Kerry Washington has landed the cover of Elle‘s June 2013 issue, making it the actress’ first major fashion mag cover. Washington poses in a sweet cardigan and plaid shorts by Marc Jacobs, with just a hint of a Carine Gilson Lingerie Couture bra peeking out. It shouldn’t be too surprising that Kerry’s scored a major cover — not only is she a Best-Dressed List regular with enviable red carpet style, but she also stars in TV’s hottest show, Scandal, and was part of the massively successful Django Unchained.
Yet with all that success, Kerry had yet to pose for a fashion magazine cover up till now. Women’s Health, Ebony, Essence, Vibe — plenty of non-fashion glossies have chosen Kerry for their covers. She even shared the cover of Elle‘s “Women in Hollywood” issue in December 2012. But the likes of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar eluded her. Until now.
article via huffingtonpost.com
Good Black News
In case you missed it last week, here is the inspiring story and performance of Camden, New Jersey’s drill team, the Camden Sophisticated Sisters, formed twenty-six years ago by Camden native and CNN Hero Tawanda “Wa-Wa” Jones, on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars”:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VARCjIF1zhY&w=560&h=315]If you’d like to help, donate or follow the Sophisticated Sisters, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A year to the day after kicking off his victorious re-election campaign on this college campus, President Barack Obama returned to Ohio State University and told graduates that only through vigorous participation in their democracy can they right a poorly functioning government and break through relentless cynicism about the nation’s future.
“I dare you, Class of 2013, to do better. I dare you to dream bigger,” Obama said.
In a sunbaked stadium filled with more than 57,000 students, friends and relatives, Obama lamented an American political system that gets consumed by “small things” and works for the benefit of society’s elite. He called graduates to duty to “accomplish great things,” like rebuilding a still-feeble economy and fighting poverty and climate change.
“Only you can ultimately break that cycle. Only you can make sure the democracy you inherit is as good as we know it can be,” Obama told more than 10,000 cap-and-gown-clad graduates gathered for the rite of passage. “But it requires your dedicated, informed and engaged citizenship.”
The visit to Ohio State — the first of three commencement addresses Obama will give this season — was a homecoming of sorts for Obama, who has visited the campus five times over little more than a year, starting with his first official campaign rally here last May. He made many more stops elsewhere in Ohio as he and Republican Mitt Romney dueled for the Midwestern state which was pivotal to Obama’s victories in both 2008 and 2012.
Bill Duke’s thought-provoking film, “Dark Girls” is headed to Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network this June.
The documentary first emerged in 2011 at the Toronto International Film Festival and had great promise of becoming something bigger and better. But it never turned up as a national theater release and continued to tour across the country.
Duke announced in 2012 at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, that he was in the middle of developing two feature documentaries as follow ups to “Dark Girls.”
“Yellow Brick Road” will look at the ‘colorism’ issue from the perspective of light-skinned Black women. The other documentary, “What Is A Man?” will explore masculinity and manhood as it has transformed from the beginning of time to present day. Filming for the project has already begun and it turns out Duke has been interviewing people from all around the world.
Watch the trailer for “Dark Girls” below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXG38QxXY-s&w=560&h=315]
article by Brittney M. Walker via eurweb.com
Tricia Rose, professor of Africana studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, was selected as the next director of the university’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. The Center was established at Brown in 1986.
In accepting the appointment, Professor Rose stated, “My goal is to make the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America a vibrant, historically grounded, yet forward-looking campuswide, nationally recognized site for critical analysis and public engagement on the ways that race and ethnicity shape American culture, society, and policy.”
Professor Rose is the author of the award-winning book, Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America (Wesleyan University Press, 1994). She is also the author of Longing to Tell: Black Women Talk About Sexuality and Intimacy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003) and The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop — And Why It Matters (Basic Civitas, 2008).
Dr. Rose is a native of New York City. She is a graduate of Yale University and holds a Ph.D. in American studies from Brown University.
article via jbhe.com
Two short documentaries directed and produced by Barbara Rick about Daraja Academy in Kenya air back-to-back on PBS on May 9th, “Girls of Daraja” followed by “Schools of My Dreams.”
