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Internationally Known: Essence Celebrates Its Global Impact With Serena Williams and a New Design
At this point in time, Essence is an American classic, beloved by those of us who grew up with the magazine atop the coffee tables of our mothers, aunties, grandmothers, big sisters, and now, ourselves. But on the heels of the 25th annual Essence Festival, and as the magazine approaches its 50th birthday in 2020,…
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'Those Are All Little Black Faces': Georgia School Under Fire for Designating 'Appropriate' and 'Inappropriate' Hairstyles
Narvie J. Harris Traditional Theme School in Decatur, Ga., has some explaining to do. The DeKalb County elementary school is facing significant backlash as the result of a display that outlined “appropriate” and “inappropriate” hairstyles for its students. The glaring issue, aside from discussing with parents individually? All of the children pictured (though identity-protected by…
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Big Little…Lipstick? Zoë Kravitz Is Launching a Collaboration With YSL Beauté
Her character’s future may hang in the balance on HBO’s Big Little Lies, but Zoë Kravitz is indisputably winning at life. The actress and musician, who wed longtime love Karl Glusman in late June, is now making the most of her ongoing brand ambassadorship with Saint Laurent, teasing a new collaboration with the label’s makeup…
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Let’s Hear It for the Girls: Marsai Martin Talks Stardom and STEM at the 6th Annual ComEd Icebox Derby
What’s hot, cold and giving girls a chance to excel in STEM? ComEd’s 6th Annual Icebox Derby, which took place in Chicago on Saturday. The sun was high over the city’s Daley Plaza, but so, too, was the momentum, as 30 girls on six teams completed their race to create the best and fastest recycled…
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A New Sensation: Fenty Beauty’s Got a New Foundation Finish Coming
We asked, and Rihanna listened. If like me, you were wowed by Fenty’s 40—now 50—shades of foundation but didn’t find Pro Filt’r’s “soft matte” finish an ideal match, the groundbreaking brand has another offering in-store, come Aug. 15. That’s right; for those of us who need a little more moisture in our makeup, there will…
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Breakfast of Champions: Janelle Monáe and Belvedere Vodka Hosted a 'Night Brunch' in Chicago—and We Were There
“What does a beautiful future mean to you?” That was the question posed by entertainer and activist Janelle Monáe as she debuted her collaboration with Belvedere Vodka with a “night brunch” at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art on Thursday night. The name of her limited edition bottle? “A Beautiful Future,” of course. Those familiar with…
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Making Good on Its Promise to Make Change, Gucci Announces a Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—and It’s a Woman of Color
Representation matters. It matters at the ballot box, at the box office, and most importantly, in the boardroom. And as Gucci and any number of fashion brands have discovered, it matters when it comes to the bottom line. After weathering a media firestorm and celebrity-proposed boycott when a sweater eerily resembling blackface hit the shelves,…
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With a New Baby, Sponsor and Mission, Olympian Allyson Felix Is in the Race to Save Black Mothers
When runner Allyson Felix read fellow Olympian Alysia Montaño’s explosive Mother’s Day op-ed in the New York Times, calling out Nike for the lack of support and protection it offered to its sponsored female athletes in the event of pregnancy, it struck a chord. After all, aside from both being world-class athletes sponsored by Nike,…
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Giant Steps: Pyer Moss Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond Earns an Artistic Directorship at Reebok
Now, this is what we call a promotion: A mere two years after garnering a coveted partnership with Reebok, Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond has an additional title under his very stylish belt. Jean-Raymond will now be the athletic brand’s artistic director of Reebok Studies__, “a new division at the company which will foster under-the-radar…
