Summer is finally upon us! Toes are out, temps are soaring into the triple digits and every grill this side of the hemisphere is polished and ready to go.

I don’t know about you, but between Memorial Day and now, I’ve consumed my fair share of grilled meats and then some. My body is a little heavier, and after recently completing my first 10K race, I’m doing my best to cut down on meat and eat a little lighter. #summerbody right?

When you think of salads, most people gravitate toward your average Caesar, or some variation with lettuce. I’m going to open up your taste buds and get you to try a bevy of other greens and ingredients you likely wouldn’t pair together! Greens such as Kale, Swiss chard, Arugula, and Spinach, to name a few, are chock full of nutritional benefits that rival our fleshy need for sustenance.

In this Quinoa Salad recipe I’ve chosen Arugula as my base green for its light texture, and distinct “bite.”

Since it’s “Meatless Monday,” I’ve had to do some work to pair ingredients that are great substitutes for animal protein, taste good, and at the same time make me forget that I’ve just been chomping on greens for the last half hour. In comes the super food Quinoa!

Did you know that Quinoa is one of the few grains that contains 9 of the essential amino acids? Each cup (cooked) contains about 8 grams of protein, the granular equivalent of an egg or an ounce of chicken. Truthfully, the list of accolades goes on, but the ones I care about most are the health benefits and how delicious it is when cooked!

Ingredients

3 handfuls of washed Arugula

1 cup cooked Quinoa

4-5 cremini (baby bella) mushrooms

1/3 cup of chickpeas

1/3 cup of sweet corn

1/3 cup of grated carrots

Paprika

Salt

Salad dressing of your choice

Instructions

Over running water, rinse out your Quinoa and cook according to package directions. It’s important to rinse out your Quinoa before you cook it to take away the bitter taste. Use two cups of water per one cup of Quinoa. Lightly season with salt (optional) and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer til the water is absorbed. Transfer to a baking sheet or large surface and spread out to cool quickly. At this point you can grate your carrots and toss in with the warm Quinoa and set aside to cool.

Over medium – high heat,  pan roast your chickpeas in olive oil and toss in a light coating of paprika. Roast until the chickpeas take on a bit of a character or are crispy to taste.  Remove from flame, set aside and cool.

The next step is to sautée the mushrooms. There are two kinds of mushrooms, soggy and gray or tender and browned. The trick to having restaurant level mushrooms is to pan sear them over high heat, giving no room for them to sweat, and adding salt at the end so that the water isn’t drawn out of the mushrooms too early. Over high heat, drop in a tablespoon of olive oil and toss in your mushrooms til they start to take on color. Remove from pan, set aside and cool.

Next, assemble your salad. This is where all your hard work comes together. On a bed of arugula, toss in your roasted chickpeas, sautéed mushrooms, sweet corn, and Quinoa.

Lightly toss with a light salad dressing of your choice (vinaigrettes work best) and enjoy the meat-free fruits of your labor.

If you have left overs, you could totally skip out on “Taco Tuesday” and be an awesome mean green machine.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe. Let us know what you think!, if you tried it and any recipe or food suggestions you’d like to see next.

The post Meatless Monday How-To: Arugula Quinoa Salad appeared first on MadameNoire.

Of all the things an athlete prepares for and thinks about ahead of a competition, the one thing they probably aren’t giving that much thought about is hair. And why should you? You’re about to put on a pretty important performance you’ve been training long and hard for, and as long as your body is ready, who cares about your hair?

Well, a lot of people cared about 28-year-old Nigerian Olympic track and field athlete Blessing Okagbare’s. While participating in the long jump during an event in Norway late last week, her leap caused her long black wig to fall off in the sand, exposing a low, natural cut. The commentators during the event joked about the incident, going as far as to measure how far her hair flew, along with where her feet landed in the sand.

But Okagbare carried on, seemingly unbothered. She put on her wig cap and prepared to put back on her wig as she waited patiently for her score. No running off in embarrassment. No need to try and make a joke of herself by shrugging and laughing. She knew there was a chance it would happen, as Okagbare told reporters following the jump, and it did. But she was focused on business. In the end, Okagbare placed seventh, but still managed to get a lot of attention from journalists who interviewed her after the event because of her wig snafu.

She also got a lot of attention from people on social media. Some simply laughed at the situation, while a few defended Okagbare and others criticized her for wearing a wig in the first place. It went on and on over the weekend, with Okagbare trying to make light of the situation on Instagram, saying, “When you talk about something for so long and it eventually happened … Oh well, it is what it is then … heads up…” before changing her mind and deleting her comment.

As for my own thoughts, I couldn’t be mad at the fact that the video was getting around. It is comical in a way. But more than anything, I just felt bad. Not because Okagbare may have been embarrassed or because people were talking about her, but rather, because, per the usual, people were talking about yet another Black female athlete’s hair. You just can’t win.

