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Black Twitter Translates The James Comey Hearing

June 8, 2017, 10:43 am
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Image via Getty I just g-chatted my sister to see if she was watching former FBI Director James Comey testifying in front of the Senate. As you know Comey was fired by President Trump in the midst of his investigation into Russia's potential involvement in our election. My sister wasn't watching at the time but asked me what I made of the whole thing. After responding with an expletive I won't share here, I said, "The country is in danger girl." We knew this. But listening to Comey speak about his conversations with Trump, the fact that he admitted emphatically that there was no doubt in his mind that Russia had interfered in our Presidential election, and then his belief that he was fired because he was investigating this theory as well as former national security director Michael Flynn. It all just seems like something out of a reality tv show. Except we're living it, in front of the eyes of the world and we look like fools. In order to laugh to keep from crying, I logged onto Twitter to see how Black folk were reacting to the most talked about news item of the day. Check out the reaction below.

The post Black Twitter Translates The James Comey Hearing appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Urban Decay Is About To Drop Some Super Hot Ish

June 8, 2017, 12:34 pm
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Urban Decay is known for its Naked palettes featuring beautiful neutral shades of browns and creams to make all of your natural eye look dreams come true. But this summer the brand is kicking it up a notch with what they're calling the hottest addition to the Naked family yet, Naked Heat. The palette features 12 highly pigmented red-brown and copper shades in matte and shimmery finishes perfect for golden bronze daytime looks and smoky nighttime eyes. And to set off the smoky eyes even more, there are two new eye pencils in Alkaline, a deep wine shade, and Torch, a sienna hue, that nicely complement the new shadow shades. The eye shadows and pencils also match perfectly with three new limited-edition Vice Lipstick shades released in conjunction with Naked Heat. Fuel is a warm peachy nude lip shade in a cream finish while Heat and Scorched are metallized shades of burnt red-gold and copper. And because the lipsticks also feature UDs Pigment Infusion System to make shades soft in texture, yet rich in color, the metallized shades apply smoothly and stay all day. If you're a UD Beauty Junkie, you won't have to wait long to grab this new collection. On June 12, you can snatch these items during an exclusive and limited pre-sale on UD.com. For everyone else, the Naked Heat palette, eye pencils, and Vice lipstick colors will be available June 30th. Take a look at all the products on the next few pages.

The post Urban Decay Is About To Drop Some Super Hot Ish appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Buy Black & Support Women At The Uptown Underground Market This Saturday

June 8, 2017, 1:01 pm
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Image via CreateHerStock, Design by Vanessa Rae Wells If you were reading MadameNoire, earlier this year, you might have heard about our Uptown Underground Market. The brainchild of Andrea Reed in collaboration with myself and my sister we launched a market that was dedicated on empowering Black women artisans, creatives, and entrepreneurs. And while anybody with their own business will tell you that there is very little that comes easy, I know all three of us feel very proud to be able to support women like us: Black women who are trying to hustle for themselves. It's a beautiful thing. So as our first market was coming to an end, we were already making plans for the next one. And that next one is taking place this Saturday, June 10 in Harlem, New York. In addition to just shopping, this month we're extending an opportunity for our customers to give back as well. We've partnered with For Girls By Girls NYC, an organization that seeks to provide access to sanitary products for homeless girls. FGBG is asking that customers bring either monetary donations or sanitary products for these young ladies. The information is included in the flyer above, but check out the vendors who will be selling their wares this time around. For those of you who don't live in New York, the name of each business is linked to their websites where you can order online.

127 East

127|East is new to the market this month. The nourishing ingredients in their lip-wear products promise to moisturize and rejuvenate your lips while also delivering exceptional color, brilliant shine and long lasting wear.

Be stunning in these gorgeous sets | Shop with us June 10th in Harlem, NY @uptownundergroundmarket . . . 📸: @edsatterwhite 👩<img src=" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />‍🎨: @simplysyeisha <img src=" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src=" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />: @thevirginartiste (left- Cadlah choker) <img src=" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src=" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />: @natoyap (right-Wyanet choker) Both in Ryshia earrings . . . . . #andandnyc #uptownundergroundmarket #supportsmallbusiness #shoplocal #handmade #earrings #fashionstylist #fashion #fashionista #jewelry #blackgirlmagic #handmadejewelry #fashionblogger #harlem #bohostyle #nyc #choker #style #fashionstyle #womensfashion #ootd #naturalhair #curlyhair #boho #bohemian #newyorkcity #melanin

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AndAndNyc

A New Day, A New Dawn NYC jewelry is handcrafted with love in the Bronx. Each style is designed and made by Andrea using the carefully sourced fair trade beads and other findings from around the world.

Ayana Mack

This visual artist and graphic designer has been surrounded by art her entire life. And she didn't fight it. She embraced and consumed it and now spends her days painting, illustrating and creating African inspired artwork, t-shirts, greeting cards and wood prints. https://www.instagram.com/p/BEbvGqBpNfz/

Beazy Handmade

Therapy in the form of bookmaking. Beazy Handmade, a shop specializing in journals, planners and book covers, was birthed from the owner’s love of these items and the special relationship she shared with her mother who kept journals to house her drawings and doodles.

Androgynous Queen 👑Designer Shaunna Sene Model:Kyiona Carswell Photographer: Roman Vail

A post shared by Dimension X Boutique (@dimension_x_boutique) on

Dimension x Boutique

Dimension X Boutique bridges the gap between science, spirituality and fashion. All products, whether it’s jewelry, clothing or home decor, are designed to elevate your spiritual awareness, promote positive relationships and increase vibrational energies. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUtvzj-Df2w/?taken-by=eastmarquette

East Marquette

East Marquette likes to think of their products as "A love letter to culture written by creatively designed t-shirts, totes, and hats."

Gillian Alex, Tuesday at Three

From the Bay Area, she was already a city girl before moving to NYC. Realizing every girl needs a moment to herself, Gillian launched GirlsTimeOutBlog in 2011. When the comments section became longer than the posts, she knew she was on to something. "Tuesday at Three" is her first book, but won’t be her last.

ImaniLia

IIMANILIA is a full service fashion business that gives women & men the Royal Experience. At IMANILIA we cater to women’s event/evening wear; cocktail attire and accessory needs as well as her lifestyle needs and event wear wants. We specialize in merging Class, Glamour, Edginess, and the Regal Feeling that comes with being Royalty to EVERY client.

A post shared by OboraLux (@oboralux) on

Oboralux

OboraLux was born out of our love for travel and captivation with all things African, Asian and Middle Eastern. Our eclectic treasures are inspired by the vibrant and rich traditions of these diverse cultures. We source handcrafted pieces for the modern traveler and her home.

RazzyBerry Pearl

Razzberry Pearl is an all-natural body product company for Men / Women featuring natural and organic ingredients.

Sweet Dames

Sweet Dames Artisan Confections ™ offers a gorgeous variety of gourmet Coconut Macaroons and CocoMallow Sandwiches that are the most deliciously surprising taste of decadence. These wonderfully sweet coconut cookies are addictive! Taste the mouthwatering flavors, crispy exterior and soft chewy center. Simply best-in-class!

Vanessa Rae Wells

Vanessa Rae Wells is a designer in New York City working in event and graphic design. She is passionate about beautifully executing cultural content that uplifts and celebrates the Black community.

Veronica Wells, Bettah Days

  I'll have a lot going on at my table this time around. But it's all centered around telling Black women's stories. So in addition to selling my debut novel, Bettah Days, I'll also be selling #EnjoyYourVagina t-shirts to coincide with the series of stories women are sharing on my newly launched site NoSugarNoCreamMag.com.

Handmade (with love) palm wax candles

A post shared by Zenistry Candles (@zenistrycandles) on

Zenistry Candles

Every candle from Zenistry is hand poured with all-natural palm wax and a cotton wick. Our fragrances are carefully selected to create the most calming environment wherever you are. If you're in NYC and want to attend the market, be sure to RSVP here: uptownundergroundmarket.splashthat.com. Everyone else, we'll see you online!  

The post Buy Black & Support Women At The Uptown Underground Market This Saturday appeared first on MadameNoire.

