[caption id="attachment_785416" align="aligncenter" width="1068"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/kym-whitley.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/kym-whitley.jpg" width="1068" height="600" class="wp-image-785416 size-full" /></a> Photo Credit: WENN/Fayes Vision[/caption]
When it comes to slaying the hair game, beloved comedic actresses Kym Whitley does it well. Known for rocking a plethora of styles throughout her career, she recently shared her thought on all things hair with <a href="http://www.hypehair.com/75339/hype-chat-kym-whitley-talks-fist-fight-and-her-ever-changing-wig-game/">HypeHair.com</a>. And we must say, she's preaching the gospel we all need to be reminded of when it comes to treating our hair the right way that will maintain its health.
When asked about her thoughts on weaves and extensions, Whitley didn't hold back. "If you want to have your hair edges when you’re in your 70s, you have to be careful with your weaves, wigs and extensions," she said. "If you want to have a huge forehead, keep wearing those weaves and tight braids and that is what you’re going to get: a big forehead." While Whitley explained that she likes wearing wigs, she also believes in protecting her edges at all costs. So for her that means "putting grease or some kind of moisture on your hair." When it comes to moisturizing, she keeps thing simple with the original Pink Oil Moisturizer Lotion and Sulfur 8. "That’s what you gotta do, is go old school. That’s all I got to say about that," she continued.
Most importantly, she touched on the topic of the braided foundation of weaves. You know, when your stylist does the absolute most and braids too tight, which can cause hair issues like alopecia. "You got to tell your braider or the person doing the weave not to braid it so tight around the front," she explained. "This is not a competition, and it doesn’t mean the tighter you braid, the longer your weave will stay. Braid it tight in the middle and keep it soft on the edges."
True that, Kym!
Kym Whitley Dishes On Weaves, Extensions And Her Favorite Products For Maintaining Natural Hair
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Ciara And Her Baby Bump Pay Homage To Whitney Houston
[caption id="attachment_785425" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ciara2.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ciara2.jpg" width="700" height="1097" class="wp-image-785425 size-full" /></a> Photo Credit: Apega/WENN.com[/caption]
Please know one thing: pregnancy isn't slowing down Ciara one bit.
After sharing a video of her warming up her vocals chords to Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out," the singer flaunted her dance skills in yet another video. This time around she chose Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman" to soundtrack her video, grabbing a spatula and lip syncing the words while jostling her hips and baby bump from side to side in her kitchen.
Sprinting her way from the kitchen to the living room, baby Future and Ciara's husband, Seattle Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson, both make appearances as CiCi cuts a rug.
Well, we're totally here for this beautiful family moment. Press play and check out the video below.
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A video posted by Baller Alert (@balleralert) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2017-02-11T17:03:54+00:00">Feb 11, 2017 at 9:03am PST</time></p>
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Estelle Has Teased A New Song And We’re Here For It
[caption id="attachment_785429" align="alignnone" width="1068"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/estelle.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/estelle.jpg" width="1068" height="600" class="wp-image-785429 size-full" /></a> Photo Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com[/caption]
It's been nearly two years since Estelle dropped her fourth studio album, <em>True Romance</em>, and we've been waiting with baited breathe to be greeted by her warm soulful tone. Now, the time has arrived.
In conjunction with the biggest night in music, aka The Grammys, The Lincoln Motor Company teamed up with the UK chanteuse and hosted an intimate dinner at BOA Steakhouse in Beverly Hills to preview her newest song “Be In Luv.” In a video, which captured moments of Estelle creating the song on a piano, she explained what she hopes her fans will feel when they hear her songs.
“I always want people to feel warmth,” Estelle said. “I always want people to feel happy and encouraged. I never like to do records that are just of the moment or today. I kind of want something that I’m going to want to hear 10 years from now.”
The clip also features SiriusXM host Dion Summer, who cruises through L.A. in a luxury Lincoln Continental with Estelle while listening to “Be In Luv” as part of The Lincoln Motor Company’s “First Listen” series. But more than a spin around the city or a stage opp for headlines, Estelle explained that this is all a part of her creative process: listening to her music in the car to hear if any tweaks need to be made.
“Whenever I leave a session, whatever state that it’s in, I just plug it in and listen to it in the car. All the lights and everything that’s happening around you and all the sounds from the streets, you want to hear if the music is still cutting through, if the words are still cutting through.”
Press play on the video below and get some insight into Estelle's creative process and her upcoming track "Be In Luv."
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Denzel Washington’s NAACP Image Award Acceptance Speech Was A Major Key
[caption id="attachment_785434" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/denzel-washington-x-naacp.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/denzel-washington-x-naacp.jpg" width="700" height="968" class="wp-image-785434 size-full" /></a> Photo Credit: Valerie Brooks/WENN.com[/caption]
On Saturday, Feb. 11, black excellence was honored during the annual NAACP Image Awards, which shines a light on the outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music and literature. Among the many winners of the night like Taraji P. Henson and Mahershala Ali, Denzel Washington also took home an award.