For the record, she is an Olympic silver-winning medalist who has also won gold and bronze in everything from the World Championships to the Commonwealth Games and the All-Africa Games in both the long jump and sprinting. In just about every race, she’s worn a wig or weave of some sort. I’ve seen her in red ones, black ones, purple ones, blond ones, short ones, long ones — looks that have run the whole gamut. It just seems to be her style. They’ve never held her back and they’ve never garnered much discussion, not when so many other successful track and field athletes, including Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and retired American sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross, hit the track in bold hairstyles. But it’s sad to see that when I type in Okagbare’s name now, there isn’t much mention of what she’s accomplished in her more than 10 years of competing or any other real interviews with her, but instead, she’s just referenced as the “long jumper” whose “WIG falls off” and “suffers embarrassment as wig falls off.”

Somehow it’s always about our hair. In both of the Olympics Gabby Douglas took part in, she was criticized on social media over her gel-adorned ponytails, even when she was making history.

A lot of talk surrounding Simone Manuel’s win in the 100-meter freestyle in Rio last year had to do with hair, how she cares for it and why it keeps so many of us from swimming.

Sanya Richards-Ross was criticized during the 2012 Olympic games in London for wearing a weave and for wearing it down while running and winning gold in the 4×400 relay.

And as Fashionista pointed out, Venus and Serena Williams have also attracted criticism about their choice of hairstyles while competing, as have track star Carmelita Jeter, fencer Maya Lawrence and many others.

It just feels like there are too many concerns when it comes to what is going on with our heads and not when it comes to what we’re doing on the field or court. If we have a fro, people say it’s too much and should be cut. If we wear a wig, people say it’s too much and sends the wrong message to young women. If we do all of that while accomplishing our goals, people still say it’s too much, and unfortunately, a lot of the time it’s our own people.

So while it wasn’t a big deal to chuckle over the uncommon occurrence of a woman losing her wig while doing the long jump (we’re all human), that should have been it. The need to try and take things a step further, making her, as we have so many Black female athletes at the top of their game, the butt of a long, dragged out joke, just reeks of an attempt to cut them down from the pedestal they’ve worked hard to get on. And honestly, that’s just not and never will be funny.

The post Long Jumper Blessing Okagbare Loses Wig During Competition, And As Usual, Social Media Loses Its Mind appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: Nicky Nelson/WENN.com

They say with age comes wisdom and when it comes to Phylicia Rashad she has shared a wealth of words women can learn from her in her 69 years of life.

Most fans of “The Cosby Show” can’t see past Claire Huxtable to appreciate who Rashad is outside of her iconic character, but a quick search of some of the actress and singer’s most memorable quotes proves Rashad can teach many of us a thing or two about living. Below, we’ve comprised a list of Rashad’s most poignant words about sisterhood, self-determination, self-care, self-love, and perseverance. Let them guide you through the rest of this year as Rashad begins her 69th year of life.

Sisterhood

“Any time women come together with a collective intention, it’s a powerful thing. Whether it’s sitting down making a quilt, in a kitchen preparing a meal, in a club reading the same book, or around the table playing cards, or planning a birthday party, when women come together with a collective intention, magic happens.”

Self-love

“Loving oneself isn’t hard, when you understand who and what ‘yourself’ is. It has nothing to do with the shape of your face, the size of your eyes, the length of your hair or the quality of your clothes. It’s so beyond all of those things and it’s what gives life to everything about you. Your own self is such a treasure.”

Perseverance

“There’s always something to suggest that you’ll never be who you wanted to be. Your choice is to take it or keep on moving.”

Acceptance

“How is it that you profess love for God but can’t accept another human being?”

Motherhood

“There’s all kinds of mothers, so to use the label ‘mother’ and to think you really understood all that a human being is because she’s a mother, is a mistake.”

Self-care

“You have to learn how to care about people without taking on all of their problems.”

Self-determination

“What’s in front of you is a whole world of experiences beyond your imagination. Put yourself, and your growth and development, first.”

Consciousness

“Everything you do, every thought you have, every word you say creates a memory that you will hold in your body. It’s imprinted on you and affects you in subtle ways – ways you are not always aware of. With that in mind, be very conscious and selective.”

Tenacity

“The stubbornness I had as a child has been transmitted into perseverance. I can let go but I don’t give up. I don’t beat myself up about negative things.”

Giving

“The act of giving expands one’s entire life experience because nothing is more fulfilling than one’s capacity to give.”

The post 10 Things We Can Learn From Phylicia Rashad About Sisterhood, Self-Love, And Self-Determination appeared first on MadameNoire.

#GimmeFive Workout

Biking With Barack (and Malia)

Beating Ellen in a Push-Up Challenge

Busting a Move During Zumba

Busting a Move to Beyoncé

Doing a Football Combine With Kids

Beating Jimmy Fallon at a Fitness Test

Going for a Run

Jumping Rope Like a Pro

The post Michelle Obama Hosts Boot Camp Workout For Her Girlfriends And 9 Other Times She Was Fitness Goals appeared first on MadameNoire.

