexa Imani Spencer

(Photo Ganesia Wveighlin)

This woman is kicking out glass ceilings and walking in her power as the youngest, Black female designer in the luxury shoe industry who owns 100% of her brand.

Meet Ganesia Wveighlin, 32, owner of CaesarWalks; a unique, expressive luxury shoe brand she founded in 2017. Wveighlin boldly stepped into the luxury shoe market with a vision and hasn’t looked back since. 

                                                                                                                                                               

The brand includes shoes for women and men with some handmade touches. Wveighlin studied shoemaking in 2019 so she could make her shoes by hand. Her education first started in Brooklyn and continued in London, England. 

https://www.blackenterprise.com/youngest-black-female-luxury-shoe-designer-ganesia-wveighlin/

He Opened His Heart and His Wallet

An excerpt from Readers' Digest - 

A Man Heard an Elderly Woman Was About to Lose Her House, So He Gave Her the Money to Keep It

When a Detroit man heard a woman was about to lose her house, he opened his heart—and his wallet. 

By Emily Goodman

Michael Evans (right) inspires his son (left) to continue his legacy of charity.

EE BERGER FOR READER'S DIGEST

Michael Evans was standing in line at the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office in Detroit last August, waiting to pay his taxes, when he heard a disturbing sound ahead of him. The elderly woman at the window was crying—and so was the cashier helping her. Then Evans learned why: He heard the cashier inform the woman that her house was in fore­closure and headed for auction. He also heard the woman tell the cashier that her daughter had recently died.

Evans, a businessman who had just buried his father, couldn’t stomach the idea of this woman losing her home right after losing her child. He approached the window. “I don’t mean to butt in,” he said to the cashier, “but if y’all can get her house back, I’ll pay for her taxes.” The amount due: $5,000.

The two women were stunned. Their despair turned to disbelief. The cashier left for a moment to confirm the amount and that it was all right for Evans to pay it. Evans vowed to go straight to the bank and come right back with the money. And he did.

But when he returned to the treasurer’s office, he asked someone else waiting in line to hand the $5,000 check to the cashier. Evans was trying to slip away quietly and, preferably, anonymously.

“I didn’t want this attention,” he explains.

Of course, attention found him—it’s not every day that someone pays a stranger’s hefty tax bill. 

https://www.rd.com/article/a-very-special-tax-break/

Black-Owned Drive-In Thrives

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

Black-Owned Drive-In Movie Theater That Opened At Height of COVID Has No Plans to Close

By Jeroslyn Johnson

Ayana Morris and Siree Morris (BlackBusiness)

A Black-owned drive-in movie theater in New Jersey that opened during the height of the pandemic has no plans of closing as their business thrives in a social distancing society.

Co-founders and husband-and-wife Ayana Morris and Siree Morris opened Newark Moonlight Cinema after seeing an opportunity while a pandemic plagued the world. Through the drive-in service, one of the few Black-owned theaters in the country, they were able to host over 20,000 cars during 2020, CNBC

reports.

While many small businesses struggle to make it as the pandemic looms on, Newark Moonlight Cinema is building its community-driven business to stand the test of time.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-owned-drive-in-movie-theater-in-new-jersey-capitalizing-on-distancing-protocols/amp/

Black Billionaires

From Essence - 

Here's Everyone On The Black Billionaire List Now

THOUGH THERE ARE JUST 15 BLACK PEOPLE AMONG THE WORLD’S ESTIMATED 2,755 BILLIONAIRES, FORTUNATELY, THE LIST IS GROWING.

BY JASMINE BROWLEY 

Rihanna (Getty Images)

https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/black-billionaire-list-2021/

 

Start Your Day With a Smile

From Buzzfeed - 

60 Pictures That Make Me Smile Uncontrollably No Matter How Many Times I've Seen Them

Can't stop smiling.

by Dave Stopera

https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/60-wholesome-things

Rihanna is a BILLIONAIRE! Way to Go RiRi!

An excerpt from USA Today - 

Rihanna officially becomes a billionaire: Forbes names her the 'richest female musician'

By Elise Brisco

Forbes has announced Rhianna as a billionaire with
most of her worth coming from her Fenty brand.
Roy Rochlin, Getty Images

Rihanna shines bright like a diamond, or several diamonds: The multi-hyphenate star is now a billionaire. 

