According to the American Cancer Society, the most common forms of cancer that plague Black women include breast cancer (stated as 32 percent of all cancers), lung (at 11 percent), followed by colon and rectum (at nine percent). Even more startling is the reality that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black men and women have the highest rates when it comes to getting colorectal cancer, and the most likely of any group to actually die from it. This type of information may not surprise you, but I’m sure that a large number of us don’t know nearly as much as we should about colon cancer.

Considering that March was designated as National Colon Cancer Awareness Month in 2000, there is no time like the present for us, as Black women, to know more about how this form of cancer is really impacting us. Knowledge is power, and screenings save lives.

“If we’re aware of it, then screening and education can prevent these high numbers,” said Lynn O’Connor, M.D., director of the Women’s Colorectal Care Program at ProHealth Care Associates in New York City. “In the African-American community, the woman is often the one who holds all of the information to the family history — the mothers and grandmothers. The health of the family is resting on those shoulders. So to be able to have awareness, know about it, to spread the word and allow our community to heal and thrive like others is important.”

So why is colon cancer so prevalent in our community? Why are we more likely to get it and less likely to survive from it? There are a number of reasons for this, and they include everything from our ability to seek medical help to what we’re being told and not being told when we get in the doctor’s office.

“If you look at it, there are socioeconomic issues, there are awareness issues, there is trust of the medical community issues, health disparities, and the fact that a lot of physicians aren’t aware of these new guidelines that are talking about screening African Americans at age 45 rather than 50,” O’Connor says. “We’ve got a lot of obesity in the African-American race, there are sedentary issues, the lifestyle with not enough exercise, the risk factors of smoking and drinking — those are the things we really need to get under control. But if you look at a lot of the facts, folks don’t understand that there should be increased screenings and screenings at an earlier rate. And the socioeconomic factors are huge in terms of our access to care, the disparities and just having your own physician recognize that this is something that needs to be done. People need to be moved towards screenings.”

With that being said, it’s recommended by experts like O’Connor that while White patients are often recommended to start screening for this cancer at 50, we should start getting screenings for colon cancer at 45. That’s due to the more aggressive stages Black men and women are often in when diagnosed at the time of their initial colonoscopies. However, if there is a history of colorectal cancer in one’s family, the earlier the better. And while the screening might sound intimidating, O’Connor says they can go by quickly and patients leave comfortably.

“It’s an out-patient procedure that takes about half an hour,” she says. “The patient is completely asleep and they don’t wake up groggy. They actually feel like they can drive, but we don’t let them drive because there is anesthesia. So when they come in, if I’m doing the screening, I’m looking at the entire colon. If there’s a polyp, I’m removing it right then and there.”

But if something is spotted that is too large or too complex for a quick colonoscopy, things are taken up a notch.

“If there’s something that is too large to remove, a biopsy is taken,” she says. “The patients prepare with a clear liquid, which is extremely important so that we’re able to completely clean the colon and get a good examination. And they do a prep. Most patients do fine with this and don’t even feel like they’ve had a colonoscopy when they wake up. They resume their normal activities, they resume their normal eating habits. Hopefully they can use it as a fresh start [laughs].”

O’Connor stated that while these measures are recommended for every 10 years, it’s “still too long.” She preferred the idea of every five years. However, if you don’t get in screenings before you start feeling like something is off, you need to see your doctor immediately. Symptoms like rectal bleeding are a major red flag. “The majority of rectal bleeding is benign, but you can’t just rule that out,” O’Connor says. Other red flags include a change in bowel habits, like a difficulty in evacuating, change in size or color, and abdominal pain.

“Those are usually why we try to have people screened. By the time symptoms have come, the disease may be so far gone where you’re at more advanced stages,” she says. “A simple colonoscopy with a polypectomy could have resolved the situation, but now we’re looking at possibly having surgery for cancer.”

But before you seek out screenings, what efforts are you making to clean up your diet? Poor diet can put you at risk for colon cancer, as with many others. Foods high in nitrates have been linked to increased risks while foods high in fiber, as well as fruits and veggies, help you remove your bowel more frequently and lower risks. And exercise, even short amounts, can go a long way.

“There are some studies that have shown that out of a cohort of people who exercise just generally 30 minutes a day, their risk of having colon cancer was 24 percent less,” O’Connor said. “Nothing is 100 percent, but if you can lower your risk by eating right, exercising, proper food and vegetables and things of that nature, then that’s important before having to get a screening.”

Image via Bigstock 

The post Colon Is One Of The Top 3 Cancers Plaguing Black Women: Here’s What You Should Know appeared first on MadameNoire.

Say whatever you will about Keyshia Cole’s music, but I think we can all agree that Cole’s reality shows, particularly The Way It Is on BET, have always been very entertaining. Her personal life,  specifically her family and relationship with her now estranged husband Daniel “Boobie” Gibson,  consistently leave people talking. With that being said, it makes sense that she would head back to reality television.

She initially claimed in an interview with The Breakfast Club in February that she wasn’t interested in doing Love and Hip Hop Hollywood. She even said that she “didn’t like the energy of it all,” especially the energy from fans once they heard rumblings of her joining the cast.

“Mona reached out to me a few times and was just asking if I would be willing to do it,” she said. “I think it’s a great platform for artists if you do it right, I wouldn’t want to be in all the crazy stuff.”

Well, the star has had a change of heart (and obviously been offered more change to do it). Cole confirmed on Twitter early this week that she will indeed star on Mona Scott Young’s hit show.