Every year Father’s Day is a controversial topic, thanks to a plethora of absentee dads and a slew of single mothers and products of single mothers all to anxious to expose the men who weren’t there for them when they needed them. But I recently discovered it’s not only past absenteeism that hurts. What about the men who are somewhat active in their childrens’ lives but decline to spend the one holiday of the year where the country actually gives a damn about fathers with their children? Is that as effed up as it sounds or should men be free to celebrate as they choose?

Yesterday, Joseline posted (and later deleted) the image below, following in the footsteps of many pained men and women who had no one to celebrate yesterday. It was obvious from the post that Stevie was missing from Bonnie Bella’s life on Father’s Day like he had been many other days over the past 10 months, but what made things worse was when the receipts came in today.

It appears Stevie was too busy lounging in murky waters filled with half-naked twerking ladies to be with Bonnie, Eva, or his other four children on Father’s Day. And while I was appalled at the scene, reactions on social media and from my own co-worker were mixed, with some asking, what do you expect (which I also agree with)? And others saying, “He is having fun on Father’s Day! Let him do what he wants today.”

Immediately, my mind trailed back to Saturday night when I was hanging with a group of people from my boxing class and one of the guys said he texted his dad to hang out the next day, which was Father’s Day, and his dad told him he already had plans. Since the guy’s siblings don’t live in New York, he knew his dad’s plans involved a woman. And though he acknowledged that was “f-cked up,” he brushed off the incident, at least in front of us, and went on enjoying the night. I, on the other hand, was still on the f-cked up part, which is pretty much how I felt the next day when I called my own dad and he didn’t answer or return my call. Considering we just got cool a couple of years ago and this is maybe one of five Father’s Days I’ve even acknowledged him, I thought he should appreciate my gesture a bit more. Twenty-four hours later, I still have’t heard from him.

I’m all for celebrating how you want to celebrate on a day that’s about you, but Father’s Day is as much for children as it is for dads and denying your children the opportunity to be with you on that day is downright selfish and dismissive. It’s one thing to say, “I don’t feel like going out,” it’s another not to even let your kids come by the house, or to push them aside for a woman — or women — who they can see at any time. If fathers want Father’s Day to be taken more seriously, maybe they should start taking it more serious themselves.

The post Serious Question: Is It Disrespectful Not To Spend Father’s Day With Your Kids? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Monica Brown has always been an open book about what’s going on in her personal life, and that includes what’s going on with her health.

The mother of three revealed in a post over the weekend that late last month, she had surgery after being diagnosed with endometriosis. She also revealed that she had a wealth of other health concerns that were addressed during her eight-hour surgery, including a hernia, fibroids and cysts:

Endometriosis is known as a disorder where the tissue that normally grows within the uterus ends up growing outside of it. It can be a painful disorder that can make your menstrual cycle a nightmare, make sex unpleasant and can also cause trouble in terms of fertility. Despite a lengthy surgery and what sounded like all types of hell for her body before, during and after it, the 36-year-old seems to be doing much better — and has a cute new pink hairstyle to boot.

The post “I’ve Known Something Was Wrong”: Monica Reveals Endometriosis Diagnosis And Surgery appeared first on MadameNoire.

You may not have noticed, but the last time Nicki Minaj attended the BET Awards was in 2015 when she went with then-boyfriend Meek Mill and they performed “All Eyes on You.” No one made a big fuss about her lack of an appearance last year (because Beyoncé returned to the stage for the first time in years — duh), but her decision to not attend this year is raising eyebrows.

It’s not because Minaj has to be there every year to accept the Best Female Hip-Hop Artist award, which she’s won every year since 2010, but rather, it’s because of the way she announced that she wouldn’t make it:

The rapper let everyone know that she would be performing at the very first NBA Awards in New York on Monday, June 26, which is the day after the BET Awards in Los Angeles. But “ONLY”? What’s that about?

Maybe it’s because people online were hyping up the possibility of there being friction between the Barbie and her rap adversary, Remy Ma. Maybe she was upset at the fact that Remy was also nominated for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Maybe BET did something shady behind the scenes that we don’t know about. Maybe the girl is just busy. Whatever the case, some feel that her sharp dismissal of this year’s BET Awards was like biting the hand that has fed her.

They gave star the platform to perform before most others did. That includes performing and debuting her videos on 106 & Park, performing at the old Spring Bling event, allowing her to shine at the Hip Hop Awards, the New Year’s Eve show in 2010. They’ve also given her countless awards. I wouldn’t say they “made” her whatsoever, but they definitely embraced the star’s talent and gave her a lot, including some awards when she didn’t always deserve them. (Honestly, guys, she was barely making music when she beat out Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea, Dej Loaf, Tink and Trina for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist in 2015.) And they awarded her when other shows, like the Grammys (where she’s been awarded 0 gramophones) and the VMAs (where she’s only won three out of nine awards since her debut) have given her very little.

But she’s not alone. It’s common practice for stars who were given an initial boost by the network and their awards show to stop attending. Rihanna went in 2015 to promote her video for “BBHMM” after not showing up to the show since 2008. Bey, who used to perform every time she put out an album, last performed in 2007 before showing up to perform (and only to perform — she left right after) for the 2016 ceremony. She has good reasons not to attend though. Kanye hasn’t been around since 2012. Drake? Well, despite winning heftily each time he’s nominated, the rapper hasn’t been at the awards show since 2011, and he performed on TV for the first time at the 2009 awards. And Jay Z? Good luck with that.

