s Ed itio n tor’ n’s His tory Mo nth Col l ec Wo me
M A R 202 2
Lady Danzy Has Gowns Fit For A Queen Aisha Danzy is making history with the first woman owned Prom and Pageant store on Peachtree Street in Atlanta
Skye Says: What to do if you’re confused by someone’s actions in a romantic relationship
Trap Music Museum Celebrates Women History How women are providing healing and promoting hope during the pandemic
CONTENTS How women are providing healing and promoting hope during the pandemic
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SKYE SAYS...
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Trap Music Museum Celebrates Women History
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Lady Danzy is the Queen of gowns in Atlanta.
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Editor-In-Chief Amani Sams Graphics Department Alyssa Hill Writers Kalyn Huggins Skye Miller Gabriela Henríquez Photographer Shaunelle Murphy
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Happy March! When Beyoncé said “Girls Run The World” I felt that in my heart! Aside from the magazine’s anniversary month, Women’s History Month is one of my favorite things to celebrate. In the year 2022, it’s crazy to think that we still have to say, “the first woman to do something”. However, this issue is full of women that are breaking glass ceilings. It was an honor to feature Mrs. Aisha Danzy (Lady Danzy) on the cover of this issue. At the time of this issue’s release she is the first woman to have a prom, pageant, and formal wear store on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. Don’t forget to interact with me and let me know what your favorite article was by tweeting me.
XOXO ,
Amani Sams @Amani_Sams
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How women are providing healing and promoting hope during the pandemic By: Gabriela Henriquez
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s mothers, wives, partners, sisters, and daughters, women all over the nation and even the world unite to celebrate March as Women’s Month. This year’s celebration is particularly special as the National Women’s History Alliance designated this month as “Women providing healing, promoting hope”.
For instance, women account for 33% of all entry-level health care employees, 59% at management positions, 49% at senior management roles, and declines to 39% at C-suite positions. The same study found that nearly 75% of women report being happy with their careers, compared with 69% among men.
Throughout two years of the pandemic, caregivers and frontline workers have proven their strength and bravery as they take care of patients sick with Covid-19 and other illnesses. Women of all cultures have provided healing and hope throughout history, and they continue to do so to this day.
Women have a natural gift to provide support and hope, and many companies recognize that. Some of the amazing women making strides across different communities include Nancy Howell Agee, president, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Carilion Clinic, a nearly $2 billion not-for-profit integrated health system headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia; Andrea Walsh, president, and CEO for Minnesota-based HealthPartners; and Donna W. Hyland, president, and CEO of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
At the same time, women in health care continued to prove that as women we wear many hats at the same time. But with greater responsibilities come greater challenges. Women in health care all over the world received recognition but also had to go through long hours, stress, burnout, and greater risks of exposure and infection. A recent study from worldwide consultant McKinsey found that health care outperforms other industries in female representation at all levels, although there is still room for improvement in senior roles.
The list could go on and on with many wonderful women taking care of people and promoting hope, but as this month it is time to honor them, do that from your space. Thank those local caregivers, nurses, doctors, and all front-line workers that have been providing unconditional support to millions of families even in these hard times.
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SKYE SAYS... ISSUE 1
CONFUSED BY SOMEONE’S ACTIONS (IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP)
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I have been friends with this boy for a while now, and after sleeping together when we first met, I ended up falling in love with him as time went on, however we eventually stopped sleeping together and became best friends instead. After months of just being friends, and him saying it would be weird if anything happened again between us…I slowly started to accept the situation until one night, a night before I went to a festival, he kissed me. What does this mean? - Hayden Skye says… I think naturally (as girls) we tend to attach ourselves emotionally to people and places so when it doesn’t go how we intended it can really hurt. The fact you’ve been able to stay (best) friends also has it pros and cons as although it sounds like you both have a great connection, standing that close to the metaphorical fire, you are bound to burn yourself. What I would start thinking about is why are you so close with him, is it because you are hoping one day things will be different? Is it because you think you can change how he feels? Because what I will say to that is people rarely work that way, they have to want to do ‘something’ themselves, you could move the earth for him but it still wouldn’t make him feel any different about you.
With regards to him kissing you the night before you go away, again I am assuming this festival was a weekend event? Away from home? With your friends? That kiss seemed like someone who doesn’t really know what they want, they don’t particularly want you as anything more than friends but it seems like a reminder of what’s waiting for you at home. – which ultimately, isn’t a lot! I’d say moving forward, monitor what he is like with you when you arrive home and see if he has gone back to normal or if he is still willing to pursue you any further - if he doesn’t, you have your answer right there! I’d then suggest distancing yourself until you feel like you can GENUINELY be friends with him with no other emotional attachments.
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I had been in the early stages of talking to someone for a while, we finally went on our first date (which she seemed really excited about), but after we had met her text messages started to become blunt, or I wouldn’t get a reply at all. I am just wondering how someone could change up so quickly? - Si Skye says… What I will start by saying is sometimes why someone changes their
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mind or shows a lack of interest, most of the time it is never anything to do with you but themselves. Think about all those times where you’ve done the same to someone else? Was it because of something they did specifically or because you maybe didn’t feel ready, you felt you couldn’t commit, you might have felt too overwhelmed etc…? I’ve had it myself where I thought I wanted to pursue something but it was more the idea of it. Unless there was nothing ‘major’ that happened, I wouldn’t reflect too much on what you did ‘wrong’ but rather focus on next time you move forward in a relationship don’t put too much pressure on the first date, and then moving forwards let things naturally flow.