Contractually got what we wanted to move and I want to touch bases with the essence of my fans again. Wanted to do something different https://t.co/3J73AjE8U7

— Keyshia Cole (@KeyshiaCole) March 19, 2017

Yes. https://t.co/C096DXFiMU

— Keyshia Cole (@KeyshiaCole) March 19, 2017

I’ll add to it, don’t worry https://t.co/CIIUMebAVn

— Keyshia Cole (@KeyshiaCole) March 19, 2017

According to Cole, filming begins next week and the season will premiere in June. Aside from the money and the possible platform to share new music, we’re wondering if her BFF, Remy Ma, had something to do with her choice to associate with the controversial series. Remy is the star of the New York installment and, for the most part, has managed to avoid petty drama while sharing the ins and outs of her family life. Cole isn’t new to the reality rodeo, though. This will be her third time doing a reality series and she will likely have more control than people think of her image on the show. At least, we hope that will be the case. Either way though, according to The Jasmine Brand, Cole will be bringing Gibson along for the ride, as well as her stylist. She’s also started hanging out with cast members Nia Riley and Moniece Slaughter, so things should be interesting…

What do you think of Cole’s decision to join the cast of the Hollywood spinoff of Love and Hip Hop? 

Image via WENN

The post Keyshia Cole Is Heading To “Love And Hip Hop Hollywood” And Bringing Estranged Husband With Her appeared first on MadameNoire.

Simone Biles is good at just about everything. That includes gymnastics, modeling for Sports Illustrated, and now, dancing. Specifically, Dancing With the Stars. The gold medalist, who turned 20 earlier this month, topped the leaderboard in her DWTS debut on Monday after dancing the tango like a pro.

But making that happen hasn’t been as easy as people would think. Sure, Biles trains consistently for gymnastics and has done so for years. However, as she wrote in her blog for PEOPLE, training for the reality competition has been harder than training for gymnastics competitions, both physically and emotionally.

“I have spent almost my entire life pushing my body to its limits, but all my years of gymnastics training still did not fully prepare me for what it’s been like to do Dancing with the Stars,” she wrote. Partnered with Australian dancer Sasha Farber, Biles said he’s been pushing her body in ways she isn’t used to.

“I’m used to being sore, but I am going home from rehearsals with sore muscles that I never knew could get sore! In gymnastics, we’re barefoot the entire day in training. With dancing, my calves and shins are aching at the end of the day because of the heels.”

But it’s also been interesting trying to tap into emotions that she hasn’t really had to before. Showing emotion on the dance floor is something Biles admits has been quite difficult for her.

“I’m used to gymnastics where you’re either stone-faced or smiling from ear to ear the entire routine. Now, I’m having to tap into emotions that I really am not comfortable with. But we’ve been working on it.”

The gymnast also mentioned that this is the first time she’s actually really danced with a boy. If you’ll recall, she stated that she didn’t get to attend school dances and other major events growing up because of her commitment to gymnastics. She’s now having her chance to do all of the things she missed out on, and doing it big.

What do you think of Biles’s dancing skills so far?

Image via WENN 

The post Simone Biles: All My Years Of Gymnastics Training Doesn’t Compare To Dancing With The Stars appeared first on MadameNoire.

Singer Sade Adu has always been a very reclusive artist. She hasn’t reveled in the spotlight, she doesn’t stay in the gossip papers, and for so long, she’s been able to keep her private life private. She doesn’t even get snapped by paparazzi, that’s how low she keeps it when it comes to her public profile. Honestly, the last time we consistently had the chance to see her out of the house was when she was touring with her band to promote the Soldier of Love album in 2011. It’s 2017.

So imagine our shock when Sade popped up on Instagram, at a Drake concert, and hugged up with the rapper (and his mother) backstage.

She was snapped at the rapper’s “Boy Meets World” tour stop in London, and the Internet didn’t know what to think of a moment that many would given hellas to have with the music legend. Our favorite tweet?

@yusufyuie drake in a photo with Sade? Sade??? pic.twitter.com/bigqachXQ5

— 8th Sage (@Iceyhands) March 21, 2017

But despite what the entire Internet community had to say about it, Drake was more than appreciative of Sade’s presence at his show, and she has love for the rapper. For his birthday, he was gifted a signed Sade poster:

And Drake just proved he’s a superfan by getting a tattoo of the singer’s face and her signature, seen on the above framed poster, on his body earlier this week:

He’s got Aaliyah on his back, Sade on his side, and a tattoo of a camo toy shark he gave Rihanna on his arm. Now we can’t help but wonder if he actually showed Sade his new ink, but in order to actually get her to be that close to him for a picture, we doubt it…

The post Drake Gets Sade Out Of Seclusion And Thanks Her By Tattooing The Singer’s Face On His Body appeared first on MadameNoire.

If you want to make real money in the music industry, you have to produce, write and own the masters to your creations.

Thankfully, Kandi and Tiny learned this lesson early on in their musical careers.

And when their girl group Xscape disbanded, they both found ways to transition into more behind-the-scene roles in the music business.

Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs are the geniuses behind TLC’s smash hit “No Scrubs.” It certainly made them a nice chunk of change in 1999, when it spent an entire month at the top of the Billboard charts and in the top ten for 17 consecutive weeks.

And apparently, “No Scrubs” is the gift that keeps on giving.

Weeks after Ed Sheeran released his single “Shape of You,” people started drawing comparisons to “No Scrubs.” As a result, Sheeran credited Briggs, Burruss and Cottle as songwriters for the single that has been number 1 for 7 weeks.

Both Kandi and Tiny celebrated the nod.