They might not be necessarily turning their back, but it’s kind of annoying to see stars who were given a boost in the earlier stages of their career by Black awards shows and entities to start passing on attending and supporting them. It wouldn’t be an issue at all if it weren’t for the fact that these are often the same stars who will attend and perform at every other mainstream awards show. And when they’re affected in some way that they deem discriminatory, including by the Grammys, VMAs, Billboard Awards and other big shows, they still won’t attend the BET, NAACP and Soul Train Awards. Maybe you could blame it on the actions of the people/producers behind these events, or the natural evolution of the careers of popular artists. It happens. But in Nicki’s case, to go out of your way to shade the same people who were giving you a platform while you were making faces, changing your voice and wearing multi-colored wigs and chicken necklaces when other people weren’t receptive to your talent? It’s interesting to say the least.

The post Nicki Minaj Announces She’s Not Attending BET Awards In The Shadiest Way Possible appeared first on MadameNoire.

“Be careful who you marry because your kids might have carpet texture hair,” warned my friend.

Carpet what? I repeated to myself. I had never heard the term before, but I refused to hit her with a snappy comeback because as ignorant as it was, it said more about her than it did me. I thought about how she, with her hair just a bit looser than mine, which ain’t that loose (without being an expert I’d call mine a 4c) had really bought into the hair hierarchy. And now she was telling me how to pick a mate. She probably felt a sense of urgency because I had just started getting serious with a guy from Africa. With both our nappy heads she probably envisioned a family so full of carpet that if we all lied down on the floor people would walk right over us.

Five years later, we had a beautiful carpet-texture-haired baby. From day one, her hair did not slick down from the baby oil that comes with every baby shower gift. If I am to be perfectly honest, it made me a little uncomfortable. Though I had been wearing my hair natural for at least six years, four of them with locs, I had never been one to embrace the picked out look, though I loved in on people like Cicely Tyson and Angela Davis. I was still trying to emulate a look that I felt was pretty and acceptable so I spent the majority of my time twisting and weighing my hair down with products designed to “bring out the natural curl.” So when I looked at my baby with a full head of carpet texture hair I wondered if it might make for a harder life. This was before Instagram and people everywhere were rocking short naturals. And let’s me be real for a minute, rare is the baby or little girl who is rocking a short, picked out fro. Whenever we went places, Black women would appear out of thin air, giving me advice on what products I could use to make her hair grow. As she got older they’d recommend hair braiders.

It’s interesting though, because after a few years, I started looking at her hair, and the simplicity of her life, and it was much easier than mine. While I was spending all my time fighting with my carpet texture, she was embracing hers.

One day, I decided that I’d had enough crèmes and leave-ins and I couldn’t do another two-strand twist. So I went to a barber named Deana in LA, who was referred by my hairdresser and friend Felicia Leatherwood. I didn’t even know what I wanted, I just knew that it needed to look and feel like freedom. And when she was done I had a short, asymmetrical cut that I loved!  The best part was that all I had to do was pick it out, pat it down, and go!

My daughter is 7 ½ years old now and we’re both in a great place with our hair. It’s not to say that she hasn’t had any issues. When she was in preschool a little girl told her that her hair was “ugly.” But she breezed right through it telling the girl, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, my hair is beautiful!” Damn right.

I tell her, and my second daughter whose hair is short and thicker than everybody’s, that same thing everyday. It’s what I never heard growing up. Who was going to tell a nappy-headed kid that her hair was beautiful back then? It also helps that I’m surrounded by a gorgeous group of Black women with bald, short, and all kinds of textured hair. I’m a huge instawhore so I’m constantly showing both my daughters pictures of beautiful Black women with short naturals. Then there’s the gorgeous, graceful, 10-year-old Jade Jackson who rocks her carpet texture like a little queen. I think what might help the most is seeing me, her mom, comfortable in the hair I’m in. I can’t wait for the day that I can explain to her that she was the biggest gift I could ever have in my own hair journey.

Follow Erickka Sy Savané on Twitter, Instagram, and www.Erickkasysavane.com

The post “Be Careful Who You Marry Because Your Kids Might Have Carpet Texture Hair” appeared first on MadameNoire.

Credit: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com

Well that didn’t take long. After a surprising revelation Friday that Kenya Moore married a mystery man in St. Lucia about a week ago, we assumed the unveiling of her groom wouldn’t happen before season 10 of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” (RHOA). But lo and behold, Kenya couldn’t contain herself for long, posting photos of the big day on Instagram over the past couple of days.

The first photo came by way of Father’s Day wishes the reality star posted openly to her new hubby.

“To my husband,  Happy Father’s Day to you and all the great Dads,” she wrote. “We met a year ago but didn’t speak again until December. Since we reconnected you have been my everything, my one and only, my heart…I love you.
#devotedwife#family#happyfathersday#truelove#bliss“

It wasn’t until last night, however, that we had a name to match the face: Marc, whom Kenya said on the photo below is the best man she’s ever known.

