Kenya Moore

KENYA MOORE’S

Journey to Matrimony, Motherhood and More

BY ANNETTE JOHNSON

As she answers my questions in pseudo-engaged detail while getting her hair and makeup done, I see the striking boldness of Kenya Moore’s features that struck the attention of the judges at 1993 Miss USA pageant. I can only imagine what was going through Kenya's mind as she strutted across that stage giving the audience a signature pageant wave. That night, beaming with tears of pure joy and relief, Kenya became the second African American woman to be crowned Miss USA. She later went on to compete and became the fifth runner-up in the 1993 Miss Universe pageant.

Obviously, this woman is not new to the TV screen, critics, and adversaries in relationships or business, but she has maintained her baton twirling approach with a confident poise. The American actress, model, producer, author, television personality, and entrepreneur has co-starred in the Bravo series “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” from 2012 and still is holding her peach. Among her many TV cameos and film roles, Kenya was also a member of the cast of The Celebrity Apprentice 7 in 2015.

Nevertheless, all her accolades and success have not matched the moment on November 3, 2018, when her daughter, Brooklyn, with husband, Marc Daly, was born. Getting to this place was not easy, though, as the newly wed struggled with infertility in her late 40s and opted for in vitro fertilization (IVF). She reportedly had no issues with the IVF procedure or pregnancy other than being tired and experiencing some nausea.

Enamored with her success and wanting to help other women, Kenya teamed up with Baby Quest Foundation to promote the charity’s mission to provide grants for infertility procedures. Kenya became an ambassador to the organization and personally donated to create Kenya Moore’s Baby Quest: Gift of Life Grant. The candidates must be based in her hometowns of Atlanta & Detroit and she will pick and personally present the grants to the recipients.

The Kenya’s involvement in the foundation’s mission is significant for those who lack financial resources to afford IVF. The average cost for one in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle is $20,000, excluding medications, which typically run another $4,000 to $5,000. The average couple undergoes two IVF cycles before successfully achieving fertilization, so the cost would be double, totaling approximately $50,000.

During our interview, we talked about her outlook on life both before and after motherhood. As she changes outfits for the cover shoot, I notice how each piece complements her skin tone perfectly, thanks to stylist Michelle Lynch. She changes into three outfits before baby Brooklyn walks in with her nanny and a pink tablet in tow.

Brooklyn percolates with excitement when she sees her mother, following her into their dressing room to continue the adorable mommy-daughter shoot. Brooklyn is hesitant, though, quite possibly by the new faces, including mine, the photographer, and assistants. When cajoled to change into her matching outfit, Brooklyn recoils from the nanny, preferring to play with her tablet. Neither the nanny nor Brooklyn’s aunt have any luck by bribing her with cookies or songs

(“Baby Shark”). When Kenya walks in the room, the whole environment shifts, though. Within five minutes of Kenya entering the room and telling Brooklyn to get dressed, the toddler straightens up and can be dressed. By all accounts, Kenya is a no-nonsense, loving mother who provides her baby with a balance of autonomy and structure. Once dressed, Brooklyn joined her mother on set wearing a linen romper with yellow floral designs while mommy, Kenya, wore a plain, strapless yellow romper.

As I listen to Kenya’s account of how she dealt with painful fibroids, it is a wonder how she now vibrantly takes on managing her body, mind and heart, which her daughter clearly has a lock on. The spitting image of her father, baby Brooklyn is nothing less than miracle, and Kenya treats her role as mother as such. Nothing Kenya has done before in her life has prepared her for motherhood, and we talked about that and more in our interview:

Annette: I'm going to get started with your questions. The first questions are always easy questions. These are ones you probably answered a million times. How has motherhood changed you? Kenya: Gosh, I don't know. It's changed me in every way possible. On the one hand, I just want to stop everything that I'm doing all the time and just watch my daughter 100% of the time because everything she does is so amazing to me. And so I don't know. It’s incredible to see just how she discovers the world of new things, how she learns or sees or picks up or says something new. In that regard, it taught me how to slow down, but then, on the other hand, in my work, it's taught me to speed up because I want to make the best possible life for her so she is safe and okay. Like, I mean, more jobs, more streams of income, more exposure. I just want to keep going.

