Bleu Magazine Issue #72 Amber Riley

EZINMA

AYA N I S ABBY JASMINE

PAT I E N T C E F O S T E R

K E L LY G A L L O W A Y

RAICHE

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R I L E Y SUE IS

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Table of

Contents

60 COVER STORY

s Photography by James Anthony

Fashion styling by Apuje Kalu

Table of

Contents

14 Activism by Bleu

68 Travel

Women Who Lead

Oneika The Traveler

20 Feature

70 Travel

Kelly Galloway

Joshua Tree

22 Soled Up

72 Feature

Jazmine Parsons

Abby Jasmine

28 Feature

76 Feature

Melissa Harville-Lebron

Patientce Foster

28 Feature

80 Humans

Nakeya B

30 Beauty Skincare

32 Health and Wellness The F Word

34 Fashion

Adria Walker Sade Miller

84 Love Letters

86 Feature Ezinma

88 Spotlight

Ayanis

Women In Production

44 The Creatives

93 Icon

Female Alchemy

50 Fashion Raiche

Cicely Tyson

Photography by Andrew Zaeh

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MASTHEAD

On the Cover AMBER RILEY Photography By JAMES ANTHONY Stylist APUJE KALU

Publisher/Editorial Direction DéVon Christopher Johnson

Head of Content EIC Bombshell by Bleu Ebony Allison

Contributing Writers D’Shonda Brown, Meg Wardrop, Nino Reyes, Cataanda James, Talia Leacock, Yvette Brown, Kent Olden, Paula Franklin, Heather Grant

Web Design Kelly Janes Olney

PR & Social Media Coordinator MacKenzie Murray

Contributing Photographers James Anthony, Q. Williams, Jazmine Parsons,

Partnerships & Branded Content

Andrew Zaeh

Castro, Rommel Findley, Karston Tannis

LaTecia Johnson

Art Direction & Design

Contributing Editors

Creative Director

Damien Nunes

Vee Banionis, Agnes Mazeikate

Taylor Edwards, Dwayne Adams,

Licenses & Joint Ventures

Managing Editor

A Guy And A Gurl

David DeGraff, Oaklins | DeSilva+Phillips

West Coast Fashion Editor

Zaire Turner, Madison Allison

Jamie Rollo

Interns

Apuje Kalu

Brand Ambassadors Rannon Harris (Chicago - Midwest), Leroy Williams (Northeast)

UK Fashion Editor Sean Azeez

Newsstand Distribution

Copy Editor

1955 Lake Park Drive, Ste.

TNG

Trevoy Ross, William Flores

THE BLEU LIFE MEDIA GROUP

Staff Writer

Chairman, CEO & President

Tommy Rodriguez, Elysia Tanswell

Graphic Design Digital & Ecommerce Anahi Flores

DéVon Christopher Johnson

AD Sales: Todd Evans, Rivendell Media 908.232.2021

400 Smyrna, GA 30080

Submissions Bleu Magazine 26 Broadway, 3rd floor New York, NY 10004 info@bleulife.com

Bleulife Media & Entertainment Inc. | 26 Broadway 3rd Floor New York, NY 10004 | E-Mail: info@bleulife.com | Online: bleulife.com Printed in Canada. Opinions expressed by advertisers, columnists, feature writers or other contributors are not necessarily the opinions of Bleu Magazine or its staff. All advertisements, photographs, text or illustrations are published with the understanding that the advertisers are fully authorized to have secured proper consent for the use thereof. Bleu Magazine shall not be held responsible for any errors, loss, expense or liabilities on advertisements accepted after the deadline. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or advertisement in Bleu Magazine is not to be constructed as an indication of sexual orientation of such persons, advertiser or organization. Partial or complete reproduction of an advertisement, news article, feature or photograph from Bleu Magazine is strictly prohibited as Bleu Magazine is a registered trademark. A $25 or 1.5% (whichever is greater) fee will be charged for all NSF checks. All rights reserved.

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

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I love payin’ rent when the rent’s due I hope you got the diamond necklace that I sent to you ‘Cause when I was low you was there for me And never left me alone, because you cared for me And I could see you comin’ home after work late You’re in the kitchen, tryin’ to fix us a hot plate You just workin’ with the scraps you was given And Mama made miracles every Thanksgivin’ But now the road got rough, you’re alone You’re tryin’ to raise two bad kids on your own And there’s no way I can pay you back But my plan is to show you that I understand You are appreciated Lady, don’t you know we love you? (And dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above you (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don’t you know we love you?

“DEAR MAMA” TUPAC

Bold. Beautiful. Brilliant. That’s what women are. From the Bible to the White House, women play some of the most significant roles in shaping society. Biologically we can’t exist as a human race without them. But, even after carrying us for nine months, we need them throughout life.

Unfortunately, women are underrepresented and underappreciated. There are daily forces at play to prevent their light from shining brighter. We decided to do our part and highlight some really awesome individuals in this issue. From executives to entrepreneurs, we tried to widen the lens and show the diverse brilliance of women.

This is the first of our annual female issues. Can’t believe it took us this long. But, it had to be right. We don’t do gimmicks over here at BleuLife Media. Plus, I had to make sure it was [my] mother approved. She reads every issue.

Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the ladies of Bleu.

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C O N T R I B U TO R S

D’Shonda

BROWN

Heather

GRANT

Nino

RE YES

Talia

LEACOCK

Meg

WA R D R O P

A Guy & & A GURL

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D’Shonda Brown is a Brooklyn-based culture and entertainment journalist. As a Spelman College alumna, D’Shonda has a deep appreciation and admiration for the being, experience, humanization and protection of Black women and other marginalized communities. D’Shonda is passionate about mental health, the intersectionality between Black entertainment, culture and relevant topics to the current news cycle. Prior to being Interim GU Editor and now Branded Content Writer at ESSENCE, D’Shonda’s bylines can be found in REVOLT, Coveteur, HelloBeautiful, High Snobiety and HYPEBAE.

Heather is a Sagittarius working for the integrity and love of music; whether it’s through writing, curating playlists, or showcases.

Nino Reyes is a New York City based journalist who covers stories on biographies, politics, entertainment and lifestyle.

Talia Leacock is a self-care enthusiast, soca baby, and hopeless romantic whose longest love affair has been with the written word. She’s spun that last passion into a full-time career as founder and chief creative wordsmith of Word Count Creative, a boutique content agency that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs speak right to the hearts of their audiences. Find her online @talialeacock.

Meg is a thot residing in New York City. She graduated from The New School in 2018 with a degree in literature and a minor in religion. A child of the recession, currently she has been reduced to sitting in her bedroom longing for the day the government decides to start helping the people it governs. She’s passionate about Britney Spears and believes in wellness walks. She also writes sometimes.

When Brian Goodwin, a debonair southern gent by nature, met Amber “Glam” Leon, a chic and charismatic California girl in New York, they quickly joined forces and created the celebrity image consulting brand aptly named “A Guy & A Gurl.” This style dream team is the perfect rendezvous of multifaceted fashion perspectives and huge personalities operating in glamorous sync. When they are not slaying magazine editorials for the likes of Paper and Bleu Magazine, they are busy wardrobing some of our favorite celebs for awards shows and TV appearances, and coordinating fashion shows and events with some of the hottest fashion hubs and designers.

E D I TO R S L E T T E R

Without question, in all aspects, women have proven to be miracle workers. We carry babies, dreams, and corporations on our back with such grace, that many have mistaken it for magic.

Yes, our resilient and steadfast spirits may resemble magic, but magic is like a fairytale-make belief, and that, we are not. We are real and human.

Strong and soft. Beauties and Beast. Brilliant and Black. We are the difference between magic and miracles.

With every issue of Bleu, we take on a responsibility to amplify our stories, and culture. Tackling our first annual women’s issue was no easy feat, but it was necessary for us to give recognition to the girls who are the engines of their communities.

It is my hope that you flip through each page, read the stories and find strength and inspiration from these women as I did. It is my wish for you to find the affirmation you need to free the miracles inside of you.

Photography by John R. Walder

with love for real Ebony Allison

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AC T I V I S M BY B L E U

Meet the Activists There are so many women in our communities who are fighting for a better future across several facets of policy and everyday life. From writers to speakers and nonprofit founders to community leaders, we honor the women who are making the world a better place.

TOYA L I L L A R D

Executive Director of viBe Theater Experience, a nonprofit organization that provides girls, young women, and nonbinary youth ages 13 to 25 with free, quality artistic and academic opportunities.

Learn more: vibetheater.org Image credit: vibetheater.org

N ATA S H A S C R U G G S , E S Q.

Natasha Scruggs founded Just Us System partly inspired by the police brutality experienced by close family members. Angry and frustrated, she obtained her law degree and now educates her community and advocates for changes in the U.S justice system.

Learn more: justussystem.org Image credit: scruggsfirm.com

SURENA JOHNSON

Surena Johnson runs the nonprofit Orchid Bloom, an organization that provides information and resources to at-risk populations. The organization hosts events and drives and has a mentoring program.

Learn more: orchidbloom.org.

Image credit: raleighpact.org

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TA M I K A M A L LO R Y

Tamika Mallory is known for her role in organizing the 2017 Women’s March and her advocacy work for Black Lives Matter and Until Freedom. A fierce activist and speaker, she has inspired thousands of young activists globally.

Learn more: untilfreedom.com; instagram.com/tamikadmallory Image credit: nbmbaa.org

B R I T TA N Y N . PAC K N E T T CUNNINGHAM

Brittany N. Packnett Cunningham is an esteemed speaker, educator and activist who drew praise from former President Barack Obama. An NBC News and MSNBC Contributor and host of UNDISTRACTED, she seeks to educate the public on matters of police brutality and systemic racism.

ALICIA GARZA

Learn more: brittanypacknett.com Image credit: brittanypacknett.com

Alicia Garza is one of the co-founders of the international Black Lives Matter movement. She is an author and political strategist. Her latest book, The Purpose of Power, is all about bringing people together to fight for change.

Learn more: aliciagarza.com Image credit: nationalgeographic.com

PAT R I S S E C U L LO R S

Patrisse Cullors is an artist, author, activist and co-founder and Executive Director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network. Cullors does a lot of groundwork in her Los Angeles community, starting up grassroots organizations and campaigns such as “Yes on R” and Dignity and Power.

A N G E L A DAV I S

Learn more: patrissecullors.com Image Credit: momsrising.org

Angela Davis is a political activist, academic, and author. She is famous for her work as a professor and philosopher during the civil rights movements of the 60s and 70s and her several published works. Davis ran for Vice President in 1980 on the Communist Party ticket.

Image credit: history.com Image credit: history.com

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MICHELLE ALEXANDER

Michelle Alexander is an activist, writer, and professor. She is most known for her 2010 best-seller The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Alexander is also a columnist for the New York Times and is a visiting professor at the Union Theological Seminary.

K AT H L E E N C L E AV E R

Kathleen Cleaver is a law professor known for her work with the Black Power movement and the Black Panther Party. She had to flee the U.S briefly for her involvement with “reported criminal activity,” however, returned and obtained her degree from Yale University.

Learn more: newjimcrow.com/about-the-author Image credit: newjimcrow.com

Learn more: www.archives.gov/research/africanamericans/individuals/kathleen-cleaver Image credit: blackpast.org

O LU WATOY I N S A L AU

Oluwatoyin Salau spent her summer in the streets protesting for Black Lives Matter. An engaging speaker, she inspired the many people who were protesting in Tallahassee, Florida. Sadly, she went missing and was later found dead after a protest.

People remember and honor her integrity and dedication to the movement.

Image credit: Hail Tauxe/Democrat USA TODAY Network, via nytimes.com

KIMBERLÉ WILLIAMS C R E N S H AW

Image credit: law.columbia.edu

A L I C E WA L K E R

Image credit: unionrecorder.com

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Alice Walker is an award-winning author and social activist most known for her book The Color Purple. Through her writing, she brought to light the experiences Black women faced. Walker has always been outspoken when it comes to human rights issues.

Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw is a lawyer and leading scholar of critical race theory. She is a civil rights advocate and has published two books thus far: On Intersectionality: Essential Writings and The Race Track. Currently, she is a professor of race and gender issues at UCLA and Columbia Law School.

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Image credit: uol.htm

SUELI CARNEIRO JAC O E L

Djamila is a Brazillian philosopher and journalist. In 2016, she was appointed as the vice-secretary for Humans Rights and Citizenship Affairs in São Paulo. She is also a distinguished writer and wrote the preface for the Portuguese translation of Angela Davis’s Women, Race and Class.

Sueli Carneiro Jaceol is a Brazillian philosopher, writer, and anti-racism advocate. She is most known for being the founder and director of Geledés Black Women’s Institute, a political organization of Black women based in Brazil.

Image credit: geledes.org.br

A N I TA H I L L

Anita Hill is a lawyer, scholar and professor of social policy, law, and women’s studies at Brandeis University. She is most known for her courage to speak in front of Congress to testify against the then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.

MODUPE ODELE

Image credit: thesparking.com

Modupe Odele is a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist most known for her involvement in EndSARS. She has her Bachelor of Law degree from Lagos State University and later obtained her law degree from Columbia Law School. Odele specializes in international law, human rights and development.

Image credit: britannica.com

R I N U O D UA L A

DA M I LO L A O D U F U WA

Damilola Odufuwa utilizes her Image credit: gistnaija.NG career success to uplift other women through her organization, The Feminist Coalition.

Co-founded by her and Odunayo Eweniyi, the Feminist Coalition is a group of Nigerian feminists with the main goal of equality for Nigerian women with focuses on education, finances and representation.

Rinu Oduala is a 22-year-old activist from Nigeria. She is a former youth representative for the Lagos Judicial Panel and fights for the restitution of police brutality victims. She is known for her work within the EndSARS movement.

Learn more: feministcoalition2020.com Image credit: Feminist Coalition via Global Citizen

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Words by KENT OLDEN

Photography by Q. WILLIAMS

FREE HER. FREE US. FREE THEM. How Kelly Galloway Tackles Human Trafficking Around the Globe

“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you that I don’t have money. But what I do have is a very particular set of skills; skills that I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you…”

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We all remember these lines made famous

by Liam Neeson in Taken. They set the tone for what was to come as we watched the suspense unfold following the kidnapping of the character’s daughter. The reason? To sell her into the seedy world of human trafficking. For most viewers, it was edge-ofyour-seat entertainment as we watch a father save his daughter’s life. For one viewer, Taken changed her life forever and led her to change the lives of millions more.

The founder of Project Mona’s House, Buffalo native Kelly Galloway has always committed to the community. For as long as she can remember, her spirit of service has always moved her to help those in need.

Whether it was tutoring neighborhood kids in the extra room in her parents’ house or her international travels for missionary work, Kelly has always had a skill for seeing a need and building what’s needed to fill the void. It was the movie Taken, however, that introduced her to the world of human trafficking and subsequently took her on a journey to not just erase it, but to pour into the lives of the women and children affected by it so that they can live the fullest lives that they can.

“In my international missionary travels, I found myself in Greece and I learned there were no restoration homes for trafficking victims [in my hometown],” says Kelly.

“I vowed to make an impact on the world [starting with] the place that raised me. It was also culturally significant as well since Buffalo was one of the last stops of the Underground Railroad on this side of the border. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Buffalo was a beacon of freedom to the freedom seekers. Buffalo was the place that I needed to start Project Mona’s House.”

ed Romans 8:18,” Kelly says. “That made me want to bring hope to people. A house of hope. That’s Mona’s House.” Project Mona’s House is the ONLY human trafficking restoration home in the Western New York region.

ists, it’s our goal to give these victims their own Juneteenth.” Significant stops along the walk are as follows:

Continuing the fight to end human trafficking and modern-day slavery, Project Mona’s House proudly to announced the grand opening of the Free Them Center in Buffalo, New York on March 4, 2021. The sister location to Mona’s House, the Center serves as a one-stop-shop. It’s a safe space to receive all the things they need to stay safe and be healed, and it’s all free of charge. “Not only do you free people, but you have to build something for generations to come,” says Kelly.

Richmond, VA – former location of the White House was; where systems were put in place to enslave people

In keeping with raising awareness for Project Mona’s House and the newly opened Freedom Center, Kelly is also taking on the daunting task of retracing Tubman’s tracks with her inaugural Freedom Walk. “I wanted to be like the conductors: Harriet Tubman and William Still; Henry Box Brown and William and Ellen Craft, so that these victims realize that freedom is their right.

The walk is our attempt to light the path to freedom.” Walking 902 miles from Virginia to New York to shed light on this modern-day slavery through this modern-day Underground Railroad, the walk is looking to build awareness and funds so that Project Mona’s House can build the largest restoration house in the country and end slavery in this lifetime. The walk runs from May 3 to June 19, 2021 (Juneteenth). “As abolition-

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Lynchburg, VA – 25 miles outside of the city (Appomatox) is where the Civil War ended

Warrington, VA – where Kelly’s family was enslaved; the place where the descendant of those who were enslaved has become a modern day Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Byway – DC/MD area Philadelphia, PA – home of William Still Brooklyn, NY Auburn, NY – location of Harriet Tubman’s home Rochester, NY – location of Frederick Douglas’s home Buffalo, NY – Kelly’s hometown; a final stop on the Underground Railroad (the walk ends here in the middle of Buffalo’s famed Juneteenth celebration) For more information on Project Mona’s House, the Free Them Center and the Free Them Walk, please visit www.projectmonashouse.com. To learn about opportunities to become a volunteer, sponsor or donor, please contact 716-795-MONA or info@projectmonashouse.com.

Named for a human trafficking victim she met while working in a shelter in India with the A21 Campaign, Project Mona’s House seeks to serve as a refuge for those victims freed from human trafficking. Providing the most immediate need – housing – first, Project Mona’s House also provides those it serves with skills beyond the basics so that they can live the lives they deserve, all in honor of Mona.

“She transformed my life. Just hearing her story: being trafficked from the Dominican Republic into Turkey. She made it to Greece and that’s where she freed herself,” says Kelly of the “real life” Mona. “I asked her why she was always so peaceful and she quotIssue 72

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Sweet Heat With a sneaker collection that flaunts over 100+ pairs of special editions, Jazmine Parson’s passionled hobby connects to her love of great products and great storytelling.

Here the sneaker enthusiasts gives us a personal look into her most beloved kicks.

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SOLED UP

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JORDAN 4 RETRO UNION GUAVA ICE

AIR JORDAN 4 RETRO “FIRE RED”

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SOLED UP

AIR JORDAN 4 RETRO “FIRE RED”

AIR JORDAN 7 RETRO ‘OLYMPIC’

AIR JORDAN 3 RETRO OG BG ‘BLACK CEMENT’

BAPESTA LOW ‘BEIGE SHARK FACE’

WMNS DUNK LOW ‘PHOTON DUST’

AIMÉ LEON DORE X NEW BALANCE 827 ABZORB

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SOLED UP

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SEAN WOTHERSPOON X AIR MAX 1/97

WOMEN’S AIR JORDAN 1 FEARLESS MELODY EHSANI

JORDAN 1 RETRO HIGH UNION LOS ANGELES BLUE TOE

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Creating a Legacy Words by NINO REYES

The First Sole African-American Woman NASCAR Proprietor

Growing up in Staten Island, New York, Melissa Harville-Lebron could only dream of the legacy that she would one day create.

Today, Harville-Lebron is the first African American woman to be the sole owner of E2 Northeast Motorsports, a race team licensed by NASCAR. We were able to sit down with Melissa to discuss her journey and prodigious accomplishments, including the challenges she has faced as a woman of color in a very competitive and male-dominated industry.

Melissa Harville-Lebron encourages and stresses the importance of ownership. She believes that ownership is the way to open doors for our communities and generations to follow. As an African American woman, she highlights the significance of being resilient, strong, patient and adaptable when entering industries that make it challenging for us to thrive.

“I support everything that is Black-owned.

As a culture, we have become more complacent with being an employee. Now we’re taking front and center positions - like being a boss and being a true decision-maker.

It’s always encouraging to teach our next generation that it’s okay to think outside the box. It’s okay to challenge. It’s okay to want more and to strive for bigger and better. It’s wonderful to teach our children about ownership and generational wealth, which is a conversation that we don’t normally have with our children. Other cultures teach it instinctively, but sometimes for us, it’s just something that gets left behind.”

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As we continued speaking to Melissa Harville-Lebron, we had questions regarding her brand, her introduction to motorsports, her influence in the African American community, and what she aims to accomplish next.

When did you find the inspiration to become the owner of E2 Northeast Motorsports?

I took my two sons, Eric and Enico, where the E2 derives from - it stands for E-square, like a math equation - and I took them to a NASCAR experience at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. I took them to this experience, hoping that I could discourage them since they enjoy racing but instead fueled them.

Originally E2 was a platform that I created for Eric and Enico to compete competitively and eventually, it took a life of its own. I saw them get behind the wheel and race, which ended up impressing me. Eventually, it developed into an opportunity for people who have been excluded - due to their image. My team is composed of people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Do you believe that as a Black woman in the industry of autosports, you are automatically met with prejudice, making it more competitive for you to excel?

Absolutely! I am met with several challenges. I am a woman, and very few women participate in autosports, let alone women who are owners or sole owners. On top of that, I am an African American woman, which is not seen very often in this sport. Then, I am from the Northeast, which NASCAR is not a

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part of our fabric. We need to maintain and create relationships to be credible, which is a challenge of its own. Unfortunately, it is a very closed network and people tend to stick within themselves, although I do see the industry growing, maturing, and becoming more inclusive.

want to see you fail. They will create obstacles to see you fail, so you need to be very well educated in your field, have patience, and do not jump on the first opportunity or business offer that presents itself. Take your time and build a foundation that makes your brand undeniable.

What recommendations will you give to those who follow your footsteps - specifically on how to begin a sports team?

Protect your brand. Value your contribution and be patient. Patience is a virtue and that is very true. I thought that my journey would be a lot easier and instead my journey was probably the hardest thing that I ever had to do. As prepared as I thought I was, you end up realizing that you’re never truly prepared. Unfortunately, some people

How did you create the financial wealth required to begin your own NASCAR team?

I was blessed to have a family that invested heavily into real estate. It was a combination of my father and my grandmother, who were both big on investing. I had a very impressive portfolio which I was able to liquidate some of my assets. I had a very good job, where I earned six figures as a Correction Captain for the New York City

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Department of Correction and I was able to extract that income and invest it into racing. I have always had my businesses, like Coutrá Music Group, where I managed artists and produced soundtracks for videos and tv shows.

What legacy would you like to leave and what would you want to be known for doing?

The legacy that I want to leave behind is to be the most powerful woman in motorsport. It’s not about creating wealth; it’s about creating opportunities that transcend over decades—creating longevity in the sport—being a true example of possibilities by not placing any limitations on myself. To continue persevering since perseverance is everything.

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Words by MEG WARDROP

Nakeya Bennett

Nakeya is the owner of The Riley Method Designs, a full-service interior design company with an affinity for incorporating personalities into the framework of her designs.

Nakeya R. Bennett is a busy woman, to say the least. Not only is she a senior manager in digital marketing at Accenture, one of the biggest consulting firms in the world, she also heads her own interior design company, The Riley Method Designs. Two large jobs for one person, three if you count being a mom, and Nakeya takes pride in her work ethic and her success. One look at The Riley Method Designs website (trmdesigns.co) and you can see the work of a perfectionist whose eye for color and coordinating style infuses a space with an energy that is both comforting, as a home should be, and exciting, as most of us can only wish our homes could be.