Forbes announced Wednesday that Rihanna joins the ranks of Oprah Winfrey as one of the richest entertainers in the world. The publication estimates her net worth at $1.7 billion, with most of it coming from her cosmetic brand Fenty Beauty. 

In lieu of another album – which fans are still waiting for – the singer-turned-entrepreneur, born Robyn Fenty, launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 in partnership with luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. The brand's launch focused on inclusivity with a then-unprecedented 40 shades of foundation, which prompted the "Fenty Effect" in which other brands expanded their shade ranges for complexion products. Now the brand covers everything under the sun of makeup, from brushes and blushes to lipsticks. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/08/04/rihanna-billionaire-forbes-richest-female-musician-fenty-beauty/5480614001/

She Deserves Every Penny and More!

An excerpt from Deadline - 

‘9-1-1’ Cast Gets Raises Ahead Of Season 5 With Angela Bassett Eyeing New Benchmark For Actresses Of Color

By Nellie Andreeva 

Angela Bassett - 911 on FOX

After lengthy negotiations for some, all series regulars on Fox’s flagship drama 9-1-1 have secured pay increases ahead of Season 5, I have learned.

Series star Angela Bassett led the way with a major bump that I hear takes her to north of $450,000 an episode. That is believed to be among the top salaries on network television for any actor — male or female — and could be the highest ever for an actress of color on a broadcast drama series.

For Oscar-nominated Bassett, it encompasses other services beyond acting. She was involved in the development of 9-1-1, whom Ryan Murphy created for her. She serves as an executive producer on 9-1-1 as well as spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star.

https://deadline.com/2021/08/9-1-1-cast-raises-season-5-angela-bassett-deal-1234796117/

Pharmaceutical Companies Have Gotten Rich From Her Cells. Her Family Has Gotten Nothing.

An excerpt from Newsonyx - 

Henrietta Lacks’ Family Will Sue Pharmaceutical Companies Who’ve Gotten Rich From Her Cells

Her HeLa cells have been used in research for decades without consent.

By Aziah Kamariby

Photo Courtesy of Baltimore Magazine (Mike Morgan)

The family of Henrietta Lacks has hired a prominent civil rights attorney, Ben Crump, who plans to seek compensation for them from big pharmaceutical companies across the country that have made fortunes off medical research with the use of Lacks’ famous cells.

On January 29, 1951, doctors at The Johns Hopkins Hospital took a biopsy from Henrietta Lacks, who had an aggressive form of cervical cancer.

She died eight months later, but the tissue was taken without her consent eventually established the cell line HeLa. The cells were the first immortal human cells to live outside of the body and be grown in culture.

For the next 70 years, cells taken from Lacks are the most widely used human cells in scientific research and helped lead to a multitude of medical treatments and advances, including the COVID-19 vaccine. However, neither Lacks nor her family gave consent.

Now, her descendants seek compensation from big pharmaceutical companies that profited from HeLa cells, and they hired the infamous Crump to help them do so.

https://www.newsonyx.com/henrietta-lacks-family-will-sue-pharmaceutical-companies-whove-gotten-rich-from-her-cells/

Are We Cheering For Everyone? If Not, Why Not?

An excerpt from Deadspin - 

America is determined to focus on the white women’s Olympic team that’s losing, instead of the Black women’s Olympic team that always wins

Even on the world’s biggest stage, this country has no shame showing off its prejudices

By Carron J. Phillips

Where’s the love for Tina Charles and the U.S. Women’s hoops team
that’s continuing their domination at the Olympics. Image: Getty Images

From the Confederacy to Jim Kelly’s Buffalo Bills teams in the early ’90s, and even the consistent coverage of Donald Trump and his supporters, throughout history, America has proven that it’s fascinated with losers… who are white.

And while the U.S. National Women’s National Soccer Team is the furthest thing from ever being considered losers, the predominantly white squad is, in fact, losing. Their semifinal loss to Canada was their second of the tournament (Sweden). A gold medal is now out of the picture, as a bronze medal is the only thing they can win, but even that isn’t a guarantee.

“If I could just say something, I just think the players have a lot to look at ourselves about,” said Megan Rapinoe after her team’s loss to Canada. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, we didn’t play better,’ and getting on each other, but we need to perform better, period. We don’t have juice because the ball’s banging off our shins and we’re not finding open passes and doing the simple things.”

But do you know who is winning in the Olympics, as usual?