Annette: What have you brought to motherhood that is different, something that you do differently or uniquely perhaps than most mothers? Kenya: I don't know. I can't answer that question because I don't know what other mothers have done. My goal is to just give my daughter 100% of me 100% of the time.

Annette: What are you doing to juggle and balance your many hats because that's the toughest thing for working moms? Kenya: I just think prioritizing so you can have that work-life balance. Prioritizing is always going to be my daughter, and then everything falls in place after that. She is always going to be the priority.

Annette: How did you imagine life as a younger woman being a beauty contest winner? Did you think, ‘I'm going to have my kids soon’? Basically, how did you envision motherhood as a younger woman? Kenya: I felt family, husband, multiple children probably by 28 to 32. You know, I thought that would have been a good age to start.

Annette: So what was it that delayed motherhood for you? Was it career? Kenya: Yeah, it was not finding the right person for me. I didn't want to be a single mom. I didn't want that. I didn't grow up with a two-parent household with my mom and father together. It just was an incredibly challenging time in my life and very painful because of everything that I went through in my childhood as a result of that. So my vow was to do it differently. To me, what that [family] looked like for me was a two-parent home where there was lots of love and support.

Annette: Do you feel like you overcompensated at all, like there could have been a guy in your past that was ‘the one’ so to speak? Kenya: I definitely looked over some good guys for sure. Um, That yeah that I ruined the relationship that that was totally you know my fault.

Annette: Sometimes we try to reverse past situations and we overcompensate, missing out on something or someone important in our present. Now you have a beautiful baby who can erase any memory of past relationship mistakes or failures. Still, you never thought about trying to have a child before that? Kenya: Oh, I wasn't trying because I was not married. So, I didn't get married until 47, and then a year later, we had IVF, and a year later, Brooklyn was born.

Annette: This is kind of personal, but how did you know [so soon] you would need a procedure like IVF if you hadn’t tried to get pregnant previously? Kenya: Throughout my entire life, I had been under treatment for fibroids. The doctors told me that I would not be able to conceive because the fibroids had, you know, they were in different stages. So, at some point, they were saying I had to get them removed. I had them surgically removed in my 30s. Then again, two or three more times, and so because of that, they were like, there is a very small possibility that you could carry because of the damage done to my uterus.

Annette: Oh, my gosh. Kenya: Yeah, but I found great doctors, and even my first doctor was an oncologist. He said the fibroids were so large, that they were larger than a full-term baby

Annette: So, did they affect the look of your midsection? Did your stomach protrude at all? Kenya: No, it was in my back, toward my back. Like, my stomach was so flat, and the way they were growing, they were starting to hit my spine.

Annette: What kind of pain were you in? Kenya: I was not in a lot of pain on a daily basis. But when my period would come and my uterus would swell, it was debilitating pain. Initially, I just thought it was normal [pain] because you are on your period, right?

Annette: Given your medical history, you must have been somewhat nervous about the IVF procedure. How did it go on the first time? Kenya: It was not successful the first time, but the second time it was.

Annette: How excited were you? Tell me about your reaction when you found out, ‘I’m going to be a mother?’ Were you giddy? Kenya: Well, you know I didn't have that reaction because of everything everyone told me. They said, 12 weeks but you never know. You don't know the condition [of the embryo]. You don’t know if it's going to hold. It was just so many things. I just refused to get excited because I didn't know if I would carry and deliver to full term. And every step of the way, I had so many scares, so many scares where we just didn't know. So that is why I didn't have the best feeling during my pregnancy because I was like, ‘I just didn't want to get excited to be disappointed.’

Annette: At what point in your pregnancy, seven months, eight months, where you are like, ‘Okay, my baby is coming. She will be here. I'm going to be a mom.’ Did you ever. settle down in your spirit? Kenya: I don't remember. I think maybe around seven and a half months?