Ayeeee! Ed Sheeran “Shape Of You” Blessed.. @kandi

A post shared by Majorgirl (@majorgirl) on Mar 19, 2017 at 8:09pm PDT

Congrats #edsheeran @teddysphotos for having the #1 album! & thank you for allowing @majorgirl & I to share in the success of #ShapeOfYou! #1 for 7 weeks! This is how I dance every time this song comes on. #ShapeOfYou #Blessings

A post shared by Kandi Burruss (@kandi) on Mar 17, 2017 at 4:44pm PDT

Listen to the two songs and let us know if you hear the similarities.

 
Take this money, make this money.

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 Kandi And Tiny Are Still Getting Paid For “No Scrubs” appeared first on MadameNoire.

In this day in age, when Resistance has got to be a way of life for any conscious person in America, we need to be reminded of the men and women who’ve laid the groundwork.

There are several examples of these type of people, but one from our more recent history is Angela Davis. After being framed by the FBI, Davis represented herself, stood up to an oppressive government and won. The next generation needs to known about her fight in order to know it’s possible but to also stay encouraged.

That’s why I was thrilled to learn that actor and director Forest Whitaker has signed on to produce a new Angela Davis biopic, based on Davis’ own book, Angela Davis: An Autobiography.

Whitaker’s involvement in the film should perhaps come as no surprise considering he grew up in Compton, California during the height of the Black Panther Party’s community involvement.

“My memory of the Panthers, for instance, is very different from most people’s because as a kid I remember them on my street, and how nice they treated me. Free breakfast program, free schools, outreach and community work, gang members working hand in hand, Crips and Bloods.”

Other producers for the project include Davis herself, Nina Yang Bongiovi, who worked on Fruitvale Station,

Codeblack Enterprises CEO Jeff Clanagan, and Sidra Smith, who served as a producer on the 2012 documentary Free Angela and All Political Prisoners.

Image via WENN

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 Forest Whitaker To Produce New Angela Davis Biopic appeared first on MadameNoire.

Black officer. White victim. A community divided even before shots ring out in fictional Gate Station, NC. The opening of FOX’s 10-hour, limited mini-series “Shots Fired” sets the stage for a 60-minute investigation of racial divisiveness and growing tensions between police officers and the communities they are charged with protecting. While tackling racism and questionable police decision-making is not foreign to primetime dramas, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood turn this motif on its head by bucking what has unfortunately become an all-to-common headline of a Black teenager being killed at the hands of a white police officer, and flipping those roles. It isn’t before long that the Department of Justice becomes involved in the investigation, sending special prosecutor Preston Terry (Stephen James) and investigator Ashe Akino (Sanaa Lathan) down to North Carolina to unearth exactly what has happened. The point is clearly made that their assignments to this case aren’t simply based on their expertise, but on their race as well — ensuring less scrutiny than if a white prosecutor and white investigator were tapped to look into the case.

While at times “Shots Fired” falls very much in line with other procedural crime dramas, there is no doubt that James and Lathan shine in their respective roles and help to set this series apart from others in the genre. For his part, James plays the Ivy-league educated and inspired prosecutor who at first seems to embrace his role as judge and jury a bit too strongly. In one of the premiere’s most dynamic scenes, James’ character approaches his post-shooting meeting with officer Joshua Beck (played by Tristan Wilds) as more of an interrogation, defaulting to assumptions that there is more to Beck’s story than meets the eye. Viewers are initially given the impression that James’ seemingly affluent beginnings have caused a cultural disconnect that makes him unable or unwilling to relate to Beck. Viewers are, at first, left with concerns and suspicions. But in one of the most stunning scenes in the premiere, Terry takes the podium at a press conference to address the shooting. While he begins providing the gathered crowd of journalists with generic on-script answers, a female community member’s voice pierces the noise and says, “What I don’t understand is why you’re here? All the murdering of unarmed Black men by police all across this country and this is the one the government is investigating?” Terry is immediately roused into delivering a stirring speech that shows not only his unrelenting quest for truth, but his visceral connection to the plight of Black men across this nation. He references cases like Tamir Rice, Walter Scott and says “…I am sickened. Sickened by the utter lack of humanity displayed by those officers, angered at the arrogance of their lies. See now they knew there would be an assumption of innocence, not because of blue, but because of white.”

Lathan’s Ashe Akino, on the other hand, is positioned as our flawed heroine. Viewers are quickly introduced to Akino’s tumultuous personal life and her emotional responses to high-pressure situations. But during the aforementioned interrogation scene, Akino has a distinctly different tone than Perry. She is relatable, she’s personable, she leverages an emotional connection to Beck to earn his trust and extract the information she needs. Akino serves as a strong dramatic foil to Perry’s character, but one that can also help inform and humanize him as well. When it is discovered that a Black teenager was recently murdered and the Gate Station community believes the police had a part in it, Akino pushes Perry to expand the scope of their investigation to include looking into the death of the teen, Joey Campbell. While he extols the need to be patient and handle one case at a time, Akino pushes the issue and helps open Perry’s eyes to a possible connection between the two killings. Lathan’s portrayal of Akino is one of great intensity but still exhibits the restraint to not become a parody of itself, in other words, not just another tough female cop.