In a teasing post a few days prior, Kenya also shared this image declaring “A good man is hard to find but true love is even harder. I found both.”

Beyond all of those newlywed love notes, the most insightful post — and the only one Kenya has allowed comments on — is the scenic image she posted this morning, reflecting on how not just her life, but she, has changed.

“Over the last months I have learned a lot about myself,” she said. “I reflected and realized that changing my behavior starts with me. I will not be defined by my previous mistakes or bad decisions.

“My life is what is in front of me and not the things I left behind. Thank you God for this wisdom. Thank you God for my new life.
#blessed#kenyamoore“

Sounds like we might see a new Kenya on next season of RHOA. What do you think?

The post Kenya Moore’s Husband Is No Longer A Mystery appeared first on MadameNoire.

If, from the outside looking in, women of color and women of a certain size feel neglected, dismissed, and ignored by the fashion industry, imagine how difficult it must be to actually be a part of that industry, but not really. To be a token of sorts, one of the few who was let in to the secret society, that’s the experience Black plus-size model Philomena Kwao discusses in a new EPIX documentary, Straight/Curve.

As the name might suggest, Straight/Curve explores the unrealistic beauty standards that have come to define the fashion industry and the damaging effects they have on women and girls.

“Ninety percent of young women and girls say they do not feel represented in the fashion industry or in media, and that the imagery they consume on a daily basis makes them feel ‘disgusting’ and ‘less than,'” a press release notes. “Straight/Curve examines the industries and obstacles responsible for this body image crisis and showcases the dynamic leaders fighting for more diversity of size, race and age.”

Those leaders include household name Tim Gunn and several models, from Emme, Denise Bidot, Tess Holliday, Iskra Lawrence, and Charlie Howard, to Jennie Runk, Sabina Kanson, Nathalia Novaes, Robyn Lawley, Sasha Exeter, Nicola Griffin, Erica Kraeter and, of course, Kwao.

In the clip below, Kwao talks about being narrowly defined by her skin color and her size, and how being one of a few plus-size models of color is quite a lonely experience. Check out the sneak peek of the documentary in the video below which airs on EPIX at 8 pm ET Wednesday, June 21.

The post Philomena Kwao: It’s Lonely Being A Black Plus-Size Model appeared first on MadameNoire.

She can relate to the fights

He can feel teamed up on

You’re Eskimo sisters…

You’ll swap vacation stories

His parents already know you

Her parents are a bit confused

Some friends stop trusting you

People always ask her if she’s okay

Your friend and your man may still fight

Her new bf and her ex have to hang out

You know all about their sex life

You work hard to make things different

You keep an eye out for old patterns

She still has his gifts

In ten years, nobody will care

The post What It’s Really Like To Date Your Friend’s Ex appeared first on MadameNoire.

You’ve likely heard that Jada Pinkett Smith is none too fond of the new Tupac Shakur biopic, All Eyez on Me. She stated that the portrayal of her very close relationship with the rapper, who was killed at the age of 25, was overly dramatized to a level that she can’t keep quiet about.

“Forgive me,” she wrote on Twitter, “my relationship to Pac is too precious to me for the scenes in All Eyez On Me to stand as truth.”

The 45-year-old would go on to point out inaccuracies involving the portrayal of their friendship before saying, “The reimagining of my relationship to Pac has been deeply hurtful.” However, she did celebrate the actors who portrayed the late rapper and herself, newcomer Demetrius Shipp, Jr. and Kat Graham.

“To @KatGraham and @Dshippjr this is no fault of yours,” she wrote. “Thank you for bringing so much heart and spirit to your roles. You both did a beautiful job with what you were given. Thank you both.”

But Graham, known for her work on The Vampire Diaries, told EOnline.com that considering Pinkett Smith allegedly had nothing but good things to say about the film leading up to her tweets, she’s taken aback by the star’s disappointment with the project.

“When I first got the role, I reached out to (her) a year and a half ago,” she said at the iHeart Radio MMVAs in Toronto yesterday. “The point of reaching out to her, as well as the other producers on the film, was to insure the integrity of the story and the character. I even spoke to her last week and she had nothing but support.”

Graham continued, “I have a lot of love for her. I hope people just see the movie and make the choice for themselves.”

Despite the mixed reviews from the likes of Smith and even rapper 50 Cent, who said after seeing the money, “that was some bullsh-t,” since being released on Friday (Pac’s 46th birthday), All Eyez on Me has surpassed monetary expectations. It landed in the third spot at the box office with $27.1 million when it was believed that the film would open with just around $17 million.

The post “She Had Nothing But Support”: Kat Graham Confused By Jada’s Criticism Of Tupac Biopic appeared first on MadameNoire.

As excited for a new album from Goapele as we are? Check out our interview as she talks “Dreamseeker” and working with BJ the Chicago Kid.

The post Goapele Talks New Album “Dreamseeker” appeared first on MadameNoire.