Annette: No, you felt you feel movement way earlier than that. Did you have seen our shows on cable when those women claim they never knew they were pregnant? Kenya: I remember when I think I was maybe around 12 weeks when I first felt flutters. No, it was more than a flutter. Like, it was the weirdest feeling, and then when they start

kicking, there’s no way to deny that those are kicks. That's not a flutter. It woke me out my sleep the first time I felt it. I never felt it before moving and then when I felt it, I just woke up and I was like, ‘Oh. my god!’ I then waited to see if that's what it was. Yeah, then it happened again. It was a kick.

Annette: What was some of the best advice you got and who was it from? Kenya: You know, I just don't know if anyone ever gave me advice about motherhood. The advice that I remember was just how my grandmother raised me and the things that she taught us. That was my guide. My aunt, who was my mom's sister, I remember her telling me to write down every time, you know, the little things every day about Brooklyn so that I can always flip back to that day and show her or remember when she said this word. Or, ‘on this day, you took the comb and combed your hair.’ You know, she said to just keep like a diary of things that she does and says, with all the memories. That's the only thing I can really honestly, absolutely say I got in terms of advice.

Annette: What is the biggest surprise Brooklyn has shown or done for you? Kenya: I can't point to one thing because it just happens in way. No, but she is very highly intelligent. The way she perceives things and how she processes information is astonishing to me. It’s to the point where I believe she will surpass me. Okay, you know, I’m not even talking about in the long haul. I mean soon. What I do not want to do is not cultivate that. And so I want to get her in school and just, you know, challenge her as much as possible just to see where she is she when it comes to percentages with other children and stuff like that. But she's so smart, the things she says [is incredible]. It’s her way of learning that when you really pay attention to her, you can see the genius in her. There is a genius there.

Annette: So, is she predominately left-brained like mathematical or do we have a right-brained creative genius? Kenya: I'm left and right. Yes, she is also. Because she loves to be creative. I'll look up and she'll have a lot of my clothes on. She'll just put them on all over. She'll go play with things that you don't even know go together. She is highly creative. She'll cook, and she'll be doing her imaginary meals and stuff. She will bring it to you and tell you what they are—spaghetti or like bananas, whatever. She'll have it on a little tray.

Annette: What do you owe that genius to? Is it because of the environment you encourage or do you think it is just genetic? Kenya: That is a good question because you know there's that debate, nurture versus nature. I just have to probably say it's a bit of both. I think it's probably a bit of both. I always play with her. I always like to let her have fun and be a child, but at the same time, you can't discredit genes. Her dad is, you know, a genius or smart. You know what I mean? Okay, I think it's honestly a bit both.

Annette: We'll go with both. What do you want or foresee her doing in terms of a career one day? Kenya: Yes, yes. A neurosurgeon, something where she is required to use her brain and hear complicated things to figure out. A scientist or something along those lines.

Annette: So what do you do to challenge her on a day-today basis? Kenya: I'm just pushing the limits to what she knows. Instead of counting 1 to 10, I'll count 20 to 30 or 30 to one backwards. I’m constantly introducing her to new things to see how well she picks up on them.

Annette: Does she ever get frustrated? Kenya: She's such a boss. She'll tell you like, ‘Bye, Mommy.’

Annette: Okay, so she's like her mom.

The Queen Storyteller of Underground Soul

BY MELISSA LAWRENCE

Being called the “Queen of Underground Soul” may seem like an oxymoron for some who would question when has soul been to music in almost any modern form. Sy Smith explains it like this: “Underground soul is the R&B that you hear on the radio when people say, ‘They don't make this like they used to.’ It's usually underground soul that they're talking about. They just don't know that it's still around or that we exist.”

This queen has been keeping this nostalgic R&B culture going through her music and overall artistry, which is nothing short of authentic. She shared her insights on the music industry, how she got there, and what her world looks like right now.