While James and Lathan are supported by a wonderfully talented ensemble, the show does fall into expected narrative traps: Perry has sex with the governor’s white aide, Akino has sex with Perry’s brother, viewers are left wondering if Perry and Akino will have a fling of their own, Akino’s ex files a motion for sole custody, etc. In short, there are a lot of dramatic twists and turns that have a tinge of primetime drama desperation to them. With such a strong premise, it’s disappointing that such transparent attempts at engaging viewers were employed. They do little to truly add to the story and more serve as distraction tactics and cheap intrigue. But despite these downbeats, “Shots Fired” still emerged a promising addition to Wednesday’s TV line-up. The show’s desire to continue a conversation on one of the most hot-button topics in our world today is bold, brave and much needed. While we hope some of the short-comings of the premiere get ironed out in the weeks to come, there’s no denying that “Shots Fired” has the talent a story of this magnitude needs. Here’s to hoping the narrative evolves into a more apt reflection of not only the show’s strong leads, but of the importance of painting an honest picture of the racial and socio-political dynamics defining communities across the United States today.

The post So What Did You Think Of Shots Fired Last Night? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Last night, the new Fox drama Shots Fired premiered. The project, starring Sanaa Lathan and written and co-created by Gina Prince-Bythewood, puts these two women together for the third time. They last collaborated on Disappearing Acts, and first worked together on Prince-Bythewood’s seminal work, Love and Basketball. But speaking on their first opportunity to work together all these years later, both women can agree that it wasn’t an easy task or time. During a chat on Essence.com’s Yes, Girl podcast, both Lathan and Prince-Bythewood recounted the struggle it was to even get started filming the movie that made Lathan a star since the director, for some time, didn’t want her to play Monica.

“When I met her, the first thing she did–you did a photo shoot…But she was in a bathing suit with the sexy pose and that’s the first thing she showed me,” Prince-Bythewood said. “I was like, ‘This is so not the character, dude.'”

Not only was Lathan not her first pick for Monica, but the individual who would go on to do the first reading of the script with Lathan as Quincy was not Omar Epps. At the time, it was Mekhi Phifer of all people.

“She was going to Sundance to work on scenes from the movie, the director’s lab, which is a very kind of prestigious thing for filmmakers,” Lathan said. “We literally sat on a stage with the scripts in our hands and read the movie. And Mekhi Phifer was playing the role of Quincy. Isn’t that funny?”

She continued, “The only reason I even got into the mix…is because the actress she had in mind for the reading got sick. And so last minute she had to replace her and that’s why she went on a search and found me.”

To that point, Bythewood admitted that she was less than impressed with Lathan before the reading, and not just because of any risque photo shoots.

“We did have a rehearsal prior to the reading. Sanaa comes from theater. She wasn’t giving me anything,” Prince-Bythewood said. “To me, she was awful. And I remember calling my husband after and saying, ‘Oh my God, I gotta find somebody else, she was awful. She’s going to kill it,’ because companies were going to come to listen because we were trying to set it up. I was trying to rack my brain of who we could call to replace Sanaa and we could not reach the person. I pulled her aside before she went home to get ready for the reading that night. You said I was rude. I told her, ‘This is how you have to come dressed — I need you to bring it.’ We got to the reading, I was sitting in the audience and literally, the first couple of words out of her mouth I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ She was truly brilliant.”

But just because Lathan killed it (in a good way this time) doesn’t mean she was given the role immediately following the reading. In fact, both women said that it was an “arduous” audition process that lasted months, with Lathan competing for the role against one other woman, who was a talented basketball player interested in trying her hand at acting. Not only did a producer think that Prince-Bythewood needed to pick a “basketball player who can act as opposed to an actress who can play basketball,” but she also initially felt that it was necessary.

“I played ball,” Prince-Bythewood said. “So when I see people who can’t play, play someone athletic, it sets women back years. I wasn’t going to be a part of that.”

We all know who the director eventually chose, but it took a while for Lathan to be picked (a waiting process she admitted wore her down emotionally). It also took consistent training to look like a convincing basketball player, as well as a change of heart from Prince-Bythewood for the star to be crowned Monica.

“She was training on her own, so props to her,” Prince-Bythewood said. “Again, this is why I love Sanaa and why we keep working together. She set the bar for anybody I’ve worked with since. We hired her a basketball coach, this woman who coached at UCLA. She trained every day with no guarantee of a part. Then the woman who was a ballplayer, we put her with an acting coach. So there were these parallel tracks that we were going on for a while, and honestly, I couldn’t make a decision. In the end, I had to say, ‘What is this film? Is it a basketball film or a love story?’ It’s a love story set in the backdrop of basketball. You can fake a jump shot at the end of the day, but you can’t fake a closeup.”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Image via New Line Cinema 

The post “To Me, She Was Awful”: Gina Prince-Bythewood Originally Didn’t Want Sanaa Lathan For Love & Basketball appeared first on MadameNoire.

There’s always been a double standard when it comes to the subject of interracial dating among Black men and women. While Black men are habitually challenged to be more woke regarding their dating choices and labeled as being in the sunken place when it comes to their affinity for white women, rarely is the same awareness asked of Black women who are involved with white men. There’s a myriad of reasons why that’s so, but one Black female writer is coming clean about how increasingly difficult it’s become for her to continue to date white men — which she’s done for most of her adult life — now that Donald Trump is our Commander-in-Chief.

In a piece for The Cut, Collier Meyerson writes:

“For most of my adult life, I’ve dated white guys. I spent my childhood surrounded by black and brown kids, but when I got to high school, suddenly everyone around me was white. Like most of the girls in my class, I wanted attention from the boys. But while they chased after blondes and brunettes, I was ignored. And on those rare occasions a white boy kissed me in the copy-machine room at our high school, or when a white boy told me over the phone he had a crush on me, the acknowledgement made me feel chosen. It was addictive. The white boys I grew up with were cool: They rode their skateboards on private property. They smoked weed in their parents’ houses with abandon. I envied and desired their freedom. If they wanted me, I thought, it was because I seemed free like them. Cool like them. At 18, I was fixated on being attractive to them. Since college I’ve had five boyfriends, and all of them have been white. And those affinity moments on the train? They’re with white guys too.

