Sista’s Keeper
I AM my Sista’s Keeper
September 2017 Vol. 5 Issue 1
#LikeAGirl Campaign Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
5-Year Anniversary Issue
Braxton Simpson
Sista’s Keeper Scholar 2017
In This Issue September 2017 Vol. 5 Issue 1
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Entertainment Yara Shahidi & Always Partner for the #LikeAGirl campaign
8 Relationships Dating Basics: What Should I Look for in a Partner?
On The Cover Braxton Simpson is currently Tennessee State University’s Miss Freshman 2017-2018. The Atlanta native also has a apparel brand called Underground ATL and co-founded a senior-tofreshman mentoring program at Marietta (Ga) High School called Black Girls United.
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Health National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
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Thought The 90’s Were Over? As If!
Beauty
The new Essie Fall 2017 collection embodies the rebel spirit of the 1990s with colors that range from light baby pink to saturated dark purple.
As If!
Knee-High Life
Does he think this powdery periwinkle blue with a hint of red will give him the time of day? Like, whatever.
Hey, little misfit, those socks and this deep wine red with purple undertones are gonna take you higher.
Dressed To The Nineties
Saved By The Belle
Red carpet event? All you need are a plaid mini skirt, this dark purple with a green-blue shimmer and a rockstar attitude.
School’s out forever, but this light baby pink with a subtle blue undertone is totally in.
Mixtaupe
Girly Grunge
Can you feel it? You’re totally picking up what this warm ivory with a dash of pink is putting down.
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Come as you are. In this soft silvery metallic with a light purple shine, you’re exactly how you want to be.
Back-To-School Skincare Tips
Beauty
Remember the golden rules... Cleanse, Moisterize, Protect & Exfoliate The old addage, “Beauty is only skin deep”, that we have so often heard is a standard that we should adopt. Our inner beauty and how we behave, treat people and respond in our daily lives is what is most important. However, this same addage speaks to what we reflect to the world with our skin. Our skin is the largest organ of the body which helps us regulate our body temperatures, provides the first defense for our bodies from our environment and also performs many other biological functions. As the first defense, our skin is the first thing that we display and reflect to society, therefore highlighting the importance of keeping your skin healthy, clear and glowing.
Skincare Tips: 1. Know your skin type: oily, dry or combination 2. Based on your skin type choose a cleanser and moisterizer that suits your skin and will not leave you with excessive oils or over dry you 3. Protect your skin daily with sunscreen: excessive exposure to sun causes pre-mature aging and increases your risk of skin cancer 4. Exfoliate your skin on a regular basis that is tolerable for your skin type
Little Known Fact: • Sunscreen helps prevent uneven skin tone & dark spots • Not everyone can acheive healthy, clear, glowing skin on their own • Knowing when to consult with the right professional is always key
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Entertainment
Yara Shahidi Partners With Always For #LikeAGirl Campaign and encourage everyone to inspire girls to see these experiences as a way to build thier confidence & keep going.” Shahidi, who echoed Luscombe’s sentiment in a Many of us have probably heard the old adage, recent interview with Teen Vogue, stated that “failure “failure is not an option,” at some point and time in is actually fine-in fact, it is a key part of success.” our lives. Whether it was related to sports, or school, “I recently read Giovanni’s Room and there was a or something else, the motivational rally cry, was whole thing on identity and embracing who you are, meant to cheer on the masses and push them towards really based on these characters who feared erasing success. who they are,” Shahidi said in her interview. “What Well, in a new survey conducted by Always I really appreciated about Giovanni’s Room is the Confidence & Puberty, it is revealed that 7 out of 10 girls feel paralyzed by fear and failure during puberty, overarching message is about embracing every facet opting out of important opportunities to try new things of your identity, and with that you embrace what you and take on various challenges. Always is on a mission deem as failure and you reassess it. I think ultimately, the goal is not to say failure gets easier, failure gets to change that. By teaming up with Yara Shahidi and director Lucy more fun, falling is the best thing ever-but if anything, what I like to say is when you build your support Luscombe, the feminine care giant is on a mission to network, when you find rituals that calm you down, help build up confidence in young girls, changing the you find moments to take care of yourself and not stew way that they view setbacks and encourage them to in the failure, then you’re not really afraid of falling embrace failure and overcome fear. “I am such a fan of the Always #LikeAGirl because you know you won’t fall to far anyway.” campaign, so I am thrilled to be a part of this important movement,” said Lucy Luscombe, the To learn more about the director of the campaign’s new video. “I remember #LikeAGirl-Keep Going so many times when I felt afraid to fall short and the lengths I’d go to avoid it, but I was so inspired by the campaign, visit girls we met during filming. It is my goal that this https://always.com/en-us video helps us all refame how we think of setbacks Tiffany Silva Black Celebrity Kids
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Sistas Shine On the Red Carpet at Black Girls Rock! 2017
Fashion
Disney star Skai Jackson rocked this sparkly black dress. The curly hair is a great added touch to the overall look.
