Hollywood can be a place associated with the superficial, but many stars use their platforms and their fortunes to help those in need. For many Black actresses who’ve made it to A-list status, staying in touch with the community is a way of life.

Here are our top picks for the most generous Black women in Hollywood.

Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty

Beyonce:

Beyonce has quietly donated to causes special to her heart for years, choosing to keep her charitable actions under the radar. But they’ve still been extremely significant. From helping the victims of the Flint water crisis to the homeless, she’s given away millions of her own money to help those in need. Most recently, when a devastating hurricane struck her hometown of Houston, Texas, the Grammy-winner’s charity BeyGOOD provided aid in the form of baby products, blankets, toiletries, cots and food to the victims who lost their homes and belongings. She also personally handed out food and posed for photos with the victims before hosting a star-studded telethon to raise millions for recovery,.

Oprah Winfrey:

Source: Hollywood To You/Star Max / Getty

From her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa to the Angel Network to fueling the careers of entrepreneurs like Rachael Ray, Nate Berkus, Ava Duvernay and Iyanla Vanzant, Oprah is one of the world’s most renowned philanthropists.

Rihanna:

Source: WENN.com / WENN

Far from just her music and fashion, Rihanna has quickly become one of the most generous women in Hollywood, donating millions to build a cancer research facility in her native Barbados and raising massive amounts of donations from her Diamond Ball for women pursuing their education around the world. She’s been so generous with her wealth that she was named Harvard University’s 2017 Humanitarian of The Year.

Cathy Hughes:

Source: Guillermo Proano/WENN.com / WENN

Media maven (and the woman behind our site and parent company, Urban One,) Cathy Hughes is one of the most successful women in the game, but she has never forgotten her humble beginnings. Keeping in mind how hard she worked to achieve her success, she’s been a staple among the most generous of donors when it comes to causes close to her heart, including donating food and supplies to homeless shelters and seniors.

Viola Davis 

Source: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com / WENN

Having grown up in extreme poverty, Viola Davis knows what it’s like to experience hunger. And she’s made sure to make it a priority when it comes to her charitable donations. She’s teamed up multiple times with organizations like the Entertainment Industry Foundation to help raise funds and awareness to end childhood hunger in America.

Beverly Bond

Source: WENN.com / WENN

The model-turned-DJ changed the game when founded the now-iconic “Black Girls Rock” organization, which helps young girls develop a healthy self-image, as well as learn practical and leadership skills. The annual awards show raises money and awareness every year by attracting a star-studded list of attendees all to celebrate young Black girls everywhere.

Jada Pinkett Smith

Source: James Devaney / Getty

Far from just being beautiful and immensely talented, Jada Pinkett Smith is also a generous philanthropist. Together with her husband Will Smith, she founded the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation, which helps communities in need across the country. Especially close to her heart is work that she does in her hometown of Baltimore, MD, where she has donated to her high school, as well as organizations that help young Black girls.

Alicia Keys

Source: Supplied by WENN.com / WENN

Since the start of her career, Alicia Keys has been passionate about HIV/AIDS activism around the world. Through her organization, Keep A Child Alive, she has built clinics across Africa and raised millions in donations, as well as given a voice to the need for research for treatment.

Ciara

Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

Together with her husband, Russell Wilson, singer Ciara has become a staple at children’s hospitals across the country, where she donates time and money to children in dire health. They’ve even encouraged their famous friends to join them in bringing joy and help to children battling diseases like cancer.

Source: Brian ZAK / Getty

Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union does more than just lend her finances to charities and organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Planned Parenthood, she’s become an outspoken advocate for causes that affect women’s health. She’s also spoken out against issues that negatively affect the Black community and has given courage to victims of abuse around the world by sharing her own story.

DON’T MISS:

‘Love Is’ Recap: Nuri Finally Realizes That Yasir Ain’t Got No Job

BASE LEVEL: Tosh Alexander’s Music Is An Eclectic Mix Of Her Jamaican Roots And Pop Culture

Hello World: Your Ultimate Guide To Essence Festival 2018

Source: laflor / Getty

Strong. Independent. Flawless. Queen. Fierce.

The list goes on. It’s a list of seemingly endless amounts of positive affirmations we tell Black women about themselves, about ourselves. It’s something we have to do, of course. Black women are often given the least chances, heard the least and told they are the least. So it should come as no surprise that we have to go the extra mile in telling ourselves that we are more than enough.

MUST READ: #MediaMakers: Forging Your Own Lane Isn’t Easy, But It’s Necessary

But don’t you ever get tired?

I do.