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We Were Rooting For You! Shows With Black Leads That Were Canceled This Season

June 8, 2017, 1:22 pm
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In April, we told you about all of the shows you could look forward to watching in the spring season, but now that it's about to be summer, a hefty amount of programs have already been axed. And while plenty of shows featuring casts without much diversity were canceled, we couldn't help but notice many of the shows featuring people of color, particularly as leads, were cut. Check out a few shows that gained a following, but sadly, not a big enough one to stay on air. [caption id="attachment_736615" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] WGN[/caption]

Underground

Underground was a critically-acclaimed series with pretty good ratings. Sadly, when WGN's parent company was purchased by the right-leaning Sinclair Group in May, they said they were going to move away from scripted shows, so the series was canceled after two seasons. They felt the ratings weren't high enough for the money being spent on WGN series. [caption id="attachment_820754" align="aligncenter" width="1068"]The Get Down Part II Netflix[/caption]

The Get Down

The series was super expensive and just couldn't seem to connect with the number of viewers who stream some of Neflix's biggest hits. Therefore, the Baz Luhrmann-directed show was shown the door after one complete season (that was two parts).

shows black leads

Pitch

Despite getting strong reviews, Fox canceled the drama Pitch after just one season. It was about a pitcher who is the first woman to play in the major leagues. Great storyline and message, not so great viewership. [caption id="attachment_833198" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Fox[/caption]

24: Legacy

Another Fox show given the boot is the reboot of 24 starring Straight Outta Compton star Corey Hawkins. Despite getting off to a good start, ratings fell dramatically and the network decided against a second season. They do, however, see the show returning with an entirely different cast in the near future. [caption id="attachment_833199" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Fox[/caption]

Rosewood

After two seasons, Morris Chestnut's police procedural drama was canceled after two seasons on Fox. "This is not only a part of the industry, it's a part of life," Chestnut said. "When one door closes, two more can open... Thank you all for your continued #onelove and support." [caption id="attachment_833200" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] ABC[/caption]

American Crime

It's the series that helped Regina King win two Emmys. Sadly, ABC opted against granting John Ridley a fourth installment in his critically acclaimed and beloved anthology crime drama. [caption id="attachment_833202" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Fox[/caption]

Scream Queens

Yet another Fox show canceled, Keke Palmer's anthology horror/comedy series Scream Queens was cut by the network after two seasons. [caption id="attachment_833203" align="aligncenter" width="1068"]shows black leads Monty Brinton/CBS[/caption]

Doubt

You probably didn't even know this show was on the air like that because it was canceled before it could even get going. The CBS drama starring Dulé Hill, Laverne Cox and Katherine Heigl was cut after only two episodes when viewership didn't pop whatsoever. [caption id="attachment_833204" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Netflix[/caption]

Sense8

An incredibly diverse cast in terms of the number of people of color and depictions of the LGBTQ community, the Netflix series wasn't invited back to the party for a third season. The sci-fi drama from the Wachowskis was canceled at the start of Pride month. [caption id="attachment_833205" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Lifetime[/caption]

Vivica's Black Magic

Not that you were probably expecting this show to be an award-winning series at any point, but the show, which featured an array of talented Black male dancers, was cut by Lifetime after one season. It didn't help that while promoting the series, Vivica A. Fox was accused of homophobia. When asked if the dancers would ever perform lapdances for gay men, she replied with "Hell no." She is now being sued by show executive producer Jean-Claude LaMarre, who feels that the actress sabotaged the show and live revues with her comments.

The post We Were Rooting For You! Shows With Black Leads That Were Canceled This Season appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Woman Who Went Viral For Photo With Fit Husband Says He Helped Her Love “Every Curve, Every Roll”

June 8, 2017, 2:28 pm
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A little less than a week ago, Jasmine “Jazzy” Owens shared a simple photo of herself and her husband walking on the beach, holding hands. The caption though, was about body acceptance. Owens had finally learned to embrace the body that her “born fit” husband had loved since he met her.

Instagram Photo

The image and story behind it would eventually go viral, and now the 25-year-old is speaking to PEOPLE about what it took for her to change the way she views herself.

“Trying to change my mindset on what the ‘perfect body’ looks like has been a big factor in my journey,” she told the publication. “I am still not fully there. Some days I have doubts, but I feel as though that is just negativity and I’m trying to escape it. When I have these doubts, I simply look in the mirror and remind myself why I started this journey to love my body, and tell myself ‘You are beautiful!'”

Her message has touched quite a few people who love seeing true love, no matter the differences and difficulties, prevail. But Owens admits that the response has been quite a surprise for her.

“Honestly my post going viral has come as a complete shock to me,” Owens said. “It’s very exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I am just very humbled that my story is not only reaching so many, but also inspiring others to love their bodies no matter what shape and size they are.”

The post now has more than 73,000 likes after being shared everywhere, and a bevy of encouraging comments from a number of women and men.

The post Woman Who Went Viral For Photo With Fit Husband Says He Helped Her Love “Every Curve, Every Roll” appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Did You Know There Was A Black Man Inside Barney?

June 8, 2017, 3:15 pm
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Image via WENN 

Growing up, I’d heard tell of rumors that the man inside the legendary Barney suit jumping around and clicking his heels was a brutha.

But like a lot of Urban legends of the nineties, there was really no way to confirm it. So I basically lost interest.

But now that we’re living in the information age, we have access to a lot of those answers.

Turns out, Barney was set in motion by a Black man, a pretty well-rounded, intelligent and fascinating Black man named David Joyner, who told Tech Insider that he actually knew he was going to get the job before it was even offered to him.

That was just one of the many interesting tidbits we learned about Joyner and his journey as the world’s most beloved purple dinosaur and what he’s doing now.

Check out what he had to say in the video below.

The post Did You Know There Was A Black Man Inside Barney? appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Menu Tricks Not To Fall For

June 9, 2017, 4:00 am
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[caption id="attachment_832998" align="alignleft" width="1068"] Bigstockphoto.com/Charmed women have a rest in a restaurant. They are looking at each other and talking about something and smiling. African girl is wearing white dress with bare shoulders and blonde woman is wearing short black dress. Sunny day.[/caption] Menus are designed to make you crave more food, believe you're hungrier than you are, check your calorie guilt at the door and believe everything is a good deal. That's why you walk into a restaurant expecting to spend $20 and end up signing a check for $50. That bill can be a little shocking, which is strange because you knew what you were doing--you added the side salad and the dessert. Nobody forced your hand in the matter. But after you're done enjoying the food (which you devoured in 20 minutes) you're left with the bloat and the bank account guilt for hours or days. Here are menu tricks not to fall for. [caption id="attachment_828448" align="alignleft" width="420"] Bigstockphoto.com/Red caviar close up on a sandwich in a female hand with red nails. Healthy food. Fish appetizer. Russian kitchen. Overlay caviar on bread.[/caption]

Appetizers for two, lite eaters, etc

Menus often tell you for what occasion each item is. They may put cute little notes like "perfect for two" or "for big eaters" next to items. This makes couples feel unromantic if they don't get the appetizer for two and it challenges men who call themselves big eaters to get the triple size burrito.             [caption id="attachment_704166" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

The "healthy" section

Some menus try to help you out by organizing their lighter fare under one category. But they tend to upcharge for these, while items on other parts of the menu could be just as healthy if not healthier. For example, there may be a $16.95 farmers market salad under the lighter fair, but a perfectly light, $13 chicken breast with broccoli under the chicken section.       [caption id="attachment_719421" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Better prices on more meat

You can get a 4-ounce burger for $12 or a half pounder for $18. But do you really need half a pound of meat in one sitting? Your colon certainly doesn't.               [caption id="attachment_697222" align="alignleft" width="468"] Shutterstock.com/Menu[/caption]

Fixed price menus

If you order an appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert separately, you'll spend $60. OR you can get that all on a fixed price menu for $45. But if you'd never seen the fixed price menu, you probably would have only ordered a salad and an entree for $30.               [caption id="attachment_714104" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Half off happy hour

