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Raising Awareness on a Virtual Runway, the 5th Annual Blue Jacket Fashion Show Takes a Stylish Stance Against Prostate Cancer
February is a month marked by candy hearts, former presidents and (most importantly) Black excellence, but it also hosts an opportunity to save lives, as World Cancer Day is Thursday, February 4. While this past (and present) year may be dominated by the health crisis known as COVID-19, as of May 2020 cancer remained the…
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A Stitch in Time: A Partnership Crafted to Empower the Legendary Quilters of Gee's Bend Is Bringing Their Treasures to Etsy
There are countless cultural contributions Black Americans have made to this country since our reluctant arrival on these shores, but among the most enduring are the famed quilts of Gee’s Bend, Ala., (formally known as Boykin). The majority African American “inland island” largely isolated from the mainland is home to a community descended from the…
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'We Are Holding Everyone Else to a Higher Standard': Halle Berry on Shifting Hollywood's Sexism—and Starting Early With Her Son
When it comes to combating sexism, Halle Berry believes it starts at home and should start young. Accordingly, the Oscar-winning actress and first-time director of the upcoming Bruised, debuting this week at the Sundance Film Festival, is already challenging problematic beliefs and rhetoric as they arise with her young son, Maceo Martinez (from her marriage…
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First Look: The Filmed Reading of George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue Is a Coming-of-Age in Three Acts
A familiar voice opens the trailer for the filmed reading of George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue. It’s the “Mother of Black Hollywood” Jenifer Lewis—in this case, portraying Johnson’s beloved grandmother and part-time guardian, better known to readers of the bestselling book as “Nanny.” Like Nanny, Lewis’ presence looms large, but it’s the actors…
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Big Beauty Tuesday: Time Traveling in Style With The African Lookbook
It is once again Black History Month—that singular (and short) month of the year when America is called to recognize the tremendous contributions of Black Americans—and all manner of clever branding ensues. We have historian Carter G. Woodson to thank for this annual celebration of our legacy, but as Black Americans know, while we largely…
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Fall Into the 15 Percent Pledge: Gap Inc. Commits to Increasing Equity and Inclusion With a $200,000 Donation
The ask may be 15 percent, but the number of retailers joining Aurora James’ 15 Percent Pledge keeps growing, with names like Sephora, West Elm and Macy’s agreeing to allocate a minimum of 15 percent of their offerings and efforts to Black-owned brands, designers and staff members—a move that has prompted more than a few…
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'That Ideology of Colorism Affects All of Us': The Root Presents It's Lit! Talks Prose, Passing and the Power of Black Women With Brit Bennett
There’s a reason Black women call each other “sister.” Even if we bear no blood relation or resemblance—and despite our broad variances in color, economic and educational access and life experience—there is an innate knowing between Black women—of what it is to be a Black woman. Writer Brit Bennett has a deep understanding of this…
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Tracee's Take on Tradition: Pattern Beauty's Newest Products Evoke Cherished Rituals
“Time is a whole new thing,” laughed Tracee Ellis Ross on a recent phone call with The Glow Up. She’s not wrong—like us, the actress-entrepreneur has spent the better part of the last year in quarantine, finding new ways to work and testing out new products for her growing haircare line, Pattern Beauty. At the…