Girls of Daraja:
A boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but no means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare and counseling services which allows students to focus on their academic and personal potential, without being hindered by the everyday barriers of poverty.
School of My Dreams:
An engaging portrait of students of Daraja Academy, a free Kenyan boarding school for exceptional girls living in poverty. In their own words and art, Daraja’s first graduating class demonstrates how education is expanding their vision and unlocking their dreams. They commit to transforming their communities and the world. Watch the trailer below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfHTRrk8FEc&w=560&h=315]Click here for more info about Daraja Academy and the films.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
A boarding secondary school for Kenyan girls with top academic scores and exceptional leadership skills but no means to continue their education. The academy provides shelter, food, healthcare and counseling services which allows students to focus on their academic and personal potential, without being hindered by the everyday barriers of poverty.
School of My Dreams:
An engaging portrait of students of Daraja Academy, a free Kenyan boarding school for exceptional girls living in poverty. In their own words and art, Daraja’s first graduating class demonstrates how education is expanding their vision and unlocking their dreams. They commit to transforming their communities and the world. Watch the trailer below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfHTRrk8FEc&w=560&h=315]Click here for more info about Daraja Academy and the films.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
Labelmates Shirley Caesar, Bishop Paul S. Morton and James Fortune & FIYA Score Big On Gospel Charts
Light Records artists James Fortune & FIYA, Shirley Caesar, and Bishop Paul S. Morton’s hit singles continue to inspire and be embraced by fans all over the country, with their stronghold on the latest Gospel charts in the Top 5 at #3, #4, and #5 respectively. Uplifting and bringing encouragement to fans with the awesome strength and power of faith, the rousing and contemplative tracks continue to have a lasting impact, collectively spending over 90 weeks on the Gospel chart thus far between the three artists. With award-winning melodies and dynamic Gospel, the empowering messages from James Fortune & FIYA’s Hold On (#3), Shirley Caesar’s God Will Make A Way (#4), and Bishop Paul S. Morton’s Your Best Days Yet (#5) remain a big hit with listeners, with their Top 5 impact on the latest Gospel radio chart (for May 11, 2013).
Want to make your weight loss regime a lot less strenuous? Eating high-fiber foods just may be the key to shedding pounds fast and efficiently.
Fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and hearty beans are not only low in fat and calories, but they also cause a drop in appetite that’ll keep you from grabbing those naughty in-between snacks.
Fiber Helps Weight Loss
Studies show that most people eat about the same weight of food each day. If you choose high-fiber, water-rich foods — such as broth-based vegetable soups, salads, fruits, and vegetables — instead of foods without fiber and water, you can eat the same weight of food but feel full on fewer calories.
Beyond the fiber content, crunching and chewing dietary fiber stimulates your senses and takes longer to eat. So psychologically, it may also be more satisfying than beverages or soft foods. Chewing also promotes saliva and the production of stomach juices that help fill the stomach.
Fiber at Breakfast Is a Healthy Weight Loss Habit
In its tracking of the eating habits of successful dieters — those big losers who have kept weight off for years — the National Weight Control Registry has found that most eat breakfast regularly. And cereal is one of their morning rituals.
In general, eating cereal — especially high-fiber cereals — is beneficial for weight loss. Studies that look at what people eat show those who eat more carbs, more fiber, and cereal in general weigh less than those who eat less fiber, carbs, and cereal.
The Truman Scholarship Foundation, established by Congress in 1975, has announced 62 winners of Truman Scholarships for 2013. The 62 winners were selected from a field of 629 candidates nominated by 293 colleges and universities. Each winner receives up to $30,000 for graduate study. Winners also receive an admissions edge at partnering universities, career and graduate counseling, and internship opportunities with the federal government. Since the awards were first made in 1977, there have been 2,906 Truman Scholars. This year it appears that 10 of the 62 winners are African Americans.