The predominantly Black U.S. National Women’s Basketball Team, which is going for its seventh consecutive gold medal. To date, the team has only lost four games in the Olympics since 1976, and they’ve been undefeated in Olympic play since the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. During that time, we’ve seen the men’s team stumble to a bronze, rebuild itself into a global power, and stumble again under coach Gregg Popovich. The women’s soccer team only has four gold medals since 1996, while the women’s basketball team is primed to win their seventh.

https://deadspin.com/america-is-determined-to-focus-on-the-white-women-s-oly-1847407798

Oldest Tuskegee Airman Still Flying High

From Blavity - 

Oldest Living Tuskegee Airman Takes Grandson And Aspiring Aviator With Him On Flight

Who says 101-year-old can't have fun, too?

by Sìmone Stancil

The oldest living Tuskegee Airman Brigadier General Charles McGee, who is 101 years old, took flight last Sunday with a host of family members for the EAA AirVenture, one of the largest aviation events in the world. 

“I’ve been here many, many times, but to get back here again as I approach 102 is marvelous,” McGee said at the event’s headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Local 5 reported.

“Being able to come here and share with people that just like to look at airplanes or maybe kick the tires or maintain them, you can’t beat that,” he added.

McGee was joined on the flight by famous aviator Shaesta Waiz, who is known for piloting a single-engine aircraft across the globe in 2017, and his military pilot son, Ron McGee. Along with other family and friends, the 101-year-old’s great-grandson 15-year-old Lain Lanphier also joined on the journey from Dulles International Airport.

“It was an honor," Lanphier said. “I’ve never flown with him before, and although he’s very old, 102 almost, it’s amazing...he has a legacy to live up to and I strive to achieve that every day.”

The Tuskegee Airmen, given the title for training at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama, were the first Black aviators in the military serving under the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC) in the early 1940s. Their contributions include flying more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II, earning them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. Ultimately, the airmen joined the U.S. Air Force, which inspired the integration of the U.S. military.

https://blavity.com/oldest-living-tuskegee-airman-takes-grandson-and-aspiring-aviator-with-him-on-flight?category1=news

FAMU Paid Off Student Debt

From ABC News -  

Florida HBCU doles out $16 million to pay off student debt

Florida A&M University used federal money to help students.

By Ivan Pereira

Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE

 Florida A&M University entrance sign.

Students at a historically Black college received a huge parting gift from their school during commencement ceremonies Saturday.

Larry Robinson, the president of Florida A&M University, announced the school spent over $16 million to cover fees, tuition and unpaid student account balances during the 2020-2021 school year.

"This is an indication of our commitment to student success and our hope that your time on the 'Hill' has been transformative as you take on the challenges of the day, go out and make a difference," he told the graduates.

The university was able to use money from the federal Cares Act, which provides COVID-19 relief to organizations, to pay for the students' costs.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-hbcu-doles-16-million-pay-off-student/story?id=79205464

Welcome To A New Day

From CNN - 

All the Black women in us are tired

Analysis by Lisa Respers France, CNN

Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and Sha'Carri Richardson

(CNN)The other day I shared a meme that stoked a lot of emotion.

In it, there are pictures of three superstar athletes -- tennis player Naomi Osaka, gymnast Simone Biles and track and field sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson -- along with a sign that reads, "Y'all Not Gone Stress Us Out -- Black Women Everywhere."

They are women of color (Osaka has a Japanese mother and a Haitian father while Biles and Richardson are African American) and have made headlines recently due to decisions they made to support their mental health.

All three also have something in common which I very much understand -- the struggle women of color face in exercising self-care.

As I wrote in the caption of the meme I shared on Instagram, it's hard being a Black woman.

"We are supposed to save relationships, families, elections, communities, democracy and basically the world all while exhibiting "black girl magic," but y'all mad when we save ourselves?" I wrote. "Welcome to a new day."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/01/entertainment/biles-osaka-richardson-self-care/index.html

Equestrian or Horse Crip Walking? | Olympic Highlights With Kevin Hart a...

Funeral Crashers - Just Stop!

An excerpt from The Mirror - 

Funeral 'crashers' actually quite common - and they have different reasons for doing it

It turns out that funeral crashers really do exist, whether they're hungry or just a tad lonely, they could be coming to a funeral near you

By Emily Sleight 

You’ve heard of the film Wedding Crashers, right? To be honest, it’s a pretty good movie, and in some cases, they actually do exist. But, have you heard of funeral crashers?

Yes, you read that correctly. Individuals that turn up to funerals of people they don’t even know, just because...well, why not?

