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Did the New Yorker Recently Feature Its First Black Female Cartoonist? (No, but She's Still a Big Deal)
Amid the global panic a global pandemic can inspire, it might be easy to forget that it’s still Women’s History Month—and the start of spring, but that’s likely cold comfort if you’re afraid to go outside. As we’ve tried to bright-side this socially isolating situation, we’ve increasingly been looking inward—literally. What joy can we find…
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Good Works: While the Fashion Industry Is Shaken by COVID-19, Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond Offers Needed Relief
Not all heroes wear capes; some of them design luxury sportswear. Nevertheless, as the fashion industry struggles internally to adapt to the drastic sudden changes wrought by the spread of the novel coronavirus—including an abrupt end to international Fashion Month, the indefinite postponement of the Met Gala, and, as of Wednesday, the additional postponement of…
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As COVID-19 Sparks a Rise in Self-Isolation, a Spike in Domestic Violence May Follow Suit
Mere weeks after its first emergence into the global news cycle, the side effects of the coronavirus pandemic are already multifold. Aside from the as-yet-unknown longterm impacts on both physical and mental health and growing anxiety and misinformation about how the virus is contracted, spread and contained, we’ve already seen a tremendous economic fallout. Small…
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TGU50: The Dap Award
The category is: Icon. There are designers, there are influencers, there are activists…and then, there are changemakers. The innovative couturier fondly known as Dapper Dan is all that and more. Like Madam C.J. Walker, the historic black icon and heroine of Netflix’s upcoming series Self Made, Dapper Dan’s enterprising genius and ingenuity propelled him from…
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Translating Trauma: With a Pair of Powerful Plays, Director Wardell Julius Clark Explores the PTSD of Police Killings
“I like things that subvert the audience’s expectations,” actor/director Wardell Julius Clark told The Root when asked why he gravitates to certain narratives. “We’re going to the theater for a visceral emotional experience; to learn something about ourselves and about humanity.” Clark is at the helm of two very visceral and emotional productions making their…
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End of an Era: CEO of Essence Communications Michelle Ebanks Steps Down
The leading voice in America’s leading publication for black women is making way for new leadership. On Monday, Essence Communications made the unexpected announcement that as of March 31 its CEO, Michelle Ebanks, will be stepping down from the role she’s held since 2018, prior to which she had been in leadership roles within the…
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The Black Maternal Health Momnibus: A Historic Legislative Package Aims to Reduce Maternal Risks
Giving birth has always put women at risk, but for women giving birth in America, it has become a deadly proposition, as the United States has become the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world. For black women, the risk has been rightfully classified as a crisis, as black expectant mothers are…
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Bundles of Trouble: How Coronavirus Is Impacting the Billion-Dollar Hair Import Industry
In just a few short weeks, the coronavirus epidemic has affected not only public health but travel, education and trade. But among the goods affected by the spread of the virus, one has escaped mention: as reported by Black Enterprise last week, with China as one of the top exporters to the United States, the…
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Camera-Ready: Rihanna Built a Fenty Beauty House Exclusively for the TikTok Crowd
Rihanna may not always come when you call for a new album, but she’s always on time with a trend. Case in point: The multihyphenate just made her mark on a social media phenomenon; as Allure reports, last week, the star hosted the opening of Fenty Beauty’s first “TikTok House,” a Los Angeles-based destination custom-designed…
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As Meghan and Harry Wrapped Up Royal Duties, an MSNBC Guest Called Meghan '5 Clicks Up From Trailer Trash'
This is why you can’t just let anyone appear on your network: the classism (and underlying racism) might just jump out—on-air. As has been widely reported, the royals formerly known as Prince Harry (just kidding; he’ll technically always be a prince) and wife Meghan Markle made their final appearances as members of the British monarchy…