“The love for the music” is what she says is keeping soul music alive right now. “It's really simple as that. Most of us that make the kind of music that we do, make it because we love it.”

To be connected to our livelihood through love is something that many of us might still be searching for, and Sy’s story inspires us to find that. She went to L.A. only expecting to be part of small play without any knowledge of what else awaited her in the City of Angels.

Having a supportive, positive group of friends has been a constant aspect in Sy’s life, seeing as how a friend helped her land one of her first gigs as a background vocalist for Whitney Houston. This was after Sy took a leap of faith and decided to stay in L.A. after the play in order to see what else she could possibly conquer.

“When I first moved to LA, I met other singers and other musicians and, you know, those singers sort of took me under their wings and said, ‘Make sure that you are in places where you need to be and when you need to be there.’ One of those places happened to be an audition for Whitney Houston, and I wasn't actually planning to audition. I was actually just there to pick up a friend who was auditioning for her, and when I picked her up, she introduced me to Rickey Minor, who was Whitney's musical director. She said, ‘You know, Richard, you should hear Sy,’ and he said, "Okay, let's hear you." It was really as simple as that.”

Little did she know that she would also go on to work with the likes of Chaka Khan, John Legend, Raphael Saadiq, etc. Sy also found herself thriving in this underground soul scene becoming known as a “queen” in her own right.

Her creative kingdom is quite vast, including acting, singing and playing. She’s at home on any throne where she can tell a story through artistry. “I love being on stage, whether that's performing concerts or theatre or whatever because I just love telling stories. Sitting at the piano and writing songs is another place to tell stories too. So, I don't know that I have a favorite. I just like to have a platform. I just love to have a place where I can be amplified and tell a story.”

Her neo soul image is “authentic” and Diana Ross was part of her inspiration to be uniquely elegant. “Diana Ross, she's one of my idols because she was one of the first black woman that I ever saw be glamorous in places where black women weren't typically seen as being such or allowed to be that. And I always loved her for showing me that it's okay to be glamorous like I wanted to be and still be unapologetically black.”

She says her mother likewise reinforced the fact that she could own her ethnicity with beauty and style. In fact, her mother taught her how to tie a headwrap, or a gele, when she was a little girl. “[My mother] might've thought I wasn't paying attention, but it wasn't until my college years when I started, you know, going back to those lessons with fabrics and how my mom taught me how to wrap a gele…I guess people are expected to have image but what you see with me it's really just me. It's not an image. It's the way I am all the time.”

Sy’s music video “Camelot” was spontaneously shot by her husband and doting hype man on a vacation to Tanzania. Although most people would come to reimagine Camelot as a fictitious place, she wanted it to be perceived as a real place that actually exists right here on Earth, instead of being in England or medieval someplace. “Camelot could be in East Africa and in Tanzania, and maybe it could be on the island of Zanzibar, or maybe it could be in the Serengeti.”

In terms of her artistic process, she believes in going after her goals while allowing life lessons to be guideposts. “If you have a vision for yourself, stick to your vision, but never stop learning. Never stop learning and never stop finding the joy in discovery. The discovery phase is really a beautiful a beautiful part of creativity, and as long as you can discover, you can just keep making yourself new all the time.”

Look out for what’s next and what new with this queen…

FINDING INNER PEACE WITH YOGMATA KEIKO AIKAWA

BY MELISSA LAWRENCE

The world has felt slightly hectic in the past few years, to say the least. However, there are people who have dedicated their lives to finding inner peace even in the face of a sometimes-difficult era, and Yogmata Keiko Aikawa is one of them.

Known as “the Mother of Yoga,” she has gained the respect and following of millions of people around the world, including some of society’s biggest names such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Holiness the Dalai Lama 14th. After being given the chance to explore Yogmata’s mind regarding both herself, her practice and global concerns, her love for humanity was consistently evident and unwavering.

