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A New Bill in New York State Seeks to Outlaw Hymen Exams
Have we had enough talk about hymens yet? Assemblywoman Michaëlle C. Solages (D-N.Y.) certainly has; as black America continues to debate Atlanta-based rapper/producer T.I.’s parenting skills, the third-term legislator from Long Island, N.Y., has introduced legislation prohibiting the practice of “virginity tests”—specifically, medical examinations of the hymen intended to verify virginal status. Such exams typically…
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CROWNing Glory: New York City Just Resolved Its First Hair Discrimination Case—and a Celebrity Stylist Is Going to Pay
“Heavy lies the crown,” they say—and for celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger, the punishment for the type of discriminatory practices that birthed the CROWN Act has come down heavy indeed, as she and business partner Sharon Dorram are on the losing end of a $70,000 civil lawsuit. In fact, according to the New York Times, it…
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Unbothered and Officially Wed! Jemele Hill Marries Longtime Love Ian Wallace
The bride wore a custom, strapless, minimalist high-low wedding gown with a convertible sheer skirt by Vera Wang.
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Unfollow, Unfriend, Block, Delete: After Excruciating Embarrassment, T.I.’s Daughter Unfollows Her Father on Social Media
Two things in life are inevitable: If your parents are in your life, they will always consider you their child—literally and figuratively—and as such, they will inevitably embarrass the shit out of you, especially if you’re connected to them on social media. But while posting pics of you in your diapers may be cringeworthy, publicly…
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Another Legacy Brand Gets New Life as Black Opal’s New Owners Acquire Fashion Fair
Move over, Fenty Beauty and Pat McGrath, there’s a new black female-owned beauty empire on the rise. Hot on the heels of their acquisition of Black Opal cosmetics in September, the powerhouse team of company CEO Desiree Rogers and President Cheryl Mayberry McKissack have announced the purchase of pioneering beauty brand Fashion Fair from its…
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The Category Is ‘Campaign Star’: Pose Star Mj Rodriguez Scores Her First Beauty Campaign With Olay Body
“When I got Rent off-Broadway in 2011, I just got to be myself and actually go on my journey through my art,” said Mj Rodriguez as she sat on a panel at Glamour’s Women of the Year Summit on Sunday. “I could live out my truest dreams, which is completely being me in front of…
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Another Honor for Our ‘Hidden Figures’: Congressional Gold Medals Given to the Black Women Behind the Space Race
America’s “Hidden Figures”—the black women behind NASA’s success in the “Space Race,” continue to be celebrated 50 years after their calculations helped man walk on the moon. Thanks to the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, computer programmer Dorothy Vaughan, and engineers Mary Jackson and Christine Darden are being awarded Congressional…
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'I Felt Pretty': For His 50th Birthday, Diddy Reflected on Life as Fashion's Bad Boy
As someone who’s spent her entire working life in the fashion and music industries (over two decades and ongoing), it remains challenging for me to think of Sean Combs as anything but “Puffy.” You see, as a Gen-Xer, I remember well his evolution from upstart promoter to music exec to entertainment juggernaut…while unfortunately, my mind…
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Lizzo on the Cover of British Vogue May Be the Only Gift We Need This Holiday Season
Lizzo knows what it’s like not to see yourself represented—in fashion, on TV, in films. She also knows that when you’re not deemed worthy enough to be represented (or even marginally included), loving yourself is often an uphill battle. “I would watch things on television and I would look at magazines and I would not…
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The Fight to 'Be First': Patricio Manuel, the First Transgender Professional Male Boxer, Breaks New Ground With Everlast
“Be first.” In boxing, it means to throw the first punch. As super featherweight Patricio Manuel explains, it also means risking being hit, “but if you’re able to land that shot, that’s gonna give you victory,” he says. Manuel knows a lot about being first: He is the first boxer to fight professionally as both…
