Shenique Magazine

10 Years of Study Data Finds African American Girls Benefit When They Eat Breakfast

2011-09-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

The pathway to better health for teenage girls starts with the first meal of the day and when they make a good-for-me choice their odds of having a healthier body weight and lower cholesterol improve. Based on analysis of the girls’ food diaries, breakfast cereal eaters tended to have lower waist-to-height ratios, an indicator of healthy body weight, lower total cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol.

One of the healthiest breakfast choices in the 10-year study was fortified ready-to-eat cereal, which helped boost the nutrient content in the girls’ diets. Analyses of the study results found that ’tween and teen girls who regularly ate cereal for breakfast relative to 24 other reported breakfast foods were less likely to be overweight, had healthier body weights and lower cholesterol. A recent report indicates that 24 percent of African-American girls aged 12 to 17 are overweight, compared to 15 percent of white girls.

“Starting the day right with a bowl of cereal topped with fruit, milk and a glass of orange juice is a smart choice and one that more girls need to make,” Palmer said. “I’m asking girls to pledge on Facebook to eat breakfast so they can help themselves and someone in need, too.” Palmer is encouraging girls aged 14 to 17, to visit www.facebook.com/IHEARTBKFST as a step toward better health and to lend a helping hand to girls in need.

I<3BKFST, translated as I HEART BREAKFAST, is designed to appeal to and help educate teens and their parents and guardians and it borrows its name from the popular text symbol for love <3. Teens may visit Facebook.com/IHEARTBKFST, where they will first like the IHEARTBKFST page and then pledge to eat breakfast

TMI Online?

2011-09-19T20:51:00.001-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What you say on Facebook and Twitter may be too much. Even though you may set your privacy settings up to the highest standard, pictures and posts are never 100% private. Make sure you think twice before you post something that may come back to haunt you 5 or 10 years down the road.

15-year-old goes to Harvard after being accepted to 13 colleges

2011-09-19T20:46:00.003-04:00

Saheela Ibraheem wasn't sure any college would want to admit a 15-year-old. So the Piscataway teen hedged her bets and filled out applications to 14 schools from New Jersey to California.

"It's the age thing. I wanted to make sure I had options," said Saheela, a senior at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School.In the end, 13 colleges accepted her -- including six of the eight Ivy League schools.

After weeks of debate, Saheela settled on Harvard. She will be among the youngest members of the school's freshman class.

Remembering 9/11...A View from Harlem

2011-09-17T10:04:00.000-04:00

As I curled up on my couch last week, flipping through television channels and eager to find something to watch for some sort of Thursday-night entertainment, I realized that I was out of luck. The Office was a repeat, I'm not a big fan of Wipeout and I had stopped watching Degrassi: The Next Generation by the time I was 15. I continued my quest to try and find something worth watching when I came across a documentary about Sept. 11. With the flip of a channel, I was instantly taken back to the most devastating day in my lifetime.

Ten years ago, on that Tuesday morning, I sat in my sixth-grade homeroom class on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, waiting for my father to pick me up and unsure about what exactly was going on. There was a rumor spreading around school that the World Trade Center had been hit by planes.At first I was skeptical, but the faces of utter disbelief and sadness among my peers and teachers confirmed it for me. We sat in the classroom in silence, listening to the radio, waiting for what would happen next. When my father arrived, I ran into his arms -- an embrace that some of my classmates would never have with their parents again.The car ride back to Harlem was filled with questions. What exactly happened, Daddy? What is a terrorist? Were they going to start hitting random buildings? Would the

Adam Clayton Powell building on 125th Street, located a few blocks from my house, be next? Were we safe?It wasn't until I arrived home and turned on the television that it really hit me. Right before my eyes was footage of the twin towers -- a place where I had once gone for a fourth-grade school trip -- crumbling as soot-covered civilians ran for safety. I saw damage from the plane that crashed into a section of the Pentagon and witnessed a billowing cloud of smoke rising from a field after Flight 93 went down near Shanksville, Pa.To continue please click here:

China Anne McClain Talks About Her New Disney Series A.N.T. FARM

2011-09-06T18:52:00.001-04:00

I know I'm not the only one excited to see a brown girl on Disney! In the Disney series A.N.T. FARM, China Anne McClain plays a musical genius who must navigate high school with a bunch of other gifted youngsters as they pursue their passions.

What is A.N.T FARM about?
China: A.N.T. Farm is a show basically about high school and the A.N.T. program, and A.N.T. stands for Advanced Natural Talent. Everyone in the program is very gifted in whatever it is they do. I’m a musical prodigy. You know, mathematics and arts. So the characters are 11 and 12 and the high schoolers don’t want them there. And my character is China Sparks. She is very complicated. She doesn’t care about what the high schoolers think about her. She is just going to make the most of her high school experience.

Are there any similarities between you and your character Chyna?
China: There are some similarities. I can play some of the instruments she does. But generally not all of them. I guess I am kind of complicated in a way. Not as much as she is. But I really love her. I see some similarities between us.

In your mind, what would be the one word you would describe your character with — what does she embody?
China: Confidence. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. She is who she is and she’s okay with that. I love that about her. She’s not seeking to be liked. She just doesn’t want to be bullied.

For more of China's interview, click here:

Study shows MTV's show "16 and Pregnant" helped to lower teen pregnancy rate...do you believe it?

2010-12-23T20:47:00.002-05:00

According to a new government study that shows the U.S. teen birthrate falling dramatically in 2009 after a five percent increase from 2005 to 2007, experts say the network may have redeemed itself with its gritty "16 and Pregnant" documentary series, which many teens credit with opening their eyes to the consequences of unprotected sex and early parenthood.

A report released Tuesday by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy shows that parental influence is the most-cited factor by teens when it comes to avoiding teen pregnancy.

But the report also specifically cites the popular "16 and Pregnant" series, indicating that 82 percent of teens say the show helps them better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy and parenthood — and why they should avoid it.

"Entertainment media is one of the nation's favorite punching bags, but we have to acknowledge that when we're talking about teen pregnancies media can be and often is a force for good, and that is particularly true when it comes to shows like '16 and Pregnant,' '" says Bill Albert, a spokesman for the National Campaign. "Some critics say these shows glamorize teen pregnancy, but our survey data shows that's not the case — that not only do they not glamorize it, but teens who have seen it suggest it makes the realities of teen parenthood more real to them."

Hmmmmmm....what do you think?

Who's That Girl?

2010-12-23T20:42:00.002-05:00

It's Willow Smith!!

Willow Smith recently sat for a photoshoot for London Sunday Times and we have behind the scenes photos! Her photoshoot for was shot by Sheryl Nields at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles, and styled by Brea Stinson. Inside the magazine, mom Jada Pinkett Smith admits that Willow and brother Jaden live rule free saying, “We don’t have rules. We come up with agreements. Kids are little people, and we’re in life to guide them. Trying to rule someone is always an illusion and it’s no different with children.”

Sesame Street teaches black girls to love their hair!

2010-10-19T21:45:00.002-04:00

A little Muppet girl has started a sensation. The unnamed puppet with an afro sings a love song to her hair.

Joey Mazzarino, the head writer of Sesame Street, is also a Muppeteer who wrote the song for his daughter. Mazzarino is Italian. He and his wife adopted their 5-year-old daughter, Segi, from Ethiopia when she was a year old.

Mazzarino says he wrote the song after noticing his daughter playing with dolls.

"She wanted to have long blond hair and straight hair, and she wanted to be able to bounce it around," he tells NPR's Melissa Block.

Mazzarino says he began to get worried, but he thought it was only a problem that white parents of African-American children have. Then he realized the problem was much larger.

In writing the song, he wanted to say in song what he says to his daughter: "Your hair is great. You can put it in ponytails. You can put it in cornrows. I wish I had hair like you."

That simple message has caused an outpouring of responses from women. Mazzarino got a call from an African woman who told him the song brought her to tears. "I was amazed, 'cause I sort of wrote this little thing for my daughter, and here this adult woman, it touched her," he says.

Mazzarino says he's happy to report that Segi loves the song — and her hair.

Caressa Cameron ignores skeptics, became Miss America

2010-09-27T07:35:00.002-04:00

MISS AMERICA 2010, Caressa Cameron, is more than just pretty, polite and poised. The 23-year-old Virginia native is wise beyond her years. Despite many life challenges, she says she always "looks for the jewels in the journey." For her, giving up is never an option.

Cameron is the eighth African-American woman to win the prestigious title. Amazingly, she competed a dazzling four times before bringing home the Miss Virginia crown. Most less-determined young women would have given up way before then. But Cameron said she took each loss in stride, viewing it as a learning experience. And she had the smarts to apply any cash winnings she received to pay off her college tuition.

The 5-foot-4-inch frugal fashionista told me the pageant experience is valuable, win or lose. She also said that "you don't have to go into debt to participate. My swimsuit, for example, came from Target."

The aspiring broadcast journalist and talented singer was at the King of Prussia Mall to spread the news about phytonutrients and their importance in a healthy diet. She's here on behalf of the Amway nutrition supplement line Nutrilite.

Looking at the lovely Cameron, it is difficult to fathom that she was the proverbial ugly ducking in high school, with self-described "sideburns and a dreaded unibrow." She said her teen years were particularly awkward and difficult, and she had to deal with bullies, too.

But a pivotal moment was the day Miss Virginia 2003 and Miss America competitor Nancy Redd came to Cameron's school and gave an impassioned, encouraging speech that sparked something in her. Redd, also a woman of color, is a Harvard graduate and author of the New York Times best-selling book about women and their bodies, "Body Drama."

"She encouraged us to take the negativity and turn it into something positive," Cameron recalled. And that is just what she did. Ignoring all the naysayers, Cameron took Redd's advice to heart and never looked back.

The loving support of her parents and the inspiration she found in books like "The Giving Tree," "All the Places I Will Go" and "The Five Love Languages of Teenagers" also helped shape her into not just another beauty queen, but a responsible young women worthy of her crown.

Cameron is also on a mission to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, whose harsh impact touched her life at age 8, when her uncle died of the disease.

"I saw and experienced the devastation and the stigma associated with the disease and I want to help spread awareness," she told me.

Cameron was told, many times, that she didn't have what it takes. But she kept going anyway, and she wants all young women to know that they, too, can triumph over adversity and make their dreams come true.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/kimberly_garrison/20100923_Kimberly_Garrison__Cameron_ignores_skeptics__became_Miss_America.html#ixzz10jFdcjX8

Link Love: Why Are Overweight Black Girls’ Clothes So Doggone Tight?

2010-09-27T07:29:00.002-04:00

by Leslie J. Ansley of www.theroot.com:

Time was, if you were too fat for your clothes, you either had to wear something of your mother’s or father’s or skip school – anything but wear something obviously too small and too tight. Back in the day, girls would wear coats in the classroom if seams or buttons tore loose on a blouse or sweater, or if they just didn’t have the means to dress the way they’d like.

The girls who intentionally wore too-tight blouses were widely known as whores.

Schools today have banned bare midriffs, low-cut blouses and similar forms of, well, “advertising.” But today was the second morning this week I’ve been stunned at what I’ve seen standing on street corners waiting for the school buses: Black girls, nearly all overweight, each dressed in blouses so tight every roll of fat appears shrink-wrapped in cotton-poly. With nowhere else to go but up, the chest area is grossly over-emphasized.