They are quite obviously known as ‘funeral crashers’ and there are actually many weird and wonderful reasons as to why people decide to get dressed up and attend a funeral of someone they don’t know.

Take Theresa Doyle for example, as reported by The Metro a few years back. This peckish funeral crasher in Slough made headlines for turning up at strangers' wakes, enjoying the free buffet, and taking anything else she fancied home in a Tupperware.

At the time, her neighbour said: “Theresa has been doing this for about 14 years now, but the bizarre thing is, she gate-crashes people's funerals and then is completely brash about it.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/funeral-crashers-actually-quite-common-24634130

The First Black Woman to Have a Hair Fragrance Made in France

An excerpt from Essence - 

Alexia P. Hammonds Is The First Black Woman To Have A Hair Fragrance Manufactured In Grasse, France

GRASSE IS THE PERFUME CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. 

By Brooklyn White

KELLY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

Alexia P. Hammonds has made history.

Her hair fragrance, Eat.Sweat.Undress, launched in October 2020 and established her as the first Black woman to have a hair fragrance manufactured in Grasse, France, the world’s perfume capital. She’s ecstatic about breaking new ground.

“I love that. Like, no matter what happens or how I transition in my fragrance business, I love knowing that I’ll be able to tell my kids, mommy was the first Black woman to do something,” Hammond said to ESSENCE.

What makes her product unique is that in addition to freshening the hair, it nourishes as well, which is key when creating products with a range of hair types in mind. “I have two luxury haircare benefits in my hair perfume,” she said. “So I have keratin and…I have the highest percentage of fragrance oil and the least amount of ethanol alcohol, which is the safe alcohol to having in a hair product for your hair so it doesn’t dry it out.”

https://www.essence.com/beauty/alexia-hammonds-hair-fragrance-exclusive/

Yesterday (The Beatles) - Fingerstyle

Gabby Thomas: An Elite Sprinter and So Much More

An excerpt from the Washington Post -

The world is about to meet sprinter Gabby Thomas. She’s ready to change it. 

By Adam Kilgore

Gabby Thomas always has wanted more. Achievements other people dream about, she collects. Thomas may win a gold medal on the track at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and in her vision, that personal triumph would furnish only a portion of the grand gifts she wants to share. Thomas is one of the fastest women in the world. She also intends to change it. Her biography could be abridged to one word: “And.”

At last month’s U.S. Olympic trials in Oregon, Thomas was a revelation. Hoping to run 200 meters faster than 22 seconds for the first time, she sprinted halfway around the Hayward Field oval in 21.61 seconds, which made her the second-fastest woman ever at the distance. Thomas crossed the line with her hands above her head, unable to process what she had done. Only Florence Griffith Joyner had ever run faster, and she did so just twice.

And: As she became an elite sprinter, Thomas earned a Harvard degree in neurobiology. In her studies, she gained a deep understanding of the health-care disparities Black people confront in the United States. Her passion led her to enroll in a master’s program in public health with a focus on epidemiology at the University of Texas.

And: Thomas attends Texas not only for its academic offerings but also its proximity to the training group she joined with clear intent. The Buford Bailey Track Club is a group of Black women helmed by three-time Olympian Tonja Buford-Bailey. The skill of her coach and the shared experience of her partners empower her. “It’s given me a greater degree of comfort I haven’t had before,” Thomas said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/30/gabby-thomas-200-meters-tokyo-olympics/

Rihanna's New Lingerie Line Features All-Black Motorcycle Crew

From Scary Mommy - 

Rihanna Casts All-Black Motorcycle Crew For Her New Inclusive Fenty Line

by Maggie Clancy 

SAVAGE X FENTY LINGERIE BY RIHANNA/YouTube

The new line is modeled by Caramel Curves, an all-Black women’s motorcycle gang

Any time we wonder if Rihanna can get any cooler, she does something like this. Her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty has always been size-inclusive (and gender-inclusive), but the multi-hyphenate has stepped up her game and just introduced a brand new line with over 100 pieces — all modeled by members of New Orleans motorcycle gang Caramel Curves. The motorcycle crew is comprised entirely of Black women who are mommas, small business owners, and overall badass babes that are community leaders.

https://www.scarymommy.com/savage-x-fenty-rihanna-motorcycle-gang-caramel-curves/

Meet the 7-Year Old Illustrator

From Black Enterprise - 

A BLACK FATHER PENS A BOOK AND HIS 7-YEAR OLD SON IS THE ILLUSTRATOR

by Andrea Blackstone

Facebook – Booksbybalas

A father and son team in Oakland, Ca. took the initiative to joyfully deviate from what is typically said about Black boys being disinterested in books.