“White men have preoccupied me my whole life, from the schoolyard to the subway, but these days I’m seeing them differently. They’re no longer the object of my affection, a mirror for my self-worth, or an affirmation of my beauty. Right now, they seem altogether alien.”

Meyerson goes on to talk about the loneliness she felt the night Trump was elected and the desire she felt to be comforted by someone who could fully understand her emotional state. And it seems in the months following the election, that desire hasn’t dissipated, with the writer going on to talk about her most recent dates with white men being interrupted by news alerts “telling me Donald Trump is attempting to curtail, or has just succeeded in curtailing, the rights of marginalized people in America” — a subject she feels she can’t broach with her potential suitors. “Even if I did want to talk about how I feel, I’m not sure I’d be able to articulate it, especially to someone with such a different frame of reference from my own, ” she writes. “In those moments, I’ve wished to be sitting in front of someone who could relate. Despite knowing I can feel intimacy with white guys, right now what divides us feels like a chasm.”

Of course, the issues Trump’s administration have raised are not the first time Meyerson has had to tackle the subject of race with one of her white beaus, but, as she explains of her feelings on election night, “I felt overwhelmed at the possibility” of having to hold up a mirror to them every time she has to deal with a circumstance of her Blackness they didn’t understand.

“Communication is necessary for any healthy relationship, and in an interracial relationship it’s paramount. Every white man I’ve dated has, sometimes consciously and sometimes not, asked me to explain to them some aspect of blackness. ‘Can I say the N-word if I’m singing along to a song?’ ‘How do I be a better gentrifier?’ (I don’t know dude, I ask myself the same question every goddamn day.) I know that I shouldn’t feel compelled to always speak for my race, but I can’t expect a white boyfriend to stop asking some of those questions if we’re to come to a mutual understanding. Lately, though, I just don’t feel like answering them.”

Relaying an experiencing catching the eye of a Black man on the train platform and exchanging an understood “Black nod” of acknowledgment, Meyerson says, “What I’m craving right now from a partner — more than feeling beautiful, more than anything — is a ‘Black nod’ version of a relationship.”

Can you relate?

The post Would You Still Date A White Man In Trump’s America? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Social media is a cold game when u have 2 tell folks your name is trending because it's your birthday & you're not dead! Thanx 4 the LOVE! pic.twitter.com/NTiVe08iR4

— Chaka Khan (@ChakaKhan) March 23, 2017

Happy Birthday Chaka! May I be blessed with 1/3 of your badassery! #chakakhan

A post shared by Aria Cavaliere Negri (@parlourvintage) on Mar 23, 2017 at 12:47pm PDT

#TBT - My version of 70s retro editorial chic. #ChakaStyle

A post shared by Chaka Khan (@chakaikhan) on Dec 15, 2016 at 5:14pm PST

You don't know Chaka like I know Chaka! Happy Earth Strong @chakaikhan #chakakhan #legend #singer #vocalist #funk #soul #rnb

A post shared by Kenny Washington (@kenwash66) on Mar 23, 2017 at 1:04pm PDT

The post Chaka Khan’s Most Memorable Fashion Moments On Her Birthday appeared first on MadameNoire.

People keep asking me what's motivating me to work out. It's purely selfish. I want to be fine as hell. One more time before I get real old

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 15, 2017

When that little extra cardio counts!! STAIRS STAIRS STAIRS!!! pic.twitter.com/JQhziQBssE

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 14, 2017

Let's get physical dammit!! I'm telling you a bitch is gonna be fine soon I dint know bikini fine lol but just as well!! pic.twitter.com/uxNnuus05N

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 2, 2017

The post “A B—h Is Gonna Be Fine Soon”: 11 Times Leslie Jones Was All Of Us At The Gym appeared first on MadameNoire.

At some point, most Black girls go through a phase of learning to accept their natural hair; few of us have a major ad campaign to help us do it. But that’s the story for 11-year-old Siira, who for the past two weeks has been able to see her face –and more importantly her fro — on a billboard in London to show her just how beautiful and normal her natural hair is.

The billboard was rented by Siira’s tenacious mother, Lekia Lée, who noticed when her daughter was just three year’s old she began complimenting women in public on their hair — women whose hair was straight and smooth, unlike her textured hair.

“I said, ‘Wow, she is already recognizing that is the only way to have great hair,’ ” Lée told The Washington Post, noting that many of her daughter’s friends behaved the same way.  “Black women are generally not born with straight hair. That’s basically saying Black women are not beautiful.”

That’s what led Lée to come up with the billboard of various girls and women, including her and her own daughter, wearing their hair naturally. The Nigerian mom had been attempting to raise funds for the effort since 2011 and, according to WaPo, “When crowdfunding didn’t work, the mother decided to go straight to the billboard companies, asking them to donate a space to the cause. Finally, a company — UK Billboards — agreed, placing two billboards with the hashtag #afrovisibility.” Appropriately, the billboards went up on March 8, International Women’s Day.

The ad, Lée said, essentially says, “This is how I am, this is how I look. Why should I be pressured to look differently from who I am?”

On the heels of the success of this campaign, Lée has created Project Embrace, an organization through which she hopes to launch more billboard campaigns to continue encouraging “visibility” of Afros and natural hair as normal.