I get tired of feeling like I have to be a representative, a “good” Black woman; always ensuring that my head is held high as I face the world. And even when that world is unkind to me and my sisters – the girls and women who look like me – I hold onto what I can, and try to maintain an unwavering strength. The sort of strength that my mother maintained, and her mother before her. The sort of strength that poems and stories and songs are written about; the strength that the world compliments but does not see itself as implicated in unnecessarily creating.

But what if I don’t want to be strong? What if, just for a moment, I want to be weak? As a Black woman, am I allowed to be weak?

From day one, it seems that Black girls are taught that our strength is our greatest weapon. We are taught to expect unfairness, “to be twice as good for half as much,” and that nothing will come easy. Everything will be harder for us, simply because of what we are – Black and female. Our mothers, fathers, teachers and elders were not wrong to teach us that – they were wise. They prepared us.

But one has to ask, “Will I teach my daughter to be strong in the same way too?” More importantly, will I allow my daughter to be weak? Will I allow myself to be weak?

Sometimes when the sun has gone down, when no one is watching and all the work of the day has been done, tears fall from my eyes. They are tears that even I refuse to see and welcome and acknowledge. But these tears are not just my own. They are the tears of generations past – of women who gave birth to me – who were never allowed to cry. And they flow mercilessly, with no direction. I am crying my mother’s tears and my grandmother’s. The tears of women who could not cry because they were not allowed to be weak.

When will Black women cry?

Black women: We are strong and independent and flawless and queens and fierce. But we are also tired. We are allowed to be tired. And angry and frustrated and weak and human. We do ourselves and each other a disservice by not allowing ourselves to feel all that we are meant to feel. Our weaknesses, like our strengths, deserve to be acknowledged too. And we can start by letting ourselves see our own tears.

Maybe we have to cry, if for no other reason than the fact that our mothers felt they could not. Maybe that’s a different kind of strength that we ought to teach our daughters. Maybe that’s the kind of strength that we have to teach ourselves.

RELATED STORIES:

My Survival Is A Witness: 8 Black Women Share Their Path In Overcoming Trauma

Yes, ‘Strong Black Women’ Commit Suicide Too

Aoki Lee Simmons Reveals She Struggled To Accept Her Beauty In Comparison To Her Sister And Mother

As a majority of the country celebrated America’s Independence Day on July 4 with food and family reunions, some used the holiday as a teaching example–to show that all is not well and fair in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

One of those persons was Therese Patricia Okoumou, 44. The imagery of Okoumou scaling the statue will no doubt be engrained on the minds of everyone who couldn’t take their eyes off the screen. At one point Okoumou patiently sat with her legs crossed at the base of Lady Liberty while a police rescuer was just a few feet away from her.

She was apprehended around 6:30 p.m. after spending about 3 hours at the base of the statue in protest of immigrants and the deeply troubling separation policy which has kept thousands of children detained away from their parents.

Okoumou is currently being held on federal charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct and other charges, the New York Daily News reports.

1. She’s an immigrant activist from the Congo who resides in Staten Island. She’s been a resident of New York City for at least 10 years. When approached by authorities, Okoumou said she would not leave until all detained children were released back into the custody of their parents, according to the New York Post.

2. Okoumou is affiliated with Rise and Resist, a protest group which unfurled a giant “Abolish Ice,” banner on Ellis Island hours before Okoumou was arrested. The group originally tried to distance themselves from her, but later acquiesced that she helped plan the banner unveiling, but claimed the statue on her own accord.

3. During her protest she held up two shirts which said, “Trump Care Makes Us Sick” and “Rise and Resist.”

4. Okoumou is obviously not afraid of heights as the base where she stood is 89 feet tall. According to the New York Daily News, she works as a personal trainer which points to her physical skill and determination.

5. This isn’t Okoumou’s first time being apprehended in the name of a cause or demonstrating. In 2017, she was arrested for trespassing, obstruction of government administration and misdemeanor assault during a New York City demonstration against the state Department of Labor.She reportedly covered her mouth with tape and refused to leave the Varick Street protest location. In 2009, she won a $1,500 judgement in a racial discrimination lawsuit against County Recovery, a Staten Island towing company. She later filed and lost a human rights claim  against a group home in 2007. Then In 2003, she filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against a woman’s shelter called Safe Horizon. Okoumou alleged she was racially discriminated against and later lost the case as she acted as her legal representation in court. 