Though she’s spent the majority of her working life in corporate marketing, from a young age Nakeya was familiarizing herself with the potential of new spaces. She credits her mother, who was very big on remodeling, for sparking her interest in interior design. Together they would spend 28

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weekends doing things like painting walls, changing bed sets, switching out furniture.

Perhaps these moments of bonding with her mother are why she and her team dedicate time to get personal with clients before they start designing: “We spend one to two hours with each client before we begin selecting items and putting together a mood board or rendering on their behalf,” says Bennett.

“This time allows us to get to know them personally, as well as their families. We can collect details you cannot capture via our questionnaire.”

They collect small details of how certain spaces are used that can easily be overlooked by a generalized questionnaire, learning things like, “how they use the space during the day or by night; if they sit on the floor and play games as a family; if the kids like books or play video games. These details are key to creating truly functional spaces that meet their needs and allow us to be thoughtful in our design.”

Every client has their own taste, sometimes even those sharing the same space, but finding a “happy medium” for her clients is Nakeya’s specialty: “It is always fun working with couples where the husband likes one style and the wife likes the other.” She discusses how “many of our female clients love all things glam,” though she emphasizes every client enjoys different things. For instance, some women like things more traditional, some more modern, and this can stroke conflict between couples with varied tastes.

Nakeya explains, “Being a neutral party allows us to help them find a way to compromise and each get their desired look.” Ultimately, “we often find once we get into the creation of mood boards that they favor a combination of styles,” and a beautiful space that checks off all boxes can be created.

In addition to designing homes, Nakeya also offers commercial and event design.

She assures the same personalized quality of her work will be applied to the office envi-

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technology. On her website, therileymethod. com, Nakeya authors her mission best, “I’m determined to stay and fight until more people in my hue have a seat at the table; until more women know how to negotiate and fight for their proper salary; until more women aren’t scared to be authentic in the workplace; until more mothers aren’t afraid of the pursuit of success; and for equality and inclusion as a whole.”

Not only is Nakeya dedicated to championing diversity and inclusion in the boardroom, but helping out her clientele get the home valuation they deserve. Significantly, Nakeya’s clientele is “100 percent Black,” considering that homes owned by Black people are often in majority Black neighborhoods that have been significantly undervalued due to historic U.S. Federal Government redlining and real estate industry steering. to help save money for their start-up budget.” If you’re interested in seeing Nakeya’s beautiful design of the space, check out Nakeya’s website gallery under The Goodr Co. While her business is booming, with three designers and four locations across the United States, Nakeya also works in her senior manager position, “juggling everything is difficult, but my love for my work keeps me motivated and focused.” Though she is proud to be a successful Black woman in Corporate America, she doesn’t see much diversity in these well-compensated positions and believes more people of color should be “flourishing” in this space.

As an advocate of diversity and inclusion, Nakeya has spoken on women in technology, women of color in corporate spaces, and better conditions for working mothers in

Though these obstacles exist, Nakeya emphasizes the ways to increase the value of a home, her favorite is the kitchen remodel. Sparkling marble countertops, beautiful cabinets, a nice dining set, an eye-catching light fixture, and updated appliances goes far toward getting the best offer when the house is on the market. Nakeya’s final recommendation is to “consider the future inhabitants of your home,” by keeping in mind what will be accessible and appealing to others while still creating a space you feel happy in.

For more on Nakeya and her team’s work, follow their page on IG @TRMDesigns_Co to stay informed of all of their latest projects, growth, and happenings. They also recently launched their home decor and furnishing site with expertly curated collections for every budget and every room. Be sure to visit online www.trmdesigns.shop.

ronment. “We learn how the team works together, how they plan to use the space daily to not only work but celebrate, collaborate, and play,” says Nakeya. Her goal is to “create their home away from home,” a comfortable space that is functional, and pleasing to the eye. One of her favorite projects she’s done was for Goodr’s Headquarters: “I loved their mission and how they care for and take care of the community.”

Goodr is a company that takes restaurants’ and grocers’ surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away and delivers it to those in need. Two years after the completion of the project, she reflects, “It was one of my largest projects and I learned so much and did a lot of the painting and design by hand Issue 72

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BOLDEN GLOW HYDRATING MASK $19.50 Bolden’s Glow Hydrating Mask has been raved about by the beauty community. This lightweight mask is jam-packed with beneficial and anti-aging ingredients and leaves your skin glowing like never before. It contains hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and algae, which work to hydrate and soothe inflamed skin. The mask is also powerfully anti-aging with ingredients such as Centella Asiatica extract, which boosts collagen production and synthesis.

All of Bolden’s products are proudly made in the U.S. and formulated without any parabens or sulfates.

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SDOT BEAUT Y DAYBREAK DAY SERUM $48.00 SDOT Beauty’s “DAYBREAK” serum is perfect for all-around protection. It’s made with organic prickly pear oil, which is high in fatty acids and amino acids that help with collagen production and cell renewal. It has organic argan oil for its moisturizing abilities and sandalwood oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties and can lighten dark spots.

Issues such as hyperpigmentation, dryness and sensitivity are common among people with melanin-rich skin. Here are some of our favorite products to help combat these issues featuring formulas and brands made specifically for melanated skin. photo credit: sdotbeauty.com

DR. BARBARA STURM ENZYME CLEANSER URBAN SKIN RX EVEN TONE NIGHT TREATMENT

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photo credit: cultbeauty.com

Enzymes were the skincare ingredient of 2020 because they are perfect for exfoliating the skin without risking microtears. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Enzyme Cleanser is an enzymatic peel and foaming cleanser hybrid.

The enzymes work to remove dry and rough skin while also reducing excess oil production, leaving your skin feeling cleansed and looking vibrant.

Urban Skin Rx’s Even Tone Night Treatment is an all-in-one serum made to lighten the appearance of dark spots, hyperpigmentation and aging. It’s formulated with powerful ingredients including hydroquinone, kojic acid and retinol. Be sure to follow up in the morning with an SPF of 30 or above; these ingredients can be very sensitizing.

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FENT Y SKIN START’R SET $40 A three-step morning skincare system, Rihanna’s Fenty Skin Start’r Set is perfect for anyone looking to get into the groove of a routine. This travel-sized set features a cleanser, a toner, and a protective moisturizer. The Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r works to remove dirt, oil, and long-wear makeup and its creamy texture prevents overdrying and stripping.

The Fat Water toner is an all-one-product that works to brighten dark spots, smooth, and control shine. The system is completed with Rihanna’s Hydra Vizor, a two-in-one lightweight moisturizer with SPF 30.

BLACK GIRL SUNSCREEN

photo credit: blackgirlsunscreen.com

$18.99 It is so important to wear an SPF of 30 or above every single day, even when you don’t plan on leaving your house. Black Girl Sunscreen is a new, unique formula made with natural ingredients that dry completely clear. This SPF 30 sunscreen/ moisturizer hybrid is made without Oxybenzone and Octinoxate making it completely environmentally friendly as well. It also contains avocado, vitamin E, hydrating jojoba, cacao, carrot juice and sunflower oil.

photo credit: fentybeauty.com

SPECIFIC BEAUT Y DAILY BRIGHTENING ES SENTIALS KIT Specific Beauty’s Daily Brightening Essentials Kit includes their Daily Gentle Cleanser, Intensive Skin Brightening Serum, and Active Brightening Day Moisture, which has an SPF of 30. Founded by dermatologist Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, Specific Beauty is made with melanin-rich skin in mind. This system is perfect for protecting your skin’s barrier and for preventing dark spots.

photo credit: specificbeauty.com

$39.95

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PaSean Wilson-Ashley created The F Word: Fibroids Stories to bring attention to women’s stories of dealing with fibroids.

We talked with PaSean to discuss her experience with fibroids and the advice she’d give for treatment.

That time of the month is already abominable when your female organs are functioning properly. But when you factor in the “F word” in addition to that unwanted visitor commonly referred to as “Aunt Flo,” you are pretty much doomed. The “F word” we’re talking about here is not the F-bomb that’s considered unladylike, it’s fibroids.

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors of muscular and fibrous tissues that typically develop inside the uterine wall during childbearing years. They can also develop outside the uterus and into the uterine cavity. The growths can be as small as peas or as large as cantaloupes. The exact cause of fibroids can’t be explained nor understood.

Between 20 to 40 percent of women over the age of 35 have fibroids and African American women are at a higher risk of developing them. Medical professionals have attributed fibroids to the early onset of puberty, family history and obesity. Although some women never experience symptoms, for those that do, the pain and suffering may vary depending on the location, size, and severity of the tumors.

One of the most common symptoms of fibroids is heavy menstrual bleeding. This is a major contributor to the discomfort of “Aunt Flo” and is oftentimes embarrassing.

Since heavy menstrual bleeding is unpredictable, it can cause a major accident in your favorite outfit of the day, at the most unprecedented time. When Flo decides to

come through like the River of Jordan, the only thing that can stop her from ruining your entire life is an extra heavy overnight pad with wings and prayer.

In our quest to demystify this female epidemic, we decided to delve deep into conversation with PaSean Wilson-Ashley, filmmaker, producer and co-director of The F Word: Fibroids Stories documentary. She created this project because of her own experience with fibroids. After being told several times that her only treatment option was a hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus), she discovered many other women with the same forbidden truth.

PaSean created a vehicle for women to share their stories and learn more about this often-ignored health issue. While The F Word explores the topic of fibroid tumors via testimonies from women and their individual stories, we gained insight into PaSean’s personal journey.

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Go to your appointment prepared to be an advocate for yourself.

Express your symptoms clearly.

If you still feel you’re not being heard, find a doctor that hears you!

Her Story Diagnosed with fibroids at 39 years old, PaSean didn’t have any symptoms before she was diagnosed. “I went for my annual checkup. That’s when I was told I had fibroids.” Unlike a lot of women who develop fibroids, PaSean was fortunate. “I never had difficult cycles; I was so blessed to have cramp-free periods.” Although initially, she didn’t experience symptoms, “the symptoms started happening shortly after being diagnosed. Severe cramps, very large clots and extended periods.”

There are several treatment options for fibroids, the most severe being the hysterectomy, a life-altering procedure that completely steals your womanhood. PaSean encountered a brush with this becoming her reality when two doctors advised her that the procedure was her only option.

“I did further research. I met with other doctors and spoke to other women who had dealt with fibroids. As a result, I elected to have a myomectomy.” Myomectomy is the surgical removal of fibroids that is more complicated and time-consuming but less costly than a hysterectomy.

Since being diagnosed with fibroids, PaSean has spent much of her time as an advocate for women’s health. When asked if she had any final words to share with all of us who have, will, and do suffer from fibroids, she concluded with these empowering words: “I encourage us all to really monitor our stress level. I know it’s difficult in today’s climate, especially as people of color. To help reduce stress, implement some of these self-care practices such as a proper diet, exercise, meditation and counseling.”

FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT: Watch ‘The F Word’ on Vimeo Follow @FWordDocumentary on IG @FibroidStories on Twitter Join Uterine Fibroids: Removal Support Group on Facebook The White Dress Project, Hope Beyond Fibroids and HerbSistah

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Photography by ANDREW ZAEH Fashion styling by A GUY AND A GURL Fashion Market DWAYNE ADAMS Hair SHANNON K. YOUNG Make up TISH FERGUSON

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RAICHE Raiche is an artist who is unafraid to mix things up. Her work blends classic and soulful sounds of the past with the fun pop style of the present day. This propensity for combining old and new dates back to her earliest musical inspirations.

