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Mr. America: Billy Porter Covers Essence's July-August Issue [Corrected]
It’s unfortunate that in the midst of celebrating its 50th anniversary, Essence has also been implicated in a rising controversy as past and current Black female staffers have anonymously launched a campaign to #TakeBackEssence. But as we also commemorate 50 years of Pride and the closing of Pride Month, we can simultaneously celebrate another milestone…
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Big Beauty Tuesday: Supermodel and Activist Joan Smalls Explains Why She Launched 'Donate My Wage'
If pretty is as pretty does, perhaps we should expect exceptional behavior from the women who hold that rare title of “supermodel.” But in the wake of the protests that have swept the country and the resulting calls for accountability across industries, Joan Smalls asked her industry to think bigger than the performative black box.…
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As Pride Month Comes to a Close, Google Honors Pioneering Activist Marsha P. Johnson With Her Own Doodle
If you happened to venture to Google this morning, no doubt you caught a glimpse of an American hero—one who is largely responsible for instigating the LGBTQ+ liberation movement as we know it today. Marsha P. Johnson was one of the leaders of the Stonewall uprising in 1969—50 years later on June 30, 2019, she…
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Yeezy's Collaboration With Gap Grabbed Headlines—but Its Other Black Designer Collab Has Sadly Been Shelved
When Kanye West’s clandestine 10-year deal with Gap for an ongoing Yeezy collaboration (which was reportedly years in the making) was announced last week, it seemed like a match made in overpriced basics heaven. The fact that Nigerian-British female designer Mowalola Ogunlesi is onboard as design director of the upcoming Yeezy Gap line (due out…
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#TakeBackEssence? As Essence Celebrates 50 Years, Explosive Allegations Against Its Leadership Spark Controversy
This past weekend was intended to be a landmark one for Essence. The beloved Black legacy publication celebrated its 50th anniversary amid a pandemic, pivoting its 26th annual Essence Festival of Music and Culture to a virtual format spanning over not one, but two weekends, culminating in its traditional Fourth of July weekend festivities. Instead,…
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From Black Designers to Drugstore Brands, Meg Thee Stallion and Amanda Seales Served Accessible Beauty for the 2020 BET Awards
The culture could not be canceled on Sunday night, as the 20th—and entirely virtual—BET Awards set a new standard for quarantine entertainment. As was to be expected from the pioneering Black entertainment network, the evening was Black Lives Matter-themed—and the stars did not disappoint. Perhaps the best example of social justice-meets-social distancing came from 2020’s…
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Planned Parenthood Officially Names Alexis McGill Johnson Its Permanent President
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation’s largest provider of sex education with more than 600 health centers across the country, ushered in a new era in its nearly 104-year history on Friday, as its board of directors announced the appointment of Alexis McGill Johnson as permanent president and CEO of PPFA and the…
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No, Symone Sanders Won't Shut Up—and She Doesn't Think We Should, Either
Later this summer, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden will announce his running mate—and it’s widely presumed he will choose one of the many dynamic Black women who have risen to the top of the political sphere (and its adjacent headlines) in recent years. But as anyone watching the Biden camp knows, he already has a…
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Royal and Oratorial: Meghan and Harry Follow in the Obamas' Footsteps With New Public Speaking Deal
For you royal watchers wondering how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will maintain their standard of living since stepping down as senior royals, a new deal might provide an answer—and it has the presidential stamp of approval. (And for those of you who couldn’t care less, have a blessed day. This isn’t for you—and…
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The Newly Formed Black in Fashion Council Will Gauge Industry Accountability With an 'Equality Index'
Well before she was named editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Lindsay Peoples Wagner was calling out disparities and microaggressions within the fashion industry; most notably with her August 2018 report for The Cut, “Everywhere and Nowhere: What it’s really like to be Black and work in fashion,” revealing what Black creatives, executives and models were really…