The lower half is just as awful. The jeans appear super-tight – I pray, for circulation’s sake, there’s Lycra – and what isn’t stuffed into them spills over the top and just sits there, visible, between the top of the jeans and the bottom of the too-tight blouse.

The same with the skirts, which are unflatteringly short. Thankfully, fashion demands that leggings be worn with short skirts, but if you’re a two-ton Toni, why would you wear a miniskirt, anyway?

Actually, I can answer that: These girls seem to have no shame. No sense of self-worth or decency. I stare as I drive by, making sure my disapproval couldn’t possibly be misconstrued. I don’t know these girls, don’t know their parents. What I do know is that among adolescent girls, African-Americans have the highest obesity rates. That doesn’t mean there aren’t clothes that fit them. Quite the contrary: There are more plus-sized options today than ever before.

A couple of years ago, parents everywhere protested the suggestive teen fashions in department and specialty stores, and there was a “modesty” backlash. Today, fit teens do wear snug tops, but in layers – at least in school. There’s no flesh spilling out, no boobs bursting forth as if gasping for air because their clothes actually fit their shapes – even the most buxom.

So what’s really going on here? And why does it seem to be mostly the black girls?

Modesty is the conscience of the body. ~ Honore de Balzac

Jeggings are hot for this Fall

2010-08-19T22:38:00.004-04:00

Last spring we experienced the birth of jeggings (jeans + leggings). With the look of denim and the feel of Spandex, this garment revolutionized the skinny jean. Just when we thought our pants couldn't get any tighter, we were proven wrong. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and Sienna Miller embraced this look immediately, and we began lusting after their absurdly high-end versions (like Current/Elliot's shocking $389.40 pair). Now, thanks to a recession-friendly market, there are tons of options (like Walmart's $12 pair).

Since, like the skinny jean, jeggings draw serious attention to your curves, it's important to create a balance when styling an outfit around them. Artful layers and flattering proportions are key here. Whether your look is edgy, classic, or girly, we've got you covered in our click-to-buy section below.

Black Teen Users Dominate Conversations on Twitter

2010-08-13T18:09:00.000-04:00

Apparently, black folks use Twitter in a way no one else does -- to such an extent that black users establish trending topics on Twitter. Not only do blacks use more descriptive hashtags, but they form tighter clusters on the network, follow one another more readily and retweet each other more often. Plus, more of their posts are @-replies -- posts directed at other users. It's this behavior, intentional or not, that gives black people -- and, in particular, black teenagers -- the means to dominate the conversation on Twitter. We're not surprised. Young black people drive all types of trends, so why should Twitter be any different?

MTV selects its first-ever Twitter jockey

2010-08-09T13:46:00.005-04:00

MTV has named 23-year-old Gabi Gregg its first "Twitter Jockey."

Gregg won the position Sunday night after a nationwide vote.

The TJ position is the updated version of the network's VJ job, and Gregg will report on pop culture news using Twitter, Facebook, blogs and MTV's website.

Gregg graduated from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts in 2008, where she studied international relations and African-American studies. Gregg is the founder of the fashion blog Young, Fat and Fabulous.

She was raised in Detroit and lives in Chicago.

Fashion Find: Those Flashing Lights

2010-08-07T08:26:00.003-04:00

The new 3D Stiletto Police high heels, which were designed by Tim Cooper, look absolutely amazing! The Police Woman Heels have been designed with high detail including the bright and colorful police car lights that can make any person’s heart drop. Moreover, there are also the side mirrors and front bumper that make it even more like the normal, police cars we try to avoid. Furthermore, there are the numbering on the side of the shoe, the “Police” sign that flashes strong, the dual mufflers, and even the back grills that add so much to the detail and coolness of this shoe design.

Letoya Luckett is the new face of Luster

2010-07-29T22:27:00.002-04:00

Letoya Luckett is the new face of Luster's Pink Hair Lotion. And Luster's and VIBE magazine hosted a launch party last night for the event. She also addressed her ex Slim Thug's recent controversial comments to www.theYBF.com:

On her former boo Slim Thug's comments about black women...

"Black is beautiful baby. It is what it is. I’m so proud to be a black woman; I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I mean nothing. I’m blessed to be black. I’m thankful that l I have an amazing family, black women that raised me. Wonderful friends, I’m like an international girl all day long. But I love the black women in my life. My grandmother, my mom… Even on Slim like he has a great mother, he has a great grandmother...women that raised him. His sister... who if it wasn’t for her you wouldn’t even know who Slim Thug was. Because of how they took care of him... I mean you know, whatever was said, was said. But on my end, Black is Beautiful! "

African girls undergo "breast ironing" to prevent pregnancy

2010-07-27T13:16:00.004-04:00

While most pre-teen girls are giddy over their first training bra, the reality for many girls in rural Cameroon girls is grim. On the rise in the Central West African nation is a practice called "breast ironing," which involves placing hot stones on a young girls breasts to prevent them from the growing.

Responding to the country's staggering teen pregnancy rates, mothers in the country have resorted to the age-old practice in hopes that their daughters won't be seen as sexually attractive and become the next statistic. Girls as young as nine years old have been subjected to the practice.

Women in the country say the procedure can lead to physical issues such as burns and deformities.

Read more: http://www.essence.com/news/hot_topics_4/girls_undergo_breast_ironing.php#ixzz0uu7SGU1a

New Video: Nicki Minaj-"Your Love"

2010-07-21T13:19:00.000-04:00

Nicki Minaj - New Music - More Music Videos

Serena Williams opens 2nd school in Africa

2010-07-18T23:43:00.001-04:00

New Video: Dondria-"Shawty Wus Up" ft. Johnta Austin and Diamond

2010-07-18T23:39:00.001-04:00

Dondria - New Music - More Music Videos

Jada explains Willow's unique hairstyle

2010-07-14T19:39:00.002-04:00

Jada Pinkett Smith was on George Lopez recently and responded to critics who have slammed her for allowing Willow to shave the sides of her head. She explained that the cut came about because her daughter wanted “hair like her grandmother’s”.

“She decided, ‘I want hair like my grandmother’s.’ I said ‘Willow, grandma has no hair – you have to have some hair.’ And she said, “Mom I’m really tired of the hair. I just really feel I’d like it to get in the pool. I want it to swim. I just don’t want to be bothered with the hair.’” After discussing it with husband Will, Willow was given permission to shave the sides of her head.

According to her hair stylist Marcia Hamilton, the cut represents Willow’s personality:

“Look, it’s 2010. Can’t our little girls move into the future without ruffling feathers? The look is fun, empowering, anti-relaxer and anti-weave. More women need to steer their little girls in this direction. If your child is a forward-thinker, you should guide her instead of smothering her.”

Read more: Jada Pinkett Smith Explains Willow’s Hairstyle | Necole Bitchie.com

It's Official! Welcome to Miami!!!

2010-07-08T22:28:00.001-04:00

Lebron's coming to Miami...See you on South Beach!!

Nicki Minaj talks wigs

2010-07-08T20:14:00.003-04:00

The Harajuku Barbie who’s been photographed wearing pink, green, blue and purple hair is dishing details on her signature mane.

As previously reported Lil Kim wasn’t too keen on Minaj emulating her extensive wig collection and threw off the faux hair at a concert stating that she was “above this.”

Nicki however has since continued with the colorful hair trend and in an interview with HypeHair she speaks on the multi-colored locks that are making her famous.

She offers advice to readers of HH and suggests that ladies buy human hair wigs. She also adds that her colorful mane, the green bob especially, maker her happy.

“Go for a human hair wig in jet black with a blunt cut China bag…I like the green bob. Everyone seems to like that. People are saying it’s the winner right now…I decided to choose a new look. Color makes me happy. It really excites me. I am a very visual person and when I look in the mirror, and I see green or I see pink, it does something to my attitude. It makes me feel positive.”

Do you girl!!!!

Happy Birthday Malia!

2010-07-04T05:03:00.003-04:00

As the nation celebrates Independence Day, one member of the First Family will be celebrating her birthday. Malia Obama turns 12 today! While the country's birthday may overshadow Malia's, the Obama family will surely find time to commemorate her special day. Happy Birthday, Malia!

Dondria: The New Viral Superstar

2010-07-03T14:29:00.001-04:00

The music game has changed. You no longer have to pass along your demo tape to everybody who is "somebody" -- fingers crossed -- to get discovered by a label and blow up. Those days are long gone. Just ask the newest R&B ingenue Dondria Fields, 24, who is signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label. The Oklahoma-born, Texas-bred singer, whose hit single "You're the One for Me" is riding airwaves everywhere, will tell you that all you need is a computer, a mic, and webcam.

That's exactly how Dondria, who previously went by the moniker Phatfffat, broke onto the scene. The singing sensation grabbed the world's attention after having her YouTube video posts earn an extremely large following. Like they say, the rest is history, or more appropriately her-story.

Read more: http://www.essence.com/entertainment/music/emf_dondria_the_viral_superstar.php#ixzz0se4iKwYE

World Cup Style

2010-07-03T14:20:00.002-04:00

Hey all you soccer fans! The world cup is getting heated! Arise Magazine has some great style spreads inspired by this great sporting event. Check it out in their 10th issue on newstands now.

Jewelry made of Liberian war bullets designed by a teenager

2010-07-03T14:10:00.002-04:00

At 17, Liberian teenager Lovetta Conto is making jewelry worn by Hollywood heavyweights like Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie.

Akawelle (translates to “also known as love”) makes a heck of a statement. Her pieces aren’t made of typical semi-precious stones, Lovetta makes her jewelry from the casings of bullets fired during Liberia’s civil war.

Born in Liberia, Lovetta was only 18 months when she was separated from her mother after she and her father fled Liberia to escape its civil war. At five-years-old, she moved to a Ghanaian refugee camp.

She tells CNN, “I felt alone because I was in another country where I wasn’t really welcome. I always wanted to back to my country. But you have no choice because your country is in a civil war and it’s the only place you have to be.”

At 12, Lovetta was recognized for her talent by Cori Stern, the American founder of the Strongheart Fellowship, an organization dedicated to helping gifted youth who have been displaced or orphaned by conflict.

According to CNN, at 14 Lovetta left her family in Ghana and moved to America as part of the Strongheart program.

When Lovetta was challenged by a Strongheart project to make something that reflected her environment and the people around her, she came up with the idea to design jewelry from a bullet fired during the Liberian civil war.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T04:29:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics of cool dads and their kids...make sure you tell your dad how much they mean to you!!

Today's Inspiration: The Secret

2010-06-19T16:36:00.003-04:00

Below is a confidence poem from the book "The Secret". It encourages me everyday to love, live and laugh.

It reads:
I PROMISE MYSELF
To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something worth while in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of
others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the
greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile
to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I
have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side,
so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

--Christian D. Larson

The Spelman College SpelBots are breaking down barriers

2010-06-16T10:39:00.007-04:00

College junior Jazmine Miller showed off a soccer-playing robot to prospective members of the Spelman Robotics, or SpelBots, team.

"His name is Charles, he's very difficult. That's why it's a he," she laughed. "We kind of see him as human; we talk to him, we yell at him."

Creations such as Charles must be programmed to find and kick the ball and prevent an opposing team of robots from scoring in the annual RoboCup World Championship soccer competition. Since 1997 the matches have been held in Asia, Europe and the United States.