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Function, Form & Feminism: How Female Alchemy Makes Magic from Clay

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Tatiana Cardona, founder of Female Alchemy, has seen huge success with her iconic ceramic designs. Her classic pouted lip pieces have more than resonated with her evergrowing customer base.

When Tatiana Cardona first made two tiny clay sculptures with lips on them, she had no idea she had struck gold. She was just an art student playing with a fun idea. But those little clay pieces with their sculpted pouts were the catalyst for Cardona’s fast-growing art business, Female Alchemy.

Female Alchemy offers functional art pieces, from mugs and ashtrays to vases and planters, all lovingly handmade by Cardona. Each piece features a pair of strikingly realistic lips, a feature that has become Female Alchemy’s trademark. Cardona has explored a plethora of variations, including gappy smiles, vampire-like fangs, and splittongues.

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street to name three female artists, they’re going to say Frida Kahlo, and that’s it. There were all these movements that were started by female artists, but they didn’t get credit because, at the time, women were seen as nothing but decoration. So, that was what inspired me to create a more female-centric brand,” Cardona explained.

While Cardona mostly sculpts lips, she sometimes shapes other parts of the female form, but her focus is almost always on the feminine. She’s committed to continuing the work of artists like Marjorie Strider, Judy Chicago, and the Guerilla Girls who married feminism and art to remind the world that women push culture too.

“There is a crazy number of female artists, but if you ask anyone walking down the

Cardona has explored a broad range of themes through her collections since first launching Female Alchemy in 2018. The themes often coincide with holidays, seasons, and current events such as a spooky Halloween series in October of 2018 and feminine florals in spring of 2019.

Female Alchemy’s latest collection, Love Language, was inspired by the song from Ariana Grande’s most recent album and was released just in time for Valentine’s Day. The collection is not only perfect for the season of love but it’s also close to Cardona’s heart since she’s kept the matte finish she prefers.

“Mouths are such a powerful tool humans have,” Cardona said about her brand’s signature. “It’s such an expressive thing that can range and be expressed in so many different ways. So, from the moment I made [the first two], I already had ideas for other ones.”

The choice of lips was almost as natural for Cardona as the decision to use ceramics as her primary art form. With a father who raised her to love art and formal education in art studies, Cardona has played with many mediums, but she has found an almost divine connection to clay.

“Ceramics just felt more intimate because you don’t have any other tools. It’s your hands touching and creating and molding this piece out of dirt. Ceramics is also one of the most ancient forms of art. So, it really resonates with me in terms of its history,” Cardona said.

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“If you absolutely love it, the success will come because you’re just putting your all into it, and the universe will reward that.”

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“I’m excited because it’s a little different than what I usually have. My favorite stage of clay is before it’s shiny. When it’s glazed, it’s more appealing to others, but I personally love the matte feel. It’s definitely more my taste and what I would like to see,” Cardona said.

In addition to her new ceramics collection, Female Alchemy has also collaborated with KIL N.Y.C., a New York-based jeweler, to offer jewelry pieces. The earrings, pendants, and rings all feature the signature Female Alchemy lips in 18K gold and sterling silver. Cardona is thrilled about the collaboration because she has always wanted to create jewelry, and her partnership with KIL N.Y.C. felt almost perfect. “[The founder] is such an amazing person. Everything he makes comes from recycled gold and silver. He pays all of his people fairly. All of that

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was really important. All of our values aligned, so it just worked out well,” Cardona said.

Cardona hopes to continue to expand Female Alchemy into other mediums. She’s also in the market for a larger studio in Miami and two experienced ceramicists to join her team. Though she has no plans to mass-produce her pieces, she does hope to increase production enough to make her art available to more of her customers.

Cardona continues to pull off that delicate balancing act between creativity and business, never selling out the integrity of her art for profit. She encourages other women trying to turn their love for art into a livelihood to do the same.

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Fashion Market DWAYNE ADAMS

Photography by ANDREW ZAEH

Hair CATAANDA JAMES

Fashion styling A GUY AND A GURL

Make up TISH FERGUSON

Big Talk with Ayanis

R&B star Ayanis was born for this moment. Since signing to Island Prolific and Atlantic in 2017, the singer has shown remarkable growth as an artist and performer. Growing up in Texas and Atlanta, music was the way of life. From her parents introducing her to old-school R&B, to her older sister, presenting her to Aaliyah, Destiny Childs, and TLC. A past student at Georgia State University, she majored in PR and Journalism to learn about the entertainment industry at an early age. Her second EP YANI followed 2018’s DIRECTION; listeners saw the singer reach new heights between both projects. As she continues to grow as an artist, we caught up with the singer to discuss new music, music inspiration, and future goals.

How did you nurture a passion for music at an early age?

My parents introduced me to a lot of old-school R&B at an early age. Artists such as Joe, 112, Micheal Jackson, and Janet Jackson were always played in my household.

My older sister introduced me to Destiny Childs, TLC, and Aaliyah. In church, I sang for my local church choir with my brother and sister in Texas.

For those who don’t know, you’re a big fan of Rihanna and Beyonce. What about their music inspires you?

I love them. I purposely turn on Beyonce’s and Rihanna’s music to get me into an uplifting mood. As an artist, both of them inspire me. A lot of what I do is because of them. I grew up on their music. Everything that they stand for as women have been a huge inspiration for me.

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After your debut EP Direction, you went on an HBCU tour. With that experience, did you ever feel like you missed out by not attending an HBCU? Yeah! *laughs* I went to Georgia State University. Their homecoming was nothing like an HBCU homecoming.

So many people come out from the alumni, the students, and the people they invite. It was an experience I will never forget.

Being a student at Georgia State University, you majored in Journalism and PR. Did you use anything you learned in college as a way to build your brand?

For sure. I have always been the type of person; even in school, I always told myself, “If I go to school, I need to do something I can apply to everyday life.” I knew I wanted to make music, so I decided to study Journalism and PR. Whenever I do interviews and become an artist, I can move smoothly. I apply a few things I learned in school to my artistry.

Starting off the year 2021, you released a visual to your song “Drip” featuring Mulatto. How did that collaboration come along?

Shoutout to Mulatto. I love her! My A&R knew her manager; a funny story I knew Mulatto for quite some time.

She has been making music for a while, just like me. I have been to a couple of her events, like her mixtape parties. We have known each other for a time. It was like a reunion coming back together to make a song. The video is fire! The vibes on the set were amazing. That’s one of my favorite videos. It looks so official!

Since 2017 signing with Island Prolific and Atlantic Records, every year, you showcase your progress.

With 2021 here, what can we see from you?

I feel this year is my year. I say that because I have been growing and progressing as an artist and as a performer.

I have identified my strengths and weaknesses. Overall I have been improving in all aspects of my career. In 2018, I dropped Direction, then in 2020, I dropped Yani.

Between those two projects, there has been so much growth. The new music I’ve been working on is insanity.

I’m so excited about it.

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A few months ago, you performed at the Rolling Loud Live Stream. Can you tell us a bit about the experience?

It was crazy. First of all, Rolling Loud is a big platform. It hit me when I got there. I was already excited. The production level was insane; there were about ten cameras focused on me. I felt like I was at an award show. But the performance was excellent overall. I received great feedback from the creators of Rolling Loud. And I told myself, “If that was a digital show, what is it like when it is outside”.

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Who would like to work with in the future? And why?

There are so many people. I’m just going to name a few. I would love to work with Pharell, SZA, Beyonce, and Rihanna in some capacity. That would be a dream. I want to also collaborate with more females like Megan Thee Stallion and more.

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Words by D’SHONDA BROWN Photography by JAMES ANTHONY Fashion Styling by APUJE KALU Hair by RAY CHRISTOPHER Makeup by ADRIAN EVANS

RAW, RELENTLESS, RESILIENT

AMBER RILEY The artist unveils her current mental state, creating music in the middle of a pandemic, and healthy relationships Amber Riley tapped into the conference call line shortly five minutes after I did.

She immediately expressed her excitement to be the cover girl for Bleu Magazine’s first issue dedicated to women. I instantly agreed that she was the perfect girl to fit the bill. When we first kicked off the conversation, I wanted to catch up with her about her mental health, considering that we’re Black women in a pandemic that disproportionately impacts our community. For Riley, every day is a journey for her mental health, but with the support of her team, she’s been doing as well as can be expected.

“I have my pocket full of goodness, as I like to call it. The things that make me happy and get me going,” Riley states. Whether it be meditation and therapy or playing with her dog while watching funny movies, she finds happiness in a plethora of activities and has mentally reached a point where it’s even the little things that get her moving throughout the day. However, she admitted to me that this wasn’t always the case.

Towards the beginning of the pandemic, her mental health was in a weird space.

Like the rest of us, her world was rocked when it all went down. Fortunately, Riley had a few incredible women in her corner to keep her mental health at bay during times of social distancing and creeping depression.

“At the brink of my mental breaks, my sister and my mom were my rock. I’m talking about coming and sleeping in bed with me, making sure I get in the shower, trying to force me to eat,” she said as she counted all of the ways that she felt support. “They did everything right. When I had panic attacks, they stayed calm. They let me talk about what I was feeling all the time. They let me say crazy stuff, and it helped me snap back into reality. They were just perfect.”

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“Keisha’s a bitch. She’s never going to be a person that I like, but she’s got to be a person that I deal with”

Not once did they ever make Riley feel like a burden during her time of mental healing and battling her depression, who she named Keisha. “Keisha’s a bitch. She’s never going to be a person that I like, but she’s got to be a person that I deal with,” she described.

Though it may be controversial to some, Riley states that she personified her depression as a way to separate what she’s dealing with from who she is as a person. “I don’t claim this.

I’m not going to walk around saying, ‘I’m depressed, and I have anxiety.’ No, it’s what I deal with,” she passionately states. She understands taking care of herself with “the cards that I’ve been dealt,” maybe a little bit more than the average person. “We all know depression and anxiety; it’s like a filter. It makes everything hazy. It’s hardly ever good when you’re dealing with it. I remind myself that even if I don’t feel that all of these things are good, the reality is I do. I’m not letting that pull me back.”

Riley barely had enough bandwidth to go to therapy and unpack her deeper issues between not getting enough sleep and working out consistently. “Not to say that therapy is the cureall, because it’s not, but nothing is a cure-all. There’s always going to be turbulence in our lives,” she states. “Paying attention to the way that you feel and finding great ways to cope, that’s good for your body and good for your mind. Not coping with outside things could be potentially harmful.”

Although the pandemic put many of us in a whirlwind of a scramble, Riley found it beautiful that many people turned to arts and entertainment for comfort. As an artist herself, she saw a surge in her innovation. “I know on the music side of things, it made a lot of people more creative, and it made us push what we would consider as normal. It made me think outside the box and figure out a new creative outlet,” she said. She even credited the pandemic for helping her writing skills - journaling, tinkering with scripts, poetry, and songwriting—all of the things.

When it came to Riley’s songwriting, while we may not have been in the booth with her, we know that she put out one hell of a debut EP in the middle of a pandemic. Her self-titled six-track EP takes listeners on a true soulful journey with sweet melodic symphonies, but she said that curating the project was no cakewalk. She described the experience as “disheartening” due to the lack of audience interaction, but she was grateful to break through the industry and introduce the world to RILEY. Yes, Amber Riley’s pseudonym and not-so alter ego.

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“I never got the opportunity to sing my songs, and people sing my lyrics back to me. I didn’t get those certain milestones that I feel artists have when they put out music,” she said. “I’m hoping I will in the future. People really like my EP, and I’m hoping that they stick with me to see what I have coming out next.”

Coincidentally, RILEY shot and released her first music video for “BGE” a week before the official COVID shutdown. The “Ride” singer told me that she and her manager had to regroup and rethink logistics about marketing rollouts, social media advertising, and using all of their connections and resources. Aside from making music videos in a pandemic, RILEY has learned a lot about herself sonically and artistically since this time last year.