Perri "Pebbles" Reid

Ike Turner

Lil Kim

Suge Knight

Stacy Lattisaw

Winnie Mandela

Michael Oher

Timbaland

Lisa Celeste Stroud

The Houstons

We have dealt with her every emotion from the day she was born until the day she died, which gives us absolute position and absolute authority as a family to feel the way we do about her legacy. We matter. We’re still here. Why wasn’t there a call to myself, Gary, Cissy or even her daughter? Why deny selected members of the family an advanced copy of the film? As we once again enter a season of bereavement and the strategic timing so close to the anniversary of Whitney’s death, this is a disappointment that any of us who loved her could do without. This creative pursuit at the expense of the integrity of such an iconic woman, who is voiceless today, reeks of condemnation and deceit. It reeks of enslavement to an industry that will likely do the same to you one day. As my grandmother used to say, “Keep living.”

The post Put Some Respeck On My Name: Celebrities Upset By Their Depictions In Biopics appeared first on MadameNoire.

Sad news for hip-hop fans today. Rapper Prodigy of the Queens-bred group Mobb Deep has passed away at the age of 42.

Born Albert Johnson, the rapper has battled sickle cell anemia since he was born. In a statement from his publicist on Tuesday, the rapper’s rep stated that he was in Las Vegas for a show on Saturday, and soon after, was hospitalized “for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis.” Still, the rep added that the exact cause of death is unclear at this time.

“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep,” the statement read according to the Associated Press. “We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”

The “Shook Ones” and “Quiet Storm” rapper, one part of Mobb Deep alongside fellow rapper Havoc, spoke openly about his battles with sickle cell anemia. After going to prison in 2007 for three years following a sentence for criminal possession of a weapon, Prodigy said he decided to make his greatest effort to make his health a priority. The fact that he’d lived so long with the disorder, to the rapper, was a gift.

“To me, it’s a blessing from God, number one,” he said in an interview with ThisIs50. “Secondly, I take care of my health. I don’t f–k around. I learned how to do that a long time ago. There was years I was slippin’. I had many years where I was slippin’. I fell off on my health s–t. I was drinking and doing all the wrong s–t. When I got locked up, it actually helped me get my s–t back together because you ain’t got access to none of that s–t no more.”

“Plus, when you’re in jail, that’s the worst place you could ever be to have sickle cell,” he added. “You will die in that muthaf–ker. Them ni–as don’t care if you screaming in pain. If they don’t see blood, if they don’t see you unconscious with blood, they not taking you to the hospital. So, I had to get myself together. I had to get my health together to make sure I wasn’t going to get sick in there. I started working out. I was eating right, drinking mad water and just doing what I had to do to stay healthy.”

The post Rapper Prodigy Of Mobb Deep Dies At 42 After Long Health Battle appeared first on MadameNoire.

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The post 10 Beauty Buys To Beat The Heat appeared first on MadameNoire.

He’s probably not a misogynist

He chose you because you’re special

He doesn’t try to sleep with everyone

His friends give him good sex advice

He’s seen them be treated poorly

Hanging with his friends is fun for you too

They can counsel him through fights

He probably likes “feminine” activities

He’s more comfortable talking about his feelings

You can have male friends

He knows how to put things delicately

They can give him gift recommendations

He understands PMS

He knows holidays matter

He sees women as more than girlfriend material

The post The Perks Of Dating A Man With Female Friends appeared first on MadameNoire.

Image via WENN

The latest season of “Orange Is The New Black,” season 5, was released last week on Netflix. And after the death of Poussey in season 4, some of us are either excited to see what happens or weary about the ways in which that particular scene mimicked what’s happening in real life.

Interestingly enough, Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee, on the show, felt both at times as she took on such a pivotal role in season 5. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, she spoke about how the similarities between her character’s story line and real life headlines have often left her heartbroken. But she also shared the sense of hope both she and her character Taystee have for the future of this nation.

Note: Some of the questions and answers from the interviews contain spoilers about Season 5.

EW: The season’s been out for a week now. Have you had time to watch it? How do you feel about it?

DANIELLE BROOKS: Yes, I have gotten to see season 5. I’m very proud of the work that myself, the cast, crew, and writers have done this season, especially because it parallels the world that we live in. Actually, today I got a little pissed off, honestly—I just heard the news on the radio about the Philando Castile [case] and the officer being acquitted. I just appreciate the show speaking to the issues that we’re dealing with. Right now, my heart really goes out to the Castile family for having to feel like they’re not getting justice for this senseless death. That’s sort of where my head is right now, and it kind of sucks because you’re telling this fictional story for six or seven months, embodying what it is to lose somebody and what is it to fight. Then, this season comes out and here we are with another situation where justice is not served. So, my heart is a little heavy right now, to be honest.

EW: While you were filming the season, was it hard to go from reading these tragic headlines every day to performing these scenes where Taystee is fighting for justice— and at times in vain because of how rigid the system is?