Denzel won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Troy Maxon in the August Wilson adapted film <em>Fences.</em> As a 62-year-old veteran in the industry, Washington, who is a two-time Academy Award winning actor, and recently won a SAG Best Actor award for <em>Fences</em>, has always used his platform, especially during these prestigious shows, to hand out words of wisdom. Or as DJ Khaled would put it, major keys.
During the NAACP Image Awards, he did the same, focusing on the importance of resilience. “Fall down seven times, get up eight,” he said to the crowd. Washington also praised Hollywood newcomers for their courage, in particular Barry Jenkins, the director of <em>Moonlight</em>. “I am particularly proud and happy about the young filmmakers, actors, singers, writers, producers that are coming up behind my generation, in particular Barry Jenkins," he continued. "Young people understand, this young man made 10, 15, 20 short films before he got the opportunity to make <em>Moonlight</em>, so never give up. Without commitment you’ll never start but more importantly without consistency you’ll never finish.”
Watch Denzel Washington's equally moving and motivating speech below.
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Be On The Look Out For Counterfeit Jergens Moisturizers
[caption id="attachment_785437" align="aligncenter" width="1068"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Lotion.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Lotion.jpg" width="1068" height="600" class="wp-image-785437 size-full" /></a> Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]
As crazy as it sounds, there's now such a thing as counterfeit Jergens Moisturizers. According to a PR Newswire, Kao USA, the beauty company that owns some of our favorite brands like <a href="http://www.allure.com/story/tinashe-new-face-of-john-frieda">John Frieda</a>, <a href="http://www.allure.com/topic/jergens">Jergens</a>, <a href="http://www.allure.com/story/biore-charcoal-acne-scrub-review">Bioré</a>, and <a href="http://www.allure.com/review/curel-rough-skin-rescue-body-lotion-review">Curél</a>, recently <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/kao-usa-warns-consumers-against-counterfeit-lotion-210000386.html">announced</a> its new initiative against a crop of counterfeit Jergens moisturizers in the northeastern U.S.
Interestingly enough, counterfeit products in the beauty industry is nothing new. From Anastasia Beverly Hills to Jeffree Star and Kylie Cosmetics, knockoffs aren't as far fetched as you think. Most of the time when it comes to fake cosmetics many think of makeup and fragrances, but not skin-care (<em>yikes!</em>).
The products that are currently in question regarding Jergens is the Jergens <a href="http://www.jergens.com/products/daily-moisturizers/original-scent-dry-skin-moisturizer.aspx">Original Scent</a> and <a href="http://www.jergens.com/products/daily-moisturizers/ultra-healing-extra-dry-skin-moisturizer.aspx">Ultra Healing</a> body moisturizers, and was brought to the attention of Kao USA by customers who bought it. "While only a small number of counterfeit products have been identified, our Consumer Care Center was alerted to this issue after consumers sent us their bottles of Jergens Ultra Healing and Jergens Original Scent," said Sam Wood, general counsel of Kao USA Inc. "They were concerned that the product appeared to be different than normal."
So, what exactly does "different than normal" equate to? Of course, the counterfier formulas are thin with a watery consistency. In addition the texture, smell or color might be off. But it doesn't just stop there because the differences are also in the details of the packaging. For example, the pump should be ivory, which is the same color as the bottle. On the other hand, the fakes have a mustard-gold color. When it comes to the 10-ounce Ultra Healing body lotion, look underneath the bottle and the letters beneath the recycle symbol on the bottom should read "HDPE" not "NDPE," which the fakes have.
Fortunately, the company has not noticed or have had customers report adverse reactions to the counterfeits. Retailers have also been notified to look for and remove any questionable items before customers even get a chance to buy them. Kao also has an entire page on the <a href="http://www.jergens.com/counterfeitfacts/">Jergens website</a> with a breakdown of a visual difference between the real and fake. If you're suspicious of your own bottle, contact Kao USA Consumer Care Center at 800-742-8798 or consumer@kao.com.
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Support Black-Owned Beauty Products By Shopping At This Fabulous Store
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If you didn't already know, the buying power of black women is in the millions. So why not share the wealth and put money back into your own folks pockets? Well, that's the idea behind Vivrant Beauty, a brick-and-mortar and e-commerce beauty boutique.
Created my New York City-native, beauty junkie and former lawyer Desiree Verdejo, the store is all about paying homage to women of color. Not to mention, every single product they carry were handpicked by Verdejo with black women's needs in mind and is black-owned.