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I’ve been seeing this boy for a while now; we work at the same company and have started hanging out outside of work too. The thing is he can be really rubbish at texting, but when he does text, he tells me he misses me and when I am with him, he calls me his girlfriend etc but after we last hung out, I didn’t end up hearing from him again. - Nicole Skye says… I am a strong believer when it comes to having to take what they give you rather than the potential of them or the relationship. So, the minute you want to reach out because they haven’t responded to you or their behavior has changed, I believe you too have to take a step back. If you hadn’t heard from him since the last time, you hung out, it is also really important to remember that this isn’t a reflection of you it is more a reflection of what they are looking for or the type of person they are. I have been in relationships before where texting is the least interesting / important thing about us, so going forward with future relationships I recommend not being so dependent on that. Also, what good is it to you if they miss you or not…what are they doing about it! My overall advice here is look at their actions rather than listen to their words, anyone can sing a sweet song but do they know the meaning of the words they are singing?
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m u e s u M c i s u M Trap y r o t s i H n e m o W s e t a r b Cele 14 | AMAN MAGAZINE | AMANMAGAZINE.COM
Trap Music Museum honored Women’s History Month by dedicating and reflecting on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. Trap Music Museum wanted to highlight women in Hip-Hop through a monthlong exhibition titled - “Honor Roll’’. The exhibition features works of art and installations that acknowledge these outstanding female artists such as; Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Tokyo Jetz, Big Latto, and LaKeyah. Fashion icons such as; Lil Kim and Kimora Lee, and moguls such as Krystal Garner, Angela Yee, Ebonie Ward, and Dina Marto; accompanied by a playlist curated specifically for this moment that will be the featured rotation for the entire month at Trap Music Museum.
QUEEN OF GOWNS
Lady Danzy is the Queen of gowns in Atlanta. She has traveled throughout the United States and across international borders to personally handpick each gown, creating the exclusive Fit for a Queen collection. At the time of this interview she is the first woman to have a Prom, Pageant, and Formal wear store on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. She may be the first, but she doesn’t plan on stopping there! Interviewed By:
Amani Sams
How does it feel to make history as the first black woman to own a successful pageant and pageant store in Atlanta? I am just amazed. I know that it is by the grace of God that we’re here and so I have to give him glory in everything that I do. But I’m honored to pretty much make history in 2022. It’s amazing that there hasn’t been a Black owned pageant store in Atlanta, especially on Peachtree. So we made history not only for the Black community but in general for the pageant community. So I’m just excited. I’m excited for what the future holds. I’m excited about all the opportunities that’s gonna be opened. Again not just for our community but to the industry as a whole.
What made you change locations for your store? What does Midtown mean to you? We were in East Atlanta for nearly six years. We basically just grew out of the space and Covid made us take a step back for a couple of years. We had to put a lot of things on hold. But then the opportunity really presented itself towards the end of 2021. And I found this grand, great location right in the heart of Atlanta in Midtown. I love the Midtown community. I love the people here, I love the diversity. I love that Midtown attracts all types of people from different backgrounds, from different ethnicities, and price points. It was just like a no brainer. We were coming to Midtown. They’re happy to have us and we’re happy to be here.
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How was the grand opening? It was amazing. It was awesome. It was more than I could even imagine. We were blessed to have Asya Branch, Miss USA 2020 as our host and guest. We had tons of people within the community, tons of people from within the pageant community, within Midtown itself, the Midtown Alliance. A lot of our past clients some of our future clients. It was just a great support it was an awesome turnout. We had a lot of our designers that we worked with in the past they came to support us. I had family and friends. I couldn’t ask for anything better. It was just awesome. How does it feel to have such a successful relationship with the pageant community here in Atlanta? What are your thoughts about Cheslie Kryst and what advice do you have for pageant winners? I loved the opportunity to see them come out. Of course, I know it has been difficult on many of us. I think we all share the same sentiments. We all know that mental health is so important. It’s a topic that we talk about but we don’t get to indepth. And its such a serious conversation that needs to be had with our girls. I see it in pageantry, but I also see it among young women in general. I see girls with so much insecurities and just not seeing how beautiful they are, and just kind of feeling so overwhelmed at such a young age. I think it just really opened the door for a conversation to be had. So even though we are all hurting and saddened by everthing that happened I do see that its given us an opportunity and possibly save lives even in the future. We can see someone who, what we would think is at the height of their career and just beautiful, have everything and then still be broken inside and I think we all can relate with that in a sense. I think it again opens up the door for a conversation to be had with girls across the world. Not
just in pageantry but again with all the young beautiful women that I see come in the store. There is some kind of lack that is there. We just want to fill that void and I think that is what ‘Fit For A Queen’ has always been. I can understand. I can relate to that feeling broken, feeling like I’m not enough, or feeling like okay this is as good as life can get. Even at this point that I’m at right now,I have to believe that there is something even greater out there. That this isn’t the height, this is the beginning. This isn’t the middle or the end. And I don’t know where Cheslie was but just encouraging women that [there] is a brighter future for all of us. What new ventures do you have in store for this year? We know that you host a bible study and was part of a show called Christian View. I have had some opportunities in television, I loved being a co-host of the Christian View. I think it shows that we can come from all different backgrounds but still we are believers of Christ. I just wanted to share my message, share my testimony, share my story [of] just walking by faith. I think that’s what my whole life really represents and I was honored to be a part of The Christian View. I do believe that there will be more television opportunities for myself and for ‘Fit For A Queen’ hopefully in the near future. I do have other business ventures in the caribbean. We have somethings going on in Jamaica, we have somethings even here in Atlanta. I’m in financial investments during the week. I do insurance. So I keep myself busy as well as being a wife and a mom. A wife of 20 years this year and a mom. ‘Fit For A Queen’ has so many great opportunities that we want to do. Again not just in pageantry but just in the community and just give back. So we have some great opportunities that we’re gonna make sure that we set a platform for within the community. So we will continue to give back to the community that has given so much to us [for] the past six years.
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