Kemi A. Oyewole is a junior at Spelman College in Atlanta, where she is majoring in economics and mathematics. She also is the student representative on the college’s board of trustees. Oyewole plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in economics and hopes to have a career as an economist focusing on poverty issues in sub-Saharan Africa.
Uzoma Kenneth Orchingwa is a native of Chicago but lived for several years in Nigeria. He is a junior at Colby College in Maine, where he is majoring in philosophy and sociology. Orchingwa plans on attending law school and hopes to have a career in civil rights law.
We have good news for you. You can have a cool career and make a good living. No need to choose between loving your job and paying your mortgage. The following profile, part of the BlackEnterprise.com Cool Jobs series, offers a peek into the nuts and bolts, perks and salaries behind enjoyable careers.
The It Factor: Founded a not-for-profit. Check. Started a digital sports marketing company, 5th Avenue Sports. Check. Led successful ad campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including Mountain Dew, GNC and the NBA. Check. Became founding partner of the HALLO voice mobile app. Check. Check. And another check. And all this before the age of 30? Need anyone say more? Ali Abdullah took a love for creating and building things and turned it into lucrative ventures, with revenues in the millions and growing. Among his latest boss moves, Abdullah serves as founding partner and chief marketing officer of Players 2 Fans (P2F), a sports entertainment media platform set to change the social media game when it launches in July.
Early Self-Learning: Abdullah, 27, remembers back to this teenaged years when he knew exactly what his passion and purpose was. “When I was around 13 and my father bought me my first computer, I knew I wanted to be in touch with technology,” he says. “And not just basic learning, like software and basics you learn at school, [but I wanted to go beyond that.] I picked up a book and mastered a few things immediately, and I saw the bigger picture.”
Abdullah says he knew, then, that technology would play a major role in how people communicate with one another and share their experiences. “I knew computers were going to take over in terms of communication, and I was very intrigued and wanted to know how I could get involved.”
Full-Court Advantage: As a youth, Abdullah took classes to learn HTML and other tech skills, even while appeasing another passion for playing basketball. He would later study computer science and marketing at Alfred State College in upstate New York while balling there. “I was the only African American in the program. … My roommate and I would be up all night programming. … I loved playing sports, but really what was my exit strategy? I thought ‘I could focus on what I really love to do [that had longevity], which was sitting at my computer, being creative and working as a collaborator to build software and platforms that could affect millions of people.’ ”
The It Factor: Founded a not-for-profit. Check. Started a digital sports marketing company, 5th Avenue Sports. Check. Led successful ad campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including Mountain Dew, GNC and the NBA. Check. Became founding partner of the HALLO voice mobile app. Check. Check. And another check. And all this before the age of 30? Need anyone say more? Ali Abdullah took a love for creating and building things and turned it into lucrative ventures, with revenues in the millions and growing. Among his latest boss moves, Abdullah serves as founding partner and chief marketing officer of Players 2 Fans (P2F), a sports entertainment media platform set to change the social media game when it launches in July.
Early Self-Learning: Abdullah, 27, remembers back to this teenaged years when he knew exactly what his passion and purpose was. “When I was around 13 and my father bought me my first computer, I knew I wanted to be in touch with technology,” he says. “And not just basic learning, like software and basics you learn at school, [but I wanted to go beyond that.] I picked up a book and mastered a few things immediately, and I saw the bigger picture.”
Abdullah says he knew, then, that technology would play a major role in how people communicate with one another and share their experiences. “I knew computers were going to take over in terms of communication, and I was very intrigued and wanted to know how I could get involved.”
Full-Court Advantage: As a youth, Abdullah took classes to learn HTML and other tech skills, even while appeasing another passion for playing basketball. He would later study computer science and marketing at Alfred State College in upstate New York while balling there. “I was the only African American in the program. … My roommate and I would be up all night programming. … I loved playing sports, but really what was my exit strategy? I thought ‘I could focus on what I really love to do [that had longevity], which was sitting at my computer, being creative and working as a collaborator to build software and platforms that could affect millions of people.’ ”