Beware of the happy hour menu. Restaurants tend to cut down portion sizes on happy hour menus, which means you need to order three things to fill up. You would've spent less if you'd ordered one thing off of the regular menu.           [caption id="attachment_713756" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

The $2 upsell

Your item comes with a side salad BUT you can upgrade your side to onion rings, clam chowder or a Ceasar salad for $2. The mere option of adding them for a discount price only makes you think of how much cheaper they are compared to if you'd ordered them a la carte. But you don't think about the fact that those items are not healthy.           [caption id="attachment_608315" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Making it a meal

You can add a drink and chips, or two sides, for $4. But your diet didn't really need those sides of mashed potatoes and macaroni salad, and most drinks and chips have no nutritional value.       [caption id="attachment_622832" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Organizing it by protein

Seafood, chicken, red meat etc. When menus break things up like this then you think of the relative health of the protein versus the dish. For example, chicken Parmesan isn't exactly healthy, but you feel good because you're not ordering from the steak section.     [caption id="attachment_703391" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Listing minute ingredients

Some restaurants list ingredients that are barely in a dish to make it sound healthy. For example, they'll tell you a filet is served on green bean and beet purée, but you get barely two tablespoons of that.           [caption id="attachment_617340" align="alignleft" width="500"] Credit: Shutterstock[/caption]

Pricing in brackets

You'll often find that items are just under $10, right under $20, or barely reaching $30. This is because round numbers like $20 make you think more seriously about what chunk of your paycheck you just spent on that sandwich.               [caption id="attachment_695319" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Adding "locally sourced"

You feel like a good person when you purchase locally sourced food. But a pizza that uses locally sourced tomatoes for the sauce is still a pizza. It just may cost more than other pizzas.             [caption id="attachment_702575" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Making multi-flap menus

Multi-flap menus are designed to overwhelm you, so you end up ordering things you're familiar with, which the restaurant has conveniently overpriced. You'd rather spend more money than spend more time studying the menu. But explore a bit and you could save some money.           [caption id="attachment_707056" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Giving food a charming name

The Santa Fe this and Mama's Italian that. These kinds of names tell a story, create a vibe, make you nostalgic and get you to spend $25 on lasagna or eat a heavy pot pie when you meant to get a salad.             [caption id="attachment_697797" align="alignleft" width="469"] Shutterstock[/caption]

Hiding the smaller sizes

A lot of restaurants offer smaller sizes of items, like a cup of soup rather than a bowl or a personal size pizza rather than a medium. You just have to ask, because you may not see it on the menu.                 [caption id="attachment_706513" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Spaghetti Saturday, Taco Tuesday

It seems like if a food gets its own day that it'll be cheaper on that day. The restaurant may have big signs that say "spaghetti bowl just $10.95 on spaghetti Saturday." But if you looked closer you'd see that spaghetti would be the same price on Wednesday.             [caption id="attachment_717496" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Bottomless anything

Bottomless pancakes cost $20, while a short stack costs $8. But most people can't eat more than two short stacks in one sitting, so buying them a la carte would have saved them $4.               [caption id="attachment_717494" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Adding allure

Calling something "vintage" "aged" or "imported" makes you feel like it's rare and will be hard to find again--so you'd better order it here! But is aged Parmesan cheese on the $25 cheese platter much better than regular Parmesan cheese?             [caption id="attachment_714752" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Breaking up menus

One for lunch, one with specials, one with happy hour. It makes you feel like you're missing out if you don't order from each menu. You also feel rushed to place orders without putting much thought into them, because the second you sit down, you feel behind on your reading homework.             [caption id="attachment_707067" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Listing the size of the steak

Why would you get the 6 oz steak when you can get the 8 oz or 10 oz?! Listing these sizes makes you worry you'll be left hungry if you get the smaller one, but you wouldn't be.               [caption id="attachment_703391" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Baiting you with expensive items

Restaurants strategically put a very expensive item right above another overpriced but slightly cheaper item. This makes the relatively affordable thing next to the very expensive thing look like a good price.

The post Menu Tricks Not To Fall For appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Ways Men Trick You Into Dates

June 9, 2017, 5:00 am
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[caption id="attachment_833012" align="alignleft" width="1068"] Bigstockphoto.com/lovely african american couple using laptop in living room[/caption] It’s rather pathetic when men choose to trick a woman into going on a date with them rather than simply saying, “I want to take you out on a date.” But, some men aren’t brave enough to face the consequences of putting their true desires out there. They can’t handle rejection so, instead of facing it, they try to sneak their way into acceptance. It’s very frustrating for women because the truth is, a lot of men who trick us into dates are men we could’ve been romantically interested in. But the mere fact that they weren’t confident enough to say they wanted a date is a huge turn-off. So take that as a tip, gentlemen: if you’re going to trick a woman into a date, you may ruin your chances of ever having a real date with her. Here are ways we’ve all been tricked into a date with a man. [caption id="attachment_698604" align="alignleft" width="418"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Going from a group to a solo hang

He claims it will be a group from work or a bunch of people you’ll love to meet. When you arrive at the bar, everyone seems to have gotten busy, had to cancel, or disappeared. How convenient. Suddenly, you’re on a date when you never signed up for a one-on-one interaction.             [caption id="attachment_220080" align="alignleft" width="500"]"Couple having coffee pf" Shutterstock.com[/caption]

Posing as a career ally

Ah yes—the guy who says he can help you on that project or team up with you so you both look better to the boss. He wants to come over late at night so you two can brainstorm ways to be put on the new, desirable project at work. Before you know it, he comes over not with a laptop and files, but with a bottle of wine and takeout because you both could “Use a break.”       [caption id="attachment_702372" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Posing as a career mentor

This one is actually pretty disgraceful—the man who pretends he is going to mentor you in your career. He may be your boss, your superior in some way, or just a well-respected authority in your industry. He’ll pretend he’s going to mentor you, introduce you to important contacts and show you the ropes, but he slyly starts to try to seduce you.             [caption id="attachment_703765" align="alignleft" width="420"] Shutterstock[/caption]

Pretending it’s about the hobby

Some men will pretend they just really need someone else to train for marathons with, or go to silent movies with, or do whatever common interest you’ve mentioned with. Of course, once they get you there, they start making flirtatious comments, putting their hand on your lower back, and making it very clear that this was not about having a companion for the vintage car show.           [caption id="attachment_702384" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Saying they need your career help

This technique is a bit offensive because, when someone comes to you and asks for your career help, you’re genuinely flattered! You feel really good about your work! So when it turns out this guy just wanted to hit on you, and wasn’t looking for your career advice, you go from feeling honored to feeling objectified.             [caption id="attachment_697899" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Seeking your dating advice

Perhaps one of the slimiest tricks of all is pretending to want dating advice to get a date. You’ve probably ended up out to drinks with a guy who asked you there because he said he could really use your advice on how to get another woman, and before you knew it, he was putting his hand on your knee.             [caption id="attachment_614757" align="alignleft" width="420"] Corbis[/caption]

Posing as your friend

Then, of course, there is the long con guy—the one who carries out several platonic hang-outs successfully before revealing his plan. You’ve gotten tacos at a food truck and taken your dogs to the park. But one night, he picks you up for dinner, takes you to an obviously romantic dinner and starts putting the moves on you. He lured you into a sense of safety before pouncing.           [caption id="attachment_620946" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Looking for a shoulder to cry on

It’s not fair and it’s not right, but some men will take advantage of a woman’s caring, nurturing nature when trying to date her. One man might claim he just needs a shoulder to cry on about a recent breakup, or some other upsetting event in his life, and in the middle of his most dramatic, tear-jerking speech about the event, he tries to kiss you. What?!     [caption id="attachment_707166" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Asking for shopping advice

It’s hard to resist a request to help a man pick out clothes! Especially since you’re so good at it! But then, of course, that man suggests you grab dinner in the middle of the shopping trip since you’re both hungry. And then he suggests drinks. And then he suggests you go back to his place so he can try on the clothes for you.             [caption id="attachment_705802" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