SOURCE: New York Daily News, New York Post

DON’T MISS:

Five Ways To Resist The Supreme Court’s Ruling To Uphold Trump’s Travel Ban

Trump Administration Reverses Obama-Era Guidelines On Race In College Admission Process

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

Congrats to the Currys! The loving couple just welcomed a baby boy into the world on July 2nd.

New mama Ayesha took to social media to tell her fans about the delivery.

“My heart is FULL. God has been too good to us. Our beautiful baby boy Canon W.Jack Curry 7/2/2018. He joined us earlier than we thought and we couldn’t be more excited and grateful. Family of 5! @stephencurry30 #mynewman by this mama of 3!”

The chef posted an adorable photo with her two daughter and new son:

Steph and Ayesha have been married for seven years. They share two daughters together, Riley 5 and Ryan 2.

RELATED LINKS

A Very Pregnant Ayesha Curry Claims An Angry Houston Rockets Fan Intentionally Bumped Up

He Shoots, He Scores: Steph & Ayesha Curry Expecting Baby Number 3

Ayesha Curry Is Newest CoverGirl Ambassador

Source: Greg Doherty / Getty

Just days after the passing of her legendary father, Joe Jackson, Janet Jackson took to social media to thank fans for their support during this time of grief.

“Thank u for all your love and support. Means so much to me during this time,” the mother of one captioned her video.

Jackson is prepped to tackle her reinvigorated ‘State Of The World’ tour. She is also headlining this year’s Essence Fest in New Orleans, LA.

Janet shared an adorable throwback picture of her with her dad just a day ago.

RELATED LINKS

Janet Jackson Thanks Joe Jackson During Acceptance Speech: “He Drove Me To Be The Best That I Can”

BBMAs: Janet Jackson Makes History As First Black Woman To Receive The Icon Award

Janet Jackson Reveals Struggle With Depression

Dandruff. It’s a word that many people get uncomfortable associating with. You hear words like: dry scalp, flaky scalp, or even ‘product buildup.’ As Black women, the industry and thus, in turn, us as a people, tend to focus solely on haircare. The desire for most: what can I do to make my hair grow? Unfortunately, the focus on haircare and lack of education on scalp care is leading us to more breakage, more dryness, more itching, and overall unhealthy hair. Scalp health and hair health are entirely different and have different needs.

Source: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty

Your skin is the largest organ on your body. You wouldn’t ignore it by not cleaning it, moisturizing it, and protecting it from the elements of nature. However, we tend to do this with our scalp. Some of our haircare methods are actually more conducive to doing a disservice to our hair and scalp vs. helping it. According to a study conducted by Head And Shoulders, 71% of Black women have experienced or were concerned about itch, dryness, and flaking in the last month and 73% of us are using an oil to soothe, moisturize, and relieve the scalp, without knowing it can actually make scalp and hair issues worse. Yes, you read that right: you should not be using oil to soothe or grow your scalp. It’s actually clogging the pores that your hair follicles grow out of and provide a breeding ground for scalp fungus (I know, ewww) called Malassezia. Malassezia is a yeast-like fungus that can irritate your scalp and cause more skin cells to grow. When they die, they flake off, which explains dandruff or as some of us like to call it “product build up.”

Before I scare you or make you freak out (is your scalp itching yet?), let’s learn some more about this scalp fungus. According to a Proctor and Gamble Commissioned North America study, 40% of the US population has dandruff, 77% of Black women suffer from it. Why is it higher for Black women? Our haircare methods. Let’s break it down by how we wear our hair. For natural women or women with relaxers, we’ve been taught to oil our scalp to help grow our hair as well as nourish and improve it. No matter what your favorite YouTuber is telling you, unfortunately, it’s not. Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, who works for Head And Shoulders explained,

“She’s having damage to the hair, even before it grows out of the scalp, if her scalp is unhealthy.”

What’s making it so unhealthy? Well, for women who wear protective styles like weaves, the heat, moisture, mixed with oil provide a breeding grown for the fungus (find out the name). When you wear braids for long periods of time and go without washing, by adding oil and not giving your scalp the care it actually needs, Dr. Wilkerson revealed, ““Pre-emerging hair as it comes out of the scalp will look a little bit dryer and duller because of scalp issues.”

Damn.

Oil is for your hair, not your scalp. Think of your hair follicle (hair strands) like an egg. Due to the oval shape of Black women’s hair, fatigue and tensile tests show that African hair is significantly weaker than Caucasian or Asian hair. Add our chemical treatments and repeated heating, it significantly increases damage in the already fragile strands. Same as when we are wearing hair in protective styles like braids. The weight of braids (hello high bun) also weakens our hair and can lead to a type of hair loss called traction alopecia.