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<p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL7D1U2FebX/" target="_blank">Our info-filled event with @glowmaven brought a sister circle of open minds and the best energy into our space today. Even some of our founders like Niambi of @bloomsbury_sq were there to take it all in. #vivrantbeauty #glowmavenatvivrant #sovivrant</a></p>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Vivrant Beauty (@vivrantbeautyny) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-10-23T22:50:16+00:00">Oct 23, 2016 at 3:50pm PDT</time></p>
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In a recent video, the ladies of <em>Essence</em> visited their store in Harlem, getting the deets on what fueled Verdejo's passion to catering to women who look just like her and shared some of her favorite products for ladies who love all thing beauty from hair to skincare.
After pressing play on the video above, visit the <a href="https://www.vivrantbeauty.com/">shop's website</a> and prepare to be amazed by the plethora of goodies, and revisit our own <a href="http://madamenoire.com/596933/vivrant-beauty/">2015 interview with Verdejo</a>.
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Do You Avoid Conflict Like The Plague?
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Do you think people who engage in conflict do so because they like it? Okay, well, we all know those combative individuals who <em>do </em>seek it out. But most people engage in conflict because they have to in order to keep their lives moving forward. Any sort of progression, change, and advancement in life stems from a little conflict. Think about it; you can’t get a raise or promotion without debating with your boss about why you deserve it. You can’t leave a bad relationship unless you’re willing to have that breakup conversation. You can’t rid your life of toxic people unless you’re able to have that tough talk where you tell them why they need to <em>go. </em>On the other side of conflict there is usually more peace and happiness than you had before so go through it. Here are signs you avoid conflict at all costs.
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The Best Of The #EgoChallenge
Adele didn’t tell any lies when she said that Beyoncé’s music hits Black women in a way that is a bit different than the way it affects White women. And one of her songs from 2008, inspired Black girls all over the internet to remake the song, including lyrics that edified themselves. The originator of the #EgoChallenge, Oranicuhh Check out some of our favorites on the following pages.
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I wanna start the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EgoChallenge?src=hash">#EgoChallenge</a> ☺️ we all have flaws and it's better to brag about them to be insecure. y'all should join in ✨ <a href="https://t.co/ZJhEpRFHgg">pic.twitter.com/ZJhEpRFHgg</a></p>
— ✖️ (@oranicuhh) <a href="https://twitter.com/oranicuhh/status/826189536858370048">January 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The originator.
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Forget Our Image At the Grammys; What If We Show Up For the Image Awards?
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Beyoncé won an award for Best Urban Contemporary Album at this year's Grammy ceremony and this is what she had to say (as transcribed by <a href="http://time.com/4668482/grammys-2017-beyonce-speech/"><em>Time Magazine</em>)</a>:
<blockquote><em>“Thank you to the Grammy voters for this incredible honor. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to beautifully capture the profundity of deep Southern culture. I thank God for my family, my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter, my fans for bringing me so much happiness and support. We all experience pain and loss, and often we become inaudible. My intention for the film and album was to create a body of work that would give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness and our history. To confront issues that make us uncomfortable. It's important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror — first through their own families, as well as the news, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the White House and the Grammys — and see themselves. And have no doubt that they're beautiful, intelligent and capable. This is something I want for every child of every race, and I feel it's vital that we learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes."</em></blockquote>
Beyoncé won three awards at this year's NAACP Image Awards and this is what she had to say:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8E_zMLCRNg
That's right: she said crickets.
Why?
Well because she wasn't at the 48<sup>th</sup> annual gala.
Just like many other Black artists weren't there.
And it is not really a surprise. The longest running joke about the NAACP Image Awards (among other award shows that honor Blacks in excellence) is that the only folks who go to those award shows are the ones accepting awards on other people's behaves.
And really this is not about Beyoncé. We know she is pregnant with twins and can't be performing all over the place. But it makes you wonder why she, among so many others, choose more mainstream and predominately White platforms to make grand statements about the importance of honoring our image, when we have perfectly good platforms of our own, waiting to be cultivated.
This is especially important considering the backlash against the #OscarSoWhite campaign from a few years back. As I recall, it was many of our own who hissed at and objected to <a href="http://madamenoire.com/609298/why-jada-pinkett-smiths-oscar-boycott-is-corny-but-needed/">Jada Pinkett-Smith's call for a boycott at the 2016 Academy Awards.</a>
We were the ones telling her and other disgruntled artists to stop complaining; stop seeking validation and instead, build our own.
One of those folks was Janet Hubert, former mom (the first one) on the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" who said:
<blockquote>“Here’s what I believe: The Academy has the right to acknowledge whomever they choose. To invite whomever they choose. And now I think that it is our responsibility now to make the change. Maybe it is time that we pull back our resources and we put them back into our communities, into our programs, and we make programs for ourselves that acknowledge us in ways that we see fit. That are just as good as the so-called ‘mainstream ones.’ I don’t know.”</blockquote>
As <a href="http://madamenoire.com/609298/why-jada-pinkett-smiths-oscar-boycott-is-corny-but-needed/"><i>short-sighted and dismissive as I personally felt</i> </a>Hubert's tone was (like, who advocates against not showing up?), I agreed with the bulk of what she had to say about the need to support our own. So did many others. And for a whole year, folks big and small pledged to do better by us, for us.