Omar Bala noticed that his son, Khalil Bala showed an aptitude for creating cartoon characters as early as four years old. Omar ultimately assisted Khalil to publish his illustrated work in their two books, “Why Dogs Chase Cats” and “The Lost Baby Spinosaurus,” according to  BlackNews.com.

“I tell Khalil all the time, you’re an artist. Whatever you do and whatever people may say, don’t ever stop drawing,” Omar told BlackNews.com. “I know if he sees his work in a book, that will drive his pursuit to chase his dream in the art industry.”

https://www.blackenterprise.com/a-black-father-pens-a-book-and-his-7-year-old-son-is-the-illustrator/?test=prebid

https://booksbybalas.com/

RESPECT | Official Clip: Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin Performs "Re...

Son sells cheesesteaks from home to take mom to Egypt

Stylin' Toddlers

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

A BLACK-OWNED BABY SHOE BRAND FOUNDER LANDS A PARTNERSHIP WITH NEIMAN MARCUS 

by Andrea Blackstone

Yolandra Rodgers (Photo BlackNews)

Toddlers deserve to wear good-looking, comfortable shoes, just like adults do.

With this in mind, Yolandra Rodgers—the founder and CEO of Tippy Tot Shoes—landed a partnership with Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores, according to BlackNews.com. Both Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman are high-end retail brands under the Neiman Marcus Group brand, according to the company’s website.

In 2013, Rodgers started Tippy Tot Shoes after realizing that toddlers, who were beginning to become mobile, were in need of baby shoes offering superb construction, and a cozy feel to promote their ability to take better strides in getting around, BlackNews.com reported.

After “scaling up,” by participating in a FedEx Small Business Competition to raise awareness of brands and help underserved communities see sustainable business growth, Rodgers kept pushing to expand her enterprise. She also sold her shoe brand online, while spreading the message that today’s toddlers who are learning to step confidently can do so with much happier feet.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/a-black-owned-baby-shoe-brand-founder-lands-a-partnership-with-neiman-marcus/

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - Skate [Official Music Video]

Know Someone Like This?

From Buzzfeed - 

People Are Pointing Out Signs That Someone Was Raised Poorly, And There Are No Lies Detected

"The way they argue. If it's an endless shouting match with no chance for the opposing party to speak, it's a good sign they were spoiled."

by Morgan Sloss

https://www.buzzfeed.com/morgansloss1/signs-that-someone-was-raised-poorly-reddit

Young, Gifted and Black

From Black Enterprise - 

USING HER MAGIC: 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL CREATES BROWN SKIN CRAYON LINE PROMOTING SKIN TONE DIVERSITY

by Andrea Blackstone

Bellen Woodard started an art-focused product line after she was inspired
to give away art kits which made all kids feel represented
through crayon colors beyond only peach.
Facebook- Bellen's More than Peach Project

A  skin-colored crayon could turn out to be just about any hue, since the world is made up of diverse shades of people.

That’s exactly the point that Bellen Woodard was trying to make to her classmates, when they asked for the “skin color” crayon to be handed to them — but they wanted a peach-colored crayon since they were white, according to The Washington Post. 

The spunky kid took issue with a peach-colored crayon being the go-to skin color, especially since it didn’t match the beautiful brown-skinned girl.

So Bellen, along with the support of her mom, started selling a host of products through an art-infused line called More Than Peach. Bellen’s crayon company has blossomed into a mission that has the young activist hosting a series of events which fueled a conversation around equity and diversity.

More Than Peach was created in spring 2019 by then an 8-year-old Bellen to “get multicultural crayons in the hands of every student and every classroom,” according to information that was provided on Bellen’s website.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/using-her-magic-10-year-old-girl-creates-brown-skin-crayon-line-promoting-skin-tone-diversity/

Like Mother, Like Daughter

An excerpt from PilotOnline - 

“Just smiling the whole way”: Navy mom, daughter get rare chance to serve on same ship

By DAVE RESS 

Master Chief Tanya McCray and daughter Seaman Racquel McCray
have a rare opportunity to serve on the same ship, USS Gerald R. Ford.