DB: Yeah, it’s wicked how the system works. It was challenging. We came back in July 2016 when the Philando Castile incident occurred, so we were going right into work dealing with that particular incident. For me, my work was sort of done. People always ask, “How did you get into character? What did you read or what did you do?” I just watched the clips of Diamond Reynolds, who was his girlfriend, speaking to reporters and talking to all of these news outlets. To me, it was so similar to that episode 5 scene with Taystee when she doesn’t let Judy King [Blair Brown] speak, because that’s the same thing I saw with her; she never let her lawyers speak for her. She was always the one on the forefront putting her voice out there and saying, “You will hear what I’m feeling and the loss that you have caused me and my daughter and his mother.”

As challenging as it was to shoot this, the work was done. That’s such an unfortunate place to be in. It actually breaks my heart that I wasn’t able to really just use my imagination as we do as artists. Instead, it felt so real. All you have to do is put your uncle, your brother — I have a brother who’s 22 — your father in [their] place. It really is devastating and it feels like we still have this noose around our necks as black people. When can we win? Not even win, but just be! When can we just be as equal as anyone else? When will justice be served for us and when can we get a moment to breathe and live in a fair world?…I’m just hurting.
…
I want to find beauty at the end of the road. I want to have hope for America. I feel like a big part of Taystee’s motives this year is to fight for justice but also believe that the system can change. That’s a big part of it. She’s pulling out all of the stops and doing all the research and speaking up for these women in hopes that this thing can change. We see at the end of it that they stand together and now she has a group of women that are standing for justice and she doesn’t feel as alone as she did earlier in the episode. I just hope that’s what we gain with telling stories that matter in that way — we can also take from these women and say, “How can I stand with my brother and my sister? How can I be there for a family that’s lost their loved one? How can I get involved in politics or local government or [how we] choose judges?” We just have to get more involved and be more informed on a much more [local] scale that affects our communities…and will ultimately affect the greater scale. We’re all in it together.

EW: There’s this inherent optimism in Taystee’s actions this season. Was committing to that hopefulness hard some days, or did you find it easy because it gave you a reason to keep hope alive for yourself, too?

DB: Definitely the latter, because I think when someone has gone through as much as Taystee has gone through, and especially when someone is dealing with grief, you kind of have two different routes that you can take: You can choose to take the death route where you are living in misery and depression and feeling like you have no reason to live, or you can say I’m going to take life even more seriously and cherish the life that I’ve been given. I know that’s the route that she’s chosen, which is hope and faith. When it comes to the society that we live in right now, I’d rather as an actor be playing that part of it. I’d rather be putting that energy out into the world. I can’t say that I wouldn’t want to do the other route because, as an actor, I wanna play everything. I want to get to play all different moods, shapes, and colors. Sometimes I think of acting in different fabrics. I want to play all different kinds of layers of a person, which I do think I got to do. Don’t get me wrong! Taystee went left, right, up, down. This season we got to see her stand up and have her moments where she feels like she’s going to lose it and crumble. But I do think the hope part matters — especially right now.

EW: Is there a general sense in the cast that season 7 might be the end, or do you hope Netflix could renew for another season?

DB: Who knows? We have until seven for sure. To be honest, I don’t know if I want to play an inmate past that. I don’t know if I want to do that because I have a lot in me and a lot that I want to share with the world and different characters I want to be able to bring to life. After seven, I think it might be time for me to spread my wings, but I don’t want to speak too fast on that.

The post Danielle Brooks On Art Imitating Life In “OITNB” And The End of The Show appeared first on MadameNoire.

When actress and writer Diarra Kilpatrick wrote and created her YouTube series American Koko years ago, a comedy about the Olivia Pope-esque E.A.R. Agency (Everybody’s A little bit Racist) that tackles “sticky racial situations,” she couldn’t have imagined that we were headed into a Donald Trump presidency. She also couldn’t have imagined that the cackle-inducing series would also garner the attention of Academy-Award winning actress Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon. The famous couple, who have a production company called JuVee, helped to bring the show to ABC’s streaming service ABCd, and it is finally available for streaming. We talked to the acclaimed writer about the inspiration for American Koko, the similarities between Kilpatrick and her hilarious heroine, Akosua Millard (code name Koko), and why a comedy about tackling the hairiest of racial incidents is necessary now more than ever.

MadameNoire: What inspired you to create American Koko? It’s hilarious by the way!

Diarra Kilpatrick: Thank you and I’m a big fan of your site by the way. I was watching a lot of shows like Scandal and Law & Order, and I thought it would be interesting to try to solve race problems in that kind of procedural way. There was this rumor going around that we were in a post-racial America because Obama was in the White House, but I was seeing race issues festering all over the place and I wanted to peel back that layer and talk about it.

And honestly, I wanted to create art with my friends. It seemed like a good time.

When you came up with the concept for the show and decided to invest your money and time to get it online, were you hoping to get it picked up for TV, streaming or just happy to get it out there in any way possible?

No, I wasn’t trying to get picked up for TV specifically. I was just trying to find a new way to express myself and the Internet was the perfect platform because no one had to grant me permission to exist there. What’s amazing about the Internet is anyone can crash the party and it looked like fun.

How did you find out that Viola Davis was a fan and JuVee Productions was interested in taking the series to ABC?