The post Mom Of The Year Rents Billboard To Teach Daughter To Love Her Natural Fro appeared first on MadameNoire.

I love a colorful pair of sneakers. I dig ’em for everyday wear, but I’m especially a fan of rainbows of color when it comes to my athletic footwear. Shoes in orange, bright green and purple hues have made their way into my closet, and honestly, they’re like a party on my feet. And sometimes you need that party to even feel like getting moving in the first place. But for some people, it doesn’t take all of that. I’m talking about those who have an affinity for neutral colors. Individuals who wear black like it’s going out of style. Those who live for a beige ensemble and have alerts on their computer for a reasonably priced brown shoe. Folks who love white almost as much as LisaRaye. So what do they wear on their feet for a good sweat session? Anything laid back in color and comfortable in feel. With those people in mind, we did some shopping for just a few neutral-colored workout sneakers with a casual look that those people could train in while still managing to turn heads.

1. Puma Rebel Slip-On Training Shoe $65

2. Nike Free TR Focus Flyknit Running Shoe $98

3. Reebok Sublite Authentic 2 Lightweight Running Shoe $50

4. Adidas Energy Cloud V Lightweight Running Shoe $60

5. Asics Gel-Lite V Running Sneaker $130

The post 5 Laid-Back Athletic Shoes For People Who Swear By Neutral Colors appeared first on MadameNoire.

With Ciara ending her $15 million defamation lawsuit against Future, her former fiancé and father of her son, Future Zahir Wilburn, it seems that things between the former lovers may have finally become more peaceful. Anything is better than the past tumult.

But then you can’t help but get confused when you hear lyrics like these from the song “My Collection” off of Future’s latest album, HNDRXX, lyrics that people say were aimed at Ciara:

“She told me she was an angel/She f–ked two rappers and three singers/She got a few athletes on speed dial/I’m tryna get the case dismissed before I see trial/And these codeine habits ain’t got nothin’ to do with my lil’ child/No this codeine ain’t got nothin’ to do with my lil’ child.”

But then you also have lyrics like this, from the song “Sorry,” from the same album, that could also be in reference to the singer:

“Ain’t really mean to hurt you/Sorry it has to be this way/Ain’t mean to desert you/Sorry that it looks that way.”

So how does Future really feel about the woman he’s had so much to say about since their split in 2014? We know that in the past, Ciara didn’t even want to speak that man’s name in public. Not to mention that at this point, she’s married and expecting her second child, her first with Russell Wilson. She’s started a whole new private life.

However, “Nayvadius “Future” Wilburn seems a little more conflicted and has always been the one open about their ups and downs. But according to his chat with Billboard, which he is on the cover of for the April 1 issue, overall, he’s happy — even if he feels like his ex gave up “on something real”:

Future insists he’s in a good place. “I feel like everything happened for a reason,” he says. “I’m happy with life now. I’m happy with life, period, even with the end of a ­relationship being…” He trails off, and when he starts up again the tone is more defiant. “I’m just not going to settle for anything, you know? Even in my life now, I know I can be a better person. I ain’t giving up on myself, so if you give up on me, I ain’t got nothing else to say for you. Because if you give up on ­something that’s real, it wasn’t real to you.”

That said, he doesn’t seem to have the ­fondest memories of the attempts he made to adapt himself to the relationship with Ciara, including cutting back on weed and codeine and the rest of his lengthy pharmacopoeia. “They had me going the cornball route!” he says with a bitter little laugh. And anyway, Future notes that not even the women he’s writing about — clearly not all Ciara — will know who the tracks are really about. “What the people don’t ­understand is, I been kicking it with superstars when it comes to females for a minute — on the low-low with nobody don’t know-know.” At which point Future cracks a big grin and laughs.

Interesting response, right?

Image via WENN 

The post Future Says Ciara Gave Up “On Something That’s Real” appeared first on MadameNoire.

Not only is Twitter a place where you can share the mundanities of everyday life, get things, big and small, trending, and for many, a space where individuals gather their news, but it’s also a social media platform where possible love connections can be made.

While you were at work yesterday, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, 47, tried to shoot his shot with writer and comedian Mindy Kaling, 37. It all started when Booker caught wind of a joke made on her Hulu series, The Mindy Project, about the city of Newark, where Booker previously served as mayor.

Ouch! @MindyKaling, heard Dr. Lahiri dissed Newark last night … @VogueMagazine & I disagree ✌: https://t.co/2wP7ZqJKQd (I still ❤️U!) pic.twitter.com/FSwfkxenQJ

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

He probably wasn’t expecting a response, but Kaling gave him one. She made sure to differentiate between herself and her popular TV character.

Senator, if Mindy Lahiri shades it, it means we know it’s cool. Thanks for the ❤. It’s mutual! https://t.co/KW2ibviREc

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

Giddy at the fact that she responded and said that the love he has for her and her work is mutual, Booker decided to ask her out for dinner, which no one saw coming.

You are making my day! Thanks for the clarification. And If the ❤️is really mutual… Come have dinner with me in Newark? #PleaseSayYes https://t.co/fI9IYJYZEX

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

Twitter is definitely not the place to play coy when asked out on a date, especially not with all eyes on you. Kaling responded by accepting his invitation.

@CoryBooker yes. Now let me get the PATH train schedule.