The old “plus one” trick

The old “I happen to have an extra ticket” or “I get a plus one and it’ll be so boring by myself” trick. Grrr! Men: just tell the woman, “I want you and only you as my date to this because I like you.”               [caption id="attachment_703766" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Offering to help you fix something

You’ve been complaining about your finicky television, the weird sound your car is making or the broken part of your barbecue. So your male coworker offers to come over and fix it—he’ll be in the area anyways, he says. But he arrives with a bunch of food and beer because you, “Have to eat right?” and after fixing your problem, he just won’t leave. Of course, you can’t ask him to, because he fixed your car!           [caption id="attachment_612768" align="alignleft" width="461"]women sisters friends Shutterstock[/caption]

The “You’d love my other female friend”

Some men know that women need other women to approve of a man before they can date him. This could be why a guy who was secretly interested in you told you that you’d hit it off tremendously with his other female friend. Then when the three of you had drinks, he slyly slipped away for a bit so his friend could tell you what a cute couple you’d make and what a great guy he is.         [caption id="attachment_701812" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Letting you show him the ropes

Who are you to turn down your new neighbor’s request for a tour of all the best cafes? Or your new coworker’s request to sit down for coffee so you can tell him who to stay away from, who to stick with and who to suck up to? You’re just trying to be helpful, but suddenly you’re on a date.               [caption id="attachment_616201" align="alignleft" width="451"] Corbis[/caption]

The fitness buddy

You just mentioned you go running in the park in the morning, or have wanted to sign up for a marathon. Now you suddenly have a weekly set running date with a guy who said he could use a running buddy to keep him motivated.             [caption id="attachment_714110" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

The pet play

You have a dog; he has a dog. Your dogs already go to the same park. Why don’t you just meet up there so you have somebody to talk to? Oh look, he brought coffee for two. And a basket and a blanket. Wait: this is a romantic picnic.

The post Ways Men Trick You Into Dates appeared first on MadameNoire.

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All Grown Up: Celebrity Kids Who Are Class Of 2017 Graduates

June 9, 2017, 7:19 am
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These celebrity kids aren't little anymore! [caption id="attachment_833238" align="aligncenter" width="1068"]celebrity kid graduates WENN/Splash News[/caption] Around this time of year, young people around the country put on their cap and gown and turn their tassels, signifying that they're ready for the next stage of their education and their life. Quite a few stars are celebrating right now because their kids, many whom we've watched grow up, are graduating. The kids on this list are moving on from kindergarten, grade school and high school and their well-known parents couldn't be happier. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVGSq0jlb72/?taken-by=theshaderoom

Cori Broadus

The 17-year-old daughter of Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus just graduated from high school. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVH6Nc3l3JR/?taken-by=theshaderoom

Amara Lawrence

The daughter of Martin Lawrence and ex-wife Shamicka Gibbs graduated from eighth grade with her mom and dad present to celebrate. https://www.instagram.com/p/BU-HqnbB6_2/?taken-by=noellerobinson&hl=en

Noelle Robinson

The daughter of Leon Robinson and Cynthia Bailey graduated from high school this month. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUh8YC_FyNU/?taken-by=neneleakes

Brentt Leakes

NeNe and Gregg Leakes's son Brentt graduated from high school in May! https://www.instagram.com/p/BUUlTB7F1M2/?taken-by=thereallailaali&hl=en

Sydney J. Conway

Laila Ali and Curtis Conway's adorable daughter, Sydney, is moving on to first grade. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUkT-1VhGfG/?taken-by=toyawright&hl=en

Reginae Carter

The 18-year-old daughter of Toya Wright and Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter graduated from high school last month. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUCr3zoFYkn/?hl=en&taken-by=usher

Ryan Glover

Tameka Raymond's son and Usher's former stepson, Ryan, graduated from high school in May. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVB3O4vBTkK/?taken-by=torreihart&hl=en

Heaven Hart

The 12-year-old daughter of Kevin and Torrei Hart graduated from sixth grade this week. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVDnHuLgYgj/?taken-by=yarashahidi&hl=en

Yara Shahidi

The Black-ish star graduated from high school this week and announced that she's set to go to Harvard this fall. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVA8Pe6FpZ6/?taken-by=losangelesconfidential&hl=en

Harlem Taylor

Rapper The Game's oldest child is preparing to head to high school and he will graduate as one of the top students in his class! https://www.instagram.com/p/BUlJMwCDz9x/?taken-by=shereewhitfield&hl=en

Kaleigh Whitfield

Shereé and Bob Whitfield's youngest child, Kaleigh, graduated from high school last month (and did so looking just like Bob!). https://www.instagram.com/p/BU0I3t1hA5U/?hl=en&taken-by=conglomerateent

Mariah Smith

Rapper Busta Rhymes's daughter Mariah graduated from high school in May with her famous father and brother (T'ziah) by her side. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUhtT6lgRv7/?taken-by=sislovespurple&hl=en

Samaria Smith

The daughter of rapper and actor LL Cool J and wife Simone Smith graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology last month. Future designer in the making! https://www.instagram.com/p/BVCkhiBgGZP/?taken-by=yandysmith&hl=en

Omere Harris

The son of Yandy Smith and Mendeecees Harris graduated from kindergarten with his mom and Mendeecees' family by his side.

The post All Grown Up: Celebrity Kids Who Are Class Of 2017 Graduates appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Was Debra Lee Wrong For Refusing To Mentor Diddy When He Started Revolt?

June 9, 2017, 9:25 am
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Images via WENN

Debra Lee has been in the game for a minute now. And she’s earned the respect of the industry. During a recent conversation at the Paley Media Center with producer Will Packer, the two talked business, the network and how the programming on BET has become so successful.

The two also shared their thoughts on climbing in the industry and the notion of mentors, competition and idols. While Will Packer spoke with disappointment about how people stopped returning his calls once he started climbing the ladder and became competition, Debra Lee seemed to offer an explanation as to why that might be the case.
She shared a story of Diddy approaching her after he learned that he had Comcast had partnered with him to create Revolt.

“We were the only Black network for a very long time and that was kind of fun. Now I have lots of competitors. And this is a very competitive business. And what I’ve said to one of two of my competitors is ‘good luck’ I wish you well but I’m not going to hand over my audience to you on a silver platter.

We’re all in this together. I want everybody to do well but if you’re not in it to compete, you’re not in it to win.
Puffy came up to me at a party and said, ‘Oh I just won the license–Comcast is going to help me start a Black network.’ And I was like ‘Oh that’s great, good luck.’ And he said, ‘But I want you to be my mentor.’ And I said, ‘Puffy…’ And he said to me, ‘You don’t look happy.’ And I said, ‘You’re just telling me you’re starting a network to compete with me.’ You know, ‘I wish you luck but I’m not going to hug you and give you my secrets.’ And ‘If I do help you too much I’ma lose my job.’ “

Will Packer did agree with Lee though. Packer said that he was speaking as himself as an individual but with Lee, it’s business. She has people, shareholders, investors, advertisers and employees depending on her to fight and advocate for BET and BET alone. He argued that it would be irresponsible for her to do so.

Lee agreed saying, “It’s like Steph Curry handing LeBron the ball and saying ‘Take a shot…on me!’

When I first read Debra’s comments without the full context, I felt like it was a little counterproductive and hinted at a “crabs in a barrel” mentality. But after watching it, with a bit more insight, I can understand where she’s coming from. She’s responsible for a lot of people and I know Debra and ‘nem have got to eat.

But also, I believe in there being room for everyone and certainly in the idea of wanting to help other Black folk to dominate in the industry.

If you ask me, Revolt is nothing like BET. OWN is nothing like BET, TV One is closer but still, not all that much like BET. There is room for all of them. And most Black people will watch all of these networks if they cater to our interests. Maybe this is why I’m not in business because I don’t see how this is a problem.

Now, I don’t believe Debra should have sat down and discussed BET’s strategy and programming with Diddy but certainly there is a level of insight she could have provided that would be of service to him as another Black man trying to present content to Black people and still maintain her loyalty and integrity as the head of BET.