According to the official website for the Himilayan Siddha Masters, Yogmata made history by becoming the first female and non-Indian to join the organization and reach Samahdi. In order to understand the significance of this accomplishment, it’s essential to understand some of the phrases and titles in the world of yoga. The Himilayan Siddha Masters have proven to be a very sacred and mysterious group especially when looking at their website, which doesn’t go into too much excessive detail. However, they are best understood as a rare group of individuals who have realized “a state of Oneness with the time, space, and the Godhead ,'' better known as Samahdi. Thus, this sets them apart from their fellow Himilayan sages.

Yogmata achieved this for the first time back in 1986, initially learning from her mentor Master Hari Baba. She explained something very interesting about the culture that she found herself immersed in. “In India, women are powerful and respected,” she said. “You probably think it’s a hard life for a woman, but it is different. I am also an independent woman. This is one of the reasons I like yoga practice because it develops your consciousness. I did not feel any weakness because I am strong and aware.”

She went on to train deep inside a Himalayan Cave, practicing intense meditation, where she finally reached Samahdi. In order to gain a little more detail on this sacred process, many people attend her lectures around the world, which she does at least three or four times a week.

“The Mother of Yoga” currently resides in Japan. However, she is one of only two Himilayan Siddha Masters of who make public appearances, again proving their mysterious nature. She explained that both her and her fellow Master Pilot Baba were “instructed to go out in public and return to society and develop humanity further” due to their “karma to help people.”

Meanwhile, other Himilayan saints reside deep in the caves ensuring their balance because their own karma is finished. The most intriguing part about their existence is that they have “no more mind and body and are totally deep in Samadhi.”

This calling wasn’t surprising in the least bit, as Yogmata explained her faith in human beings being able to strengthen ourselves through heightened consciousness and constant release of stress through yoga and meditation. Yogmata’s grasp of peace and happiness has also allowed her to pay not so much attention to the various countries she travels to, but more so pay attention to the people there who she touches. She even said that her days are based around doing whatever makes others happy, while helping them to awaken the strength within themselves.

Her selfless attitude may also be a testament to her inner peace. She believes that Japan and the United States are two countries in need of deep healing, along with our biggest problem as a planet being environmental destruction that is causing intense weather changes. Her belief is that improved human relations could spark the changes we need in order to address these issues both personally and collectively.

Yogmata firmly believes that meditation and yoga can improve one’s physical and mental health with consistent practice. She has developed and organized what she calls “Aikawa Yoga” for all age groups, but she encourages that everyone practice yoga in some form. Ultimately, she wants to show people the power of self-healing and how they can transmit anugraha shakti to heal others.

Once a child simply intrigued by exploration, she has evolved into a woman in her own league, navigating her way through society with grace, peace, insight, determination, and love for humanity. At the age of 76, this seems to still be her peak and she urges us all to find a good master to learn from.

ECO-BEAUTY TIPS

From Eco-Beauty Queen LINDSEY COFFEY

BY MAI VU

We spoke with Lindsey Coffey, model and environmental activist and the reigning titleholder of Miss Earth, the beauty pageant that celebrates our planet by raising awareness for environmental causes and sustainable practices. Lindsey shares her beauty routine with us and shows us how to care for self and planet at the same time.

1The beauty queen’s routine starts with a great cleanser and she recommends One Love Organics Botanical B Enzyme Cleansing Oil which helps take off all the heavy pageant make-up while upholding the skin’s natural moisture barrier and pH balance. It’s also naturally fragranced with pineapple and citrus and cruelty-free. 2 Since every great routine must have a moisturizer, Lindsey recommends Origin’s Clear Improvement™ Pore Clearing Moisturizer With Bamboo Charcoal. It offers hydration along with gentle exfoliation from Salicylic Acid and Bamboo Charcoal, and is vegetarian (except honey & beeswax), gluten-free for those with sensitivity, and made without parabens, sulfates or formaldehyde.