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

Thank you! PATH train is awesome when you are Jersey bound. But you are @Lyft worthy! I will send one to you for the door to door. https://t.co/hTHqqyXLZn

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

Even the New Jersey Path tried to get in on this back and forth:

@mindykaling @CoryBooker Here’s the schedule: https://t.co/X0CTn8lD54

— PATH Train (@PATHTrain) March 23, 2017

https://t.co/tIYB7JWIh6

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

Now, we’re not 100 percent sure if and when this date will actually take place, but fans of Kaling seem absolutely here for a love connection between her and Booker.

@mindykaling I’ve already imagined 11 different scenarios in which you and @CoryBooker fall in love please don’t let us down

— Nisha Patel (@nisha6845) March 23, 2017

@mindykaling ummm is this really happening because it really needs to

— Jenilyn (@lambsLion) March 23, 2017

@mindykaling mindy i need to know if you are serious, don’t play with our hearts

— HANNAH HURT ALERT (@hannahhurt) March 23, 2017

In the past, Kaling has dated her former The Office co-star B.J. Novak, as well as writer Benjamin Nugent. As for Booker, he’s reportedly dated Gayle King and poet/stylist Cleo Wade.

They’re both single, and he seems ready to mingle, so why not?

Images via WENN

The post Cory Booker Asking Mindy Kaling Out On Twitter Is The Most Interesting Thing You’ll See Today appeared first on MadameNoire.

Japanese is most often thought of as a very homogeneous society, but are Black women from all over the globe who have decided to make a home there. And two of those women, Avril Haye Matsui and Stephanie Fay Gayle, created a group for these women known as Black Women in Japan (BWIJ) in September 2014.

The organization has evolved from a Facebook Group to a live meeting group with BWIJ holding its first conference on March 25th in Tokyo. BWIJ, which has grown from a membership of 400 at its launch to more than 1,500 currently, is expecting members from all over Japan to head to Tokyo. The convention is open to all women of African descent in Japan.

According to Matsui, BWIJ has helped members network as well as connect with others going through similar experiences of being Black women in the east.

“I was feeling kinda frustrated,” Matsui told Japan Times. “I didn’t feel like Black women were being represented well. There were people writing books about ‘Western’ women in Japan but none of these women were women like me. It was like we didn’t really exist. One day, Stephanie and I went to this African Festa in Nagoya. All of the vendors there were African, but all of the entertainment was Japanese. There wasn’t even one Black face. We were just sitting there shaking our heads, thinking, ‘This isn’t right.’ It wasn’t that these Japanese performers were deliberately mocking African culture. I think they were trying to be very respectful about it, but they had forgotten to include African people in their efforts to represent Africa.”

Added Nashville, Tennessee-native Jackie Thompson, who has been living in Japan for the past five years, “I’m Black, I’m a woman and I live in Japan, so I joined. I’ve found it to be a very good support center. Being a Black woman working in a Japanese work environment has its challenges. And it’s great to have sisters post about their own experiences and know that I’m not alone here in my little inaka (countryside) town.”

The BWIJ convention will be a one-day event and include nine workshops covering spirituality, developing vibrant habits, hair, beauty, fashion, dance. Also on the schedule are lunch, dinner, and an after-party. BWIJ will also launch a program called Big/Little Sisters to help those struggling during their relocation transition. “In Japan, not only Black women but many foreigners have situations where you can’t talk to your family back home because, though they know you they don’t know the situation, so they really can’t relate. And it’s sometimes hard to be strong by yourself. You can breakdown so easily,” explained Bridgette Wright, another of the organizers, who moved to Japan from Jamaica in 2013. “I never want to hear about a Black woman committing suicide because she felt like she couldn’t reach out to anyone or she felt like she was going through something that only she was experiencing.”

The post Konnichiwa! Black Women In Japan To Hold First Conference appeared first on MadameNoire.

You end up bragging more

You apologize more

You don’t defend people

You become more selfish

You become abusive to your friends

You become critical of women

You value money more

You value status more

You laugh less

You become quieter

You become flaky

You’re hard on yourself

You become paranoid

You become irritable

You use people

The post How Dating A Narcissist Changes You appeared first on MadameNoire.

As the saying goes, it’s the thought that counts.

We bring up this phrase when we’re trying to state that one’s focus should be on the intentions the gift-giver had when they gave their present, no matter how good or bad that gift is. But some presents, if we’re being honest, are just a terrible idea. Case in point: anything that’s fake.

After speaking with a friend about the time her mom knowingly bought her a fake Coach wallet that she proceeded to never use, I wondered how often fake bags and wallets are given as gifts. I did a quick search on Google, and lo and behold, issue after issue posted of women seeking advice because they didn’t know what to do about the fake bags they were given by their boyfriends. On top of that issue, they were also trying to figure out if the men in their life knowingly gave them fake designer bags or if they had been swindled. The common concern was for their boyfriend’s ego. And while they didn’t want to carry around the gifts, they’d been asked by the gift-givers why they hadn’t been using them.

Awkward.

Hell, even Drake admitted on his new album, or “playlist,” More Life that he’s been guilty of gifting a woman a fake designer wallet. As he put it in the song, “Do Not Disturb, “Remember when I bought Sealey the fake Chanel wallet/She knew that sh-t was a fraud but never told me about it/Nowadays when we catchin’ up we just laugh about it/Can’t describe what my life is like when she asks about it.”

My, have his circumstances changed.

As for everyday people, this user who shared her story on Yahoo! was pissed with her boyfriend over her fake bag — maybe a little too pissed:

I can’t believe he gave me a FAKE bag!
He makes good money and is very fashion conscious himself.
He was in NYC last month on a business trip, I assume he must have gotten it there. A–HOLE!!
Did he really think I wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a fake???
The best part of this is that he gave it to me in a COACH store shopping bag to make it look like it was real!!!!