Obviously, she felt she couldn’t without sacrificing her own position. And to me, that seems just like a crabs in a barrel type situation. Scared to band together and help one another because of the fear that you’ll be left behind.
Again, I’m not a businesswoman and the idea of Corporate America and the way they get down generally turns my stomach. These days we’re trying to retrain ourselves to believe that there is room for all of us, while Corporate America is operating in direct opposition to that. We know that neither BET or Revolt or any other single network could ever be all things to all Black people so why not help the people who are speaking to a different, but still Black audience?

My friend said that Debra Lee didn’t know when Diddy approached her that Revolt would be so different from BET. And that’s true, she could have believed it was a type of clone network. But perhaps a lot of her fears could have been alleviated if she’d been willing to have a conversation with him.

What do you think about Debra Lee’s comments?

The post Was Debra Lee Wrong For Refusing To Mentor Diddy When He Started Revolt? appeared first on MadameNoire.

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A Look Back At How Logan Browning’s Style Grew Up With Her Over The Past 10 Years

June 9, 2017, 9:50 am
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Logan Browning Style Can you believe Logan Browning is 28? It seems like just yesterday we were watching her as a teen cutie playing Sasha in Bratz: The Movie, but the reality is that was 10 years ago and Logan is every bit of a grown woman now. And she's got the wardrobe to prove it. After Bratz, Logan went on to star in Meet the Browns, Hit the Floor, and Powers, and now that she's the star of the Netflix series Dear White People, she is hitting the red carpets with a vengeance. To mark her birthday today, we decided to take a look back at the actress's fashion transformation over the past 10 years and we like what we see. Petite girls take notes, Logan is killing the game. [caption id="attachment_833263" align="alignnone" width="900"] Logan Browning
Stars of the new Lionsgate Family comedy Bratz
stop by Planet Hollywood Times Square
to donate memorabilia from the film
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: New York City, United States
When: 24 Jul 2007
Credit: L. Gallo / WENN
**Not available for publication in USA**[/caption]

Credit: L. Gallo / WENN

2007: Planet Hollywood Times Square

[caption id="attachment_833264" align="alignnone" width="900"] Logan Browning
World Magic Awards held at Barker Hanker, Santa Monica Airport - Arrivals
Santa Monica, California - 11.10.08
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: United States
When: 11 Oct 2008
Credit: Dimitri Halkidis / WENN[/caption]

Credit: Dimitri Halkidis / WENN

2008: World Magic Awards

[caption id="attachment_833265" align="alignnone" width="900"] VH1 Divas 2012 held at The Shrine Auditorium - Arrivals
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: Los Angeles, California, United States
When: 16 Dec 2012
Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com[/caption]

Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

2012: VH1 Divas

[caption id="attachment_833267" align="alignnone" width="900"] Logo's "Hot 100" Party at Drai’s Nightclub - Arrivals
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: Los Angeles, CA, United States
When: 25 Jun 2013
Credit: Brian To/WENN.com[/caption]

Credit: Brian To/WENN.com

2013: Logo's "Hot 100" Party

[caption id="attachment_833271" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The 2013 Do Something Awards held at The Avalon in Hollywood - Arrivals
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: Los Angeles, CA, United States
When: 31 Jul 2013
Credit: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com[/caption]

Credit: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com

2013: Do Something Awards

[caption id="attachment_833272" align="alignnone" width="900"] Premiere Of 100th Disney Channel Original Movie "Adventures In Babysitting" And Celebration Of All DCOMS
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: West Hollywood, California, United States
When: 24 Jun 2016
Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com[/caption]

Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

2016: "Adventures In Babysitting" Premiere

[caption id="attachment_833273" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The Weinstein Company And Netflix Golden Globes Party
Featuring: Logan Browning
Where: Beverly Hills, California, United States
When: 08 Jan 2017
Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com[/caption]

Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

2017: The Weinstein Company And Netflix Golden Globes Party

[caption id="attachment_833274" align="aligncenter" width="731"] LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 27: Actress Logan Browning attends the premiere of Netflix's "Dear White People" at Downtown Independent on April 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/WireImage)[/caption]

Credit: Michael Kovac/WireImage

2017: Premiere of Netflix's "Dear White People"

[caption id="attachment_833275" align="aligncenter" width="703"] NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 24: Logan Browning attends the 38th College Television Awards at Wolf Theatre on May 24, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)[/caption]

Credit: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

2017: 38th College Television Awards

[caption id="attachment_833276" align="alignnone" width="823"] LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Actor Logan Browning attends the 2017 Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards at The Novo by Microsoft on February 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mathew Imaging/WireImage)[/caption]

Credit: Mathew Imaging/WireImage

2017: Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards

[caption id="attachment_833278" align="aligncenter" width="681"] NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 01: Logan Browning attends the 2017 NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award at The New York Public Library - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on June 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images)[/caption]

Credit: Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images

2017: NYPL Young Lions Fiction Awards

[caption id="attachment_833279" align="aligncenter" width="630"] BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MAY 07: Logan Browning attend Netflix's FYSEE Kick-Off Event at Netflix FYSee Space on May 7, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images)[/caption]

Credit: Todd Williamson/Getty Images

2017: Netflix's FYSEE Kick-Off Event

[caption id="attachment_833280" align="aligncenter" width="683"] BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Logan Browning arrives at Netflix's 'Dear White People' FYC event at Netflix FYSee Space on June 4, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)[/caption]

Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

2017: Netflix's 'Dear White People' FYC event

The post A Look Back At How Logan Browning’s Style Grew Up With Her Over The Past 10 Years appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Is This Petty? He “Likes” Other Women’s Pictures — A Lot

June 9, 2017, 10:01 am
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Having friends of the opposite sex in everyday life can either be no big deal or a big problem in a relationship. But what about having online “friends” of the opposite sex whose pictures you “like” often? Is it inappropriate?

As innocent as a few likes on some pictures may sound, to some, they’re not proper behavior for someone in a happy relationship. For instance, Black Ink Crew: Chicago star Ryan Henry has reunited with his son’s mother, Rachel. Those who’ve followed the show and their relationship are excited about it, and should be, because they’re quite the striking pair. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know and support other women, and it doesn’t mean he is or was going to stop knowing and supporting them publicly. As a public figure though, his choice to “like” the images of designer Angel Brinks got him called out by a woman who isn’t his girlfriend on social media:

Instagram Photo

And while Henry’s girlfriend may not care, there are many other women out there with men whose social media “likes” make them uncomfortable.

Like a woman who said, “I get jealous when my boyfriend likes other women’s pictures on Facebook and Instagram. What are some suggestions?”

To take things a step further, there’s also this woman:

I´ve already told my boyfriend a zillion times that I don’t like when he visit other women´s profiles and likes pictures posted a long time ago. My theory is that if someone visits my profile and keeps liking my old pictures, the person wants me to realize that he visited my profile and is interested in my life (which is different from liking pictures recently posted that appears on your recent feeds – in my opinion!).
There is a girl in particular (who is getting married in a few months) that he had done that several times. I complained, but he just did again.
Is that an important reason for me to get worried or should I just ignore?

Then there’s this lady who is more embarrassed than jealous by her boyfriend’s liking activities:

The issue is that he’ll like girls we know/he know’s pictures on instagram. They’re always like really dolled up selfies or pictures of them in tight dresses or in bikinis and I would be fine if he looked at them and considered them hot but its the fact that these girls see him liking their picture and know that he is dating me and in my mind I just see them thinking “Well {name}’s boyfriend is liking my picture LOL sucks to be her” or something along those lines. Basically a girl seeing that another guy with a gf liked her pic and feeling like she’s superior or feeling bad bc she knows he is putting it out there that he thinks she’s hot. It’s embarrassing to me, if that makes sense. These girls aren’t his friends, if they were I wouldn’t give a shit. Its just like people that we barely know just from living near/going to school with/etc.

Obviously, you could easily read into “likes” and start thinking the worst. You could try to derive meaning from them and walk away believing that your partner is stepping out on you. In the case of the last woman, you could start thinking he’s trying to publicly embarrass you and give another woman too much power. But the truth is, we’re just talking about “likes.” They’re not risqué comments about anyone’s body, they’re not direct messages with instructions on where to meet, and they’re not slander against you. The man could simply like the picture, the message being sent in it or want to be supportive. When did social media get this much influence over the state of our relationships and friendships?