But here we are in the era of our Lord Donald Trump. And folks are still watching, tweeting and complaining about racism at the Grammys. And meanwhile, at the NAACP Awards, Anthony Anderson accepts an award on behalf of the <i>Oshun “</i>who couldn't be here with us tonight...”
Granted our spaces are just as problematic. The classism and insistence on petite respectability. The sexism and homophobia. The cheap set designs and shoddy editing.
But somewhere along the line, we have decided it's much more gratifying – financial and otherwise - to struggle for inclusion into those spaces instead of struggling to fix and support our own.
And somewhere along the line, we decided to use what should be viewed as sage wisdom (i.e. “Build Your Own”) as a way to malign and shut down folks who rightly point out how the spaces we are supporting, invested in and trying to be included in, are toxic as hell.
Somewhere along the line, we have confused the mental gymnastics we are playing on ourselves as “The Work” we should actually be doing to build ourselves up.
What is the point in our folks building platforms for us and our images, if we, The People, can't even be bothered to show up and support?
<em>Image via WENN</em>
<i>Charing Ball is a writer, cultural critic and smarty-pants Black feminist from Philadelphia. To learn more, visit<a href="https://nineteenseventy-seven.com/"> NineteenSeventy-Seven.com</a>.</i>
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Need A Pick-Me-Up? 11 Fancy Flasks For When You’re Somewhere You Don’t Want To Be
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQdmD2ch7on/?tagged=rihanna
From the outside looking in, Sunday night was a pretty long night for Rihanna. The Bajan singer was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, and despite <em>Anti </em>being a great album, she walked away without a gramophone. But don't feel bad for the superstar because she managed to show us how you can be the party at a less than jumping event. <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a8748755/rihanna-grammys-flask/" target="_blank">It's all in the flask</a>. The singer was not shy about showing off her blinged-out flask during the show, and when there were lulls in the telecast, she was sure to take a shot:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQdm8IJj1wL/?tagged=rihanna
If you find a pick-me-up in an occasional swig of something with a kick, you might see the value in getting your own Rihanna flask. Lucky for you, they come in all kinds of cute designs and prices these days. And if you're not a drinker, you can always get one to throw back a good batch of sorrel!
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Flask-1.jpeg" alt="" width="550" height="600" class="wp-image-785604 aligncenter" />
<h2><a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=36002293&color=070&cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-PLA-_-453449407352_product_type_a_product_type_furn_product_type_dinnerware_brand&product_id=36002293%20070%200000&adpos=1o4&creative=100432026784&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CO6H0dDljdICFYpWDQodj4UMpg" target="_blank">Urban Outfitters Gold Plated Flask</a> - $35</h2>
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Octavia Spencer To Host SNL
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/octavia-spencer-feat.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-785620" width="1068" height="601" />
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saturday Night Live is bringing one of the stars of the recent blockbuster hit Hidden Figures to their studio to host the March 4 episode of the comedy show. It will be Spencer’s first time. This is a particularly good time as the show is enjoying increased ratings with the election of Donald Trump, the antics of Kellyanne Conway as well as Sean Spicer.
The musical guest for the day Spencer hosts has not been revealed yet. People believe it should happen later in the week, unless the surprise will be revealed on the night Spencer hosts.
The March 4th date comes after the 89th Academy Awards, where Spencer is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, so she could be hosting the show as a two-time Oscar winner. Though many speculate that the odds are in Viola Davis’ favor.
We’re excited to see what she does with this opportunity. If you remember her Oscar-winning role in The Help, you know she’s capable of bringing the funny.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">See you on March 4 with <a href="https://twitter.com/octaviaspencer">@octaviaspencer</a>! <a href="https://t.co/MIUwiZmkWA">pic.twitter.com/MIUwiZmkWA</a></p>
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/830642119974981632">February 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<span class="im"><i>Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bettah-Days-Veronica-R-Wells/dp/1535549866" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.amazon.com/Bettah-Days-Veronica-R-Wells/dp/1535549866&source=gmail&ust=1487088874811000&usg=AFQjCNG3EwsQtiYHmbD4kN7UApOKU3UXFg">“Bettah Days.”</a> You can follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/veronicarwells" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/veronicarwells&source=gmail&ust=1487088874811000&usg=AFQjCNFCl0J5W2f2hbLNJr5EYDX2llJNIg">Facebook</a> and Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/VDubShrug" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/VDubShrug&source=gmail&ust=1487088874811000&usg=AFQjCNHJfALEddmWHY4XWnQXSwXlEqs7-w"> @VDubShrug.</a></i> </span>
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How To Recreate These 5 Grammy Looks At Home
[caption id="attachment_785586" align="aligncenter" width="660"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Grammy-Looks.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Grammy-Looks-660x371.jpg" alt="Grammy Looks" width="660" height="371" class="wp-image-785586 size-large" /></a> WENN[/caption]
Despite the fact that there were <a href="http://madamenoire.com/785500/grammy-red-carpet-interesting/">more than a few misses on the Grammy red carpet</a> last night, there were also some major wins, especially when it came to hair and makeup. And that's what we really care about anyway, right?