Once a competition begins, the robots are on their own. The team's programming skills have to account for every soccer player scenario, from kicking and blocking to getting up after falling down.

Spelman, the historically black women's college here, has been sending robots to the competition since 2005, often beating graduate students from prestigious tech universities from Germany to Japan. They had their best finish last year in Osaka, Japan, when the team tied for first place with Fukuoka Institute of Technology in Japan in the humanoid robot category.

"Around campus people do recognize our faces; they say, 'Oh, you're on the SpelBots, you're doing the robotics thing. I saw you in Jet magazine.' I really see it when I go abroad," said Miller, a computer science and engineering major.

Early Romance with Robotics
Miller's romance with robotics started early. A self-described "world-traveling military kid," she was on the robotics team at her high school in the Netherlands.

Jonecia Keels, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is Miller's co-captain. She was a little less sure of a computer career.

"For a long time I didn't think I was smart enough to get into computer science. I only saw males in the industry and I just didn't think I had what it took to be a computer programmer," said Keels.

Two things helped change her mind. First, the confidence she gained at this women's college.

"I know a big reason why there's not a lot of women in computer science is because of intimidation. At an all-women's school, they already know your capabilities. So it is easier to take leadership roles and go that step further without added stress," said Keels.

Lack of Role Models
"Looking back at my life, there were a lack of role models for me, being African American and Korean," Williams said.

So he sought out a teaching position at a historically-black college or university. Creating the team was a way to bring a new and creative challenge to his students.

"There's a big emphasis on creativity, collaboration, the social aspects of engineering and computer science. It would do great wonders for our country on a global scale if we maximize that pool of women, and underrepresented students like African Americans, in computer science," Williams said.

"The teams we were competing with were all male, all white," said Miller. "And the first thought that came to me was, we are going to blow their minds!" she laughed.

for more of the story, go to www.womensenews.org

All-girl, All-African American Robotics team is breaking barriers from Mari Fagel on Vimeo.

Why hasn't Brandy's daughter made an appearance on Brandy and Ray J?

2010-06-15T12:56:00.004-04:00

In a recent interview with PARADE, Brandy reveals why her daughter hasn’t made an appearance on her new reality show.
That’s strictly because her father and I felt it was best for her to have as much of a normal life as possible. Of course, you’ve seen her on one episode on ‘For the Love of Ray J,’ but it wasn’t every day. You didn’t see her going to school, me combing her hair, or any aspect of our private, intimate moments, which sort of sucks because our relationship is so beautiful. I love being a mom and I’m raising her in a different way than how I was raised. Some things that my mom did with me, I do with my daughter — it’s just a different dynamic. I would love for people to see how I’m doing it because I think I could be a good example of a young, single mom.”

She also reveals that she has a unique mother/daughter relationship with her daughter Sy’Rai

“A lot of mothers feel like they’re the mom first, with that authority. But for me, I’m a friend first. I believe that just being there for my daughter as a friend more than ‘I’m in charge…’ causes her to be more open with me as a person. That’s just what our relationship is. Of course, there are times when I have to discipline her — I’m mom. But there’s still that nurturing and love there that we have. I know I’ll probably get flack for being a friend first, but it really works. She’s really honest with me. I’m just teaching her how to trust herself. I tell her all the time that my life is not your life — you have your own life.

“At the end of the day we’re going to be friends. When she grows up, it’ll be about that friendship that we’ll have. She’ll come to me for any problems that she has. If I have an authoritative wall up, she’s going to rebel and not come to me and I don’t want that.”

My mother and I had the same type of relationship and I could tell her anything. For that reason, I never was a rebel.

Read more: Brandy Attempts To Keep Her Daughter Out of The Limelight | Necole Bitchie.com

Jada says Willow is working on an album

2010-06-15T11:59:00.001-04:00

Last week, actress Jada Pinkett Smith confirmed that her 9 year-old daughter Willow Smith is working on an album. No word on the type of music but check out what she said to AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE:

“I had always been too afraid to venture into music, but I decided when I was about 30 to just go for it. I started a metal band called Wicked Wisdom. I toured and I loved it. But soon after, my kids’ careers started taking off, so I sacrificed it. I am pleased to say my daughter, Willow, will be putting out an album soon and I look forward to enjoying music through her creations. I am excited about that, and she’s pretty awesome. She will be better at it then I ever could be anyway!”

Keke Palmer Says TV Needs More Young Black Women

2010-06-06T17:06:00.001-04:00

Keke Palmer became a star at just 11 years old, getting the attention of movie critics and Oscar-winning actors. But for the last few years she's been building a following of younger fans and peers. She tells CNN she wants to present a positive example for young girls in both her music and acting.

"There are not many young African-American women on TV. I want young girls to see that it's normal, that it's natural to see a young black girl on TV. If they see it enough times..then they'll know it's possible."

And she refuses to use sex appeal to build a career for herself. "I haven't been nude in anything in my whole life...You don't have to do anything crazy to make your dreams come true."

Of course at 16, she's still a few years to young to broadcast her sexuality for popularity. although that hasn't stopped stars like Taylor Momsen from doing exactly that.

Because of the positive messages she sends to young African-American girls, the NAACP honored Keke with an image award, earning her a nod from First Lady Michelle Obama.

That's right, the Obamas watch True Jackson, VP.

Why can't more young stars have the confidence to rely on their talent and work ethic instead of getting attention with sexuality or debauchery?

Cover Girl: Nicki Minaj covers Vibe Magazine

2010-06-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

Nicki Minaj's new June/July VIBE cover is here. The Barbie girl in the rap world is giving some interesting insight to her new found fame, female MCs before her, and her weird voices.

New Video: Lil Wayne ft. Nicki Minaj "Knockout"

2010-05-31T16:58:00.000-04:00

Why is Twitter so popular among African-Americans?

2010-05-04T13:45:00.002-04:00

New data confirms that Twitter’s population is disproportionately black. According to Edison Research’s annual report on Twitter, black people represent 25% of Twitter users, roughly twice their share of the population in general. I guess we love to keep the masses informed!!

Venus Williams serves up stylish off-court lifestyle

2010-04-30T16:44:00.004-04:00

On The Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda amazing tennis player Venus Williams who has won 43 WTA tour titles, with 7 Grand Slams and 10 Doubles titles with sister Serena, talks about being successful off the court. Venus is the President of her own clothing line company, and an interior design company V Starr Interiors, and part owner of the Miami dolphins along with sister Serena Williams.

Venus talks about a competition she has with her fan to design an dress online and the winning dress will be worn at the 2010 US Open. "I had a really great competition for my fans with Tide Plus and Febreeze Freshness Sport and they got to design a dress online and I got to judge all the dresses, and all the entries entered and the winner will be announced on May 7th, but I will wear the dress at the Us Open".

She also has a book coming out this June that elaborates on how sports has helped a lot of people through their lives. "Ive talked to so many wonderful people. We have Vera Wang, very high level figure skater could have went on to that next level, but I think she found she wanted to do something else, but how that applied to her life even to this day, and how with out playing sports she couldn't have had that success that she had".

Being so involved in tennis as a kid one would expect certain child hood experiences to be missed, but that's not how she feels. "I've been so blessed in my life I get to do what I love. I get to design, I get to do interior design and I get to play tennis and I love playing it!"

With such a busy schedule Venus believes that when it comes time to settle down and find a soul mate she will make the time.

Sister Soldier Project protects black servicewomen's hair

2010-04-29T10:53:00.001-04:00

Wearing a green, camouflage ball cap, Myraline Morris Whitaker looks like a drill sergeant as she leads a group of volunteers putting together care packages for U.S. soldiers serving overseas.

"Excuse me, you gotta put one of these in all of the boxes," she says to one volunteer.

But Whitaker is not an officer, nor has she ever served in the military. She's a hospitality executive who in 2007, founded the Sister Soldier Project - an organization that sends hair care products to female troops of color, who often face challenges maintaining their ethnic hair in desert areas like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The California resident says she got the idea after talking to one of her Caucasian friends who served as a U.S. Marine 20 years ago. The woman told Whitaker she always had to leave the room whenever her African-American roommate would style her hair with what's known as a "hot comb."

Whitaker researched the Internet and discovered some of the most requested items from African-American military women serving overseas were black hair care products.

Answering the call, Whitaker hosted a "packing party," where her fellow book club members helped her send out unused hair products they found in their bathroom cabinets. The idea expanded, and Whitaker now hosts packing parties all over the country, helping an estimated 2, 500 soldiers and counting.

On March 15, the organization held one of its largest events at Morgan State University in Maryland, where volunteers prepared 200 hair care packages. In addition to products like relaxer kits and shampoos donated from black hair care companies, the boxes include women's magazines, toiletries and letters from local elementary students.

"As a future officer potentially going to Afghanistan myself, I think this is a great opportunity for me to give back to those who are serving before me, and then once I go, I know someone will be doing this for me," says Tyeshe Morgan, an Army ROTC student at Morgan State.

The volunteers' efforts haven't gone unnoticed. In 2009, the Congressional Black Caucus honored the Sister Soldier Project with the Veterans Braintrust Award - given to individuals or groups that support America's military veterans. And every day, Whitaker receives emails and letters from soldiers expressing their gratitude.

"I just want to express my personal appreciation for the recent package that you had sent. You certainly did not have to go to such trouble, but I am glad that you did! Your efforts throughout my deployment have been a tremendous morale boost for myself and my soldiers. I will NEVER forget what you have done for us," wrote Lisa Taylor, a soldier serving in Iraq.

For Whitaker, it's that kind of appreciation that pushes her to be all that she can be.

"These [women] have something special in their DNA that says 'I'm going to go out and be of service to this country.' And I want to help them do their job better... and feel better."

Supermodel's daughter talks about her struggles with weight

2010-04-29T10:44:00.002-04:00

Imagine you are the daughter of an internationally known supermodel and former Olympic athlete. Now imagine you are over 300 pounds. That used to be Zulekha Haywood, who is the daughter of supermodel Iman and former NBA/Olympic basketball player Spencer Haywood, who has struggled with her weight and body image her entire life--until now.

Like many women, Zulekha has tried every diet imaginable. Of course none of them worked in the long-term, causing her to make the decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery, an experience Haywood wrote candidly about in article called "Imagine You Are the Daughter of a Supermodel" the most recent issue of Glamour magazine.

Haywood sat down with The Today Show's Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford to talk about her experience being the daughter of two famous parents, her weight loss struggles and her decision to undergo gastric bypass. To date, she has lost 170 pounds.

Are Girl Fights and drinking related?

2010-04-29T10:38:00.002-04:00

"I've seen plenty, fights breakout all the time over small things, over big things" said one teen girl. "Like oh you looked at me different to oh you're talking to my boyfriend."

Girl fights, they're all over YouTube, but why are they happening?

As girls have access to drugs and alcohol more, they're behaving more like boys.

On Monday San Diego county officials focused on binge drinking as one tie to the female violence.

Defined by the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health as girls fighting at school or work, or taking part in a group-against group fight or attacking someone with the intent to seriously hurt them.

According to the survey, about one in four girls between the ages of 12 and 17 had been engaged in at least one of those types of violent behavior in the past year.

The survey also revealed the girls who fought were more likely than those who did not to have reported binge drinking and illicit drug use in the last thirty days.