“I think it made me extremely introspective, it made me extremely vulnerable, and that’s always amazing for writing,” she said.

RILEY’s most vulnerable song to date is “A Moment,” which she performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! following the death of her co-star and friend Naya Rivera. When she was writing the song, she experienced significant breakthroughs in therapy and was able to gauge what was happening in her mental space. “It was the last song that we wrote for the EP, and I just laid it all on the line. I cried that entire session, and honestly, it’s the biggest song for my EP. It got the best reception,” she said.

Not only did she find a love for her music, but she found love in this hopeless place called quarantine as well. While some relationships have fallen by the wayside, she and her boyfriend-turned-fiance Desean Black have withstood the test of time. “I think our friendship kept everything pretty tight and close together. We have our moments where we want to kill each other. Let’s be real. Nobody’s around each other and is happy all the time. Let’s not tell that lie,” she laughed. She credits his mental strength, motivational nature, and discipline as key additions to the relationship that have helped her grow as an overall being within their relationship.

As far as her confidence and maturity, she credits herself - and rightfully, so. “You can say what you want about the way that I look, but you are not going to be able to deny who I am as an artist. You can’t deny the voice. You’re not going to deny my opinion,” she said powerfully. “I’m going to come with it 1,000%, and that’s all that I can do. I’ve grown in confidence as an artist, and I’m super proud of myself for that. I’ve had major insecurities about if the way that I look would hold me back from being the artist I want to be. The answer is yes and no, but I’ve grown so much and have worked so hard to be the artist that I am, to ever become undeniable.”

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Oneika

Images courtesy of Oneika Raymond

Traveling with

Oneika Raymond is a travel expert whose explorative journey began with a study abroad trip back in 2013. She now hosts two Travel Channel series, contributes to major publications, and runs her personal blog, Oneika the Traveler.

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telling my story, it was a source of inspiration and education for other people who are interested in doing the same thing, who are interested in going out and seeing the world.”

She eventually took her talent to television, where she is now a host for the Travel Channel’s One Bag and You’re Out and Big City, Little Budget.

Big City, Little Budget is all about Oneika visiting major American cities and showing people how they can enjoy themselves without spending a lot of money. “We show you that you can actually go to these places if you don’t have a lot of money and have a really enriching time,” she said.

In One Bag and You’re Out, Oneika shows people how to pack the necessities for any kind of trip.

After a year like 2020, we’re all ready to get out and live our best lives and that includes traveling, but traveling comes with so much worry and stress. From finding good deals to figuring out what to pack, it can be discouraging to get out and see the world, but Oneika Raymond has never let that stop her.

Along with being a TV host and a journalist, Oneika is a travel and lifestyle expert. She’s been to 118 countries on six continents and all while on a budget.

Like most of us, Oneika wanted to get out and see the world. “My only option for going abroad and traveling was through a study abroad program,” said Oneika. “Soback in 2003, I went to Europe for the first time and I lived in France for the year and I met people from countries that I had never heard of in the first week, and that just changed everything for me.”

After obtaining her master’s degree in teaching, she became an international teacher and was able to teach in Hong Kong, Mexico, and London.

Oneika documented most of her adventures on her travel blog, Oneika The Traveller, which led her to start writing for major publications including Conde Nast Traveler, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Traveler, and BuzzFeed.

“Oneika the Traveller was very much me telling my travel story,” Oneika said. “Through

“Whether you are backpacking through Africa for a month or whether you are going away for a little weekend getaway, we are going to show you how to pack your bag and all of the various things that you can not leave home without,” she said. “These series are meant to guide you and help you on your way so that you can have a wonderful time wherever you choose to go.”

When it comes to traveling, making a career out of it is something that many strive for.

So, what does it take to get started in such an adventurous lifestyle?

“My advice would be to get online and start creating content consistently… create high quality content and create content that solves an issue or a problem for other people,” said Oneika. “I think those are the keys to being successful and getting your foot into this industry.”

Now how does one visit 118 countries and six continents on a budget? Oneika makes it sound pretty easy, and as it turns out, it actually is. One of the things that she advised is visiting the cheapest places first and focusing on the deals.

“My number one tip for traveling on a budget is to be flexible, let the deal choose you. I always say choose the deal and not the destination,” said Oneika.

When it comes to traveling, Oneika takes advantage of every opportunity and she educates and inspires others to do the same.

“This year, I’m hoping to resume traveling as safely as possible. I hope to just keep on creating content that educates and inspires people like myself to get out there and see the world.”

Be sure to check Oneika out on the Travel Channel, NBC New York, and follow her Instagram @oneikatraveller for all of her methods of traveling on a budget.

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Written by PAULA FRANKLIN

EXPLORING C A L I F O R N I A’ S

JOSHUA TREE

NATIONAL PARK Writer Paula Franklin journeyed through the Joshua Tree National Park with her family. She outlines the best spots for pictures, safety tips, and restaurant recommendations so that you can plan a perfect park trip.

Paula Franklin to spend a day in the park with her family and report back.

The basics Your phone won’t work, so be sure to download all your maps and music before entering. There aren’t any services in the park, so you will need to stock up on food and water before entering. It can get very hot, especially in the summer, so have a few gallons of water per person to be safe. The park requires three gallons per person.

One of California’s most famous and Instagram-able parks, Joshua Tree National Park, spans approximately 800,000 acres where the higher Mojave Desert meets lower Colorado. Just a few hours outside of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, about 2.8 million visitors come to the park each year to enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, photography, rock climbing, and taking sharable sunset and landscape photos.

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According to a recent National Park Service survey, Joshua Tree’s visitors remain overwhelmingly white, with just over 23 percent being people of color. In National Parks as a whole, Black Americans are consistently the most underrepresented.

In 2018, only 6 percent of visitors identified as Black, a slight decline from the previous year. Representation is vital in all areas of our nation and her wild spaces belong to us all, so we asked contributor

Start from the bottom Enter at the park’s south entrance and enjoy a few hours, mostly to yourself in the low desert. Enter from I-10 to Cottonwood Gate and Visitor’s Center, where you follow the road up to the West Station Entrance. While driving, you will start in the lower Colorado Desert, which offers spanning views of the landscape and mountains beyond. Markers along the way will tell you more about the Pinto people who called this area home 10,000 years ago and the evidence they left behind.

As you approach the “transition zone” in the middle of the park, you will start to see more visitors at the Cholla Cactus Garden, which looks like something straight out of the Dr. Seuss universe. Elevated wood paths will keep you a safe distance from

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the fuzzy-looking cacti known as teddy bear cholla, which are known for “jumping” onto people and animals that come too close. This is a quick loop path that circles through the primary forest of cacti.

The drive to the exit is filled with boulder formations and Joshua Trees, so this is the best time to get all the pictures you missed before leaving the park. Just a few miles past the gate, make a quick stop in Pioneertown, particularly the Pioneertown Pantry, to load up on goodies like local honey and biscuit mix. If you’ve worked up an appetite, head over to La Palapa Mexican Restaurant to load up on Mexican classics.

(image credit: wikipedia.com)

(image credit: yelp.com)

53688 Pioneertown Road Pioneertown, CA 92268 (760) 365-5956

(image credit: usarestuarants.info)

PAPPY + HARRIETS

3254 Yucca Mesa Rd Yucca Valley, CA 92284 (442) 999-7273

MOJAVE SANDS

NATURAL SISTERS

62121 29 Palms Hwy Joshua Tree, CA 92252 (760) 550-8063

61695 Twentynine Palms Hwy Joshua Tree, CA 92252 (760) 366-3600

(image credit: yelp.com)

The Barker Dam Trail is the most popular in the park and the 1.1-mile loop hiking trail is worth the crowds as it offers the perfect combinations of Joshua Trees, boulders, and views. The course begins as a narrow path between a massive rock formation that leads to a small artificial lake framed by the “Wonderland of Rocks” before looping to the “Disney Petroglyph” site where in the 1950s, a movie crew retraced the ancient rock carvings to make them more visible to the camera, defacing them forever. Suppose you check out the cliffs along the remainder of the trail. In that case, you’re likely to find some painted and untouched drawings depicting animals, humans, and other aspects of desert life as interpreted by long-ago civilizations.

W H E R E T O E AT :

HICKSVILLE TRAILER PALACE

(image credit: tripadvisor.com)

Arch Rock is one of the most photographed attractions in the park, and if you are planning to camp for the night, this is the best campsite option. The Arch Rock trail is about a mile trail from the parking and back in full sunlight for day-trippers. The trailhead is marked with signs reminding you “not to die today,” which serves as a tangible reminder to bring water with you. The path winds through large boulders and rock formations, so this is also prime climbing territory.

(image credit: tripadvisor.com)

Just a few miles past the Cholla Garden, you will see the first iconic boulders of Joshua Tree on the horizon. You won’t find many people in this park area, making it an excellent location for pictures.

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PIONEERTOWN MOTEL

PIE FOR THE PEOPLE

5240 Curtis Rd Pioneertown, CA 92268 (760) 365-7001

58960 Twentynine Palms Highway Yucca Valley, CA 92284 (760) 366-0400

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Words by HEATHER GRANT

Woman to Watch: Abby Jasmine

Photo Credit: CASTRO

Self progression and discovery are important for everyone’s personal journey, but those words hit differently for musical artist Abby Jasmine.

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Born and raised in Staten Island, the New York native has done everything in her power not to become a stagnant product of her environment. Making the conscious effort to elevate past the restrictions around her and her own insecurities, Abby Jasmine has molded herself into an artist and most importantly, a woman to watch.

There were many aspects of childhood that Jasmine wasn’t able to participate in due to the strictness of her religious parents. With her family being involved so heavily in the church, she developed a love for music and creativity as a dance team and youth choir member. The true work began when she stepped into the realm of secular music. Since writing her first song in Pre-K about not talking to strangers, music has been an integral part of Abby Jasmine’s life; everything connected to creativity has become second nature to her.

“It’s rare to find things in life that bring you joy and that you’re good at,” said Jasmine.

Since getting her first taste of fame on the formerly popular short video app, Vine, Jasmine is very intentional about her relationship with social media. Although the point of social media is to be able to connect to people outside of your normal scope, she makes a conscious effort to keep from oversharing and making the same mistakes she did as a teenager. Being a bit of a loner in school, she used social media to form and maintain friendships which caused her to be an open book on the platforms. Learning soon after the importance of keeping personal life private, Jasmine has developed a balanced relationship with her social media persona where her lack of divulging private information doesn’t take away from her presence or her ability to connect with her fans.

During her rise in the Vine era, Jasmine was about 16 years old and had no real knowledge on how to monetize the comedic content that she created so she decided to stop. After moving away from home at the tender age of 18, she realized quickly that she had to make a decision about her direction. Since music was always around her and her most popular Vine videos were those centered around her doing different freestyles, she decided to take it more seriously and give herself a chance.

With nothing left to lose and a whole career to gain, Abby Jasmine proved that investing in your dream and your team will set you up for success. After about a year of working with her manager Vice, she was contacted by a Cinematic representative, Stokes, who saw something in the two songs that she had recently recorded at that time. This was about four years ago and she’s still learning what works for her. One of the hardest things in life to give up is control and it takes a certain kind of strength to be vulnerable and trust yourself to be okay in someone else’s hands, and that’s a lesson that Abby Jasmine learned fairly quickly once introduced into the industry. Understanding the importance of a team and allowing herself to sit in the passenger seat was difficult since she’s always been used to a certain level of independence.

Photo Credit: Rowmel Findley

Every project gets a different side of Abby Jasmine and as she learns more about herself, her creative processes change. Being able to be honest and grow her abilities as a writer and artist have altered the way that she makes her music. Prior to her most recent release Who Cares?, she did a lot of introspective thinking regarding where she was artistically compared to where she wanted to be.