Few of us can afford the fashions celebs wear on the red carpet, but there is nothing stopping us from purchasing the products they use on their hair and face, especially when we're talking about affordable brands like Dove, L'Oréal, and the Sephora Collection. Click through for a step-by-step guide to recreating J. Lo's dewy look, Taraji's chic bob, Beyonce's golden glow, Laverne Cox's sleek ponytail, and Chrissy Teigen's sultry makeup.
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Women Of Black History: 5 Things To Know About “Motorcyle Queen” Bessie Stringfield
When we put our minds to it, Black women can excel at just about anything, including riding and doing crazy tricks on motorcycles. A member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Bessie Stringfield (1911-1993) was the first Jamaican-American woman to ride solo across the country, including riding across the South during especially strong racial prejudice. Sure, she was harassed, and we're convinced she had her moments of worry, but that didn't stop her from making such long-distance treks not just once, but eight different times. Check out five things you should know about the pioneering motorcyclist.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO7S3cPjb1-/?tagged=bessiestringfield
<h2>At 16, She Taught Herself How to Ride Her First Motorcycle</h2>
Brought to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica when she was a young girl, at only 16 years old, Bessie rode her first motorcycle. She had no real knowledge of how to do so, but Bessie was able to ride that 1928 Indian Scout like a natural. She would later say that <a href="http://www.nationalmcmuseum.org/featured-articles/bessie-stringfield-southern-distance-rider/" target="_blank">it was all God's doing</a>.
"My [adoptive] mother said if I wanted anything I had to ask Our Lord Jesus Christ, and so I did,” she said. "He taught me and He’s with me at all times, even now. When I get on the motorcycle I put the Man Upstairs on the front. I’m very happy on two wheels."
<h2>At 19, She Started Making Solo Long-Distance Trips</h2>
While we were struggling to find our footing in college at the age of 19, Bessie had already started traveling across the country. She would reportedly flip a coin and where it landed on a map was where she would head to. She hit the lower 48 states over the years with no trouble and eventually had the chance to ride through countries like Europe, Brazil and Haiti.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDUQgpeR_D5/?tagged=bessiestringfield
<h2>She Dealt Not Only With Racism, but a Lot of Sexism</h2>
To make money while traveling frequently, Bessie performed stunts at carnival shows and took part in flat track races. Unfortunately, because she was a woman, there were times when she was not awarded the prize money she was owed for her performances in these races. Not to mention that during her travels, because she was Black, Bessie was not allowed in a lot of places of lodging. Therefore, she would rest on her bike.
"If you had black skin you couldn’t get a place to stay," <a href="http://www.nationalmcmuseum.org/featured-articles/bessie-stringfield-southern-distance-rider/" target="_blank">she said</a>. "I knew the Lord would take care of me and He did. If I found black folks, I’d stay with them. If not, I’d sleep at filling stations on my motorcycle."
<h2>She Was Often Harassed While Riding</h2>
While serving our country during World War II as a civilian courier for the U.S. Army, Bessie was the only woman in her unit. She did her work using her own Harley-Davidson bike, taking documents to different bases around the country. She dealt with racism during that time, even being knocked off of her bike by a man driving his pickup down South. However, Bessie just looked at these issues as occasional "ups and downs."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBjNs0HuRkO/?tagged=bessiestringfield
<h2>She Rode up Until Her Death</h2>
After moving to Miami in the '50s, Bessie butt heads with local police officers who told her that Black women (the n-word was used) were not allowed to ride motorcycles. She did so anyway, and eventually had to prove her talents and riding abilities to the police captain in order to be left alone. This occurred following harassment and consistently being pulled over by officers. When she did impress the man, she wasn't bothered by police in Miami afterward. Free to ride, she founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club and her style of riding, including occasionally standing on her seat while she rode, made her a press darling. She garnered the title of Motorcycle Queen of Miami and rode up until died at 82.
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Queen Latifah Says Choosing To Play Cleo In Set It Off Was Hardest Career Decision
Queen Latifah has played a bevvy of powerful roles over her career. From real figures like Bessie Smith to critically-acclaimed work as Ana in films like <em>Life Support </em>and Matron Mama Morton in <em>Chicago</em>, she's transformed in many ways, many times. But if she had to pick a role that was the hardest for her to say "yes" to, Latifah would say it was Cleo in <em>Set It Off</em>. Despite playing the hell out of the overconfident bank robber with the mean cornrows, Latifah said deciding to play Sims was something she was nervous about -- more for her family members than for herself.
