There’s church, and then there’s the Black church– the institution many of us were taught to revere from the moment we could even utter the word God.

Most Christians are as protective of the church as they are their mothers, i.e. you can talk about anybody or anything but the place where they go to worship and commune with God and other believers. And that’s why it was such a gamble for Oprah to take on the subject of the Black church with last year’s scripted series “Greenleaf.”

The first season of the show was a hit among viewers, and as OWN prepares to air season 2 Wednesday, March 15 at 10 pm EST, Oprah sat down to talk about what the Black church means to her, to many Christians, and how she approached the subject of the sacred institution with care on “Greenleaf.” Check out her insight in the video below.

The post Oprah Explains The Black Church: “It Is Counselor, Psychiatrist, Friend, Comforter, Nurturer, Nurse” appeared first on MadameNoire.

Yes, we know that it’s been tough to adjust to Mary Jane Paul’s life in New York. It’s been especially hard since aside from her love life, a major part of our protagonist’s story has been the process of trying to navigate and stand by her complicated family in Atlanta.

Well, the good news is that in this week’s episode, “Getting Served,” we viewers get an entire hour centered on what’s happening with the Pattersons. Unfortunately, they’re dealing with a lot of drama, and of course, it’s centered around Niecy.

Fight Club

When we start the episode, Niecy takes her friends, fellow single moms, out to the club. They kick it VIP style with bottles and hooka. When they spot some fine fellas in the club, Niecy says she’s not interested in them because she feels like things are getting serious with Dante. “Dante really wants a family and so do I,” she tells her unconvinced friends. But she claims they’re even looking at houses together.

While hanging out in the club, a girl confronts Niecy about being tasered by police and having two kids by two different men. The young woman does this because Niecy won’t let her and her friends into her private VIP section. Things get ugly. “You still ain’t nothin’ but a ho,” she tells Niecy, who has to hold back her friends because they’re ready to lay hands. The girl eventually tries to put her hands on our favorite troubled niece, and Niecy ends up ripping her wig off and getting kicked out of the club.

The post Being Mary Jane Ep. 5: We’re Back In Hotlanta, And Things Are A Hot Mess appeared first on MadameNoire.

Tired of wearing black scrunchies and nondescript hair accessories? Well, Caren Dawkins was. So the full-time NYC MTA conductor decided to make her own unique hair gear–and sell them. Her Joyful Heads company offers a unisex, multi-purpose line of Afrocentric hair jewelry sold online and priced reasonably from $7 to $13.

Launched in 2016 at the popular networking conference Circle of Sisters in New York, Joyful Heads also offers ankle, ear, and neck jewelry with names like “Freedom” headband and necklaces “Ankh Love,” and “African Funk.” Dawkins hopes to start a new hair fashion trend, and she told MadameNoire just how she plans to do so.

MadameNoire (MN): Are you happy with your entrepreneurial venture?

Caren Dawkins (CD): Oh my, if I knew it was going to be this much work I probably would have waited…but no, I was so hyped I would have gone ahead after all.

I have a 30-year-old son with Down Syndrome, I am married, and I work full-time, so this has been a lot. But this is something for me. Something all my own. I work while my husband is asleep and on weekends so I don’t sacrifice my relationship and time with him. And, actually, I am about to retire next year from the MTA, where I have worked 39 years, so this venture comes at the perfect time.

I have always wanted to have a business. When I was growing up, my uncle had a restaurant in Queens (NYC) called Jack & Jill’s. I loved seeing his experience of being a business owner. And that feeling never left me. Even before Joyful Heads, I was always doing some sort of side business like baking or seeing candy.

MN: Why did you decide to start Joyful Heads?

CD: My hair was damaged and I decided to go natural, but I could not find any cute things to use in my hair.

MN: How did you damage your hair?

CD: Since I was 18 I have had my hair permed and permed out and permed myself to death. I remember one day the plumber came because my drains were plugged up, and he said it was all hair. My hair! But anyway, one day I went to the salon on my birthday to get my hair permed and I knew something was wrong when I was getting my hair done. The hairdresser did something I didn’t think was right, but I was rushing. A few weeks later my hair was crunching up and falling out. And I mean falling out! I was so depressed, so I just cut it all off.