But to play devil’s advocate, I do think that in the second situation, with the man who likes old pictures, if his girlfriend made her discomfort with his habits known, he should have respected them. I think we can all agree that going through someone’s old pictures, referred to as “creeping,” is doing a bit more than just liking a picture at a time. In fact, it means you took time out of your day to look through someone else’s profile, gawking at all of their pictures in the process. I don’t think it’s an overreaction to have a “Dude, wtf?” moment.

However, you have to know the person you’re dealing with and that includes yourself. If you haven’t been given a reason aside from some “likes” to think your partner is doing more than just hitting a simple button, then maybe you shouldn’t. Do you like other men’s photos? If you do, are your intentions pure? If they are, it shouldn’t be a stretch to believe that your partner’s might be as well. Has your partner told you that he doesn’t think something about you is attractive, therefore giving you a reason to fret over him liking another woman’s picture? I state all of that to say that we just need to know when to move out of the social media realm and figure out when our concerns are based on what’s going on in reality.

Oh, and if you have concerns that your boyfriend cares very little to do anything about, including telling him how you feel about his social media habits only for them to boldly continue, that’s something to worry about more than a few “likes” here and there…

But as always, that’s just my opinion. What say you? Is it petty to get upset over your significant other liking other women’s pictures? 

The post Is This Petty? He “Likes” Other Women’s Pictures — A Lot appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Chicagoans Raise Money To Send High School Senior To Prom

June 9, 2017, 11:48 am
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While we’re debating about whether or not a mother did too much by renting a camel for her son’s prom, there are other students whose parents or the students themselves are scraping and scrounging to afford the bare minimum.
Shaday Gooden Brown, a high school senior at Gage Park High School, like most girls, wants to attend her prom. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the money to pay for her dress.

Undetered though, Gooden Brown decided to set up a stand to sell chips and snow cones to raise the money.

You know what they say, God helps those who help themselves. Not long after Gooden Brown set up her stand, Quinniya Hearn saw her and decided to help her out. She went on Facebook Live and shared a post encouraging others to help Shaday.

Thankfully, with the help from kind strangers, Quiana Allen, the owner of Curve Culture Boutique, and makeup artist Janae Wesby, Gooden Brown collected enough money to buy her dress and have the prom experience she’d been imagining.

Gooden Brown told ABC 7 Chicago, “I got bullied and talked about because how dark-skinned I am and how my clothes are not up to date. When I tried on the dress, it gave me self-confidence because I don’t have too much of that. I’m not used to all the attention on me. I’m like the background person.”

Shaday and her boyfriend will be attending prom today and although the dress that she will be wearing was offered as a donation, Gooden Brown decided to use the money she raised to pay for it because she worked hard for it.

 

 

The post Chicagoans Raise Money To Send High School Senior To Prom appeared first on MadameNoire.

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5 Tips For Building A Fashion Business Through Social Media From A Woman Who’s Done It

June 9, 2017, 12:13 pm
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Kemetria Lilly is a Houston native who started fashion boutique Lilly’s Kloset in early 2012 with only $2,500. Five years later, she’s made more than $3.5 million in sales and amassed a following of 950K on social media, including nearly 390K followers on her business Instagram @lillyskloset. Lilly, 30, has since become her own fashionista, curating more than 400K followers on her own personal Instagram account, @thefashionwhore, and she’s now started a new business called Learn With Lilly to teach aspiring entrepreneurs how to build a brand through actionable social media strategies.

Saying Lilly knows what she’s doing is an understatement. And because she’s done what so many women with a few dollars and a dream aim to do successfully, we reached out to her to share some of her top tips for building a business through social media. Here’s what she told us.

Tip #1: Empower your audience– Allow your customers to be a part of the brand, not only shop. At Lilly’s Kloset we give our followers the opportunity to vote on restocks and the type of styles we carry. Encourage your customers to show off their style on social media wearing your product. User-generated content helps to market your brand to an audience that may not have otherwise known about you.

Tip #2: Provide value– Give your customers more than just the product. The best way to provide value is by giving the customer an experience. Once your customer falls in love with the experience it creates retention and referrals.

Tip #3: Be consistent– You can’t build up your sales or following without being consistent. When you’re consistent and visible, your potential customer will remember your brand when the product you offer meets their needs or wants.

Tip #4: Be transparent– People connect with people, so don’t be afraid to share your story and inspire your customers. Allow parts of your brand to be visible. When you are open it shows you are authentic and allows you to build a genuine connection with your customers. This will make the consumer feel confident in purchasing and working with your brand.

Tip #5: Have an amazing product– Think about the last time you referred someone to a restaurant. You did it because they had amazing food. You probably didn’t realize that you were marketing for that company while sharing your experience. Word of mouth is still the number one form of marketing and building consumer trust. Provide an amazing product and your customers will market it for you.

Check out Lilly’s boutique at www.lillyskloset.net and for more business advice visit www.learnwithlilly.com.

The post 5 Tips For Building A Fashion Business Through Social Media From A Woman Who’s Done It appeared first on MadameNoire.

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New Report Again Confirms Black Women Remain Undervalued And Under Compensated

June 9, 2017, 1:04 pm
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Status of Black Women

Black women have always been known as hard-working women. We toil to put food on the table and to take care of our families. But most often Black women don’t get paid what they are worth.

A new report not only underscored this fact, but also presented recommendations on how to stop gender and race inequality in the workplace on several levels.

The Status of Black Women in the United States is a comprehensive report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). Produced in collaboration with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the report found that Black women in the workforce continue to be undervalued and under compensated. The report looked at data by gender, race, and ethnicity for all 50 states and the District of Columbia addressing six areas: political participation, employment and earnings, work and family, poverty and opportunity, health and well-being, and violence and safety.

“Whether one examines Black women’s access to healthcare, earnings, or access to much-needed social supports like childcare and eldercare, Black women are getting the short end of the stick, despite having contributed so much to the building of this nation,” noted the report. Among the most venerable Black female employees are Black domestic workers.

To level the playing field, the IWPR points out raising the minimum wage would actually improve “Black women’s earnings, reduce poverty, and reduce gender and racial earnings inequality.”

When looking at the responsibilities Black women have in the area of family, the report found that more than 80 percent of Black mothers are not only the family’s main breadwinners, but also have other caregiving responsibilities such as caring for an elderly parent, a person with a disability, or a young child.

The IWPR recommends: “States can help Black women stay in their jobs and advance in their careers by enacting policies such as paid family and medical leave and paid sick days, which can help workers balance their family care responsibilities with the demands of their jobs.”

Because Black women are not paid fairly, they experience poverty at higher rates than Black men and women from all other racial/ethnic groups except Native American women. According to IWPR, “Policymakers and workforce development leaders should adopt strategies to promote gender and racial/ethnic equity in access to higher-paid career training opportunities. Workforce development programs that recruit and train Black women in specific skills can help them gain access to career ladders and upward mobility and can reduce their concentration in lower-paying jobs.”

Also getting more Black women into political office would help change the government’s policies. Despite voting at comparatively high rates, Black women remain underrepresented at every level of federal and state political office.

“Black women consistently work for a better country, but our country is not working for them. By placing Black women’s experiences and interests in the forefront of policy changes and social movements, we can address these barriers,” noted the report.

Ultimately, the IWPR hopes its research supports prompts “new policy, practice and legislation that supports the well-being of Black caregivers, so that all caregivers can be cared for in return.”

The post New Report Again Confirms Black Women Remain Undervalued And Under Compensated appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Fitness Fridays: Marissa McDonald On Going From Overweight To Opening Her Own Gym

June 9, 2017, 1:08 pm
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Personal trainer and entrepreneur Marissa McDonald is proof that when you get the feeling that it’s time to chase a dream, you should just go ahead and make it happen. “Why not now?”