<img src="http://s2.r29static.com//bin/entry/01c/x/1380799/image.gif" width="480" height="266" class="aligncenter" alt="Cleo Set It Off " />
In an interview with <em>Black-ish </em>star Tracee Ellis Ross for <em><a href="http://www.instyle.com/celebrity/queen-latifah-tracee-ellis-ross-interview" target="_blank">InStyle</a></em>, she shared how she came to her younger siblings with her decision to star as the controversial character:
"When I got the role of amateur bank robber Cleo Sims in <em>Set It Off</em>, I sat down with my younger siblings and told them, 'Listen, I’m playing a gay character,'" Latifah said. "'Your classmates might tease you or say negative things about it. But I’m doing it because I believe I can bring positive attention to the gay African-American community, and I believe that I can do a great job as an actor.' They understood, and when those things inevitably happened in school, they were OK with it."
Interesting fact pertaining to the film: Jada Pinkett Smith said she originally competed for the role of Cleo, but producers felt that she would be better suited for Stoney. Oh, and Brandy, yes, little Ms. Moesha, was offered the opportunity to play T.T. However, she passed on it, with the role inevitably going to Kimberly Elise. The more you know...
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“Create Your Own Committees…Award Yourself”: Solange Rides For Beyoncé, Per The Usual, In Tweets About Grammys
After winning her very first Grammy Award last night for best R&B performance with "Cranes in the Sky," you would think that Solange Knowles would be on top of the world. But if there is one thing we know about her, it's that she doesn't play when it comes to her sister.
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Solange-PF.jpeg" alt="Solange Grammys" width="1068" height="600" class="aligncenter wp-image-785646 size-full" />
Despite having nine Grammy nominations for all of the greatness that is <em>Lemonade</em>, Beyoncé took home just best urban contemporary album and best music video for "Formation." Even Adele knew that something fishy was in the water, as she <a href="http://madamenoire.com/785529/theres-no-problem-with-adele-calling-out-her-black-friends-in-celebration-of-beyonce/" target="_blank">used her album of the year speech</a> to laud Bey's most recent body of work.
After having some time to think about it (earlier she said that her own acceptance speech would have been a reminder that Black women "are Grammys mothaf--kaaaa"), Solange shared a few tweets that have since been deleted. One said, "there have only been two black winners in the last 20 years for album of the year," and "there have been over 200 black artist [sic] who have performed." The other read,"create your own committees, build your own institutions, give your friends awards, award yourself, and be the gold you wanna hold my g's."
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">sad Solange deleted her apt Grammys criticism but here it is again: "create your own commitees... award yourself." <a href="https://t.co/Dqm3cu6D83">pic.twitter.com/Dqm3cu6D83</a></p>
— Jill Krajewski (@JillKrajewski) <a href="https://twitter.com/JillKrajewski/status/831280118253359105">February 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Solange also shared (before also deleting) Frank Ocean's thoughts on what he called a "cultural bias" the Grammys exhibits. He shared a <a href="http://frankocean.tumblr.com/post/157125310721/ok-ken-and-david-as-much-as-i-hate-to-make-you" target="_blank">full note on Tumblr</a> over the weekend after Grammy producers <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/grammy-producers-respond-to-frank-ocean-criticism-w466347" target="_blank">talked about his "faulty" 2013 Grammy performance</a> and tried to say that is the reason he's not interested in attending the event these days. He didn't submit <em>Blonde </em>for Grammy consideration on purpose, explaining why he no longer has interest in the ceremony/event (it has to do with Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar):
"I've actually been tuning into CBS around this time of year for a while to see who gets the top honor and you know what's really not 'great TV' guys? <em>1989</em> getting album of the year over <em>To Pimp a Butterfly</em>," Ocean wrote in part of the note. "Hands down one of the most 'faulty' TV moments I've seen. Believe the people. Believe the ones who'd rather watch select performances from your program on YouTube the day after because your show puts them to sleep. Use the old gramophone to actually listen, bro, I'm one of the best alive. And if you're up for a discussion about the cultural bias and general nerve damage the show you produce suffers from then I'm all for it."
<em>What do you think of both artists' issues with the Grammys? </em>
<em>Image via WENN </em>
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More Blacks Getting Hired In Tech–But For Less Money
[caption id="attachment_510158" align="aligncenter" width="378"]<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/shutterstock_2146246391.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/shutterstock_2146246391.jpg" alt="" class="size-full wp-image-510158" height="414" width="378" /></a> Shutterstock[/caption]
The diversity push in the tech sector seems to have helped African-Americans. According to a new study, Black are more likely to get hired than any other minority. But the problem is they get paid less than their counterparts.
The study by<a href="https://hired.com/"> Hired</a>, a San Francisco-based tech worker recruiting firm, found that the average African-American tech candidate is 49 percent more likely to get hired than the average White candidate in San Francisco and New York--the tech industry’s two largest markets. Yet, they make no way near as much as their white counterparts in the sector. African-American tech workers, particularly software engineers, lag behind white tech workers in terms of earnings.