Another, reportedly deemed ungrateful by people on social media, said her boyfriend bought her four Chanel bags and three pairs of Christian Louboutins, all fake. Still, he swears they’re real and is bothered that she won’t wear them.

I love him a lot but he should stop trying it. I will wear aldo n zara and still love him. He always wants me to wear these things out on the red carpet or weddings. I refuse most times and he gets so upset. He says things like do you know how much these things cost. I ordered them from NY blah blah. I know he’s lying but I don’t want to hurt him.

And one other young woman was more sad than mad about her fake Louis Vuitton bag. Her main concern was that her boyfriend had been hoodwinked by a relative because she really didn’t want to believe that he would knowingly buy her a fake bag.

Last night, my boyfriend and I exchanged Christmas presents. He gave me a Louis Vuitton handbag and told me it was authentic. The more I look at the bag (and research them online), the more I’m convinced it’s a fake. I’m no expert, but…
Anyhow, I feel awful. He may not know that it’s fake. He told me a couple of months ago that his Uncle was managing a Louis Vuitton store and could get bags for a small discount. I hope his Uncle wouldn’t try and cheat him but you never know. My gut feeling is that if this bag is a fake, my boyfriend does know about it.

My question is…. should I tell him what I suspect? I put a lot of thought into his present and spent a lot of money on it. And although it IS the thought that counts, trying to pass off fake stuff is just tacky.

After reading about these and other similar scenarios, I noticed the consensus opinion was that the women should be thankful for the gift, but instead, they were being unappreciative. Remember, it’s the thought that counts, right? That’s usually what women are told when it comes to men dish out to us that we end up being uncomfortable with: “Someone else would appreciate it.”

But who are these people kidding? If you bought your boyfriend a fake pair of Jordans, do you think he would actually wear them in public? What about a fake gold chain? A fake Playstation (they’re out there)? He would want no parts, sis, and rightfully so.

So why should someone just smile and begrudgingly wear a fake designer bag? I don’t need Chanel, but I’ll for damn sure pass on Channel. And while I probably wouldn’t expose the bag’s fake status, if consistently pressed about why I don’t use it while sitting on proof that my gift is counterfeit, I might have to let the cat out of the bag. Trust me when I say that nobody wants that.

My stance on situations like this is that when all else fails, you can’t go wrong with a normal, thoughtful gift. Can’t get the designer bag? Just get your partner a regular, nice bag instead. Can’t afford the Chanel? Give her a few dollars to help her save to buy it on her own. But under no circumstances should someone knowingly try and gift their partner anything fake if that’s not what they asked for. If it’s the thought that counts, I’m sorry, but that’s not a good thought…

But as always, that’s just my opinion. What say you? Is it petty to not want to rock the fake designer bag your boyfriend gave you? Would you tell him it’s fake? 

Image via Bigstock 

The post Is This Petty? I Refuse To Wear The Fake Designer Bag He Bought Me appeared first on MadameNoire.

By now, you might have seen the video gone viral of the man stepping in between two squabbling teenagers in the middle of a residential street in Atlantic City, New Jersey. If you haven’t, check it out in the video below.

Honestly, there’s something beautiful about this moment because this whole interaction could have gone wrong. But instead, the boys ended the altercation by shaking hands. One of the surrounding teenagers who had gathered to watch the fight even shook the man’s hand. And the errand Ibn Ali Miller was running for his mother, resulted in the video being shared by the likes of LeBron James and Snoop Dogg.

Today, the man who stepped in is being honored for his good deed. 26-year-old Ibn Ali Miller, from Atlantic City, was honored by the city council and Mayor Don Guardian, who said:

“A dozen positive lessons could be taught from that four-minute video alone,” Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian said in a statement. “He fearlessly spoke so much truth to those young kids. We need more adults in the world that are willing to step in to help pull back our youth from the edge.”

Miller, a married father of six, spoke about the incident but spent a significant amount of time thanking his mother Sabrina Winters for her influence and guidance in his life.

“I want to first and foremost, give God all of the praise and all of the recognition as none of us are in control of anything, not even of ourselves. He is the one who holds everything. After that, I would like to thank my mom…yeah…When I was young, we grew up in the projects…when I would get on punishment she would have to make me read books and I had to either write a short story or a poem…She’d make me read…I’m crying because this whole situation, it deeply saddens me. It deeply saddens me. And the fact that it’s unbelievable…this should be very believable. This should be the norm and it should be regular. But I don’t want to take the attention because these young men, they were going to fight. And they decided not to. Not only did they decide not to fight, they decided to shake hands and display unity. These are teenagers. The adults in our community have a problem with this issue. And they displayed it very well. So not only do I want to thank my mom, I want to thank the people who raised these young men as well. Because they raised them to be young men of reason. Which seems to be a rare trait in our community. The person I want to give the most praise is my mother. Because she taught me about God and she raised me to be who I am. She supports me and aides me, she encourages me. And when we were young, she put pretzel sticks across the kitchen table. She said, ‘Those pretzel sticks are the right path. The rest of the table is the wrong path. It’s very, very difficult to stay on the right path, as we would find that out through the years. Even through trials and tribulations, my mother stuck by me. I had children very young, my mother aided me and supported me. I don’t know, people get fifteen minutes of fame a lot and I would like to use second of the fifteen minutes to send gratitude to my mother. Please give her a round of applause.”

You can watch Miller’s speech in the video below.

The post Man Who Broke Up Fight In Viral Video Breaks Down Thanking His Mother As He’s Honored appeared first on MadameNoire.

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