But now I needed some things to wear in my hair, so I went to Claire’s first because I know they have all kinds of accessories. I am 54 years old so I am not a teenager, but I stilled wanted to look cute. Claire’s had a lot of glittery stuff, stuff for teenagers. Not stuff for a woman my age. I went to JC Penney and they had nothing to my liking. I wanted to go with a little heavier material and something a little Afrocentric. I wanted a headband to hold my hair in place, something heavier than what I was finding. So I decided to make my own. I went home and made some designs with paper and then I had prototypes done and I liked how they came out. So I decided to manufacture them and sell them. My products are named after the Indinka Tribe from West Africa, with the message of beauty, strength, freedom, and grace. So while they are Afrocentric they can be worn by anyone.

MN: How did you fund the startup?

CD: I invested my own money. I didn’t take out any loans from the bank; I didn’t want to owe outside. It has worked out so far.

MN: What was the process like going from idea to production to market?

CD: It didn’t even take me a year. I thought of the idea in November 2015 and launched in October 2016. After I had the plastic prototypes made, I looked around for manufacturers and actually found one who could do what I wanted in China. I flew to China by myself, made the deal and came back and opened my business online. While I do most of my sales online, I also attend festivals and fairs to sell.

MN: What’s next for Joyful Heads?

CD: This line I made is very affordable, but I would like to do a more upscale line of products as well so I can have a good mix of items. Eventually, I would love to get my products into JC Penney and Macy’s, but that will take some time. For now, look for more products in 2017.

The post Caren Dawkins Is Bringing Affordable Afrocentric Hair Accessories To The Market appeared first on MadameNoire.

We all know good and damn well that the point of the Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is not to sell anybody’s bikinis. Instead, the intent is to show off the bodies of the women in them. But if you’re going to display the usually lauded waiflike or busty figures, at this point, you can’t leave out the curvaceous ones. That’s why Serena Williams was included in the group of beauties who photographed for the annual issue. And while we would have preferred to see her shine on the cover in place of Kate Upton, who was given three covers (there was talk that she and Christie Brinkley were supposed to be on the other two covers), she’s still slaying within the pages.

While speaking on the shoot behind the scenes, which took place in Turks & Caicos, Williams shared that one of the swimsuits was a first for her — the thong bikini. It was actually the first swimsuit she had to put on for the photo shoot, and now, Williams says she’s about to include them in her getaway bag.

“I’ve never worn a thong bikini, so for that to be my first shot was like a shot of espresso for me because I had to wake up immediately,” she told the magazine. “The thong is perfect, it really made me feel comfortable. I’m officially a thong girl now!”

She also said that she’s excited to be part of a Swimsuit Issue that is celebrating diverse bodies and women of all ages this year.

“I want people to come away with the fact that it’s okay to be comfortable in your body,” she said. “I’m not a size two. It’s okay to look good and feel good and I’m strong. It’s okay to look strong and to be sexy and to be a woman and to be unbreakable — all those things. I really want to have that influence for people out there that have my body type. I want them to be like, ‘I look good too.’ That’s what I hope for.”

Check out more images from her uber-sexy shoot and get your fitness inspiration to go hard at the gym tonight:

The post #Fitspo: Serena Williams’s SI Swimsuit Issue Photos Are The Only Thing You Need To See Today appeared first on MadameNoire.

Amber Riley turns 31 today, but it feels like we were just looking at her as a teeny bopper on Fox’s musical drama “Glee.” Of course, Amber was already a grown woman when she took the role of Mercedes on the show, but her cute baby face didn’t let on to the fact she was already in her early 20s when the show debuted in 2009. But now we see a fully grown woman when we look at the actress who is currently starring in Dreamgirls in London and she has the fashion sense to back it up. Here’s a look at her best red carpet moments over the years.

The post A Look Back At Amber Riley’s Best Fashion Moments On Her 31st Birthday appeared first on MadameNoire.

If you can learn anything from Halima Aden, it’s that you don’t have to stray from who you are in order to be successful.