“I felt like I was reaching this point where I [realized] I think I can articulate myself a little bit better than this…

I always try to one-up myself… My biggest competition in everything is me because I always want to outdo what I’ve done last.”

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“My biggest thing is vulnerability - say how you feel...If you let your feelings fester it’s not really productive.”

When it came time to begin working on Who Cares?, there were a lot of personal issues she was dealing with.

Like every other 23-year-old in the world, her focus became getting basic life needs in order. Imposter syndrome started to settle in, however, and the struggle of comparison to her peers began to steal her joy. Feeling like the producers she was working with didn’t really understand her or her sound, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. After sitting down with her boyfriend and engineer, they collectively made the decision to stop working from other people’s beats and make everything together without any outside opinions, so that’s exactly what they did.

“It’s really easy to get caught up in [people saying] ‘you should do this or that’ and then you start to doubt yourself… I wanted to take away that sense of doubt and feel like what we’re doing here is dope and if people appreciate it they appreciate it.”

The authenticity of Abby Jasmines’ music and brand is something that has connected her to her fans. With a title like Who Cares? some may make the mistake of taking it to be nonchalant when it’s exactly the opposite. Wanting to title such a charged project properly, Jasmine was looking for something that would embody the whole process of making the music without the pressure of too many outside opinions. The title Who Cares? derives from that place of overthinking and she realized if the music is good, who cares what it’s titled? When listening to a few of her favorites on Who Cares? like “On God” and “Coneheads,” listeners can hear how organic the whole project is; this wasn’t forced - it was made with care and intention charged with her love for music.

Looking through her discography, anyone can see that her features are few and far between, though not for lack of trying. Abby Jasmine, like many artists, has a process she likes to follow when generating music for a release and sometimes other artists’ timelines may not always mesh, but this didn’t keep Guapdad 4000, Smoke DZA and Kash Juliano from giving their guest appearances. “It’s worth it to wait sometimes because I love hearing other people take to a beat that I’m on,” said Jasmine when speaking on the mindset behind her features. There are a few big-name artists that she thinks are definitely worth the wait like Melli, Victoria Monet, Summer Walker, and Chloe x Halle. “I really just want to get back to that real good R&B, get in your feelings type of music.”

With sights to tap back into her childhood love for piano, gaining more musical background knowledge, and songwriting for other artists, Jasmine also hopes to extend her talents past music in the next few years by doing writing treatments or directing for shows and movies. Since her song “Groovy” featuring Guapdad 4000 made it on the screen of the popular show Shameless, her TV and movie sights might be closer than we think.

Being a woman in a still male-dominated industry can be daunting, especially for someone so young. Abby Jasmine holds the power to take what some may see as weakness and use it to her advantage. As she works towards becoming the best version of herself openly, she’s brave enough to put that journey in the music so that fans can follow along. Making music is a vulnerable process, and Abby Jasmine has left her heart on her sleeve.

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Words by NINO REYES Photography by BENNI BLACK

“Fall In Love

With Your Struggle”:

Patientce Foster

If the entertainment industry had an annual coronation, Patientce Foster would be next to receive her crown. The genius behind the illustrious career of Cardi B, Foster has proven that everything she touches turns to gold. Though her resume may hold titles such as publicist, manager, creative director, and brand developer, there is one title that exceeds them all: Mom. We had the privilege to sit down with Patientce to discuss her childhood, career, and the importance of being resilient and creating a legacy that will be impactful and life-changing for her son and future generations.

Since you were a child, you knew that you were going to be successful. How did you know that? What was it that you felt as a child or growing up that allowed you to see that you would reach these levels of success in your life?

When you’re a child, you see the things that you want, and you don’t think that you can’t have them. When you’re a child, you could point at an airplane and say, “I want that”.

In your head, you would think, “who said I can’t have it?” Pretty much I always felt like that character trait just stuck with me.

Like, I don’t believe that there’s anything on this Earth that I can’t have. I feel like everything on this Earth is here for the taking. When I was younger, I was heavily into pop culture. In the sixth grade, I started a newspaper called ‘Teen Peeps’. It was literally just regular printer paper and I had put together these articles about celebrities.

Pretty much, I was blogging without know-

ing it - and on top of that, I’ve always been into Diary and MTV Cribs - so I had always pictured myself living that life. I never knew exactly what would help me get there but I always knew that I had to become the person I intended to be.

What are some characteristics that you would say are needed to be a successful publicist or entrepreneur?

Number one, you have to fall in love with your struggle. A lot of people see struggle and it tears at them or makes them feel defeated. Instead, I embrace struggle. I found a way to make it work. You have to find the silver lining in your struggle. Number two, you have to be decisive. You cannot be an individual who takes days to make a decision because that’s money wasted. Number three, you have to be comfortable with yourself and you have to be comfortable with who you are because people will try to

mold you and people will try to dilute your value to fit their budget. Number four, you have to be okay with being broke. You will be broke for a very long time, and you have to be fine with that. Lastly, you have to be a realist, but you have to carve out a space to be an optimist. I don’t know anyone who has leveled up who is a complete pessimist.

It’s okay to see the real in everything. It’s okay to forecast what the challenges will be so that you can assess what you need to do to defeat those challenges - but to be a pessimist and to just see the worst in everything that’s not good for anybody. It’s not good for yourself and it won’t be good for your team.

Can you share about your agency CREAM LABS and what your services entail?

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realized that my career expanded past public relations since I am the one that is sourcing everyone from stylists, hair, makeup, brand partnerships, and so forth. I chose to create CREAM LABS so that I wouldn’t box myself into public relations solely. I’m currently working with several brands right now and I’m helping them build out their lifestyle, their culture, and their message.

I help to build co-branded products with other celebrities and influencers as well.

CREAM LABS is essentially a venture that partners with talent and helps build brands from scratch in order to help them elevate.

my mom left me these options”, and that is valuable in itself… give your children options to choose from. Lastly, creating wealth is important for me because without wealth, there is no legacy - and the only thing to

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leave behind for your children is a legacy.

The only way to obtain that wealth is by understanding the value of your intellectual property and understanding the value of having ownership.

You created your fashion brand - Suite XVI. What inspired you to leap into fashion?

My first fashion experience was working alongside Kollin Carter and Cardi B to build out her collection with Fashion Nova, which was about 90% custom and it was sketches from scratch.

I felt like, wow, like I can really do this. Including the fact that I receive a lot of support on my Instagram page from a lot of women who are curvy and voluptuous with positive comments and feedback on how I dress myself. I realized that a lot of times they’re asking me where I shop and I’m listing all of these different brands where I purchased these items. Eventually, I realized that if I’m able to have that type of influence, I should create my own brand that can eventually grow to be a place for women of all sizes. Now, Suite XVI is known for being an inclusive brand that has sizes S-3X. You have stressed the importance of leaving a legacy and securing wealth for you, your son, and the generations to follow. Why is this important to you?

When I understood the importance of intellectual property and your ideas, that’s money and that’s value. Sometimes without even thinking, we give our ideas away for nothing. I’ve learned that you attain wealth by creating opportunities through residual income and royalties - which are your ideas that are creating income while you’re asleep. Therefore, our children didn’t ask to be here so it’s our obligation to give them everything that they need to succeed, to be comfortable, and to have a vision of a secured future. That is my responsibility. When my son is 18, he should be able to say, “well these are my options because

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Ecoslay Finding a passion for natural products through her own natural hair journey, Ecoslay Founder Adria Walker started her brand with the goal of providing high quality products made with all natural ingredients.

Starting off, can you talk about when and why you founded Ecoslay?

“My journey with my natural hair began when I was in college about 25 years ago…

It was a lot of experimentation just figuring out what works - and it was a lot of fun.

And over the course of the years, I began to notice that the products with more natural ingredients really worked well for me… I began to play around with mixing ingredients here and there.

“I got a little bit more serious about it as the years went on and I began to think about starting a business, but I didn’t really know what I was doing… So, I had a couple of failed attempts. I wanted to create a hair gel but really couldn’t figure it out. Then about a few years after that, which was in 2016, I noticed a trend online about ladies doing their edges. A lot of the women were using a toothbrush to do that and I was thinking, you know, it’s not really healthy for your hair because those bristles are really ridged. I was just thinking about a better way. That’s when I decided to release my first product, which was a bamboo edge brush. So, I released that first product and it wasn’t mixing ingredients, it was just finding a better way.”

Can you talk about some of your products?

“I found a great chemist and he was really able to merge the ideas that I had with all the science that backed it. So we created an edge gel that did pretty well. It was called Apple Sauce… What was exciting was that it took about six months to produce that product and that’s because my chemist is fantastic. He really taught me a lot about

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pH, about using the right preservatives, about why certain ingredients work together and certain ones don’t… It was over a couple of weekends, actually, that I created the Orange Marmalade gel… It ended up going viral a little bit and so that’s how our popularity grew.”

because our skin and our scalps are porous. What you put on your scalp has so many nutritional benefits. Your hair products should almost be like a smoothie-it’s important to get those vitamins into your diet. You have to think of your hair care routine the same way.

“I had created a couple of products like the Apple Sauce, the Peppermint Schnapps hair wash, the Moonshine body oil, and our Hot Sauce Hot Oil Treatment, I created those before Orange Marmalade and so when folks would go online to buy the Orange Marm., they would look at the other products. But I really wanted a conditioner to go along with it because in the natural hair community, and the curly hair community, our hair gets really dry. That’s a really big topic. So I knew I wanted a conditioner that was really thick… So we created our Banana Cream Deep Conditioner... I knew when we started working on the Banana Cream the type of ingredients I wanted in it. I knew I wanted coconut cream in it, I knew I wanted okra in it and aloe vera juice in it, so again, working with my chemist on that. I released a tea rinse at some point afterward because tea rinses are really a great way to add an extra boost to your hair routine.

And one of our latest products in the Rice Pudding leave-in and it is just fantastic…

We created our Jello Shot hair gel which is phenomenal. A lot of strong-hold gels don’t really have great ingredients in them.”

I read that you work mostly out of your kitchen - What is the product creation process like?

“My chemist and I, we are at the point of an old married couple. We have learned each other so well. When I first reached out to him, I had no clue what I was doing. I just wanted to mix all the natural ingredients together and I didn’t know why they weren’t working. He really gave me insight on the microbial effects of using certain ingredients.”

Can you speak to the benefits of using all-natural ingredients?

“A lot of customers say they can feel the difference with their first use. And that’s

You distribute worldwide - does it ever get hectic? Are you planning on expanding?

“It gets very hectic. But what’s great is that the curly hair and natural hair community is still quite small when you think about it. It’s growing fast, but it’s still quite small and we feel like we’re all in it together. I don’t really work with a lot of large companies but the companies that I work with are very passionate about natural and curly hair also. They’re big on education and they know what we stand for.

They’re big on environmental impacts as well and they really respect our brand and how we go about making our products.

Our customer base and our following has really helped with that because they really respect us also.”

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“I was just thinking about a better way...”

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Sade Styles: Beauty Supply & Braid Lounge

Sade Miller opened up her Gardena, C.A braid lounge this past August. Sade Styles is the go-to spot for braiding services and natural hair care products.

Starting off, can you talk about when and why you founded Sade’s Style?

“I used to go by the brand name ‘Styles By Sade M,’ but recently in August, once I got my shop I officially changed my brand name to ‘Sade Styles,’ which was always my Snapchat handle. I began braiding and earning money from it at 13 years old. I learned how to braid by watching my mom braid her friends’ hair, then I was able to catch on and practice on my friends and family, as well as myself.

I worked at multiple shops in LA (where I am from), and Bed Stuy, N.Y. I signed the lease to my very first shop in Gardena, C.A. in August 2020.”

What has been the most rewarding part thus far?