"No, we're not saying it's all about the alcohol. We're focusing on alcohol as one of the intervenable effects," said Trauma doctor Michael Sise.

Sise says while binge drinking is just one link to the violence, it is one that shows up in many high-risk behaviors.

"If you don't make it clear that drinking is unacceptable, that violence is unacceptable, then you're putting them in danger. It works to tell our kids what to expect it works to show up and be a force in their lives it's our future and its their health and safety." Sise said.

High School Besties start an innovative new business...Cakes -n- Wings

2010-04-29T08:39:00.003-04:00

by Melissa Rose Cooper from www.grio.comShari Griffith and Katrina Kelly met over 10 years ago and are best friends. At 25-years-old, they walked the path that many students typically follow after graduating from high school: they went to college, earned bachelors' degrees, and obtained jobs in corporate America.

But in 2008 during the height of the recession, their lives took a different twist. They were both let go from their employers. But instead of struggling to find other jobs, the duo decided to revisit their high school roots in March 2009 and create their own catering business --- Cake N Wings.

Griffith and Kelly's business is a unique combination of bite-sized, square cakes, called "tots," and chicken wings. It had its birth in 2001 when the two were seniors at Frederick Douglass Academy. Kelly proposed the idea that they enter a business competition through The National Foundation of Teaching Entrepreneurship.

"It just started with the fact that I make wings," said Griffith, "and she [Kelly] makes really good cake. "

Kelly shook her head, still baffled that her friend had even considered the idea.

"I didn't think she was going to take me seriously," she said.

As simple as their idea seemed to be, Cake N Wings won the competition and Griffith and Kelly received $200 in seed money to start up their business, which continued throughout their last year at the school.

Griffith studied business at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. and Kelly, theater arts at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. They both graduated in 2006 and like other new graduates, secured paying jobs. However, they soon learned that earning a regular paycheck was not necessarily the key to their happiness.

"I realized that I didn't want to work for anybody," said Griffith while Kelly nodded in agreement. "I wanted to work for myself and I wanted to work with my best friend and be happy."

Kelly lost her job in July 2008 and almost 4 months later, Griffith lost hers. These long time friends then took their misfortune, turned it into an opportunity and brought their inactive business back to life.

Griffith and Kelly sought help from the place that initially brought them together---their high school. Their principal, Dr. Gregory Hodge, has known them for 13 years and was one of their biggest supporters. He gave the women their first catering job, which turned out to be a surprise birthday party for an investment counselor, Robert Schwartz.

"I struck up a conversation with them at the party and I was very impressed," said Schwartz, who is now retired. He said the event was such a success that he decided to provide the start-up money for Cake N Wings.

And with the money Griffith and Kelly received for their company, they began advertising Cake N Wings throughout Harlem by word of mouth and giving their business cards out in the neighborhood. This is how they met Michael Rosen, a local hip-hop artist promoter.

"Me and Shari are just your regular girls from around the way," said Kelly. "We're not all stiff and, like, uniformed and if we have a job, we come there as ourselves. That's what makes us stand out."

OMG!! Booty Pop Panties?

2010-04-29T08:24:00.003-04:00

From www.thegrio.comI recently saw a commercial for the "Booty Pop" panties -- a pair of panties that is padded to increase a woman's gluteus maximus, and thus her confidence -- available in several sizes: extra-sweet, sweet, sweeter, sweetest and super-sweetest. The panties are available in both black and nude shades. The commercial was clearly geared towards young white women without actually saying as much. And doing a quick search around the Internet, it's clear the artificial buns are really popular; even with talk show host Kelly Ripa.

What makes this product interesting from a black woman's perspective is that we have long dealt with low-self esteem and the idea that our bodily features -- especially our stereotypically big butts -- are not only unattractive, but also inhuman. I remember reading in school about the life of Saartjie "Sarah" Baartman, a black South African woman who was exhibited literally like she was a caged animal throughout Europe 200 years ago because of her large backside.

Fortunately, pop-culture icons like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Kim Kardashian have made having "junk in the trunk" a desirable feature. Tune in to almost any hip-hop music video and you'll almost certainly see very full-figured females showing off their very healthy behinds. You may also notice that women on the magazine covers are also airbrushed to add on a little curve to their backside -- regardless of their race.

The "Booty Pop" panties are just the latest in a growing trend to have women who are rear-end challenged achieve this now popular Hollywood look. Woman can opt to receive butt implants; there are special exercises, diet regiments, and jeans to give them the bums they desire.

The argument can be made that this new trend will make ethnic girls who are naturally gifted with shapely backsides feel a bit more proud about their bodies. But this new panty product can also be viewed as another loss for women in general. Young girls and women of all color are increasingly under pressure to augment and adjust their bodies.

What's disturbing about the "Booty Pop" ad is that it clearly focuses on young women. It's already bad enough that young women have to deal with a laundry list of body image issues. While we can expect that there will always be someone trying to make a buck off of our insecurities, this just serves as a reminder that we must impress upon our young women that they are all sweet, no matter what sizes they come in.

Trina gets pretty for Kontrol Mag!

2010-04-27T15:54:00.001-04:00

Trina is covering the pages of Kontrol magazine. Pretty looks for her indeed.

Target expands black hair products

2010-04-23T13:32:00.002-04:00

Target has expanded its hair care assortment to include African American salon products never before offered at mass. Now available at select Target stores and Target.com, the new offerings include Miss Jessie’s, CURLS, The Jane Carter Solution, and the Target exclusive SheaMoisture. This expansion further delivers on the retailer’s Expect More. Pay Less™ brand promise while providing guests with convenient access to the brands they know and trust.

The heart of the hair care expansion at Target is the launch of the Miss Jessie’s® product line at mass. Known throughout the hair care industry and favored by celebrities including Alicia Keys, The Roots, Holly Robinson Peete and Randy Jackson, Miss Jessie’s is considered the go-to productline for curls and waves. Initially developed to manage the curl of African American hair, Miss Jessie’s products have since found a strong fan base among people of all backgrounds looking to enhance curly hairstyles.

How to Say no After You've already said YES

2010-04-23T13:13:00.003-04:00

Once you have sex with your BF, can you still tell him no? Of course!

At some point, every virgin faces the big "will you, won't you?" sex question, but once you've gone all the way, does the question go away? No.

Once you've had sex with a guy, it does not mean you have to do it every time you see him -- in fact, telling him you want to wait before the second time is a good way to find out if he's really into you. Any guy who's worth your time will be more interested in getting into your heart than your pants. If sex is the most important thing in your relationship, perhaps it's not the best match for you. The "virgin decision" is not the only decision you make when it comes to sex -- it's a decision you make each time you do or don't.

Then there are times when you've already said yes in the heat of the moment (or in response to pressure) -- but you change your mind. Is it still okay to say no when you're in the middle of yes? Yes.

Your body is yours and you can deny access at any time. No matter how mad he might get, if you're no longer into it, it's your right to end it. But, try to avoid it, indecisiveness comes off as game playing.

Bottom line: You are never obligated to be intimate with your guy, even if you've already slept with him. And you can always change your mind, no matter how far beyond kissing the makeout session has gone.

Saying no is always okay. And if you do say yes, make sure you play safe.

Read more here at The Tyra Show

Rihanna - Rude Boy

2010-04-20T18:44:00.000-04:00

Congrats to PARADE All-America Girls Basketball Team!

2010-04-13T12:08:00.004-04:00

by Michael O'Shea
Parade Magazine

If the names Chelsea Gray and Chiney Ogwumike sound familiar, it’s because both have been chosen as PARADE All-Americans twice before. This year, they have the added distinction of sharing Player of the Year honors on our 34th annual All-America High School Girls Basketball Team.

Gray, a 5-foot-11 point guard for St. Mary’s High in Stockton, Calif., helped keep the Rams in the nation’s top-ranked position for most of the year, averaging 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds per game.

“She’s a great all-around player, always working hard to improve,” St. Mary’s coach Tom Gonsalves says. “Chelsea could score 30 points every night; instead, she passes and gets our other players in the game. She’s an even better person than player, and a super student with a 3.6 GPA.” Gray will head to Duke next season.

A love of basketball runs in the family for Co-Player of the Year Ogwumike, a 6-foot-3 center at Cy-Fair High in Cypress, Tex. Her sister Nneka was named PARADE Co-Player of the Year in 2008, and Chiney has two younger siblings who also play the sport. But she isn’t likely to disappear into anyone’s shadow. This season, she averaged 23 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

“Chiney has so much talent and outstanding leadership abilities,” Cy-Fair coach Ann Roubique says. “She has grown tremendously—not only as a player but as an individual. She’s an excellent teammate and an excellent role model, and she’s without a doubt a great representative of our school and our community.” A straight-A student who is active in her community and president of the student council, Ogwumike will join her sister Nneka at Stanford next year.

Gray and Ogwumike head a 40-player roster of standout athletes from 18 states and Washington, D.C. California leads the pack with nine All-Americans, including Co-Player of the Year Gray. The team was selected by coaches, scouts, and recruiters across the country.
Top Players

KALEENA MOSQUEDA-LEWIS Mater Dei High, Santa Ana, Calif.
ODYSSEY SIMS MacArthur High, Irving, Tex.
NATASHA HOWARD Waite High, Toledo, Ohio
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS Princess Anne High,Virginia Beach, Va.
RICHA JACKSON Midwest City High, Midwest City, Okla.
SHONI SCHIMMEL Franklin High, Portland, Ore.

Nortre Dame to have have its first Black Valedictorian!

2010-04-13T12:05:00.002-04:00

A Gary, Indiana native will make history next month as the first black valedictorian from the University of Notre Dame.

Katie Washington, 21, is a biology major and minor in Catholic social teaching with a 4.0 GPA.

“I am humbled,” said Washington to the Northwest Indiana Times. “I am in a mode of gratitude and thanksgiving right now.”

University officials said they couldn’t recall ever having a black valedictorian, and don’t keep record of their race.

“Katie works so hard,” Washington’s mother Jean Tomlin said. “I told her when she went to Notre Dame, ‘You are representing your family, your church and the city of Gary. Make us proud.’”

She has definitely made her family proud and is following in their footsteps. Her father is a doctor, her mother and sister are nurses, one brother is completing his residency and another brother who works for British Petroleum.

“I have had so much support, people who really wanted to see that I reached my full potential,” Washington told nwitimes.com. “They all had my best interest at heart.”

Black Woman named High School Varsity Coach!

2010-03-15T08:47:00.002-04:00

In a historic moment for women in sports, Washington D.C. science teacher Natalie Randolph has been named head coach of the Calvin Coolidge Senior High School football team, reports CNN. Randolph is believed to be the first female head varsity coach in the country.

"While I'm proud to be part of what this all means," she said at a new conference this week, "Being female has nothing to do with it. I love football, I love teaching, I love these kids. My being female has nothing to do with my support and respect for my players on the field and in the classroom..."

J-Hud's Shining Moment

2010-03-10T15:10:00.003-05:00

Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson has recorded a version of One Shining Moment , the song that plays each year at the end of the CBS broadcast of the NCAA men’s basketball title game. Hudson will be the first woman to sing it.

Beauty Pick: Stila Jewel Eyeshadow Palette

2010-03-08T17:00:00.003-05:00

Want a new look for that weekend party? You have to pick up the latest from Stila. It's Jewel Eye Shadow formula creates a glistening wave of color that glimmers and sparkles across your lids like no other to give your eyes a brilliant, sequin-like reflection.