RELATED: Here’s A Sleek And Chic Protective Style For Natural Girls This Summer

Still think none of this applies to you (or that you really just have product build up?) Dr. Wilkerson explains that you can have dandruff without flakes. While visiting P&G, she told me, “There can be itch that may not show up in the form of dandruff (flaking). There can be scalp tightness, there can be dryness. Only about 10% of the US population actually flakes.” So yes, ladies, if you are patting your weave to avoid itching your scalp, chances are there is some flaking too. Dr. Rukeyser Thompson, Section Head Global Hair Care Research and Development at P&G explained, “Culturally, to say, ‘She has dandruff,’ she feels somehow she’s less clean. It’s been a huge insight we’ve shared with the Head And Shoulders team. This is a global phenomenon and even more so in sub-Sahara Africa.”

Source: RuslanDashinsky / Getty

Whoa. So what can you do to help your hair? Use an anti-dandruff shampoo, EVEN if you think your scalp does not suffer from it. Not just any AD shampoo, you need one with zinc pyrithione also called, ZPT. ZPT helps protect your scalp from dandruff causing fungus, Malassezia, which causes scalp irritants. If you’re looking for one, definitely try out Head And Shoulders Classic Clean 2-in-1 Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner ($7.82, Walmart.com). Think of adding AD shampoo and conditioner into your routine like washing your hands. If you had dirt and germs on your hands, you’d want it off, right? Same for your scalp, sis.

Beauties, have you used an anti-dandruff shampoo? Why or why not? Sound off in the comments.

DON’T MISS:

How Hair By Ivy Went From Homelessness To Celebrity Hair Stylist In 2 Years

Hair Braiding Gustapo? Tennessee Has Fined Residents $100K For Braiding Hair

Jada Pinkett-Smith Opens Up About The Struggles Of Losing Her Hair

Source: Courtesy of Gina Charbonnet

Gina Charbonnet has been the woman behind some of the most prolific activations at Essence Music Festival. The festival which runs from July 5-8,  is also one of the largest entertainment gatherings for us by us, and is a primetime opportunity to “party with a purpose,” Charbonnet said.

RELATED: Hello World: Your Ultimate Guide To Essence Festival 2018

Charbonnet is the owner of GeChar Inc., a multidimensional creative company which brings insightful, thought-provoking speakers to the stage as part of Essence Festival’s Empowerment Experience. Since 1999, Charbonnet has been a central figure in planning the dynamic event. For Charbonnet, New Orleans is home.

“A big part of me is New Orleans,” Charbonnet said. “I’m from here and I get a chance to work on such an amazing event with a really amazing brand.”

This year’s event will produce a variety of roundtable talks and panels from personal branding and financial literacy to reinvention.

The Empowerment Experience is also about “nurturing, self-care and fulfilling your passion,” Charbonnet said. Speakers like Mona Scott Young, Lena Waithe, Angela Rye, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Sybrina Fulton, DeRay Mckesson and Marvin Sapp and not to mention staples like Iyanla Vanzant will all be invited speakers at this year’s festival.

“It’s always been about how we can enrich our audience through different sort of tracks,” she continued. “I think everything we’ve been talking about is advocacy. It’s all about the advocacy,” Charbonnet says.

Spirituality is also crucial to the Empowerment Experience and the activation ends each year with a gospel tribute. Gospel singer Marvin Sapp will be this year’s special guest.

“It’s really about this well-rounded perspective that feeds your soul,” she says.

For Charbonnet spirituality is deeply intertwined in her roots. The New Orleans native spent much time in communion with her family under the roof of the Charbonnet-Labat-Glapion Funeral Home, one of the oldest Black owned funeral homes in the country.

“My father worked in the Charbonnet funeral home and I grew up in the funeral home business here,” she said. “I have to say yes, that did mold me to really be aware of what entrepreneurship is and what it takes to be an entrepreneur and what it means to work in the community and be a company that serves.”

But Charbonnet’s path to her successful business actually began in a totally different spectrum. Her creative journey morphed from visual art to film and journalism. She says her biggest inspiration is her mother who died when she was seven years old.

Before she died, she created DeChar Creations, becoming a first time business owner at 47-years-old. GeChar Inc. is a tribute to her mother’s legacy.

This year’s Empowerment Experience is a culmination of planning which takes place 10 months in advance. A team mentality is what keeps Charbonnet grounded during the days of the festival which can turn easily morph into a grueling 12-16 hour work day.

“You have to leave your ego at the door. There’s no ego here. It’s really about–we’re a team making it work. And that’s the most important thing,” she said.