Black-ish star & BGR! honoree Yara Shahidi was beautiful in this purple dress. She was on our cover back in March 2016.
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Health
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
One in 3 children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news? Childhood obesity can be prevented. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for kids to eat healthier and get more active. Make a difference for kids: spread the word about strategies for preventing childhood obesity and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved. We can all use this month to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and show people how they can take steps toward a solution. Here are just a few ideas: • Encourage families to make small changes, like keeping fresh fruit within reach or going on a family walk after dinner. • Motivate teachers and administrators to make schools healthier. Help them provide healthy food options and daily physical activities for students. • Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by supporting programs to prevent childhood obesity.
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Childhood Obesity Is Influenced by Many Factors Many factors can have an impact on childhood obesity, including eating and physical activity behaviors, genetics, metabolism, family and home environment, and community and social factors. For some children and families, obesity may be influenced by the following: • Too much time spent being inactive • Lack of sleep • Lack of places to go in the community to get physical activity • Easy access to inexpensive, high calorie foods and sugary beverages • Lack of access to affordable, healthier foods
September 2017
Dating Basics: What Should I Look for in a Partner? Nice eyes? A great smile? A quirky sense of humor? There are a lot of different things that might make you attracted to someone. But having a healthy relationship with your partner is about more than attraction; it requires respect, trust and open communication. Whether you’re looking for a relationship or are already in one, make sure you and your partner agree on what makes a relationship healthy. It’s not always easy, but everyone deserves a healthy relationship! Look for someone who: • Treats you with respect • Doesn’t make fun of things you like or want to do • Never puts you down • Doesn’t get angry if you spend time with your friends or family • Listens to your ideas and is able to compromise with you • Isn’t excessively negative • Shares some of your interests and supports you in pursuing what you love • Isn’t afraid to share their thoughts and feelings • Is comfortable around your friends and family • Is proud of your accomplishments and successes • Respects your boundaries and does not abuse technology • Doesn’t require you to “check in” or need to know where you are all the time • Is caring and honest • Doesn’t pressure you to do things that you don’t want to do • Doesn’t constantly accuse you of cheating or being unfaithful
Relationships
• Encourages you to do well in school or at work • Doesn’t threaten you or make you feel scared • Understands the importance of healthy relationships. Remember, that a relationship consists of two (or more!) people. You and your partner should have equal say and should never be afraid to express how you feel. It’s not just about speaking up for yourself — you should also listen to and seriously consider what your partner says. Every relationship has arguments and disagreements sometimes — this is normal. How you choose to deal with your disagreements is what really counts. Both people should work to communicate effectively.
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Sista’s Keeper Scholar 2017
Braxton Simpson was the keynote speaker at our 5-year anniversary scholarship event and is already making her mark: the freshman Agriculture major at Tennessee State University now represents the Class of 2021 as Miss Freshman.
T
he Atlanta, GA native had an very busy senior year at Marietta High School. In summer 2016, she attended several leadership programs, including the At The Well Young Women’s Leadership Academy that is held annually at Princeton University. She received the Anna Julia Cooper Award which was for the highest honors of the program. She also attended the Girls Who Rule The World program where she met her inspiration, Miss USA Deshauna Barber. When she returned for her last year of high school, she was ready to serve as co-student body president as well as continuing the freshman-tosenior mentoring program that she co-founded called Black Girls United! If that weren’t enough to keep any senior girl busy, she also played on the varsity basketball team, track team, ran her own clothing company called Underground Apparel and was voted Homecoming Queen by her peers. 10
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2-Step To Success Braxton credits her success to being able to balance her obligations and staying focused on her goals. “I was able to balance everything out through keeping an active calendar and by remaining focused,” she says. On top of all of the accomplishments that Braxton has, she still strives to help others by sharing her unique formula for success.
“In high school, my main goals was to always stay two steps ahead of my competition in order to be better than the rest in my school work, in opportunities and with scholarships. This awarded me the opportunity to serve in several leadership positions, own 3 businesses, and travel the United States telling my story. “Currently this philosophy has provided me with the opportunity to reign as the 2017-2018 Miss Freshman at Tennessee State University.”