Shades include:
Rose Quartz: light pink with silver sparkle
Amethyst: grey eggplant with champagne sparkle
Black Diamond: black with silver sparkle
Golden Topaz: champagne shimmer with silver and gold sparkle

2010-03-08T16:51:00.003-05:00

Our number 1 pick goes to Zoe Saldana!!!!!!
The “Avatar” star took a chance in a violet Givenchy couture gown. We loved the sparkling bodice and ruffled tulle skirt with the matching shoes!!! AMAZING!

We loved Nicole Richie as she appeared ready to disco the night away at the club in this vintage-inspired sequined Reem Acra dress and Judith Leiber clutch.

The Queen reigned supreme in a regal lavender figure-hugging satin gown, which she accessorized with diamonds and pink sapphires courtesy of Chopard.

The Best Actress nominee was absolutely “Precious” while working it in a blue off-the-shoulder Marchesa creation. Gabourey also won some extra points for her sass: “If fashion was porn, this dress is the money shot,” she laughed on the red carpet.

Mo'Nique Wins the Big One!

2010-03-08T16:29:00.008-05:00

It's official--Mo'Nique is an Academy Award-winning actress. The stand-up comedian and late-night talk show host won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a violent, abusive mother in Precious.

And her outfit made a statement -- not a fashion statement but a political one -- and to speak her mind about her win. As Mo'Nique told reporters after the awards ceremony, the reason she wore a blue dress and gardenias in her hair was to pay tribute to Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Academy Award; McDaniel wore that color and that flower when she accepted her groundbreaking Oscar in 1940 for the movie Gone With the Wind.

Beauty Pick: Just for Me! Smoothing Edges Creme

2010-03-08T16:23:00.002-05:00

When you want to rock a sleek and smooth hairstyle style, nothing's more irritating than the whole fuzzy-edges, new-growth-that-won't-lay-flat situation. The good news is, this product works wonders. Not just for little girls, Just for Me! Smoothing Edges Creme ($4.99) is great for frizzy flyaways along the hairline. This soy milk and honey-blended moisturizer sleekens hair in seconds and even smoothes out a tough-to-manage "kitchen".

Props: X-Treme Motion Dance Team

2010-02-25T08:47:00.004-05:00

The X-treme Motion crew from "America's Best Dance Crew" (ABDC) was one of the dance crews competing on Season 5 of the MTV reality series. X-treme Motion is from Houston, Texas, and is competing initially against other crews from the South. The X-treme Motion crew members are Chloe Barnes, Dominique Coleman-Perry, Olivia Harris, Jermani Justice, Precious Lowe and Trecia Mallet.

The members of the X-treme Motion crew are former Texas Southern University majorettes. X-treme Motion brought their bootylicious bucking style to the mainstream stage. The high energy, acrobatic, and stunt-filled Southern belles were on a mission to show the world their majorette style of dance is "often imitated but never duplicated." The X-treme Motion crew's style is influenced by both Street Jazz and Hip-Hop, but what really makes them distinct is an intense booty shaking move they call "BUCKIN."

Even though they didn't win, we luv their style!

Serena wins another Australian Open!

2010-01-31T23:12:00.001-05:00

Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after VICTORY IN HER WOMEN’S SINGLES FINAL MATCH against Belgian opponent Justine Henin at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Friday, January 30.

Serena, who is the #1 ranked Female Tennis player in the world, also took home another doubles victory with her older sister, Venus Williams

Miss Virginia wins Miss America Pageant 2010

2010-01-31T16:18:00.006-05:00

A 22-year-old Virginia woman who said she once thought her only talent was singing is the nation's newest Miss America, emerging from a field of 53 contestants picked for their beauty, compassion and interview savvy.

Caressa Cameron, a broadcast journalism student at Virginia Commonwealth University, now plans a second year away from college as she travels extensively to raise money for charity and carry the 89-year-old pageant's crown.

"I hope to gain inspiration, I hope to gain momentum so that when this 365 days is over, I can shoot through the moon," Cameron told The Associated Press.

Cameron, the first black Miss America since Ericka Dunlap in 2005, says she wants to get a master's degree and eventually become a news anchor.

Cameron, the daughter of a background researcher for the government and a contractor, said she was inspired to compete in pageants at age 14, when Miss Virginia 2003 Nancy Redd visited her school.

"At that time, all I knew that I could do was sing — that's all I had," the Fredericksburg, Va., native said.

Cameron said that after that visit, she decided to try out for a school musical, which snowballed into more opportunities in the arts, drama and other areas.

"More doors and more doors continued to open," she said. "It's so important that we reach our young people, because there are so many young people that are at the very same crossroads that I was at."

"We need those people to let them know that just because your circumstances are a certain way, you don't have to succumb to them," she said. "You can do something amazing, like become Miss America."

Cameron won the title and a $50,000 scholarship Saturday night after strutting in a skintight yellow dress, belting Beyonce's "Listen" from "Dreamgirls" and advising parents to limit video games and television when asked about childhood obesity during an onstage interview.

"We need to get our kids back outside, playing with sticks in the street like I did when I was little," she said. "Expand your mind, go outside and get to see what this world is like."

Congrats Caressa!!!!!

Gabourney Sidibe covers March issue of Ebony

2010-01-30T16:03:00.002-05:00

Precious Star Gabourey Sidibe is covering the pages of the March issue of Ebony. And she’s dishing on working with Mo’Nique and director Lee Daniels changing her life. Essence Magazine reports:

With the Academy Awards right around the corner, Ebony moved far beyond the silver screen to zero in on the power of the image as it relates to African-Americans. For this March issue, Precious star and first-time film actor Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe provides the essential backdrop to help examine what power really means. In a league of her own, she has definitely defied the “classic beauty” image in today’s movie industry. Yet, she possesses the kind of inner strength, courage and freedom that most of us would love to call our own.

“I wake up with myself every morning, so the only opinion that really matters is mine,” says Sidibe.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

2010-01-18T10:26:00.005-05:00

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Did you know that this day is also known as the National Day of Service?

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" And it is in that spirit that the National Day of Service takes place today, on a holiday celebrating a man who lived and died in service to others.

At the urging of President Barack Obama, all Americans are encouraged to roll up their sleeves today and volunteer to help others — as a way to honor Dr. King, and simply assist your fellow man.

"Recognizing that our Nation has yet to reach Dr. King's promised land is not an admission of defeat, but a call to action. In these challenging times, too many Americans face limited opportunities, but our capacity to support each other remains limitless," President Obama declared Friday in a proclamation related to MLK, Jr. Day and the National Day of Service.

For 365 ways to serve, click here.

Zoe Kravitz in Vanity Fair

2010-01-08T16:10:00.000-05:00

Vanity Fair spotlights its "Women to Watch for in 2010" and includes actress Zoe Kravitz. The 21-year-old daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet has four films due out this year.

Gabby Sidibe shows her confidence

2010-01-08T16:06:00.003-05:00

Golden Globe-nominated actress Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe recently posed for the February issue of Harpar’s Bazaar and spoke about her confidence and frustrations with the media.On doing the Harper’s Bazaar shoot:

On doing the Harper’s Bazaar shoot:
“I feel like a model. It justifies everyone in my life who told me I wouldn’t be anything until I lost weight. It justifies that little girl who cried because she didn’t think she could be in front of the camera. And it’s for other girls who feel like they can’t do this or that and feel like they’re not pretty and not worthy of having their photo taken.”

On her confidence:
“People always ask me, ‘You have so much confidence. Where did that come from?’ It came from me. One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see.”

On her frustration with some media synopsis’ of Precious:
“‘Gabby Sidibe is an overweight black girl who is illiterate and pregnant by her father,’” she parrots. “Look, I am black. I’m also overweight, but that’s not the point of the story. The point is the abuse and her bravery. This stuff happens to skinny people, to white people, to so many different people that they’ve missed the point if they say it’s about a fat girl.”

Are you kidding!!! H&M and Walmart destroy and trash unsold clothes!

2010-01-08T16:03:00.002-05:00

This week the New York Times reported a disheartening story about two of the largest retail chains. You see, instead of taking unsold items to sample sales or donating them to people in need, H&M and Wal-Mart have been throwing them out in giant trash bags. And in the case that someone may stumble on these bags and try to keep or re-sell the items, these companies have gone ahead and slashed up garments, cut off the sleeves of coats, and sliced holes in shoes so they are unwearable.

This unsettling discovery was made by graduate student Cynthia Magnus outside the back entrance of H&M on 35th street in New York City. Just a few doors down, she also found hundreds of Wal-Mart tagged items with holes made in them that were dumped by a contractor. On December 7, she spotted 20 bags of clothing outside of H&M including, "gloves with the fingers cut off, warm socks, cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor, men’s jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls.”

The New York Times points out that one-third of the city's population is poor, which makes this behavior not only wasteful and sad, but downright irresponsible. Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Melissa Hill, acted surprised that these items were found, claiming they typically donate all unworn merchandise to charity. When reporters went around the corner from H&M to a collections drop-off for charity organization New York Cares, spokesperson Colleen Farrell said, “We’d be glad to take unworn coats, and companies often send them to us."

After several days of no response from H&M, the company made a statement today, promising to stop destroying the garments at the midtown Manhattan location. They said they will donate the items to charity. H&M spokeswoman Nicole Christie said, "It will not happen again," and that the company would make sure none of the other locations would do so either. Hopefully that's the final word.

New Video: College Boys "Footwork"

2010-01-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Do you know how to footwork?

Do Something: New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-03T14:19:00.004-05:00

It's that time again, when we reflect on the events of the past year with a mind to self improvement. Here are our 5 picks for this year's resolutions.

1) Get physically fit - for health's sake!
January is a very busy time in gyms and recreational centers, but most people sign up to sweat with weight loss in mind. If you want and need to lose weight then this is a noble resolution to make, but all of us can benefit from adopting a healthy fitness regimine. African-American teens are chronically "under-fit" and it is time that we all shaped up. Getting fit will increase your energy level, make your complexion glow, keep illness at bay, keep your mind sharp and yes, even make your clothes fit better. Give fitness a try, whether losing weight is among your goals or not, because being fit is great!

2) Give some of your time away - become a volunteer!
Now is the time to focus on our desire to help when the world seems determined to make us see how people cause hurt. There is great satisfaction in helping others, in doing something to somehow make the world a better place. In volunteering you can find out first hand how great it is to be among those who make a positive difference in this increasingly crazy world.

3) Study hard - plan for the future today!
It seems like an eternity has yet to pass before you have to worry about a career, but the clock is ticking faster than you realize. Before you know it you will be graduating into the adult world. Getting good grades now can help lay a solid foundation for you to make all of your dreams come true. By taking the time to do your best in school now you insure greater opportunities in life when you are an adult. The best favour the young you can do for the grown up you is make the extra effort to do well in school right now. Even if school is very difficult for you, even if you have a learning difference, you will always benefit from trying your very best.

4) Just say no! Stay away from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.
At Teen Advice we spend a lot of time looking at the darker temptations of youth; drugs, alcohol and smoking. Almost every teen will cross paths with one of these "foes" before they become adults, the trick to beating them is to be prepared for them. When trying one of these vices most teens site peer pressure as the number one factor in influencing them to experiment. This year, resolve to beat peer pressure whenever, and where ever, it challenges you.