When I first got to L.A., I did a play with Julius, Viola’s husband who now runs JuVee. So I had their email and I sent them the web series in a group email with a bagillion other people I had met on my grind in L.A. Julius and Viola were honestly the last people I expected to hear from. I hadn’t seen them in a while. But Julius was the first person to call me. We had less than 100 views and he said, “We love this and we want to help you make more.” It was extremely validating because after I pressed that publish button on YouTube, I was a little nervous. I felt like I had had a baby and then let him wander out the front door. It was a very vulnerable time. So to get that validation from them so quickly was really nice.

Why is a series like American Koko, that you brought to life years ago, even more of a necessity in times like this (aka, Trump times)? And why is it so necessary to tell these stories through comedy?

We have a race problem in this country, flat-out. We always have, but I think Donald Trump woke a lot of people up to how bad it is. Bigots got mad bold after he won. Hijabs were getting ripped off. People of color were verbally and physically assaulted. It was crazy. But at least we’re all aware that this generation still has work to do. We can’t bury our heads in the sand.

In life, when people get uncomfortable they laugh or they chuckle to themselves anyway. So, I think when talking about issues on the third rail it’s great to lean into that. Plus, I wanted to keep it entertaining. I think short-form series need a little comedy to allow people to sink into the story faster.

How similar are you to the very blunt, let’s-keep-it-real Akosua?

[Laughs] There’s some similarities. My mom always told me she was very close to naming me Akosua, so she’s definitely an alter ego. But I’m definitely more shy than her and I hope more tactful. But to be honest, I put a lot of myself in all of the characters that I write. There’s a character in Season 2 who murdered someone. A loathsome character, right? And I thought, okay, what similarities do I have with this guy? How can I make this character human to me? Once I came to the fact that this guy loves Eddie Murphy just as much as me, I found a way into writing him. I try not to write any of my characters from afar.

What has it been like to have Viola’s guidance and support?

It means a lot. She’s in my top tier of queens! It’s Oprah, Michelle, Beyoncé, Shonda and Viola. So it’s pretty exciting that she’s been so good to me. She called me “the next big thing” in an interview and I had to read it back like 10 times. It was actually a little disorienting to have someone I have so much respect for talk about me like that. But I’m like if Viola says it, it must be true. Let me go to the gym and eat my vegetables. She said I was the next big thing!

The post American Koko‘s Diarra Kilpatrick On Using Comedy To Tackle Race And Getting Co-Signed By Viola Davis appeared first on MadameNoire.

You’re miserable at work. It seems like drudgery to get up and go into the office every day. You’d love to quit, but right now you just can’t make that move. While your situation may seem hopeless, this is the time to stay positive and keep up your morale.

“Identify even one good thing about your job,” suggested success strategist and social media expert Carlota Zimmerman. “Is it the brand name of the company? Is it the money? Are you given a ton of responsibility, so you’re learning a great deal? Does the company pay for you to get a grad degree at night? Identify at least one tangible perk, and go to town on it.

“If, for example, pretty much all you can say is that your commute is great, how about using that easy time to learn a foreign language on YouTube, or ride your bike to work? In six months when you’re speaking beginning Chinese, or 25 pounds lighter—or both—it’s likely that your newfound pride in your abilities will start your mojo working in other ways. It’s likely that having achieved a goal in your personal life, and feeling better about yourself, will give you the courage necessary to make long-lasting professional changes.”

One of the most important ways to keep your morale up in what you consider to be a dead-end job is to not give up on it. “Giving up only leads to more giving up, and when you give up on yourself…why should anyone else go the extra mile? Make a decision to not spend the day bitching about your job, and instead, in the morning write out a list of even three significant tasks you will complete this day. Keep yourself busy and focused. Challenge yourself,” noted Zimmerman. “If you’re feeling stuck at work, hate to say it, but responsibility for your career lies with you. So what are some next-level assignments you could take on that would get the boss’ positive attention? Resolve to do one today.”

Instead of spending so much time mulling over what’s wrong with your job, now is it a good time for self-evaluation,” explained executive coach Lori Scherwin, founder of Strategize That. “When you decide you want to change or are unhappy with a situation, often times it starts with evaluating yourself, what changes you can make in your environment, and how you view the world. It’s possible to see things differently with a new perspective, and often you’ll do a 180 and experience a positive shift in your life.”

Lastly, don’t think you can’t change jobs–even if it takes some time. “Make a plan,” said leadership trainer and professional coach Wayne Smalls, president of L. Wayne Smalls & Associates, LLC. “When you decide you want to quit your job, or end a relationship, or try that new skill – make sure you have a plan to get there. It’s one of the most important elements to help you get started on progress and keep you motivated. That said, it’s critically important to know what you want–and what you don’t want–to successfully avoid putting yourself in a situation similar to the one you are currently facing. Get specific – what does an ideal job look like to you? Vision it out, write it down, and go and make it happen.”

The post Stuck In A Job You Hate? Don’t Switch Jobs, Change Your Mindset appeared first on MadameNoire.