We told you about the 19-year-old, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, late last year. She made headlines after competing in the Miss Minnesota pageant wearing a hijab and a burkini during the swimsuit competition. The Somali-American beauty said at the time about making history as the first woman to compete in that pageant with a hijab, “It’s easy to feel like you have to blend in, but it takes courage to live your life with conviction and embrace the person that you are.”

Embracing herself and knowing that “an extra layer of clothing does not define your beauty” may not have won her the Miss Minnesota title (she landed in the top 15), but it’s helped her make some humongous moves since the pageant. Aden recently signed with well-known modeling agency IMG. Ivan Bart, the president of IMG, said they hope that Aden’s presence in the fashion world can encourage and inspire young women and girls who look like her.

“By representing Halima, I would hope that the next 10-year-old girl wearing her hajib right now will feel included in the experience of fashion, and know that she could do that too,” he told the site Business of Fashion. “We need to reflect in fashion who we are, as a human race.”

And they’ve already set her up with two pretty big gigs. Today, Aden made her New York Fashion Week debut in Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 show, rocking her hijab with a floor-length fur like a boss:

you see this coat? pic.twitter.com/Qf34xuA3qx

— Maria Bobila (@bobilapizza) February 15, 2017

Aden is also slated to appear in Carine Rotfield’s popular CR Fashion Book, which comes out in March. An image from that shoot has already been shared, and per the usual, Aden looks stunning:

When speaking on her recent success, Aden shared a very important message about her journey: “I signed with the top modeling agency in the WORLD and still wore my hijab as my crown,” she wrote on Instagram. “Don’t ever change yourself ..Change the game.”

The post Halima Aden Has Gone From Minnesota To NYFW All While Wearing Her Hijab As Her Crown appeared first on MadameNoire.

Most of us are familiar with Ruby Bridges. But during this Black History Month, if you’re not, let me hip you to some game. In 1954, Ruby Bridges was six-years-old when she made history by integrating a White public school in New Orleans. The moment was such a seminal one in U.S. history that artist Norman Rockwell depicted it in his painting The Problem We All Live With.

It shows what Bridges endured as just a six-year-old girl, with people throwing things at her, calling her names etc. She had to be escorted by U.S. marshals after all. It was an artist rendering but it happened in real life. And it is an event that should not be taken lightly.

But that’s exactly what happened when editorial cartoonist Glenn McCoy did when he reimagined the image with Secretary of Education Betsey DeVos in the place of Ruby Bridges. Instead of the n-word behind her. It was conservative.

It was meant to draw a parallel to the ways in which Ms. DeVos has come up against quite a bit of opposition now that she’s been appointed this new position. There was one school that asked that she leave when she arrived to speak there.

As you can imagine, folks were outraged when they saw it. Mostly because Ruby Bridges was the target of hate and anger because of her skin color. While Betsey DeVos is the target of anger and because she’s a billionaire with not a single year of educational experience yet she’s been appointed to make decisions for all children in all public schools.

You can check out some of the reactions to the cartoon on the following pages.

The post This Comparison Between Ruby Bridges And Betsy DeVos Is Disgusting appeared first on MadameNoire.

You know that you’re a force to be reckoned with when your work helps to take down major figures in the mob. While she initially studied, got degrees in and made a career of social work for a few years, Eunice Roberta Hunton Carter (1899-1970) had a change of heart and decided to study law. The courts would never be the same. Check out five things you should know about pioneering lawyer Eunice Carter.

Today Eunice Hunton Carter was born in 1899. She was an African American lawyer. http://t.co/FEf16Lj7L7 pic.twitter.com/XwiN5lZLm6

— Sweet Blackberry (@swtblackberry) July 16, 2015

She Was a Woman of Many Firsts

After switching things up from social work to studying law, Eunice ended up becoming the first Black woman to receive a law degree from New York City’s Fordham University. Following her success with the bar exam in 1933, Eunice would eventually go on to become New York’s first Black woman assistant district attorney.

A Theory Helped Her Take Down the Mob

With her work as a Women’s Court prosecutor in the ’30s, which put her in contact with women who had a number of prostitution cases on them, she noticed a pattern. When women would get arrested, they seemed to call the same lawyers, bondsmen and have the same alibis. She came to the conclusion that these prostitutes were connected to the mob. Her theory proved to be correct. She became assistant district attorney when she brought that theory to then-special prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey.