And it seems the reason for this is more than just race. The study found that Black tech workers ask for and receive significantly lower salaries. Their white counterparts, however, ask for and receive salaries $10,000 more on average annually.
The pay gap in the tech world, however, is still reflective of America’s racial wage gap. A<a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/black-white-wage-gaps-expand-with-rising-wage-inequality/"> report</a> released last year by the Economic Policy Institute found that Black men took home 22 percent less and Black women earned an incredible 34.2 percent less on average than their white counterparts—”regardless of profession, despite living in the same geographic areas and having comparable education experience,” reported <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/african-americans-are-more-likely-to-get-hired-but-get-paid-less-in-silicon-valley-130730991.html" target="_blank">Yahoo</a>.
Still, the numbers of Blacks in tech remain quite low, making the report’s findings interesting. “It’s unclear if African-American candidates are receiving more offers because of their diversity initiatives, a lower preferred salary, or a combination of those and other factors,” the Hired report points out.
<a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/how-silicon-valley-is-trying-to-fix-its-diversity-problem/"> “PBS Newshour”</a> reported in March 2016 that the "workforces at many large tech companies on average were 71 percent men, 29 percent women, 60 percent white, 23 percent Asian and just 7 percent Black." And the diversity push is still going strong to change those figures. "Tech companies more recently have begun implementing new measures to improve the diversity of their workforces by gender and ethnicity. Salesforce, for example, announced its first-ever chief equality officer this past September to focus on initiatives that bring greater diversity to the business software company," reported Yahoo.
Meanwhile, Twitter, Pinterest, Airbnb, and Slack are said to be trying to eliminate bias from the hiring and promotion process. "All four of those companies, for example, employ the firm <a href="http://www.paradigmiq.com/">Paradigm</a> to suss out and correct barriers and unconscious biases that could be affecting their diversity efforts. Those include anonymizing resumes so employers can’t tell a candidate’s gender or ethnicity, or modifying a salary negotiation process that places women and minorities at a disadvantage," Yahoo added. Now getting salaries to be equal will be another hurdle.
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5 Things To Do As A Single Woman On Valentine’s Day
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/single-valentine.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/single-valentine-660x371.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="371" class="size-large wp-image-785571 aligncenter" /></a>Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers, but not everyone has that special someone in their life when this day rolls around. But that doesn’t mean that you have to spend the day alone just because you are bae-less. You can still take advantage of what your city has to offer, treat yourself to a gift or fancy dinner or some of those Valentine’s Day sales at your favorite stores. Spoil yourself if you don’t have a boo to do it for you right now. If you are rolling solo on February 14th, check out these five things you can spend the day doing.</span>
<b>Singles Mixers</b>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you haven’t been struck by cupid yet, hit up a singles mixer after work to meet men who are also looking for love, or at least some good conversation.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">NYC folks, keep </span><a href="http://www.idontdoclubs.com/event/new-york-city-valentines-day-happy-hour-know-im/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this event</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in mind.</span>
<b>Spa Day</b>
Not having a boo to give you a nice rub down doesn’t mean you can’t get pampered. Show yourself some TLC and visit a spa to get an aromatherapy massage, facial and mani/ pedi.
<b>Staycation</b>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you couldn’t do a romantic getaway, do a staycation in the city where you reside. There’s always that one restaurant, museum or tourist attraction that you have passed but never visited. Let Valentine’s Day be the day to explore and discover the treasures of your city.</span>
<b>Comedy Show</b>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">So maybe your night won't be filled with romance, fill it with laughter instead. Stop by your city or town's local comedy club for a few chuckles with a few friends. If you are in the New York City area, you may want to consider going </span><a href="http://www.idontdoclubs.com/event/new-york-city-12-years-single-non-romantical-comedy-show/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you would like a mix of poetry and comedy this </span><a href="http://www.idontdoclubs.com/event/brooklyn-soul-ful-series-open-mic/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brooklyn event</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may be for you instead.</span>
<b>Shop!</b>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">You’re single, so you’re not buying any V-Day gifts. Why don’t you spend that money on yourself? Your favorite store is surely having a sale, so take advantage and add some gems to your wrist or new garbs to your closet.</span>
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Michelle Obama Has A Valentine’s Day Message For “Her Favorite Island Mate”
Chile, Barack and Michelle are not thinking about us. We could assume that from the other images that have leaked that they are having adventures but a recent image from our former First Lady's Twitter account proves that this little getaway was also a Baecation.
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life and favorite island mate, <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama">@BarackObama</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/valentines?src=hash">#valentines</a> <a href="https://t.co/n3tEmSAJRT">pic.twitter.com/n3tEmSAJRT</a></p>
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/831534530221707265">February 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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How cute are these two?! And we see these tans are poppin’! As much as we miss them, if anyone deserves the rest and relaxation, it’s the former First couple. Lord knows when they get back, they’ll have their work cut out for them.
