Sunday, August 1, 2021
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
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| 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.
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
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| 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.”
Stylin' Toddlers
An excerpt from Black Enterprise -
A BLACK-OWNED BABY SHOE BRAND FOUNDER LANDS A PARTNERSHIP WITH NEIMAN MARCUS
by Andrea Blackstone
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| 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.
Friday, July 30, 2021
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
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| 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.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
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
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| 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
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
| 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
Monday, July 26, 2021
Sunday, July 25, 2021
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
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| 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
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