Eunice Hunton Carter one of NY’s first Black female lawyers, & one of the first DA’s of color in the United States. pic.twitter.com/75ExE7nyOL

— Thoughtful_BlaCkman (@wizdom4you) February 12, 2014

She Had a Major Role in the Fall of Lucky Luciano

Eunice helped Dewey put together a pretty solid case against the mob that led directly to big-time boss Lucky Luciano. His cronies were helping prostitutes out in exchange for 50 percent of their profits.  She encouraged her boss to prosecute the case. Luciano ended up being convicted and went to prison for 10 years before eventually being deported to Italy. This was said to be the beginning of the end for organized crime in many ways, but it was just the start for Dewey. He became pretty famous and he even tried to run for president twice. Eunice’s career also flourished, as she was appointed head of the D.A.’s Special Sessions Bureau, handling thousands of cases before moving forward with her own private practice.

She Was Quite the Advocate for Women

Eunice also found the time to become active in the United Nations, working on committees that fought to improve the status of women. If that’s not enough pro-woman work for you, Eunice also was on the executive committee of the International Council of Women, which had representatives from all over the world, worked on the Y.W.C.A., and on the U.S. National Council of Negro Women.

Harlem’s Eunice Roberta Hunton Carter, Harlem, NY 1899 – 1970 https://t.co/EVuyUgSPrp pic.twitter.com/VlWddyqYaS

— HarlemWorldMagazine (@hwmag) April 29, 2016

All She Knew Was Black Excellence

Eunice came from and stayed around pretty intelligent and groundbreaking people. Her father, William Hunton, Sr., was reportedly the founder of the black division of the Y.M.C.A., her mother, Addie Waites Hunton, was known for her work with the NAACP and YMCA, and was even one of two women sent to France during World War I to aid African-American servicemen. Her grandfather, Stanton Hunton, bought his freedom before the Civil War. Her brother, W. Alphaeus Hunton, Jr., was an author and activist known for his work with the Council on African Affairs. Oh, and her husband, Lisle Carter, Sr., was one of the first Black dentists in the state of New York.

The post Women Of Black History: 5 Things To Know About Pioneering Lawyer Eunice Carter appeared first on MadameNoire.

If you haven’t had a chance to see Hidden Figures or want to make sure someone else in your life has a chance to see it, you might get to do that this weekend.

According to Entertainment Weekly, a select group of AMC theaters are showing the blockbuster film profiling the lives of Black, female astronauts for free this weekend in honor of Black History Month. The movie will show on Saturday, February 18 at 10 a.m. local time in 14 different locations across the country.

You can register for tickets here.

Tickets are given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

As of earlier today, many of the tickets have been claimed but there is another screening taking place on February 28. You can secure those tickets here.

Hidden Figures is nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Octavia Spencer.

Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days.” You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter @VDubShrug.

The post Find Out How You Can See Hidden Figures For Free This Month appeared first on MadameNoire.

Because it’s Black History Month, we think it’s a great time (though any time is a great time) to make an effort to read up on our history, where we come from, what we’ve been through, and the work we still have to do. We also think it’s important for children to know these things as well, but know about them from doing more than just watching the documentary Eyes on the Prize in class. Still, we know that books like The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. Du Bois, and fiction like Toni Morrison’s Beloved may be a bit much so soon for the young’ns. With that being said, here are seven books, a few new, a few old, that are great gifts for the little ones in your life and also expand their knowledge of Black history and Black stories.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1995

The story was rich enough to be turned into a Hallmark Channel TV movie in 2013 with Wood Harris and Anika Noni Rose. It’s about the Watsons, a family from Flint, Michigan, who in the year of 1963, travel to Birmingham, Alabama to visit matriarch Grandma Sands. They hope it will help the family’s oldest son, Byron, get his act together. But when they get there, the family is impacted by the bombing of a local church. This fictional book shares the story of the actual bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church, which killed four little girls.