Over nearly 30 years in the Navy, Master Chief Tanya McCray had to be apart from her two daughters and sailor husband, Sheridan, plenty of times — but this month, she’s had a chance to do her job at sea alongside her oldest daughter.

Over nearly 30 years in the Navy, Master Chief Tanya McCray had to be apart from her two daughters and sailor husband, Sheridan, plenty of times — but this month, she’s had a chance to do her job at sea alongside her oldest daughter.

Racquel McCray, who just joined the Navy and picked the same specialty her mother did, has been temporarily assigned to her ship for some at-sea training.

Tanya McCray is the leading chief petty officer of USS Gerald R. Ford’s supply department — the group that makes sure there’s food for the ship’s company, that they are paid, that the spare parts are at hand and that the laundries, barbering and recreation facilities needed to help keep the crew healthy and happy are working properly.

She’s proud that her daughter picked the Navy and picked her specialty, after going to college.

https://www.pilotonline.com/military/dp-nw-navy-mom-daughter-20210725-ezmkg6xihrbynakdi7ws4oroca-story.html

Black Violin - Stereotypes

She Made the Discovery. He Won the Prize.

From the New York Times - 

She Changed Astronomy Forever.  He Won the Nobel Prize For It.

In 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell made an astounding discovery.

But as a young woman in science, her role was overlooked.

By Ben Proudfoot

Featuring Jocelyn Bell Burnell 

In 1967, Burnell made a discovery that altered our perception of the universe. As a Ph.D. student at Cambridge University assisting the astronomer Anthony Hewish, she discovered pulsars — compact, spinning celestial objects that give off beams of radiation, like cosmic lighthouses. (A visualization of some early pulsar data is immortalized as the album art for Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures.”)

But as the short documentary above shows, the world wasn’t yet ready to accept that a breakthrough in astrophysics could have come from a young woman.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/opinion/pulsars-jocelyn-bell-burnell-astronomy.html?referringSource=articleShare

Most Orthopedic Surgeons Are White. He's Trying to Change This.

From the Houston Chronicle - 

87 percent of orthopedic surgeons are white. This Baylor doctor is working to diversify his field.

By Julie Garcia

Dr. Brian Nwannunu is an adult reconstruction fellow in the 

department of orthopedics at Baylor College of Medicine in 2021.

Contributed/Baylor College of Medicine

No one would make eye contact with Dr. Brian Nwannunu.

“A few of my rotations, the general culture and underlying message was, ‘We don’t want anyone that doesn’t look like us,’” said Nwannunu, an adult-reconstruction fellow in orthopedics at Baylor College of Medicine. “They don’t feel like they can relate to you. They would shun me. Active teaching residents wouldn’t look at me and only talk to other students. I knew I wasn’t wanted.”

Nwannunu, 34, has wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since he injured his ankle playing basketball in high school. He remembers eyeing the sports memorabilia on the wall and thinking how different the orthopedist’s office was compared to his pediatrician’s. His interest was piqued.

While the Dallas native was navigating internships during his time at Howard University and Georgetown University, he felt his experience of being “othered” wasn’t isolated only to him. Throughout his residencies, he worked with practicing orthopedic surgeons who said they wanted to promote diversity and inclusion. But they were all white and all male, he remembered.

“When you talk to them, it was evident they didn’t want someone here who was different,” he said. “It’s not that we’re not applying.”

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/renew-houston/health/article/Eighty-seven-percent-of-orthopedic-surgeons-are-16336103.php#photo-21272136

 

KING RICHARD – Official Trailer

Housing Discrimination: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Feeling Unsafe in a Bar? Order an Angel Shot.

From LAD Bible - 

Bartender Explains What An 'Angel Shot' Is And How It Could Save Someone's Life

By Rebecca Shepherd

An example of a sign explaining angel shots in the ladies' bathroom at a pub.
Credit: Instagram

A bartender has revealed a subtle but potentially live-saving way you can ask a member of staff for help if you're in a position where you feel like you could be in danger. Watch him explain below:

TikTok user Benji Spears (@Benjispears) shared the code word, which has a few variations, and explained it will alert bartenders to what's going on or, more specifically, what you want them to do.

Benji, who works as a bartender in Los Angeles, re-enacted a time when someone might use the code and specifically pointed out a woman on a date looking uncomfortable.

He goes over to make sure the pair are OK and the woman orders an 'angel shot' then adds that she wants it 'with lime'.