Woke Wednesday One platform that Braxton uses to help others is with her own Youtube channel where she publishes videos as part of her “Woke Wednesday” video blog. “I started Woke Wednesdays to challenge systemic injustices and problematic societal norms through awareness,” she says. “I feel like being woke means being aware, and on Woke Wednesdays I have discussions with hope to make the world a more socially aware place.”
Miss Freshman In her quest to help others, Braxton stepped up to represent her freshman class at TSU bu running for Miss Freshman. After running a very effective campaign, she was voted by her classmates to be the female representatives of her class. “My platform was a strive for academic excellence, so thy we all can graduate together. Many Paths. One Destination. #FinishLine2021.” she says. “My plans were to accomplish this through various freshmen focus groups, a student-staff liaison engagement, and freshmen mingling events.”
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brax.simpson @IAmBraxSimpson
About Braxton Name: Braxton Kennedy Simpson Birthday: October 31st Hometown: Atlanta, GA Activities: TSU Student Government Association (Miss Freshman) Favorite Color: Pink
Being Her Sista’s Keeper Braxton has a younger sister named Boston who she is very close with. She says that she wants to be the sister and guide for her little sister that she never had. “My definition of being my Sista’s Keeper is simple. I want to be the voice that I didn’t have growing up,” she says. “Growing up there was no one my age to guide me through the twists and turns of life as a black teenage girl, wanting greatness for myself. “ Braxton wants her sistas from all over to know that they are capable of accomplish anything that they want to acheive. “With that, I started Girls Got Game and Black Girls United and Underground Apparel to let young black girls know: you can be great, you can be a leader, you can own businesses, you can be a boss, and no one can tell you otherwise!”
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College Prep Timeline Use the timeline below as your guide to preparing for college.
7th & 8th Grade
• Begin thinking about the high school classes that will prepare you for college. Take the most difficult classes you can handle. • Ask your parents or teachers to help you develop good study habits. • Practice setting and reaching goals. • Take interest and skills assessments to help you think about possible career options. • Talk with your school counselor and parents about careers that interest you. • Create a tentative high school class plan. • Enroll in a summer enrichment program. • Talk with your parents about saving and paying for college.
9th & 10th Grade
• Take interest and skills assessments to help you explore careers options. • Talk with your school counselor about career options and the education required for those careers. • Talk with friends, teachers, counselors and your parents about college • Review your high school class plan. Take the most difficult classes you can handle. Stay focused on your schoolwork. • Sign up for classes that will earn college credit during your junior year through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Postsecondary Enrollment Options or Concurrent Enrollment. • Explore internships and apprenticeships & enroll in a summer enrichment program. • Participate in extracurricular activities.
12th Grade
• Visit the colleges that interest you. It's okay to go more than once. • Select the schools to which you will apply. Make a list of deadlines for each school. • Have your high school transcript sent to colleges which you've applied. • Prepare a portfolio if you're interested in the arts. Some fine arts college programs require one. • Take or re-take the ACT and/or SAT in the fall.
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11th Grade
• Attend college and financial aid events. • Take the PSAT in the Fall to prepare for the SAT, and to identify areas where you need improvement. • Consider possible career options and investigate the type of education that is needed. • Request materials from schools that interest you and visit their websites. • Arrange campus visits to those schools that interest you. • Review your high school class plan. Take the most difficult classes you can handle. Stay focused on your schoolwork. Make sure you are meeting your high school graduation requirements. • Sign up for classes that will earn college credit during your senior year through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Postsecondary Enrollment Options or Concurrent Enrollment. • Register for and take the ACT and/or SAT in the Spring. • Research private scholarship options. • Participate in extracurricular activities. • Get a job to earn and save money for college, or explore your skills through an internship or apprenticeship.
• Attend a financial aid event. • Search and apply for scholarships. But be aware of financial aid search companies. • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid online. • Review your high school class plan to make sure you are on track to graduate. • Participate in extracurricular activities • Get a job to earn and save money for college, or explore your skills through an internship or apprenticeship.
September 2017
Maxine Waters “Auntie Maxine” as she is affectionately called is known for “reclaiming her time” but she has been serving in politics for 40 years! 1938- Born Maxine Moore Carr on August 15, 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri 1961- Graduated from Vashon High School in St. Louis, and moved with her family to Los Angeles, California 1966- Worked in a garment factory and as a telephone operator before being hired as an assistant teacher with the Head Start program at Watts
Black Women In History
1976- Entered the California State Assembly 1980- Began service on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) 1990- Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for California’s 29th Congressional district with over 79% of the popular vote 1997- Served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
1970- Enrolled at Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles) and graduated with a sociology degree 2001- Instrumental in the DNC’s creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute 1973- Went to work as chief deputy to City Councilman David S. Cunningham, Jr.
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