“The most rewarding part thus far has been able to invite people into my space, into what my vibe is. From clients, friends, and family to associates, they have all experienced my shop and it has been a great thing to witness all of their reactions because they have all believed in me, supported me verbally and financially. A personal rewarding thing for me has been when I turn the key to open the shop, I witness my internal growth, my shop, how it is designed is a reflection of everything I have grown to be over the past 15 years being an entrepreneur.”

Can you talk about some of the products and supplies you carry in your store? What are some of your favorites?

“All of the products I have in the beauty supply and braid lounge have all been vetted by myself. I read every ingredient and benefit from the product before purchasing. I carry brands such as Cantu, Shea Moisture, Ashanti Naturals, Jamaican Mango & Lime, EBIN, Vonte, B’s Organic Jamaican, Nena’s Organics, and my very own ‘Sade Styles’ line, which includes my roll-on oil: “Mega Moisturizer” and plant-based leave-in conditioner ‘Let It Be!’

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My favorites are my black castor oil products

by Jamaican Mango & Lime, Nena’s Organics’ hair growth stimulator oil, all of my Sade Styles products, as well as the sage sticks I sell.”

You also sell your own product - Mega Moisturizer - can you talk about that and about the beneficial ingredients?

“My ‘Mega Moisturizer’ product from my Sade Styles line is a roll-on oil packed with over 10 essential oils such as peppermint oil, tea tree, black seed, black castor, hemp oil, vitamin e, argan oil, and many more! It’s packaged in a small ⅓ oz glass bottle that is literally purposed for those on-the-go.

I created this product in the summer of 2020 with the goal to help me save money towards a shop, supplement my income. When I launched the oils, I announced a ‘Mega Grant’ giveaway for new small business owners to apply to. The one winner won $300 ($200 from my pockets and $100 that my mom donated). There were over 50 applicants, it was so hard to choose just one winner. I ended up choosing a brand name ‘Raejuvenate’ by Toni Rae. I chose her amongst all of the other applicants because her brand really stuck out to me, her story was very relatable, similar to my story, and last she knew exactly what she wanted to do with the money.`` What has it been like running your business during COVID? Were there any challenges? Any benefits?

“In the beginning of COVID (March 2020), I was very anxious, I was not sure how things were going to survive. In my mind I’m already realizing my business will be one of the main things to shut down, due to how much contact is involved. It was a little slow in the beginning, averaging three to four clients a week, versus eight to 10 clients a week pre-COVID. Once we began to shut down and everyone had to quarantine, I put together three ‘haircare packages’ that included two to three packs of Rastafri braiding hair, calendars, and

t-shirts, BRNZ deep conditioner and growth serum, Melanin Gold edge tamer, holding sprays, combs, and Cantu leave-in conditioner.

The winners of the packages were chosen randomly from names tagged on my post.

Benefits to the pandemic, after doing the packages, I feel like God really blessed me. Not only was I able to pay all of my bills, but I was able to save over $20k towards my shop in three months, working non-stop, 16 hour days for 6 days a week, 10 to 12 clients a week, and working in PR.” What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners?

“The best advice I could give to aspiring entrepreneurs would be to find your niche! Figure out what makes you, YOU. It took me a while to find my flow, but I was able to eventually find it once I found myself. I worked on myself as a person, went through growing pains, made it through trials and error. Who you are as a person will most likely always show up in your business life, it’s all about character. So yes, my biggest advice is to always work on yourself, do self-evaluations, find your niche, be innovative, think big, network, maintain great energy to attract people and money (money is energy!

Law of attraction), and last but not least HAVE FAITH! Being an entrepreneur is not for the weak, it is a continuous faith walk.”

Lastly, do you have any new products or developments coming up in 2021?

“In May I launched my first Braiding School activation. I decided to start the classes to begin to teach the new set of braiders professionalism, ways to maximize their brand, and taking their skills to the next level. The classes consist of learning basic braiding, parting and timing techniques, knotless and feed-in braids and branding yourself as a braider. The classes take place at my salon with a new set of four students per month.

You can register and check for class updates on my Instagram @sadestylesbraidlounge and sadestylesnatural.com

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“Who you are as a person will most likely always show up in your business life, it’s all about character...”

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LOV E L E T T E R S

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Hey girl, I wanna

tell you a little stor y about w hy you sh When I w ould nev er put yo as a kid, urself in I tried EV and mor a box.

E R YTHING e. I went to modeli : tap dan that I wa ce, violin ng schoo s designin l, and I u , volleyba g. sed to dr ll, tennis aw out sk , painter, e track, ba t c h e s of cloth In high s sketball ing in cla chool, my s s , fa n o v t realizin orite sub summarie g ject was s of what W o r w ld e were st H permane is t o ry, not ju udying. I nt dent in st for the wanted t my finge facts but when my o t ell stories r. Writin because I love for m g transfo .

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One Lov e LOVE, Selekta S exxx

KNOW YO UR POWE R!

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F E AT U R E

Words by JAMIE ROLLO Photography by KARSTON TANNI

Combining the worlds of classical and modern music Ezinma hopes to bring about unity through her works At the crux of modern music and classical ballads sits Nebraska native Ezinma, a classically trained violinist given the fitting nickname “Classical Bae.” She has previously worked alongside artists like SZA and Beyonce, lending her stringed skills to “All the Stars” and BeyChella. With the release of her latest EP, CLASSICAL BAE, Ezinma seeks to enthrall audiences with the grandeur and beauty of classical music.

Ezinma first picked up a violin at the age of four, quickly noticing the natural talent she possessed. “I just loved the instrument and was kind of natural with it and kept playing, kept playing, kept playing,” the artist retold. “I came to New York and went to The New School. I studied more violin there and then after doing all this classical training when I left school I just began to experiment.”

Using knowledge gained through a production class at Parsons, she began combining modern beats with classical songs. “It was one of those things where I had been so used to the tradition and so used to the rules and the expectations of what you do, why do you do it, and how you play it, and all of these things that you learn as a classical instrumentalist,” Ezinma explained. “To kind of take the lid off of that container and just completely run wild was something that was kind of incredibly liberating but also scary because I didn’t know where it was taking me.”

Once shared with the world, her experimentations took her to unexpected social media heights. The internet fame came quickly after posting footage of her playing her violin over Future’s 2017 hit “Mask Off.” “It went so viral,” Ezinma retold. “It’s crazy - the people and the response and also the opportunities that came. I had no idea what could happen with just one video.”

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Continuing to put herself out there, Ezinma was soon approached with partnerships that most would only dream of. “I started working with different artists like Beyonce and SZA and A$AP Ferg and Stevie Wonder,” she added.

“It’s just something that I never could have imagined happening just because of the way that things came into my life, musically, and unfolded was just so organic and nothing was ever forced.”

Ezinma first started working with Beyonce in 2016 as part of her all-female band. She joined the legendary artists on her Formation World Tour and even got to perform at Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella set. This was a hugely pivotal moment in Ezinma’s career that she looks fondly back on. “Still to this day, I am like ‘I can’t believe I did that.’ I was there and I was working and recording,” she explained. “Even on her tour, that’s me playing right there in the recording of it.

It’s just so cool to me to have been a part of that.”

This experience opened another door for Ezinma, one that led to a recording studio with SZA and Kendrick Lamar who were working on their hit single “All the Stars” for Black Panther. The two brought Ezinma on to provide a string arrangement for the track. “I remember I was so nervous walking into that room,” Ezinma retold. “You’re pinching yourself and then, you know, just realizing that you have to tap into all of the work that you’ve done, all of the studying you’ve done, all of the practicing - you just have to tap into that and trust that it will be there and you will deliver in that room.”

This monumental moment, this test of virtue, really cemented the greatness that is within Ezinma. Through showing up and delivering exceedingly well, she was able to fully trust herself and her years of training and knowledge.

“That was just something where I was hired to truly be a writer for that song,” Ezinma retold. “It was just a great and rewarding experience.”

Fast forward to 2021 and Ezinma is signed to Universal with three singles released thus far: “Beethoven Pleads the Fifth,” “Vivaldi Springs Forth” and her holiday single “Drummer Bae.” The first two tracks are featured on her debut EP, Classical Bae, along with other songs that fuse iconic and recognizable classical tunes with modern beats.

“I was very intentional about picking the most common, well-known tunes that the average person could hum to and then just kind of recontextualizing it for today,” explains Ezinma. “I want this project just to serve as a bridge between two opposite worlds and I think right now, more than ever, things are so divided and so polarized that I felt that my music would perhaps be something that could connect these two opposite worlds.”

“I want this project to serve as a bridge between two opposite worlds”

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LEADING LADIES Once regarded as rare sightings, women in production are becoming the new normal.

In the heavily male-dominated entertainment industry, women continue to deliver - contributing some of the most valuable and most memorable moments to the culture. T.I. ‘s Trap Music Museum, Cam Newton’s Sip N Smoke, and 21 Savage’s Motel 21 were all curated and produced by women.

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“This is a man’s world...but it would be nothing without a woman or a girl.”

- James Brown

DA’JIA MILAN Stylist, Costume Designer Pose, Wu-Tang: An American Saga Where did it all begin for you?

I originally started in the world of celebrity styling after doing internships with Vogue Magazine and Dolce & Gabbana. After working in that field for so many years I never felt fulfilled so I thought I’d try my hand at costume designing where I could mix my love for clothing and films together. Once I got into the production side of the entertainment industry I knew where I belonged and what I really wanted to do [with my career]. I have always loved clothing and films since I was very young. Some of my favorite films are usually designed by Ruth Carter, who is a huge inspiration to me along with countless designers that I’ve come to know and work with that continue to motivate me.

What do you think is a critical step that shouldn’t be overlooked in your line of work?

Reading that script and having it fully broken down also helps to explain the costume transition for your cast during fittings. Most times, building the costumes is a collaboration with not just the producers or directors, but with your talent, hair and makeup team; and sometimes what they feel the character needs to look like may differ from how you read that script. The research is cer-

tainly important as well so you can have a clear indication of what your cast should look like and differ from the set and background actors.

How do you make your work stand out while fulfilling your assignments?

For me every project is different. Sometimes, the costumes should stand out, feel easy or disappear when it needs to. The range in my body of work currently shows how I adapt clothing to its purpose for the project.

As I continue to grow creatively, the costumes I work on will not only reflect my vision but that of the actor, the director, the producers and the script itself. It’s a collaborative effort but I try my best to always come in with a clear mind so nothing similar from the last project seeps in.

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MARINA SKYE Set by Skye Daydreams nightclub, Trap Music Museum, Motel 21, Jidenna What influenced you to take your first step?

Fashion was something I was good at. I wasn’t passionate about it, but I had a line for about a year and a half. At trade shows, I started to pay more attention to how my booth looked versus how my clothes looked. I researched what that was and found out it was set design and creative direction. I started working to build my portfolio up.

In 2017 I got my first major project doing the interior for a 2-level club called Daydreams that was Willy Wonka meets Alice in Wonderland themed. I took a lot of inspiration from the themes of nightclubs that were popular in Tokyo. I thought if I could bring that type of experience to Atlanta, it would be well received. Little did I know that T.I. and Grand Hustle were watching the project.

I got a call to do the Trap Music Museum (TMM). Shortly after that, I got a call to do 21 Savage’s “Motel 21” for his album I am Greater than I Was - it won the team a Cleo Advertising award.

After that project, I started working with Grammy-nominated recording artist Jidenna; I work as his art director. Those few projects fueled my journey to where I am now.

Name one step in your process that you cannot skip.

SHELLY ANDREWS The ILL Group The ILL Table, Jack Harlow + Buffalo Wild Wings, Super Bowl LIII LIVE Where did it all start for you?

My career started on a whim. I endured some tragedy, felt like I was unmotivated. I was frustrated with the money I’d invested in my degree and not using it. While working at my corporate job, I brainstormed my first show concept, The ILL Table. Everything took off from there.