Benji then shouts over to a manager and tells him that they are going to do angel shots with lime, focusing on the lime a few times. Turns out that it's because the lime part is telling the member of staff to call the police.

All of the variations are:

• An angel shot with lime - get the police
• An angel shot neat - a bartender or member of security needs to walk you to your car
• An angel shot on the rocks - you need a member of staff to call you an Uber or taxi

https://www.ladbible.com/community/viral-bartender-explains-what-an-angel-shot-is-and-how-it-could-help-20210724.amp.html

Beats by Dr Dre Presents You Love Me

Better | Mamba Forever | Nike

Black Excellence on Display in Two Texas Newspapers

 

This week, Black women were named to run Texas' two largest newspapers. Congrats to @KatriceRHardy and @dallasnews… https://t.co/KxPPMA68jm

— Sewell Chan (@sewellchan) July 21, 2021

Peach Cobbler | Peach Cobbler Recipe

Recognizing Talent and Sharing Goodness

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carlos Whittaker (@loswhit)

Tiffany Cross Destroys Megyn Kelly!

From Rawstory - 

 Megyn Kelly brutally flattened by MSNBC host for trying to 'crawl her way back into social relevance'

By Bob Brigham

Bob Brigham.@TiffanyDCross has a message for Queen of The Karens, @MegynKelly. #CrossConnection pic.twitter.com/BLy7sGBTwA

— The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross (@CrossConnection) July 24, 2021

https://www.rawstory.com/megyn-kelly-naomi-osaka-2653939157/ 

Stagecoach Mary

From Wide Open Country - 

Stagecoach Mary: The Ultimate Montana Badass

BY EMILY MACK

Wikipedia Commons/Public Domain

"Born a slave somewhere in Tennessee, Mary lived to become one of the freest souls ever to draw a breath, or a .38," the actor Gary Cooper wrote of Mary Fields -- a.k.a. Stagecoach Mary -- for an EBONY profile 1959. Mary was a Western inspiration to the Classical Hollywood performer. And it's easy to see why. Mary embodied the traits of bravery and independence which defined the American frontier. She was, famously, the first African American woman to carry mail for the U.S. Postal Service. And at the time of her historic route, Mary was already sixty years old!

https://www.wideopencountry.com/stagecoach-mary/

Eat-Acting

From Buzzfeed - 

This Director Is Going Viral For Showing People How Certain Scenes From Films And TV Commercials Are Made And It's Truly Wild

by Krista Torres

@davidwma

Reply to @sorencopper Today’s FilmTok Lesson: “Eat-Acting” #behindthescenes #foodstyling #film #filmtok #learnontiktok

♬ Spongebob - Dante9k

https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/behind-the-scenes-tv-film-secrets-tiktok

Sunshine Seasoning

From VegNews - 

THERE’S NOW A BLACK MARKET FOR TABITHA BROWN’S MCCORMICK SUNSHINE SEASONING

The going rate for vegan influencer Tabitha Brown’s popular McCormick seasoning—which sold out in 39 minutes—is more than $120 per two-pack. 

by ANNA STAROSTINETSKAYA

On July 8, vegan influencer Tabitha Brown released her limited-edition Sunshine All Purpose Seasoning in partnership with spice brand McCormick—which promptly sold out of the salt-free spice blend in 39 minutes. McCormick plans to restock Brown’s seasoning in the fall but in the meantime, a black market of sorts is forming to bring fans the in-demand seasoning. On Ebay, several listings for the seasoning are currently live, with some bids reaching upwards of $120 for a two-pack of the spice blend. The lowest starting bid for the seasoning pack is currently $14.94. However, that listing comes with a $69.00 shipping fee, putting the price astronomically higher than the seasoning’s original price of $14.95 per pack of two.

For those that can get their hands on Sunshine seasoning, on the black market or otherwise, Brown developed several recipes to showcase its summery Caribbean-inspired flavor profile, including Sunshine Shick’n (shiitake mushroom-based vegan chicken stir-fry coated with a sweet and savory sauce); Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges; and Chicky Farro Bowl (farro bowl topped with roasted chickpeas coated in Sunshine Seasoning).

https://vegnews.com/2021/7/tabitha-brown-mccormick-sunshine-seasoning

Overrated Cities

From Buzzfeed - 

People Are Calling Out The Most "Overrated" Cities They've Visited, And There Were Some Big Surprises

Paris is so underwhelming to some tourists that they literally named a syndrome after it.

by Stephen LaConte

A viral thread on Reddit has people calling out the most overrated cities they've visited or lived in — and y'all, all I can say is I'm very sorry if your hometown is on this list. (Mine is!)