<i>Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bettah-Days-Veronica-R-Wells/dp/1535549866" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.amazon.com/Bettah-Days-Veronica-R-Wells/dp/1535549866&source=gmail&ust=1487180545222000&usg=AFQjCNHjQBOqljSRlo_7fdpaLJ6tL5qaZg">“Bettah Days.”</a> You can follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/veronicarwells" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/veronicarwells&source=gmail&ust=1487180545222000&usg=AFQjCNGNSQxU5tTwxOBhxfLQSdEX_-HDMQ">Facebook</a> and Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/VDubShrug" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/VDubShrug&source=gmail&ust=1487180545222000&usg=AFQjCNFH-mEx7Co8ZJnZQOmkvh8x2ZiyLg"> @VDubShrug.</a></i>
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Women Of Black History: 5 Things To Know About Designer/Costumer Zelda Wynn Valdes
From <a href="http://madamenoire.com/782733/designer-ann-cole-lowe-history/" target="_blank">Ann Lowe</a> to Mildred Blount, Black female fashion designers have been integral in helping to create iconic style moments. For Lowe, it was dressing Academy Award winners and making the wedding gown for Jackie O (then known as Jacqueline Bouvier). For Blount, it was creating the hats for the Oscar-winning film, <em>Gone With the Wind. </em>Another underrated designer and costume maker is Zelda Wynn Valdes (1905-2001). Her work has transformed careers, helped define company's like Playboy, propelled the hip-hugging style of gowns and made her one of the greats. Check out five things you should know about the legendary designer and costumer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQQrX1Egzoq/?tagged=zeldawynnvaldes
<h2>She Got Her Start Working Her Way up From Stock Girl to Tailor</h2>
After growing up in Pennsylvania, Zelda moved to New York and got her start working at her uncle's tailoring shop before taking on work as a stock girl in a fancy boutique. It wasn't easy, but Zelda's talents allowed her to climb the ladder at the high-end shop. She eventually moved from stock girl to the first Black sales clerk and finally, tailor of the business.
<h2>Her Celeb Clients Included Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt and More</h2>
After opening her own shop in Manhattan in the late '40s (the first Black woman to have a business on Broadway in NYC), Valdes became quite popular and started making pieces for celebrities. Her clients included a little bit of everybody, from Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald and Eartha Kitt to Mae West and Marlene Dietrich. As <a href="http://www.newschannel10.com/story/34438891/black-history-recognizing-zelda-wynn-valdes" target="_blank">Valdes said about her work</a> and the clientele it attracted, "I just had a God-given talent for making people beautiful."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQBQKtYBpFD/?tagged=zeldawynnvaldes
<h2>She Transformed Joyce Bryant's Career</h2>
Another major client of Zelda's was singer Joyce Bryant. Through her gowns, which accentuated Bryant's curves, the entertainer's career, and her sexy image, was propelled big time. She reportedly went from cute dresses and moving songs due to her religious beliefs to becoming "the Black Marilyn Monroe" with Zelda's skin-tight and low-cut looks. Bryant went on to become one of the biggest singers of the early '50s.
<h2>She Is Behind the Playboy Bunny Costume</h2>
Where would Playboy be without the iconic Playboy bunny costume? Well, Zelda is cited as the designer of the original costume. Her work with the aforementioned stars attracted the attention of Hugh Hefner, who commissioned Zelda to create the low-cut, vampy costume that we've all come to know.
https://www.instagram.com/p/-2cPmjIPE-/?tagged=zeldawynnvaldes
<h2>She Worked With the Dance Theater of Harlem up Until Her Death</h2>
Zelda spent her later years as the New York chapter president of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designer. It was founded by educator Mary McLeod Bethune and sought to propel Black designers. She also started working with the Dance Theater of Harlem and created hundreds of costumes for the company since its early years (it was founded in 1969). While she stopped creating outfits through her business in 1989, she continued making them for the Dance Theater of Harlem until she died in 2001. She was 96 years old.
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Put On Some Red Lipstick And Live A Little With These 10 Shades
<a href="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/red-lip-collage.jpg"><img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/red-lip-collage.jpg" alt="" width="1068" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-785713" /></a>
It's Valentine's Day and we're talking about red lipstick, so cliché right? Well, we can't lie and say Cupid didn't inspire this article, but we are most definitely not the type of women who believe red lipstick is only appropriate for V-Day, date night, Friday night, or any other outdated beauty rule. We say you should put on a red lip before you walk into the boardroom, the bedroom, or out for brunch. And for the record we're talking about red -- not burgundy, not almost brown, red red, bright red, I can see you from a block away red. Here are 10 shades to live your best red-lipped life no matter your lipstick style.
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