Freedom in Congo Square – 2016

Filled with stunning images, this Caldecott, Coretta Scott King-honored book was a 2016 New York Times Best Illustrated Book. It told the true story of Congo Square in New Orleans, which was a place for slaves to join together, share their music and traditions and just have a great time on their only somewhat free day – Sunday. As the book puts it, in the Square, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, they could gather and for at least half a day, feel free from their oppression.

Fancy Party Gowns – 2017

This book, which came out in January, is a must-have for any little girls (or even boys) who are into fashion. It’s a picture book, similar to Freedom in Congo Square, that tells the story of Ann Cole Lowe. She was a fashion designer who did some pretty amazing work even though a lot of that work was not attributed to her at the time because she was Black. Still, the book shows how she was able to overcome great struggles to become a major designer. She created iconic gowns for everyone from socialites and Oscar winners to Jackie O.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – 1976

A Newberry medal-winning book, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry delved into the struggles for Blacks in Southern Mississippi by focusing on the Logan family. While trying to maintain their farmland, they have to face a lot of racial injustice and witness great deals of it as well. We follow the attempts made by the family to take a stand for what’s right, the many attempts to throw a wrench in that and how their community is impacted and changes based on the struggles they endure. Though it’s fiction, the book is a great account of social injustices that were very real (and still are) for Blacks. It was made into a film in 1978 that starred Morgan Freeman.

Follow the Drinking Gourd – 1988

Another gorgeous picture book, Follow the Drinking Gourd tells the story of a man named Peg Leg Joe, a White sailor and handyman who makes himself available to plantation owners in an attempt to help free slaves. He teaches them a song that secretly states directions to get to freedom. All the families who make their great escape have to do is keep their eyes on the drinking gourd, also known as the Big Dipper.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters – 1987

A classic, the Caldecott-honored and Reading Rainbow book is seen as a retelling of Cinderella that teaches children about Zimbabwe. The book, based on a traditional African folktale, follows Mufaro and his daughters — Nyasha who is sweet, Manyara who is not so sweet. The Great King invites Mufaro’s daughters to vie for his love and affection as he searches for a wife, and even if you haven’t read the book, you can pretty much guess who steals his heart.

House of Dies Drear – 1968

For children who love mystery books, this one is one of our favorites.

Set in Ohio in the late ’60s, we meet Thomas Small, a young boy who moves into a home with his family that was a part of the Underground Railroad. The house is thought to be haunted, possessed by a man named Dies Drear and two slaves that he was hiding in his home until they were all murdered. Crazy things begin to happen, but as Thomas learns, the frightening happenings may not be the work of ghosts after all. It soon becomes time for the Small family, with the help of house caretaker Mr. Pluto, to turn the tables on folks.

The post 7 Books For The Kids In Your Life That Are Perfect For Black History Month appeared first on MadameNoire.

As told to Michelby Whitehead

I  always knew I was good enough to pursue some form of entertainment. At the age of three, I was in dancing school which consisted of ballet, jazz, and tap. By the time I was six or seven my Aunt Carla owned a dance school, so I was there faithfully to soak up everything I could. When I got to high school I danced, ran track, and played basketball. But coming from a small town, I just didn’t know how any of this would manifest into something legit– but I knew it was going to happen, despite disloyalty, non-believers we call family and friends, and people who hated for no apparent reason. I doubted myself many days, but I loved my small town of Jeanerette, LA, just the same.

In addition to coming from a place where it’s more practical to get a “safe job,” than pursue the arts, my health also began to make me doubt how my dream would become a reality. At 8 years old, I  began to regularly have horrible seizures. I had to see a neurologist every few months, my medication was changing constantly, and because of this the different dosages and many side effects were causing me to be drowsy in school. As a result, my grades were not as good as they could have been. I remember researching epilepsy and being really afraid of what I read. I began to ask questions like, am I gonna die? The doctor asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I remember telling him I like to dance and exercise. He told because I have seizures there’s no way I would be able to dance much or exercise.