5) Lose weight if you need to, stay fit if you don't.
Youth and dieting is a very controversial issue. While obesity in children and teens is at an all time high in the Western world, the reality of eating disorders and unrealistic ideals can't be ignored. Some teens really do need to lose weight but many do not. How can you tell if you should go on a diet? We have eight questions you must ask yourself before going on any sort of weight loss program.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T00:04:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year girls!!!
Time to make your new year's resolutions!

Happy Birthday Capricorn!

2009-12-22T10:32:00.003-05:00

When it comes to professionalism and traditional values, Capricorn wins hands-down. This practical sign loves to tackle life in the most conventional of ways, leaving no stone unturned. Considered the most serious-minded of the signs, the Capricorn possesses an independence that allows for considerable progress both personally and on the job.

Friends and Family

Combining a strong wit and a love of humor, the Capricorn makes terrific company for those they choose as friends. They will surround themselves with people who are honest, loyal, and like-minded when it comes to working values. They cherish loved ones and will go any distance to help a friend or family member. Traditional by nature, the Capricorn loves nothing more than holidays, such as Christmas, that bring people together with a variety of activities. Although a Capricorn isn't apt to have a large social circle, those included in this sign's life will find someone who is steadfast and true. Emotional displays are not common for a Capricorn. They would rather show how they feel through deeds than expression with words.

Work and Money

Ambition is the key word for this sign. The key phrase for Capricorn is I use. The Capricorn possesses a real knack for finding the right tool for the job and getting down to it. Starting at the bottom of the ladder and working their way to the top doesn't scare the Capricorn off. They will go the distance once a goal is set.

In addition to setting high standards for themselves, honesty, perseverance, and a dedication to duty make the Capricorn an excellent manager. Loyalty and a willingness to work as hard as necessary are qualities that this sign values greatly within themselves and in those around them. Careers in management, finance, teaching, and real estate are excellent choices.

Capricorns are resourceful and manage their time and money well. Every now and then, the urge to spend some hard-earned cash can see this sign packing some large shopping bags with fun and frivolous items out of the store. But as a rule, caution goes hand in hand with the Capricorn making practical purchases more likely than anything else. Multifunctional items are definitely favored.

Relationships
The Capricorn prefers to take things slow and steady. You won't see this sign jumping into anything head-first. Taking relationships one step at a time is the way of the Capricorn. Words can be few with this personality, yet actions speak volumes. The Capricorn values deeds and will go to great lengths to express their affections through them. They're great gift givers and don't bat an eye at the cost of spending a fantastic night out. Genuine and sincere, you can take what few words a Capricorn does say to the bank.

CAPRICORN TIDBITS

Colors
The color of choice for Capricorn is brown. In fact, most dark colors do well for this sign.

Gemstone
Capricorn's star stone is the black onyx.

Lucky Numbers
Capricorn's lucky numbers are 6, 8, and 9.

Compatibility
Capricorns are most compatible with Taurus and Virgo.

Opposite Sign
The opposite sign for Capricorn is Cancer.

The Perfect Gift
Practical, dark-colored, well-made clothing and high-tech gadgets

Likes
Family, tradition, quality craftsmanship, understated status, music

Dislikes
Almost everything at some point

Famous Capricorns
Michelle Obama, Mary J. Blige, Nicolas Cage, Tiger Woods, Jon Voight, Denzel Washington, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali

Best Travel Destination
Mexico, Cuba, India, Delphi, Oxford

Strengths
Responsible, good managers, disciplined, self-control, dark sense of humor

Weaknesses
Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst

Best environment
Positive work situation, urban environments with culture and style, anyplace to be in charge

New Music: The OMG Girlz

2009-12-22T10:08:00.008-05:00

Tiny and Toya's daughter's have a new group called the OMG Girlz. Check out their new song, "Ain't Nobody."

U.S. teens ignore laws against texting while driving

2009-12-11T18:36:00.003-05:00

Karen Cordova, a 17-year-old high school student and part-time supermarket cashier, admits she sometimes texts friends while driving home from work late at night, lonely and bored.

The Arizona teenager knows it's illegal in Phoenix and dangerous. She once almost drifted into oncoming traffic while looking at her phone.

But would a nationwide ban stop Cordova and her friends from texting in their cars? No way, she said.
"Nobody is going to listen," Cordova said.

The number of text messages is up tenfold in the past three years and Americans sent an estimated 1 trillion in 2009.
Some police agencies, while strongly in favor of such mandates, say its tough for officers to enforce them.

"But with the texting it's a little bit more of a challenge to catch them in the act, because we have to see it and if they are holding it down in their lap it's going to be harder for us to see."

Already 19 states and the District of Columbia ban texting by all drivers, while 9 others prohibit it by young drivers.

TEXTING CAUSES ACCIDENTS
In July, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, citing a study that found texting drivers were 23 times more likely to be in an accident, introduced a bill requiring states to prohibit the practice or risk losing federal highway funds.

The problem is not unique to the United States. In Britain, a public service announcement on texting while driving drew worldwide attention for its extremely graphic imagery.

Cordova's classmate, 17-year-old Anna Hauer, says she often texts her boyfriend when she drives and doubts she or her friends would stop because of new legislation.

"By the time they pull you over, the chances are you are going to be done with your text anyway so they can't exactly prove that you were texting," she said.

Are the new Barbie's "black" enough?

2009-12-07T19:19:00.003-05:00

Some Parents are saying Mattel's new "So in Style" Black dolls made with wider noses and fuller lips in an array of skin tones are not Black enough, according to "Wall Street Journal". Parents are not too pleased with the straight, long hair and blue or green eye color that some of the dolls have. The dolls also feature the waif-like figure of Barbie dolls, not an accurate depiction of most women in general, much less Black women.

"I thought it was unfortunate that once again we're given a doll with hair that is so unlike the vast majority of black women," one mom said.

"If they had given the dolls short, kinky hair or an Afro, people might have complained that it was too Afro-centric... We're so hard and picky," another mother commented, reported "WSJ".

Mattel consulted a number of high profile Black women, including Cookie Johnson, Magic Johnson's wife, when creating their new line of dolls, created by designer Stacey McBride-Irby who sought to make a dolls that her daughter could identify with. McBride-Irby was a little shocked by the negative comments about the dolls.

The toy company plans to grow the line in 2010 adding more dolls to represent the differences in Black women, including one with an Afro. Mattel also plans to release a Black male "So In Style" doll named Darren.

So....what do you think? Check out the new line here

Ethnic pride key to black teen mental health

2009-12-07T19:09:00.003-05:00

Ethnic pride may be as important as self-esteem to the mental health of young African-American adolescents, according to a new study in the Nov/Dec issue of the journal Child Development.

In their study, the researchers viewed self-esteem as the way adolescents feel about themselves as individuals, and ethnic pride as the way they feel about their ethnic group. Previous research generally has considered racial identity a proxy or sub-set of self-esteem.

The new study speaks to the importance of ethnic pride separate and apart from self-esteem. "Psychologists have been theorizing about this for years," Psychologist Jelani Mandara said. "Our empirical evidence indicates that we'll see African-American teens with fewer depressive symptoms if we pay more attention to building ethnic pride."

It's easier to build ethnic pride than it is to influence self-esteem, he added.

Using standard self-report measures, the authors assessed 259 African-American youths from six Chicago public schools when they were in the seventh grade and again a year later in the eighth grade.

In measuring racial identity, they focused on issues of ethnic pride and replaced phrases such as "I have a lot of pride in my ethnic group" with "I have a lot of pride in Black people." They did not address issues of culture or of "public regard" -- how others look at race -- in assessing ethnic identity.

The researchers found that both male and female students showed fewer depressive symptoms if their feelings of ethnic pride rose between seventh and eighth grade whether or not their self-esteem increased.

"The importance of self-esteem to adolescent mental health is well known and accepted," Mandara said. "But it is not uncommon for individuals to have high self-esteem and at the same time exhibit depressive symptoms. Research has long shown that African-American girls have higher self-esteem compared to other girls but also have more depressive symptoms."

The study found that the higher girls' self-esteem was, the more likely they were to report depressive symptoms. Mandara suggested that could be because African American girls often are charged with adult family responsibilities that make them feel competent but also cause them stress.

Determined Divas try to break the cycle of inner city life

2009-12-07T19:00:00.003-05:00

Young women sit in a circle at the Danforth Community Center on West Avenue.

In the middle of the formation, Beverly Jackson, a city youth worker, paces.

“You’re all works in progress,” Jackson tells the 25 members of the group known as the Determined Divas, an organization she formed to redirect young women who are either gang members or associates of gangs.

At Jackson’s words, the Divas nod in agreement.

At some time or another, most of them have been suspended from school for fighting or for not showing up for classes. Many have troubled home lives. Some are, or have been, homeless.

They are, for sure, a challenge, a possibly lost generation of young women doomed to bleak futures by circumstances and their own anger. Beyond that, the resources to help them are in short supply.

But a group like the Determined Divas can save these girls and also lower the violence in Rochester, says Renee Turner, the vice principal of I’m Ready, a City School District program for students on long-term suspension from district schools.

“This is the start of something that could turn things around in this city for kids who need help,” Turner says. “…Taken to another level, this could be a national program.”

If it should become that, it will be a tribute to Jackson’s ability to convince young women that many of the things they have heard about themselves are wrong. They are not doomed to fail and to fight; they can change; they do have reason to believe.

“I don’t deal with hopeless chicks,” Jackson tells the girls in the circle, using her best drill sergeant voice. “You have to empower yourselves.”

The Divas were created earlier this year, after Turner asked Jackson to help address the fact that many of the young women in the I’m Ready program got there because of acts of violence. Girl violence has been a “hidden secret” in Rochester, Turner notes, overshadowed by violence among boys in gangs. But the violence among girls is persistent and dangerous, she adds, especially because knives are the “weapon of choice.”

The Divas included young women who had fought with each other, a possible obstacle to success. But the sessions focused on nonviolent ways to resolve conflict and on other coping skills. Jackson and others were there to listen, to advise, but not to judge.

Jackie Campbell, the director of the city’s Bureau of Youth Services, says that the group offered the young women a chance “to be in an environment where the boundaries are in place.”

Inspired by the girls’ enthusiasm for the gatherings, Jackson kept the meetings going over the summer and into the fall, the sessions taking place at the Danforth center. The membership has expanded beyond the original group as the word has gotten out.

Narasonda Gibbs, 17, is an original Diva, someone who was, in Turner’s words, “determined to fight no matter what.”

Gibbs carries reminders of that person on the back of her right hand where “Nonny” is tattooed in cursive. It’s her nickname, her street name, her alter ego.

“This is the angry person,” she says, moving her hand in a video interview with the Democrat and Chronicle. “This is the person who did mistakes in the past.”

When she knows she has her life together, Gibbs plans on having her real name, “Narasonda” tattooed on her left hand.

She’ll know it’s the right time when she has graduated from high school, when she has a steady job, when things are going well between her and her parents.

By her own account, Gibbs started fighting with other girls when she was 13. Before that, she loved school, got good grades and was happy.

Then something happened; anger took over and she got in a fight with another girl over a boy.

She was suspended from school. When she came back she got in another fight and got suspended again. What she calls a “constant pattern” had begun.

Gibbs, who has a gang’s brand on one arm, was squaring off against another girl early this year.