What project would you love to do-over? Why? Any work I did between 2017-2018. I really devalued my position during that time. I was putting in work, but I wasn’t confident enough, so I wasn’t always present or maximizing the opportunity; I missed many follow-up chances. Knowing the things I know now, I know I probably would have 100x more business sooner.

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I cannot skip the initial communication with the client, finding out their wants and needs. I have my creative list and thoughts, but ultimately it’s about the client and what they want throughout the entire process.

Which project helped set the tone & change the trajectory of your career?

The tone was set with the Trap Music Museum because it is a huge part of my career. It pushed me to work with multiple types of personalities consistently.

It taught me to be resourceful because many of the sets were new to me, and I had to make things look authentic.

That project also put a stamp on my brand as it relates to providing an interactive experience with people.

What was the defining moment in your career?

Producing the 2019 Super Bowl LIII LIVE concert with Jermaine Dupri for DJ Holiday and Friends for sure established my career. I handled all correspondence from entertainment to high-level executives to make sure the show was a hit.

Having that stamp pretty much solidified that I could handle any level of execution needed.

S P OT L I G H T

PRINCESS MBANUZUE

for two and a half years. I continue to develop talent, cast and produce full time and I absolutely love it!

Beyond The Steps The Aunties, Old Spice, Sip ‘N’ Smoke with Cam Newton

What project would you like to repeat?

This is a hard one. One of my most recent projects with Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Baby, and Trench called Paid the Fine. I would love to do this over because we were able to help so many people.

We got 30 inmates released from Fulton County Jail. I wish this were an ongoing thing. We heard so many stories, reunited people with their families and made a dope video in the process.

How did you start your career? What influenced you to take your first step?

I actually started my career as a professional background dancer in 2009. I was able to explore the world with celebrities and grace stages with thousands in the audience. Every time I traveled to a new place, I would take in the culture, speak with other creatives, and learn from every opportunity. I would come home and spread the knowledge I gained with my counterparts in Atlanta. That’s when I realized I wanted more! I used my network to educate people and provide jobs in entertainment. I started creating networking events, doing artist development and assisting management with their artists. I remember one day I went to teach a class in North Carolina and I kept telling the dancers, “it’s more than dance, it’s beyond the steps.” That was the birth of my consulting company. From there, I went on to start casting and producing and launched another company, Beyond Castings and Productions LLC. My first production was with an artist signed to FloRida’s label. Then I moved into Afrobeats with my fellow Nigerians doing videos for Davido, Olamide, Phyno, and P-Squared. From there, Teyana Taylor scooped me up as her producer for her production company, The Aunties. I was the sole producer for all productions she directed, including her videos

NIKKI BYLES Swirl Films Saints & Sinners, Lil’ Duval’s Living My Best Life, Uncensored How did you get started in the entertainment industry?

I’ve always had some type of involvement in the entertainment industry in some capacity, be it with talent or just working, but it was mainly music or sports. Ironically, I never really thought of film.

After graduating from NC A&T, one of my close friends, James Seppelfrick, called and asked if I would work on an upcoming film he had coming up to see if it was something that I would like. I haven’t stopped since.

What project would you love to do over? Why? We recently shot Uncensored with DMX and we were supposed to have an extra day for b-roll that didn’t happen due to a timing is-

S

Name one step in your process that you cannot skip.

Education! Gaining knowledge and understanding of the task you are walking into. I am forever a student!

sue. I would love to have had that extra day with him. Long live X! Which project helped set the tone & change the trajectory of your career?

After the first movie I did with James Seppelfrick, I became Executive Assistant to the CEO, Eric Tomosunas.

Although I still worked on all of the movies we [Swirl Films] were doing, I was assisting Eric. Once I started working on Uncensored, they really saw that I had the ability to do more. That’s when I officially became a Producer.

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FEMALE FIRSTS

KAMALA HARRIS (the first woman Vice President of the U.S) MADAME C.J WALKER (the first woman entrepreneur and first Black millionaire) SHIRLEY CHISHOLM (the first Black congresswoman) CAROL MOSELY BRAUN (the first Black woman senator) PATRICIA HARRIS (the first Black woman cabinet minister) CONDOLEEZZA RICE (the first Black woman Secretary of State) CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY (the first Black woman federal judge)

DEB HAALAND (the first Native American woman to be elected to Congress)

ANN SMITH FRANKLIN (the first woman newspaper editor in the U.S)

SHARICE DAVIS (the first Native American woman to be elected to Congress)

MARGARET CORBIN (the first U.S woman soldier to receive a pension) SARAH HALE (the first woman to become an editor of a major women’s magazine) HARRIOT KEZIA HUNT (the first woman to practice medicine) ANNE MCDOWELL (the first woman to run an entirely female newspaper)

MAE JEMISON (the first Black female astronaut)

HARRIET TUBMAN (the first woman to free slaves through the Underground Railroad)

RUTH SIMMONS (the first Black Ivy League president)

EMELINE ROBERTS JONES (the first woman to practice dentistry)

PHILLIS WHEATLEY (the first Black published poet)

MARY WALKER (the first woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor)

GWENDOLYN BROOKS (the first Black author to win a Pulitzer Prize)

RASHIDA TLAIB (the first Muslim woman to be elected to Congress) ILHAN OMAR (the first Muslim woman to be elected to Congress) GHAZALA HASHMI (the first Muslim woman elected to the Senate of Virginia) RUTH BADER GINSBURG (the first woman to lie in repose at the Supreme Court Building) SARAH FULLER (first woman to play in a Power 5 Football game) BECKY HAMMON (the first female acting head coach in the NBA) JULIANA R. FORCE (the first woman to present folk art at a public showing)

RITA DOVE (the first Black woman Poet Laureate)

SHIRLEY MULDOWNEY (the first woman drag-racer and the first woman to win an NHRA event)

TONI MORRISON (the first Black winner of the Noble Prize for literature)

CHRISTINE JORGENSEN (the first woman to identify as transgender publicly)

CHARLOTTE E. RAY (the first Black woman to be a lawyer)

MARIAN ANDERSON (the first Black member of the Metropolitan Opera Company)

JANET GUTHRIE (the first woman to compete in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500)

MARY ELIZA MAHONEY (the first Black woman to study and work as a nurse in the U.S)

PATRICIA R. HARRIS (the first woman to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services)

SUSIE KING TAYLOR (the first Black Army nurse)

ELLA FITZGERALD (the first Black woman Grammy winner) HATTIE MCDANIEL (the first Black Oscar winner) OPRAH WINFREY (the first Black woman television host) ALTHEA GIBSON (the first Black person to play in and win Wimbleton) ALICE COACHMAN (the first Black woman Olympic gold medalist) VANESSA WILLIAMS (the first Black Miss America) JULIE DASH (first black woman to direct nationally distributed feature film) BESSIE COLEMAN (first black woman and first native American woman to hold a pilots license/ first black person to earn international license) MARIYA RUSSEL (first black woman to run Michelin-starred kitchen) VASHTIE KOLA (1st women to design an Air Jordan brand shoe) MICHELLE OBAMA (1st black first lady) OCTAVIA BUTLER (the first science fiction writer to be awarded the MacArthur fellowship) CATHAY WILLIAMS (First black women to enlist in the Army)

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KATIE SOWERS (the first woman and first openly gay coach to go to the Super Bowl)

KATHRYN D. SULLIVAN (the first woman to lead a spacewalk) NANCY LIEBERMAN (the first woman to play in a men’s professional basketball league) DR. LENORA FULANI (the first woman and first Black woman to secure ballot access as a presidential candidate) EILEEN COLLINS (the first female pilot for the Space Shuttle) JULIE TAYMOR (the first woman to win the Tony Award for best director) LUCILLE “PAM” THOMPSON (the first Black woman to serve as a U.S Coast Guard Special Agent) ROSA PARKS (the first woman to lie in honor of the Capitol) MICHELLE J. HOWARD (the U.S navy’s first women and first Black woman to become a four-star admiral) MICHELE A. ROBERTS (the first woman to elected to the highest position in a major U.S sports association as the Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association) NATALIE NAKASE (the first woman NBA assistant)

REBECCA LEE CRUMPLER (first black woman to receive a M.D degree)

MICHELLE K. LEE (the first woman and first person of color to lead the U.S Patent and Trademark Office)

JENNIFER KING (the first Black woman to be a full-time NFL coach)

CARLA HAYDEN (the first woman Librarian of Congress)

ARETHA FRANKLIN (the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

FAITH SPOTTED EAGLE (the first Native American woman to receive an electoral vote for president)

MAGAZINE

MARY JANE PATTERSON (the first Black woman to obtain a bachelor’s degree)

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE (opened the first school for Black girls) SONIA SOTOMAYOR (the first Hispanic member of the Supreme Court) WANGARI MAATHAI (the first African woman to win the Noble Piece Prize) MISTY COPELAND (the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater) VERNICE ARMOUR (the first Black woman combat pilot) VIOLA DAVIS (the first Black woman to win an Emmy for best drama series actress) CICELY TYSON (The first Black woman to Host SNL) WHITNEY HOUSTON (First Black artist with Three Diamond Albums) RENEE MONTGOMERY (First former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise) SHEILA JOHNSON (First African-American women to attain a net worth of at least one billion dollars) JANET JACKSON (First Black Woman to Receive Billboard Icon Award) CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY (First Black Female Justice Appointed to Serve on Washington Supreme Court) MARY ANNING (First female paleontologist) CARDI B (First female rapper to have a diamond song)

ICON

I

Words by MADISON ALLISON

THE INSPIRING LIFE OF CICELY TYSON Cicely Tyson was a trail-blazing actress who won many awards over her lengthy career. Her life and work will inspire generations to come.

Image credit: Cicely Tyson in East Side, West Side via CNN.com

Cicely Tyson was born December 29, 1924, in Harlem, New York.

Her parents were immigrants from Nevis of the West Indies, and Cicely was the eldest of their three kids. Their household was a religious environment and Cicely was a part of her church’s choir.

Despite her talents, her mother was not fond of the idea of Cicely acting and the two stopped communicating for some time.

After being discovered by a photographer from Ebony magazine, Tyson became a successful model in the fashion industry. By 1951, Tyson landed her first role for a series called Frontiers of Faith on NBC. Her first-ever film appearance followed in 1956 with her starring role in the film Carib Gold. Later on, she became the first African-American regular on the set of East Side, West Side, a CBS series, in 1963. She appeared in many other series, movies, and plays, starring alongside other legendary performers including Maya Angelou, James Earl, George C. Scott, Sammy Davis Jr. and others. After starring in the film Sounder in 1972, Tyson’s fame soon skyrocketed, leading to her nomination for “Best Actress” for both the Academy and Golden Globe Awards.

Tyson went on to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, which aired in 1974. Some of her more famous roles include her role in The Help (2011), How to Get Away with Murder (2014), A Fall From

Grace (2020) and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). Tyson has won a Tony Award, several Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award, and has received various honors.

She was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1997, honored by the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women, and Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball. In 2010, the NAACP awarded her the Spingarn Medal for her support of civil rights and her contributions to the modeling and entertainment industry. In 2016, Tyson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the first Black President, Barack Obama.

Tyler Perry named one of his soundstages to honor Tyson, and this past year, The Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts opened in East Orange, New Jersey, to celebrate her life and legacy.

Tyson received honorary degrees from Columbia University, Howard University, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College.

On January 26, 2021, Tyson’s memoir Just As I Am was published, and just a few days later, Cicely Tyson passed away. In the last weeks of her life, Tyson interviewed with Gayle King stating, “I’ve done my best. That’s all,” after being asked how she’d like to be remembered. Indeed Tyson did do her best and showed others how much one could accomplish in a lifetime.

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