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For a “power” product Lindsey’s go-to is Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma™ Day Serum. “I swear this stuff makes my skin glow,” says Lindsey. “I can see the difference even with all the red-eye flights I take and long days on photoshoots. It’s my holy grail product.” And when she can’t get enough sleep or has to travel

a 4lot, she’s also been relying on The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream to help with puffiness and dark circles.

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“With skincare, I really believe it’s better to prevent issues than to fix them, so I always-always use sunscreen,” says Lindsey, and for that she uses La Mer’s The Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid. “It’s light but offers so much protection!”

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For her ultra-pamper days she loves LUSH’s Mask of Magnanimity which has Kaolin clay and peppermint oil that deep cleans and soothes the skin. The brand also supports communities by buying honey for the mask directly from apiaries local to their manufacturing centers.

Lastly, at the end of the cycle, Lindsey recommends discarding the packaging properly. “I love Nordstrom’s BEAUTYCYCLE program which takes all my old product containers and recycles them which will greatly help us move towards a more zero-waste lifestyle. A lot of people think that all these items can be recycled but it’s actually quite challenging for local municipalities to do so. Nordstrom’s is really dedicated to taking on this challenge and aims to recycle 100 tons by 2025.”

DIONNE’S DETERMINATION FOR DIVERSITY

BY PIERA VAN DE WIEL

“There are a lot of people without a seat at the table.”

When Dionne Miller first moved to Los Angeles, she recognized the challenges of living in Hollywood. “There were a lot of people without a seat at the table,” Miller said. “Artists and filmmakers deserve to celebrate their own work, but the question remains: where do they go to celebrate?”

As a result, Miller founded Griot Gala, bringing diverse and underrepresented voices to the table. Her company, Griot, provides a platform to recognize diverse voices and the need for equality for all people regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.

As CEO and founder of Griot Gateway Productions, co-founder of the Griot Gala, and head of Surge Marketing, she is a seasoned professional with an extensive background in the areas of strategic partnerships and alliances, branded entertainment properties and lifestyle marketing. She has been instrumental in constructing brand partnerships and alliances between Chevy, Black Girls Rock, AT&T and Drake, and she has even brokered talent relationships and brand partnerships for Common, Nelly, Fabulous and Queen Latifah! Miller aims to bring diversity to branded content and entertainment. In 2020, Miller hosted the Oscar afterparty to which you want to be invited, including about 600 attendees and hosted by award-winning actor Michael K. Williams. Honorees at the Griot Gala were CEO Peter Luo of Starlight Culture Entertainment Group (the company that financed Crazy Rich Asians, Marshall, Aquaman); and David Steward II, CEO of Lion Forge Animation and producer of the 2020 Oscar winning animated short Hair Love. Miller believes “the more call to action there is, the more likely change will happen.” Miller studied marketing in her collegiate career, but always had a passion for entertainment, arts, TV and branding. Through experience, she realized the importance of positioning a product and how one needs to gain an understanding of what drives a consumer to brand loyalty and brand affinity. Miller knew it was all about impactful connections. What’s impactful is that entertainment has the power to resonate with a viewer of any age, and one can do that by telling many different types of stories.

While Miller wears many hats, she is also a mother. When she had her daughter, she realized she needed a more flexible schedule, and she knew that the only way she could be flexible was if she worked for herself. When Miller discovered the world of entertainment and brand partnerships, she found that the “doors were flying open.” She was wearing a lot of different hats, “Being a mother is a balancing act, but it is also motivational,” Miller explained. “You’re motivated in a different way. You ask yourself questions—what is my child seeing? What type of role model am I?”

It’s the drive to be the best mother you can be and letting your child know that you can do anything you put your mind to. Miller finds that she has a different level of determination and drive, and that “you have to pick up the pace and do well, [if] your child likes to eat and wear clothes! You have a responsibility to [provide for] them.”

Miller feels she has the responsibility of making sure that her daughter sees many different types of representation on the TV, and she aims to aid this movement with Griot. “Kids want to turn on the television and they want to see someone that looks like them,” she said. “We need to show [them] that it’s ok to be different. Everyone is different, and that is beautiful.”