She thought she had been punched in the face, but actually she had been cut. Her blood was everywhere, and she was taken to an emergency room.

“I was scared; I was nervous,” she says. “When I got to the hospital, everything came out. I was crying; I was in pain.”

It took 26 stitches to close the wound, and she has been left with the scar, a reminder of what can go wrong when she loses control.

Life has been better this fall, she says.

“I feel like I’m living up to my expectations for myself,” says Gibbs, who attends Dr. Freddie Thomas High School. “To be a Diva, I have to keep my reputation up. If I hadn’t met Bev (Jackson), I don’t think I would have made it.”

Reasons for anger

Lizz Jackson, 14, a Determined Diva who is not related to Bev Jackson, quickly explains why it is that girls fight. “The gossip, the boys, the jealousy,” she says, going through a mental checklist.

Then there are other reasons. “I get mad at all kinds of stuff,” she says.

For sure, all of the Divas have reasons to be mad, to believe they have been short-changed by life.

In the video, one talks of her father being killed by a gunshot when she was 4; later she sees her mother abused. Others talk of fathers in jail or on their way to jail.

None of them speaks of stable lives.

Tonesha Jackson, who is 18 and not related to Beverly or Lizz Jackson, says that when she was little she moved a lot, and then she ticks off the elementary schools she attended: Schools 9, 22, 14, 7.

Then there was Charlotte High School and some time in a Muslim school. Throughout all of this relocation, she found herself uninterested in school.

For this, she blames no one but herself.

“It was my fault,” she says. “I was just young and dumb.”

“These girls are really trying to change,” Jackson says of her works in progress, her determined and hopeful Divas.

find full story here

Nicki Minaj explains the "Barbie Movement"

2009-12-07T18:55:00.001-05:00

The newest female MC takes a moment to explain a new style she's introduced...The Barbie Movement. Check out the nameplate!

Flashback: TLC's Diggin' On You

2009-12-03T18:52:00.001-05:00

TLC - Diggin' On You (Official Music Video) - The best video clips are right here

Princess Tiara toys are flying off store shelves!

2009-12-01T12:13:00.001-05:00

More than 45,000 dolls have sold in less than a month with 17,000 selling last week alone. At one major retailer, The Princess and the Frog bedding has sold nearly triple the amount of regular Disney Princess bedding. At Disney Store locations nationwide and DisneyStore.com, the Princess Tiana role-play dresses are selling above all other Disney Princess characters.

Happy Thanksgiving! Just Keepin' It Real

2009-11-28T09:01:00.002-05:00

The Pilgrims are said to have had the "first" thanksgiving feast in the New World in the autumn of 1621. Isn't that what you were taught in school? Nothing could be further from the truth!

People have given thanks for the bountiful harvests for thousands of years all over the earth. Historical records exist of the ancient Egyptians giving thanks to their gods for the Nile River floods that provided needed irrigation for their crops. The Chinese gave thanks to their gods and honored their ancestors. The Romans and Greeks celebrated with feasts, pageants, and revelry. Across Europe, India, Africa, North America and South America, and the rest of the earth over the millenia, there have been commemorations and feasts of thanksgiving.

The inhabitants of the North American continent were no different than other cultures. They worshipped the Earth Mother who provided the great herds for hunting, the aquatic creatures for fishing, and for bountiful crops of corn and other provisions. While the ceremonies differed from tribe to tribe across the continent, depending on their geographical location and their circumstances, a common thread weaves all mankind together. There is a common belief that some superior being(s) exist that are responsible for satisfying the need for sustenance and the perpetuation of the cyclical order of nature.

Prior to the Pilgrims' arrival in 1620, the Native Americans in the eastern shore of the North American continent had encountered other English and Spanish explorers. European visitors inadvertantly introduced smallpox to the Native American population in 1617. The subsequent plague decimated the population, with nearly half of the Native Americans succumbing to the virulent disease.

One hundred and two Pilgrim emigrants departed England on the Mayflower. During the voyage, one person was lost overboard and a child was born onboard. Of the 102 people who arrived at Plymouth Rock in December of 1620, only 50 survived the first winter in the New World. Cold and starvation killed many. Without the generosity of the Native Americans who provided food, many more would probably have died. The Pilgrims had much for which to be thankful.

According to the first newspaper published in America, Publick Occurrences, published on 25 September 1690 by Benjamin Harris, a group of Christianized Native Americans selected the date and place for the celebration of the first thanksgiving with the Pilgrims.

In the Fall of 1621, the thanksgiving commemoration took place. We know that it lasted for three days and included a period of fasting, prayer, religious services, and finally a shared meal. There were 90 Native Americans involved in this affair. While this celebration was never repeated, it has become the model for what most U.S. citizens celebrate today as Thanksgiving. This "first thanksgiving" marked a tranquil moment in time before tensions escalated and tempers flared.

The Pilgrims viewed the Native Americans as savages requiring the salvation of Christianity. They failed to recognize the deeply spiritual nature of the Native American people and their bond with the gods of nature. The Pilgrims aggressively tried to recruit the "savages." Those who accepted Christianity found themselves ostracized by their tribes and accepted by the Pilgrims as mere disciples. The Pilgrims' tampering with the beliefs of the natives greatly offended the tribal leaders.

The Pilgrims were not adept at farming in their new homeland. Whereas the Native Americans were experts at growing maize, the Pilgrims were slow to learn. Their harvests of 1621 and 1622 were meager, and the Native Americans offered to exchange some of their harvest for beads and other materials. The Pilgrims eagerly responded but, in time, demonstrated bad faith by failing to fulfill their side of the bargain. The Native American leaders, proud men of their word, were insulted by the rude way in which they were treated. Tempers flared and, in time, open hostilities broke out.

History chonicles the subsequent colonialization, the infringement of colonists on Native American lands, the violation of the Native Americans' sacred beliefs and burial sites, and the forcing of the Native Americans farther and farther west. Treaties, massacres, seizure of lands, relocations, formation of reservations -- all of these represent a poor return for the Native Americans' investment of generosity.

Nevertheless, the commemoration of the "First Thanksgiving" that most U.S. citizens know is really not a celebration of bounties of the land. It should, instead, be a time to consider what might have been -- an honorable, mutually beneficial collaboration between two disparate peoples from different parts of the world.

In the meantime, remember that the celebration of thankfulness for the bounties of the land, the oceans, the streams, and of those things that make life wonderful did not begin with the Pilgrims. The Native Americans were commemorating these bounties long before the Pilgrims arrived. The customs still survive, more beautiful and meaningful today because of their fragile and spiritual nature.

Learn more about Native American thanksgiving culture in the article about the Celebration of Green Corn.

New Music: Beyonce ft. Lady Gaga....Video Phone

2009-11-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

New Movie: Precious

2009-11-02T18:40:00.002-05:00

Make sure you go check out the movie "Precious" this weekend! Check out this all-star line up:
Mariah Carey, Monique, Paula Patton and even Lenny Kravitz and financially backed by Oprah and Tyler Perry...

This one better be good...from the hype, I'm sure it is!

Chris Brown leaks his new album cover/Rihanna's leaking tracks everywhere!

2009-11-02T18:23:00.005-05:00

Have we forgiven him yet? If so....

Check out these images from Chris Brown’s upcoming music video “CRAWL” featuring a special appearance by singer/model Cassie. Directed by Joseph Kahn, the upcoming video was shot in Los Angeles. This is the second single from Chris’ third album, Graffiti, hitting stores on December 15th.

If not....

Since the release of her fourth studio album, Rated R is drawing closer, news, music, photos and more have been all over the place for Rihanna. Check out the latest new track, “Hard,” featuring ATL native, Young Jeezy.

Rihanna is also set to debut her Anthony Mandler-directed video for “Wait Your Turn (the Wait Is Ova)” on RIHANNANOW.COM Tuesday, November 3rd. Her lead single “Russian Roulette” will also hit iTunes on Tuesday. The video for it debuts Friday, November 13th, on 20/20, where Rihanna finally breaks her silence.

The album, titled "Rated R" is set to be released November 23rd.

New Music: Beyonce will release new video for "Video Phone" ft. Lady Gaga!

2009-11-02T17:42:00.002-05:00

MTV will exclusively world premiere Beyonce’s music video for “Video Phone” (this version ft. Lady Gaga) on-air and online on Thursday, November 5. It’s going to be blasted in the US on MTV and MTV.com at 5:30 PM/EST while MTV channels worldwide will premiere the music video after the MTV Europe Music Awards from Berlin.

Serena debuts her new book "Queen of the Court"

2009-11-02T17:32:00.002-05:00

Tennis champion Serena Williams poses with her new book ‘Queen of the Court’ during a book signing at Harrods department store on Monday, November 2nd in London, England.

New Music: Cymphonique

2009-10-30T21:54:00.001-04:00

12 year-old Cymphonique Miller is a triple threat: she can sing, dance, and act. In addition, she is an Honor roll student! Although she is the daughter of rapper/entrepreneur Master P a.k.a Percy Miller, Cymphonique prefers “to make a name for herself.” Visit www.cymphonique.com to learn more about the young star.

Hater by Maya Angelou

2009-10-25T21:05:00.003-04:00

Hater

By Maya Angelou

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough!
When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters...
That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...
It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right?
You never know what people have gone through to get what they have...
The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story...
If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!
We've all got some haters among us!
Some people envy you because you can:
a) Have a relationship with God
b) Light up a room when you walk in
c) Start your own business
d) Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn't about the right thing)
e) Raise your children without both parents being in the home

Haters can't stand to see you happy.
Haters will never want to see you succeed.
Most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side.
How do you handle your undercover haters?

You can handle these haters by:
1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)

2. Having a purpose to your life: Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.

3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.

Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live...when its your time to leave this earth, you 'want' to be able to say, 'I've lived my life and fulfilled 'my' dreams,... Now I'm ready to go HOME!

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, 'Don't look at me...Look at Who is in charge of me...'

Ok Rio...get your party on!

2009-10-06T17:51:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Brazil for landing the 2016 Olympic Games! It's about time! I don't think any country in South America has ever hosted the Olympic games! Although its like 6-7 years away, I know they'll be putting on a great show for the rest of the world.

Cover Girl: Serena Williams

2009-10-06T17:45:00.000-04:00

Common’s girl Serena Williams is showing alllll her ass-ets on the new cover of ESPN magazine.

Twin Alert: Fefe Dobson and Christina Millian

2009-10-05T19:42:00.002-04:00

Waddaya think?

Fashion Statement: Bald is Beautiful

2009-10-05T19:04:00.006-04:00

While many women spend huge amounts of their hard-earned money in weaves and wigs, some famous female celebrities are breaking out the razors and going either fully or partially bald.

What do you think... would you shave it all off?

Products for Lil' Black Princesses

2009-10-05T18:55:00.002-04:00

From the minute Disney announced the first African American princess movie, 'The Princess and the Frog,' the buzz has been building.
For super special 'The Princess and The Frog' merchandise, Disney's teamed with one of my favorite brands, Carol's Daughter for a truly magical beauty collection.

The Carol's Daughter products for The Princess and The Frog are beauty staples Princess Tiana would most likely use. "The Beauty Within" shampoo includes aloe leaf juice, "Inner Shine" conditioner uses sunflower seed, olive, and sweet almond oils. The "Dream Big" hair detangler includes glycerine, aloe, and castor oil.