Fast forward to my college years and the idea of being an entertainer was still in my bones. It was clear to me that this desire wasn’t going away anytime soon. I didn’t know anybody who had an easy life, although some pretended they did. So I kept pushing because my grandparents are my inspiration. They were strong and confident with a boldness about them that I always admired. I had a great love and respect for them. My grandma was an entrepreneur with a booming business making wedding, birthday, and anniversary cakes. She was able to make her dream happen so I knew being an entrepreneur wasn’t out of arm’s reach. That part stuck with me.

Last year I decided that I wanted to work toward becoming a traveling fitness instructor. I had a “Waiting to Exhale” pow-wow with one of my homegirls and I strategized a plan. Was the plan perfect? Hell no, but it was a start. The biggest problem a lot of us face when conquering our goals is because we don’t see a perfect, yellow brick road with all the accommodations we want, we don’t make a move. And that’s pretty wack if you ask me. Have you seen what happens to squirrels in the middle of the street who take forever to make a move? I say that to say after making a plan – and a move — just one month later I was a certified Zumba instructor.

Things were going OK for me conducting Zumba classes in my hometown. Some supported, some didn’t, but that’s with anything in life. I was just happy to do what I like to do on my own terms. Then the unexpected happened… I lost an aunt to cancer. The family had just found out about her Stage 4 disease in August, and once she died my faith was gone. I didn’t believe in anything. I helped take care of my aunt for the six weeks we had knowledge of her illness. Her daughter and I practically lived in the hospital, so I also watched her decline.

I noticed different things about my aunt before her death, like disorientation. She would start a juicy conversation and suddenly drift into talking about something else. But one day out of the blue, she told me, “You need to change.” I immediately knew what she meant. I honestly believe she saw me spiraling down a horrible path because of my disbelief. And maybe that’s why my business hadn’t reached the full success I knew it was destined for. I began to pray again, with love. Although it hurt like hell that my aunt was no longer here, her death inspired me to go for my goal of becoming a dancer because life is too short not to do what we love.

A few months after her death, I got an unexpected opportunity to dance at the Super Bowl’s first fitness concert. The concert was a three-day event spearheaded by Crystal Wall, wife of Houston rapper Paul Wall. I had met Crystal about four years prior when she was just starting Crystal Wall Fitness. I loved her kind spirit and her tenacity to pursue her own goals despite her husband’s status. It’s not like she and I conversed on a daily basis, so when the chance to work with her fell in my lap, I knew it was God’s favor. Who knew she would be a part of my journey? Four years ago I had no clue that any of this would happen. At rehearsal, I met some other amazing dancers who I see myself building positive friendships with. What I’ve gathered is that help comes along when it’s supposed to. It wasn’t meant for certain people to like or even understand my vision, and that’s totally okay.

In addition to little support, we tend to let our dreams die because “we’re too old” or have “responsibilities.” Now don’t get me wrong, as a single mom with a seven-year-old I know all about those things. But as long as we have breath in our lungs, every day is an opportunity to see our dreams manifest. My first job as a teen was serving burgers at Sonic. I went from serving fast food to doing my thing at Super Bowl! That’s only something God can do. I am blessed to say that and not many people can. But anything’s possible through prayer, prayer, and more prayer. God is concerned about what concerns us, no matter how dumb it seems to everyone around you. Every tragedy that we face is an opportunity for Him to show up and show out and remind us that faith still works. Don’t let any obstacle or person make you think your dreams aren’t valid, not even the smartest neurologist in the world.

The post From Sonic To The Super Bowl: Dancer Shalyn Provost’s Pursuit To Happiness After Being Told She’d Never Dance appeared first on MadameNoire.

The daughter of a former slave and a butler (her biological father was an Irish-American man), Maggie Walker (1864-1934) bore witness to the large disparities between the lives of Blacks and Whites in Richmond, Virginia. Instead of allowing it to hold her back, Walker devoted a majority of her life to the cause of uplifting and empowering Black people. She worked within her community to help build businesses and opportunities and educated the youth in the hopes of making them socially conscious when it came to the realities of what was going on in the world around them. Her work has made her quite the historical figure in the state of Virginia. Check out five things you should know about Maggie Lena Walker, the first woman of any race to charter a bank.