After having a disagreement with the owner of the gym she was building a clientele at, McDonald decided to step out and open her own gym. Since then, Body Concept Chicago has become a highly-rated fitness center in the city offering total body boot camps, yoga classes, personal training and more. The drive to open up the gym was the same drive that helped McDonald drop nearly 40 pounds after teetering dangerously close to 200, replacing fat with a lot of muscle. So how did she get here and at only 23? Learn more about her inspiring career and fitness journey.

Instagram Photo

MadameNoire: I saw a before and after picture from your Instagram and you were a cheerleader. So is it safe to you have a pretty athletic background? 

Marissa McDonald: Yes, before I went to college. In high school, my freshman year, I did three sports: volleyball, cheerleading and track. And then I graduated high school early so I was only there for three years. The other two years I just did cheerleading all year round. Then I went on to cheer for the first year and a half that I was in college, but I wasn’t as active and I was actually gaining weight from eating bad and just partying too much. So I actually gained weight because my high school cheerleading was more intense because my team was a competitive squad. But for the most part, in college, when I got to Northern Illinois University, they didn’t compete the years I was there. It wasn’t as intense and so I wasn’t as active. I gained 35 to 40 pounds. That was a huge change for someone who was super active in high school. Not only did my activity levels fall, but my eating habits increased.

What pushed you to start taking your health seriously and transforming your body? And when did you start? 

It was the end of 2012, more so 2013 when I really started taking it super, super seriously. I literally stepped on a scale one day and I was almost at 200 pounds. I think I was at 187. I used to work at a recreation center too, so once I started working at the recreation center and started being around people working out all of the time, all day, I started feeling like, “I work at the recreation center so I just feel like I should be more in shape.” And then I stepped on the scale one day and saw 187 and in high school I was 145. So I saw that and I was like, “Oh my God!” I was freaking out like, “I’m only a couple of pounds away from 200 pounds! No! I can’t do it!” That really pushed me. After that I was like, I have to get serious.

How did you go about making a total lifestyle change?

For one, I knew from talking to people at the recreation center and hearing things that if you just go cold turkey it’s not going to work. So as I tell my clients, you just have to start making small changes because that’s what I did. I just cut out junk food. I started drinking nothing but water, so no pops, no juices or anything like that. I significantly decreased my alcohol intake because again, I was in college, so we drank a lot [laughs]. I would only drink on weekends. I just started making small changes like that. No fried foods, I’m only going to eat baked foods. Pretty much just easing my way into it. And being active, I started how most people do. When our clients come in and say, “Oh I really just do cardio,” that was me. I had no idea what to do with weights. Even though I was an athlete, they don’t really teach you how to lift weights, so I just started off doing cardio. I would even do the Stairmaster or the treadmill, and that’s pretty much how I started.

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What type of regimen does it take in terms of diet and exercise to get where you are and to maintain? 

So for me, as far as nutrition, I eat pretty much the same thing every day because I’m literally a last-minute person. I’m always rushing to get out of the door, so I eat the same thing every morning: either egg whites and oatmeal or egg whites and cream of rice. And sometimes if I have fruit, I’ll have blueberries or raspberries or I’ll have grapefruit with that. Most the time I’m rushing so I’m just eating that in my car on the way to the city [laughs]. I’m just terrible about waking up on time. But other than that, I make sure I don’t let four hours pass before I eat. I eat every three or four hours. So in the daytime I’ll have either brown rice or sweet potato and that will be my carb source, and you want to stick to complex starch. Then I’ll have my protein source, and lately I’ve just been sticking to fish and ground turkey because I got really tired of chicken. I think I chickened myself out [laughs]. For fish I do cod or flounder. And then I have my vegetables. The greener the better, so I’m sticking to Brussels sprouts, and broccoli is good too. But other than that, I’m eating about five meals per day, four at the least. I really don’t snack too much. I got out of the habit of snacking because most snacks, even when they’re portrayed as being healthier, they’re not. I stick to small meals per day, and once it gets close to the end of the day I won’t have any carbs, so I’ll just do proteins and veggies. I might go to Harold’s [Chicken] or Shark’s [Fish & Chicken]. And that’s life in Chicago, we have all the food [laughs]. But it’s just about those things being in the minority of what you’re eating and those healthier choices being the majority.

And how often are you working out each week and for how long? 

It really depends on the week and my workload. I try not to do any less than four days a week. I’m anywhere from in between four to six days a week. It just depends on how busy I am. Time depends too, because sometimes I do two-a-days. When I do two-a-days, it’s all split up. I’ll do cardio anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes and then I’ll split up and do my weightlifting. When I do my weightlifting I still have about a five to 10-minute cardio workout just to get my body warm and ready to work out. You might be looking at an hour and a half in the gym for me.

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How did the opportunity to co-own a gym come about? That’s a really big deal. A lot of fitness enthusiasts just stick to boot camps and diet plans but don’t go as far as setting down roots with a gym. 

I actually used to train at a studio out in the South Suburbs and my clientele was building. I was also in a really great space. One day, I just fell out with one of the owners. We didn’t agree on a couple of things so I decided not to come back. That was the month of June last year, so afterward, I was actually training outdoors and out of my house all last summer. I was kind of pushed into a place where I had to make a decision as to whether I wanted to go train at somebody else’s gym or just go do my own thing. I had already been thinking about opening my own studio because when I went to NIU, I graduated with a degree in business administration. So I wanted to open my own business, but I definitely didn’t think it would be this soon. But once that happened I figured why not now? I have my experience training out of somebody else’s studio. I got to see how they ran it and went about things, so last summer I just started looking at spaces. We’re in a loft building and one of my friends actually rents a space in here, so he actually told me about it. At first I was just going to open it on my own but then I was like, “No, I really want to bring a partner in.” Me and [co-owner] Jene’a had been working out. She was my workout partner. I brought her along and she was ready to make another move as far as training somewhere else, too. So we came together and made it happen.

I wanted to ask you about a post you shared about how wearing shorts in the gym is a big deal for you. A lot of women can relate because there are often eyes on you in the gym. So how did you get over that and just focus? 

It’s funny because I actually went to do a workout, me and my cousin, and I was wearing shorts. It was 90 degrees so there was no way I was wearing anything other than shorts so I was kind of forced. I still kind of felt uncomfortable and I think it’s just because when you’re coming from a place where you have gained weight and then you’re bottom-heavy, you have cellulite — my legs are not perfect. I have scars, cellulite and stretch marks just from being a bottom-heavy, curvy girl. So I think it’s just a lot of pressure. And being a trainer has made it kind of worse. I feel like, at some capacity, you know people are looking at your body and really analyzing it. It’s just a little bit uncomfortable. But I’m at the point now where I’m just like, I can’t be worried about what other people are thinking about how my body looks because I know that I’ve worked hard and I know that I’ve lost 35 pounds. I know that I’m doing a great job. So at some point you just have to say, “Forget what anybody else has to say.” It’s so much easier said than done, I know. You do think about guys looking at you in the gym, but they’re already doing it whether you’re wearing shorts or pants or sweatpants or whatever. I really just try to zone out. But that was a huge thing for me, even still.

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So, your abs are sick. What are your top three core moves? 

Anytime my clients ask me what ab workouts to do, I always say “eat right.” [laughs] However, I like to stick to the basics. Planks are probably one of the best things you can do to build your core strength. That’s probably the top of my list. Second would be butt kicks. They’re really good to hit that lower abdomen level as well. Lastly, I call them bench kneeups. You sit on a bench and you bring your knees towards you. Those are my top three, but eating right is always first! Everybody has abs. No matter how much body fat you carry, they’re there. They’re just waiting for you to shed that fat so they can show. The best way for you to shed that body fat is to keep that nutrition on point. You don’t have to be 1,000 percent perfect because I’m definitely not, but again, it’s just about making those better decisions your majority.

Follow Marissa McDonald on Facebook and Instagram and Body Concept Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. And check out the other awesome Fitness Fridays profiles featuring inspirational Black women just like her. 