Click here for the full review-courtesy of www.blackvoices.com

Cover Girl: Chanel Iman & Jourdan Dunn

2009-10-03T21:20:00.002-04:00

Models Chanel and Jourdan will be featured in October's issue of Teen Vogue.

The New New: Laced Nails

2009-09-28T19:52:00.000-04:00

Lacie nails is a new, up and coming trend that is actually kind of cute. The lace is applied on the nail with a brush-on adhesive and then sealed with that same adhesive. According to Glamour magazine, the nails are then sprayed with a quick-dry glue, filed, then encased in gels and finally, cuticles are moisturized.

Can a Mixed-Race Contestant Become a Chinese Idol?

2009-09-28T18:45:00.014-04:00

In many ways, Lou Jing is a typical young woman from Shanghai. Pretty and confident, she speaks Mandarin heavily accented with the lilting tones of the Shanghai dialect and browses the malls of this huge city for the latest fashions.

But there is one thing that distinguishes this 20-year-old from her peers, something that has made her the unwitting focus of an intense public debate about what exactly it means to be Chinese: the color of her skin. Born to a Chinese mother and an African-American father whom she has never met, the theater student rocketed into the public consciousness last month when she took part in an American Idol–esque TV show, Go! Oriental Angel.

The marketing gurus for the series could hardly have dreamed of a better promotional gimmick when they started to investigate the backgrounds of the dozens of pop-star wannabes to root out the competitors' mushy stories of triumph over adversity that are a well-worn staple of the genre. Here was a tale guaranteed to attract eyeballs: a girl of mixed race, brought up by a single Chinese mother, struggling to gain acceptance in a deeply conservative, some would say racist, society.

The strategy worked — perhaps too well. In August, Lou's appearance on the show not only boosted viewer numbers but also sparked an intense nationwide debate about the essential meaning of being Chinese. Over the past month on Internet chat rooms, where modern China's sensitive issues are thrashed out by netizens long before they reach the heavily censored mainstream media, Lou's ethnicity has been the subject of a relentless barrage of criticism, some of it crudely racist.

Many think she should not have been allowed to compete on a Chinese show, or at least not selected to represent Shanghai in the national competition. She doesn't have fair skin, which is one of the most important factors for Chinese beauty. What's more, her mother and her biological father were never married; morally, the argument goes, this kind of behavior shouldn't be publicized, so she shouldn't have been put on TV as a young "idol."

These kinds of posts on the most popular chat rooms have attracted thousands of comments. A few have been supportive of Lou, but the rest range from expressions of fear and ignorance to outright racism. One of the most popular posts about Lou Jing on the KDS Life forum asked in mock seriousness, "Is it possible that she is Obama's daughter?"

Another poster said, "I can't believe she's so shameless that she would go on TV." Most of the critics are agreed on one point: that this black woman cannot be regarded as a "real" Chinese.

As recently as the 1970s, foreigners were largely barred from living in China, let alone marrying a local. China does not easily accept mixed-race children as true-blooded Chinese: as soon as a child is born, the parents are required to register with the authorities as to which of the 56 government-approved ethnic groups their child belongs; there are no mixed-race categories. Lou feels she is very much Chinese. "When I meet somebody for the first time, they'd often ask me how I can speak Chinese so well, and I tell them, 'Because I'm a Chinese — of course I can speak my mother tongue well,' " Lou says defiantly. "I don't like to be treated differently."

As for Lou, she found the whole experience more than a little disturbing. She did well in the show, ranking in the top 30 contestants before she was eliminated. Now she's back to her normal life as a college junior — with a little new insight into her home. "Through this competition, it's really scary to find out how the color of my skin can cause such a big controversy."

Read the entire article here:

Outfit of the Week

2009-09-26T19:10:00.002-04:00

Beyonce Knowles by Karine Minzon Wilson featuring Kg shoes

Black Large Patent Orb Tote by Vivienne Westwood Accessories, Zip back latex legging, Mega Glitz Bangle, Dolce & Gabbana - The One Eau De Parfum Spray 30ml/1oz, Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick No. 05 Blazing Brown, Proenza Schouler Paillette embellished top, KG Studded Strappy Sandals, Marc by Marc Jacobs Logo Band Ring,

All-black model line-up hits London Fashion Week

2009-09-23T17:55:00.004-04:00

It seems that so far London Fashion Week has been more about the controversial model casting than the clothes. PPQ cast the first ever all-black show in the capital.

"During our castings for this show one gorgeous black girl after the other turned up and they just looked so amazing, we decided to snap up all of the best black girls for the show," Amy Molyneaux said.

"All the models today have been so great, calm, no tantrums, no hissy fits, it's been totally chilled." Percy Parker concurred. "It’s not something we really considered. We just wanted to find the most beautiful models and those were the best ones."

But if the design duo didn’t think it was a big deal, the watching crowd certainly did. There were those that thought the casting was anything other than nonchalant and just a chance for PPQ to get a few extra column inches and those that celebrated the diversity. Former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, perched on the front row, was one of the latter.

"I don’t want to turn this into a race issue but I know this is what people are going to talk about. And it’s great that it’s happened here. I thought they were really regal."

New Movie: Ciara stars in 'Mama I Want to Sing'

2009-09-23T17:46:00.001-04:00

Presented by BET Networks, the musical, 'Mama, I Want To Sing' starring singer Ciara and actress Lynn Whitfield will screen on Sept. 26. According to AOL BLACK VOICES, the movie isn’t completely finished but will still screen during the Film Festival. Peep the trailer above.

Life in Prison at 16

2009-09-23T17:01:00.005-04:00

When Sara met G.G., the 31-year-old man who would become her pimp, she was 11. Sara's mom struggled with drug addiction, so when G.G. would drive Sara and her friends to the roller skating rink or the mall, it felt like having a real parent around. He gave Sara presents and told her she was special- so special, that she should never give sex away for free. He convinced her she was a product.

G.G. groomed Sara like this for two years before he raped her. By then, his control was complete and he forced her into prostitution. Sara and the other girls who G.G. exploited were out on the streets from 6pm to 6am, every night. Twelve hours a night, seven days a week, for three years, Sara was raped by strangers so G.G. could profit. After three years, she snapped, and she killed him.

Wanna smell like Beyonce?

2009-09-16T22:05:00.001-04:00

Beyonce is set to launch her own brand of perfume next year under Coty Inc.:

“For me, fragrance reflects a woman’s attitude and unique sense of style,” said Beyonce. “While I love various perfumes, I haven’t found a scent that truly personifies me as a woman. Working with Coty, I was able to turn my ideal fragrance into a reality by creating an alluring and sophisticated fragrance; one that’s reflective of my inner power. It’s a true privilege to be working with Coty and I can’t wait to share this personal side of me with fans all across the world.”

New Trailer: Good Hair

2009-08-03T12:20:00.001-04:00

Good Hair
by gamesith90

When Chris Rock’s daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl's head.

Rock visits hair salons and styling battles, scientific laboratories, and Indian temples to explore the way black hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of black people.

Celebrities such as Ice-T, Kerry Washington, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Maya Angelou, and Reverend Al Sharpton all candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter’s question.

What he discovers is that black hair is a big business that doesn’t always benefit the black community and little Lola’s question might well be bigger than his ability to convince her that the stuff on top of her head is nowhere near as important as what is inside.

Don't let texting become harrassment!

2009-08-03T11:58:00.004-04:00

This year, three teenage girls, students at Greensburg Salem High School in Greensburg, Pa., were charged with disseminating child pornography.

They had sent nude pictures of themselves by cellphone to their teenage boyfriends, who were charged with possessing child pornography.

The legal consequences in this case may have been unique, but the behavior is not. About 20 percent of teenagers have posted or sent nude cellphone pictures of themselves, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a nonprofit group.

Sending nude pictures, whether it is done under pressure or not, is part of a pattern of teenage behavior that the Family Violence Prevention Fund, a nonprofit domestic violence awareness group based in San Francisco, has labeled digital dating violence. The digital violence can include sending nonstop text messages or posting cruel comments on a boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s Facebook or MySpace page. The behaviors can be a warning sign that a teenager may become a perpetrator or a victim of domestic violence, according to the group.

Almost one in 10 high school students has been physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research. And one-quarter of teenagers in relationships say they have been called names or harassed by their partner through cellphones and text messages, according to a study commissioned by the clothing company Liz Claiborne, which sponsors antiviolence programs.

About 39 percent of teenagers have sent sexual e-mail messages or instant messages, according to a 2008 study from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com.

A recent campaign was created to address this problem. The campaign and its Web site, ThatsNotCool.com, encourage teenagers to set their own boundaries. It is intended to appeal to all teenagers, not just those with serious problems.

On the site, teenagers can send one of 35 “callout cards” — brightly colored messages they can send by e-mail, post to their Facebook or MySpace accounts or download — that are meant to tell someone they have crossed a line.

Another great website is safeandrespectul.org. Check out their PSA above.

New Artist: Vistoso Bosses

2009-07-27T21:40:00.003-04:00

Vistoso Bosses - Delirious
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup. - See the latest featured music videos.

You may not be familiar with the name Vistoso Bosses, but you will be soon. Their hit “Delirious”, featuring Soulja Boy Tellem, is blowing up Myspace and YouTube.

Vistoso Bosses are 16-year-old childhood friends Taylah P. and Kelci, two chocolate brown cuties out of Atlanta with a unique style and sound all their own. I like the song and the video...its really cute and fun! They look like they had a lot of fun making this one and I'm really feeling the colors and clothes! check it out!

Spotted: Kelly Rowland @ 2010 Madden Football Game Celebrity Match Up

2009-07-25T20:59:00.002-04:00

Barbie adds a new group of African-American girls to the family!

2009-07-25T20:50:00.002-04:00

Mattel will be releasing a new line of Barbies that catering to Black girls! The new line is called "So in Style" and they have a really cute story behind it. They even have little sisters!

Smart, talented and stylish too, the big sister dolls are best friends that love to share their favorite activities with their 'little sisters' too! You can choose from three big sister/little sister doll combinations, with their flair for fashion and favorite classes: science & cheerleading, math & music or journalism & art. Each doll comes with fun accessories included. Stacey McBride is the designer of the dolls featured in the video.

She's beautiful. She's black. She's Barbie in Vogue Italia!

2009-07-25T20:48:00.000-04:00

This July, black Barbie is spectacularly showcased in Vogue Italia's special issue, seen above.

In July 2008, Vogue Italia created the first Black Issue sending a strong message about the importance of diversity to the fashion world. And now the magazine has replicated the Black Issue with a special, collector Barbie supplement that pays tribute to Barbie through artistic photography and fashion.

It's similar to the larger Vogue Italia book entirely dedicated to beautiful models including Naomi Campbell, Lyia Kebede, Sessilee Lopez and Jourdan Dunn. The Vogue Italia Black Issue was conceived by Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia, who decided to dedicate a full issue to black models that have reached successes in the influential areas of fashion and art. It was her vision to extend the edition this year to include images of Barbie.

Sozzani said: "Barbie has been an icon for whole generations which is why I really wanted to give a strong sign in step with the times, and dedicate the anniversary issue to Black Barbie"

The first black doll from Barbie was introduced in 1967 as Black Francie, and the first Black Barbie doll introduced in 1980.

[Source]