She Got Her Start in Activism While Delivering Laundry From Her Poor Black Neighborhood to White Neighborhoods

After the death of her father (police said he drowned himself, the family believed he was murdered), Maggie’s mother started a laundry business to help keep a roof over the family’s head. Maggie, just a child at the time, was on delivery duty, taking the clean laundry to White customers. While delivering to their communities, she first noticed just how large the gap was in the quality of life for Black people and Whites. Soon after, specifically in her teenage years, she would take the first steps to helping to change things.

She Started Working to Empower Blacks Financially and Socially as a Teen

At 14, Maggie joined the Independent Order of St. Luke, an organization that helped the sick and elderly, did humanitarian work and was focused on the advancement of Black people financially and socially. She would soon advance through the ranks and be voted into the grand deputy matron position. She had come a long way from her delegate beginnings to having a top leadership position in the fraternal organization.

She Started a Newspaper, a Department Store and Bank to Help the Community

Even before she was voted into the grand deputy matron position, Maggie did a great deal for the Independent Order of St. Luke, including creating a youth group to uplift young African Americans. After she was promoted, she helped keep the organization from filing bankruptcy, creating a publication called the St. Luke Herald in 1902. It was distributed to local chapters and aided in educational work. Soon after, she opened the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, which she was president of until 1929, making her the first woman of any race to charter a bank. She also created the St. Luke Emporium in 1905, a department store that created a host of jobs for Blacks in the community and provided them with more options for goods, and at a cheaper price.

She Kept the Iconic St. Luke Penny Savings Bank Thriving During the Great Depression

The St. Luke Penny Savings Bank thrived under Maggie’s leadership. By 1924, it served more than 50,000 and had 1,500 local chapters. When the Great Depression hit, she was able to keep it afloat by merging the bank with two others in 1929. Maggie would go on to become the chairman of the board of directors for the merging, which turned her beloved Penny Savings Bank into the iconic Consolidated Bank and Trust Company in Richmond.

She Has Been Honored in Many Ways for Her Work in Virginia

Maggie had quite the impact on Richmond, so in her honor, quite a few memorials were set up. Richmond Public Schools set up the Maggie L. Walker High School, which became one of the few schools for Black students when Virginia was segregating learning institutions. It went through a major overhaul at one point and was reopened in 2001 as the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies. Also, her former home in the Jackson Ward neighborhood, a.k.a., the “Harlem of the South,” was made into a National Historic Site by the National Parks Service. They made it into a museum that commemorates her life and features original pieces that were in her home in the ’30s. Even the former St. Luke Penny Savings Bank building, which held Maggie’s office and the offices for the Independent Order were preserved. And if that’s not enough, a memorial for her on Broad Street is reportedly in the works.

The post Women Of Black History: 5 Things To Know About Maggie Walker, First Woman To Open A Bank appeared first on MadameNoire.

I wasn’t really a gamer as a kid. I remember my sister and I had a Sega Genesis we played with a handful of times, most often when our cousins or family friends came over. I can’t say exactly why I never took to the video games. The handheld Disney Tiger games were more of me and my sister’s speed.

And that’s what this new Beyoncé-themed Lemonade Rage game reminds me of…except I’m not having as much success as I did with those Disney games. But more on that later.

The Lemonade Rage game, created by  Joe Laquinte, Justin Au, Line Johnsen, and Colby Spear, reimagines the “Hold Up” video where Beyoncé, dressed in yellow, walks down the street smashing and destroying cars, hydrants, and television screens in her sight. That’s the object of this game also. But in addition to the demolition, she must avoid haters, Illuminati conspiracists and bulls*t.

And that’s where it gets tricky.

Each time you hit something, you collect lemons. But each time you run into one of the aforementioned objects, Beyoncé gets more angry and moves faster, making her harder to control. The object of the game is to collect enough lemons to fill the pitcher. And I can tell you after at least five attempts last night, and over 130 lemons collected, I still couldn’t manage to do it. But I might have been at a slight disadvantage playing on my phone rather than on the full-size keyboard.

Take a shot at the game and see if you had better luck than I did. Even if you’re one who loves to hate Beyoncé, you’ll have a good time. You can play by clicking on the picture below.

Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days.” You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter@VDubShrug.

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