 

The post Fitness Fridays: Marissa McDonald On Going From Overweight To Opening Her Own Gym appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Twitter Is Crunk About The Release Of The Black Panther Trailer

June 9, 2017, 1:46 pm
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In case you haven't heard, the trailer for Black Panther hits the airwaves tonight during the commercial break for the NBA finals. Twitter was already excited by the mere release of a poster image. And now that they know the trailer is coming, the reactions are classic.

The post Twitter Is Crunk About The Release Of The Black Panther Trailer appeared first on MadameNoire.

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Ed Hartwell Says Keshia Knight Pulliam Violated Their Custody Deal Flying To Be With Bill Cosby

June 9, 2017, 2:00 pm
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Many of us had a reaction to seeing Keshia Knight Pulliam walking alongside her defamed television father Bill Cosby. Whether it was feelings of contentment or anger, the reactions, at least on social media, were strong.

But perhaps none more visceral that that of Knight Pulliam’s baby daddy Ed Hartwell.
Hartwell told TMZ that Keshia’s decision to escort Bill Cosby into the court room was not only selfish, it violated their custody agreement.

In new legal documents, Hartwell says that he only gets to see their daughter Ella Grace one twice a week for just one hour. When Keshia was out of town, she infringed upon his visitation rights. When it was his day to see his daughter, Keshia was still out of town and Hartwell did not get to see Ella.

He says that Keshia is in contempt and wants her to arrange a make up visit ASAP. He is also requesting that she cover all court and lawyer fees for this particular incident.

These two will never quit.

The post Ed Hartwell Says Keshia Knight Pulliam Violated Their Custody Deal Flying To Be With Bill Cosby appeared first on MadameNoire.

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“Good” Grief: Are Death Doulas The Key To Helping Families Cope With Loss In a Healthy Way?

June 10, 2017, 7:04 am
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death doula

Earlier this year, I watched my mother and father care for their sick and elderly mothers for the last days of their lives, until eventually within a month of each other (to the day actually) they passed away both silently in their sleep. My maternal grandmother had struggled with heart disease in those last few years returning to the hospital almost every other month from shortness of breath that was almost always caused by a mild stroke. We celebrated her 80th birthday the year before in June before 2017 came in with a vengeance that sent her to hospital, only this time from a stroke that ended up paralyzing the whole right side of her body and additionally the diagnosis of blood cancer. Still, my grandmother would wave when she could and smile at my two-year-old daughter as my mother and aunt cared for her in her last days of at-home hospice. My paternal grandmother fell sick shortly after, struggling with dementia for almost the last decade of her life. My father is still cleaning out her house along with my aunts and uncles as they try to make sense of their lives and put together pieces of their childhood one black and white photo at a time.

As anybody who has ever witnessed death probably realizes, particularly with the elderly, the difficulty doesn’t lie in letting your loved ones go. You reach a point in life (for me it happened when I hit 30 and had a child) where your mortality becomes a very real thing and you recognize that many of your loved ones are facing their final chapter in life. You begin to subconsciously prepare yourself and make peace with the fact that each time you see them may be the last. I think the difficult part is witnessing your loved ones suffer and watching them become shells of their former selves, particularly when they are succumbing to chronic ailments such as cancer. The “young and fly” grandma you used to know that could bop to Rick James and throw shade better than a beach umbrella is now taking her meals through a straw and struggling to smile and you just want her to be at peace.

My parents had the support of their children and siblings, but what if that isn’t enough for some people and moreso what if the person who is slowly seeing their life slip away needs some assistance accepting the inevitable? A recent Bustle article sheds some light on the service of “death doulas”.  Doulas (a term which simply means “a woman who serves”) are becoming more popular in our culture and are most commonly associated with transitions in life such as birth. There are even abortion doulas for women who need support while ending a pregnancy. Now there are “death doulas”, a person of either gender who focuses on companionship and personal needs of clients who find themselves facing their last days. Huffington Post refers to these people as also end-of-life doulas or palliative care doulas which can be a nurse, social worker or trained volunteer who is there to offer compassion and understanding outside of a patient’s medical need. These doulas can offer assistance not just to the dying, but also friends and family struggling to come to terms with the situation. A death doula’s job is basically to make sure no one has to face the end of their life alone.

“There are so many people who are facing the end stage of life alone,” Amy Levine, executive director of the Doula Program, told Huffington Post. “In my experience working with people at that stage, the real stress is often that no one wants to talk to them about it. That’s very isolating.” The Doula Program to Accompany and Comfort is a non-profit based in New York and has been active since it was founded 2001. Volunteers visit one individual who has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness at their place of residence (be it a hospital, home, or nursing home) weekly until he or she passes. Each year the organization receives 200 to 300 applications and currently the program has approximately 60 volunteers actively paired with patients. The program has been proven to help lessen anxiety and improve the mood of the terminally ill as well as helping loved ones make the most of the time they have together and finding healthy ways to cope with loss.

In a Paste Magazine article, Janie Rakow, president of the International End Of Life Doula association explains that a doula’s work commonly takes place in three stages. The first stage allows the family a safe space to discuss their thoughts surrounding death including their fears and personal beliefs. During this time family may make arrangements for a vigil or identify music and quotes to represent how their loved one would want to be remembered. The second stage occurs when a patient begins to actively die. The doula is present during the death and stays with the family, providing comfort and support, until after the funeral home has come allowing different members to walk away and take breaks when needed. The third stage occurs after the death when the doula remains in place to help answer any lingering questions and attempts to make sense of the situation and help with moving forward.

Everyone who knows me knows I always say, “Emotions are hard.” Even families who openly discuss what they’re going through on a regular basis may find it difficult to process death and express how they feel about it to others. For my family who had already been dealing with strained relationships since before my grandmother fell ill, losing the matriarch was the ultimate test in being vulnerable, being honest, and growing up. When my grandmother first received her cancer diagnosis, I witnessed family members self-medicate, fight, and even avoid her as well as one another and other unhealthy coping mechanisms as they struggled to grasp the situation and their place in it. If anything, death doulas can help to act as an objective person when family and friends can’t see beyond their own emotions to interact and go through the grieving process in a healthy way. Even now, communication between family members is scarce and relationships are strained. But death doulas are one step in looking at death in positive way by helping families focus on love and connection instead of loss and separation. Death doulas can help make sense of situations and offer support, because life is hard, and so is death for the ones that are left behind.

To learn more about the type of support doulas can offer or if you’re interested in becoming one, check out the nonprofit International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA).

Toya Sharee is a Health Resource Specialist who has a  passion for helping young women build their self-esteem and make well-informed choices about their sexual health. She also advocates for women’s reproductive rights and blogs about  everything from beauty to love and relationships. Follow her on Twitter @TheTrueTSharee or visit her blog, Bullets and Blessings.

 

The post “Good” Grief: Are Death Doulas The Key To Helping Families Cope With Loss In a Healthy Way? appeared first on MadameNoire.

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The Wait For SZA’s Debut Album, ‘Ctrl,’ Is Finally Over

June 10, 2017, 7:39 am
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Ctrl 6.9.17

A post shared by SZA (@sza) on

It’s been three years since SZA, TDE’s first lady and soulful chanteuse, has released music. While her mystifying vocals floated in the depths of Rihanna’s “Consideration,” which she also co-wrote, and she found herself earning a songwriting credit for her contribution to Nicki Minaj and Beyonce’s “Feelin’ Myself,” fans were thirsty for her own body of work.

Well, after setbacks and delays the time has finally come. On Thursday (June 8) night, SZA’s long-awaited debut album, Ctrl, was released. The 14-track LP, which features singles “Drew Barrymore,” “Love Galore,” and “Broken Clocks,” gives loyal fans and new listeners an intimate look into her life. From her motivations to seeking validation and love to bottling fear, and mostly notably, desiring control, it’s literally the 26 year old’s diary on wax.

Aside from the Travis Scott-assisted “Love Galore,” SZA called on her label mates Kendrick Lamar (“Doves In The Wind”) and Isaiah Rashad (“Pretty Little Birds”) to make appearances. There’s also an interlude with a pleasant surprise from famed singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy.
Stream Ctrl below.

 

The post The Wait For SZA’s Debut Album, ‘Ctrl,’ Is Finally Over appeared first on MadameNoire.

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