1. "Las Vegas. I once ordered four drinks and my tab was $117. Then there’s the heat. And the noise. And the creepy men lingering, well, everywhere."

Myloupe / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

3. "Dubai. It's the clickbait of the world. 'We have the biggest/tallest/most expensive...' and 'YOU WON'T BELIEVE when you see THIS...' It's hot as fuck, everything's a man-made tourist trap, labor exploitation and racism are rampant, and they try so hard to prove to the world how modern and Westernized they are. Really, it's just government propaganda."

Tom Dulat / Getty Images

https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephenlaconte/most-overrated-ciites-reddit

Blue Porch Ceilings in the South

From Hunker - 

What It Means if You See a Blue Porch in the South

By ANNA GRAGERT 

When it comes to blue porch ceilings, you'll typically find them in the American South. Why? This design choice comes from a Gullah Geechee tradition that was started around 200 years ago.

According to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, the Gullah Geechee people are "descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo, and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast." Because of their location on island and coastal plantations, the Gullah Geechee developed their own distinct culture with West African roots.

Part of the Gullah Geechee culture involved folklore believing that ghosts called "haints" were unable to cross over water. So, to keep evil haints away from their homes, the Gullah Geechee began painting their front porch ceilings blue as a way to recreate the color of water. This color became known as "haint blue," according to ​Taste of Home​, and many would also use it to paint their doors and windows.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lowcountry Gullah (@lowcountrygullah)

https://www.hunker.com/13767522/what-means-blue-porch-south

Know Your Rights!

 

@ourrightsmatter714

Officer Looks Confused #1stAmendment #KnowYourRights #FreeEducation #CopGetsOwned #Viral #NationalCity #MoreOfThis #Fyp #ForYouPage #ForYou

♬ original sound - OurRightsMatter714

The World’s Very First 3D-Printed Bridge is Open in Amsterdam | Mashable

17-year-old Black girl makes color changing sutures that detect infection

https://blavity.com/a-17-year-old-created-a-potentially-life-saving-sutures-concept-to-prevent-post-surgery-deaths?category1=news

Allow Athletes to be Human

From the Hollywood Reporter - 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Let Athletes Lead the Way on Mental Health

Instead of demanding perfection from sports stars who get candid about their health, viewers should admire their perseverance — and take cues from their coping skills.

BY KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

Kevin Love, Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps. MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES;
MARK BRAKE/GETTY IMAGES; LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

When four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka dropped out of the French Open and Wimbledon because of anxiety and depression associated with compulsory press interviews, many fans were shocked at her bold confession. While most professional athletes rallied to support her “bravery,” some critics dismissed the player, who will represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, as a “diva” and “narcissistic.” The same thing happened in 2018 when NBA star Kevin Love wrote an essay in The Players’ Tribune about his anxiety and depression despite his fear that others, especially his teammates, would see it as a “form of weakness that could derail my success in sports.”

Within the past few years, dozens of celebrities and athletes — among them Adele, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Emma Stone, DeMar DeRozan, Michael Phelps and Dwayne Johnson — have openly discussed their struggles with mental health. Richard Sherman, arrested July 14 after his family called 911 during a domestic incident where he threatened to harm himself, promised to get “the help I need” in an Instagram post.

Yet the stigma of somehow being damaged, tainted, a diva or unable to perform lingers because the public perception is that, unlike with a sprained ankle, people can’t heal from or cope with mental health issues. They forget that these people have been dealing with these challenges at the same time they’ve risen to elite athlete or star celebrity status. Rather than cautionary examples of weakness, they are often models of strength and perseverance.

~~~~~~~~~~

The problem is the desire for the public to hold up performing artists and athletes as paragons of perfection and then punish them when they are anything less. They see mental health issues as a character issue — to suffer is to be weak. This despite the statistics: one in four adults and one in five teens experiences a diagnosable mental disorder. Rather, the public should admire public figures’ perseverance and character strength for all they’ve accomplished despite their challenges — and learn coping skills from them. Actually, it’s a reflection of our own character whether we choose to be supportive or derisive, because that reflects either our capacity for compassion — or the depth of our own personal fears.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/kareem-athletes-mental-health1234985129-1234985129/

What Does It Mean To Be 'Black Famous?' The #BlackMainstream Sounds Off