Even though the work days can be long, Charbonnet said she plans to take it all in and is looking forward to a few special guests, especially Lena Waithe.

“Who she is as a person and what she represents to so many people and the space she’s occupying right now is incredible. I’m excited, the work she’s doing and how outspoken she is, I’m excited!” Charbonnet said.

As far as any advice on how to navigate the festival grounds and still maintain your fly, Charbonnet said she has some pointers. She recommends festival goers bring two pairs of sneakers and watermelon water to keep yourself hydrated, but there’s one more important piece to the fashion puzzle.

“I think every girl should have a fly ass hat to put on!” Charbonnet said.

DON’T MISS:

#MediaMakers: Forging Your Own Lane Isn’t Easy, But It’s Necessary

Get To Know Statue Of Liberty Climber Therese Patricia Okoumou

Essence Festival is approaching, and this weekend African-American women and their friends will descend upon New Orleans, Louisiana, for a fun-filled weekend of music, beauty, upliftment, education, and more! Whether this is your first time at Essence or you go every year with girlfriends, here are seven “must-haves” you shouldn’t forget to pack!

STATEMENT SUNGLASSES

You will be spending a lot of time outside during Essence Fest, so you’ll want something to protect you from the blazing sun! Don’t forget your sunglasses, not only to protect your eyes, but to also help you keep looking cool! We love these JSN Studio Sunglasses by celebrity stylist Jason Bolden.

SUNSCREEN

Don’t play with your melanin! You will be going between being indoors and outdoors, so make sure you lather up and protect your skin. Try this Neutrogena CoolDry Sport Sunscreen Stick Broad Spectrum SPF 50+. This has micro-mesh technology, allowing sweat to pass through and evaporate, without removing the sunscreen. It’s the same size as deodorant, so you can simply throw it in your bag and apply when necessary.

SNACKS AND WATER

You will be out and away from your abode for at least a few hours at a time. Combat dehydration and low blood sugar by ensuring you have your own water and snacks with you. Pack something like nuts, trail mix, or even popcorn to give you a little pick-me-up. Stay hydrated to avoid passing out. Remember: By the time you “feel thirsty,” you are already dehydrated!

LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTHING

It’s HOT. It will be about 90 degrees in New Orleans. You’re going to want clothing that is flowy, lightweight, and easy to take on and off. Pack your favorite maxi dresses, skirts, and pum-pum shorts.

BUSINESS CARDS

Yes, this is a festival, but it’s also an opportunity for you to meet like-minded individuals! Make sure you have your business cards, smile, and don’t forget to follow-up!

PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER

From taking pictures for Instagram, to recording your favorite moments, your phone will undoubtedly get that warning of a low battery. Bring a portable charger and don’t worry about losing power (or missing an opportunity for a selfie with your favorite celebrity!).

PORTABLE FAN OR HAND FAN

Again … it’s HOT. You will appreciate having a small portable fan to beat the heat.

Now you are ready for Essence Festival! Enjoy, beauties.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Source: Halfdark / Getty

While on a recent vacation, a Black family of seven had the police called on them.

Their crime? Eating at Subway and using the bathroom too often.

According to WSB-TV, the Dobson family claims that an employee complained to the Coweta County, Ga., authorities that she feared the large family was frequently going back to the bathroom and could possibly be stealing soda into water cups.

“I need somebody to come through here please, ASAP. Now,” the employee said on the recorded call.

“There’s about eight people in a van, and they’ve been in the store for about an hour. They keep going back and forth to the bathrooms by my back door.”

Felicia Dobson says her family was driving back to North Carolina from their grandmother’s birthday when they stopped at a Subway to eat dinner. She stressed to WSB that they weren’t doing anything wrong.

“I have a 24-year-old sister who’s a recent graduate of North Carolina A&T (State University). My daughter’s 19. She’s entering sophomore year at Wake Forest University,” Felicia Dobson said.

She also is clear about what she believes the entire situation was about: Race.

“I don’t think she ever felt threatened,” Dobson said. “We can’t change our skin color. I have great kids. I have a great family.”

In the meantime, Subway franchise owner Rosh Patel told WSB: “I take this very seriously, and I am fully investigating. I have also used this opportunity to reiterate to my staff the importance of making everyone feel welcome.”

RELATED NEWS:

You A Lie Patty! Audio Proves That Woman Did Call 9-1-1 On Black Girl Selling Water

#MowingWhileBlack: Neighbors Call Police On 12-Year-Old Boy Cutting The Grass

Black Women Accuse Bahama Breeze Of Racial Profiling For Calling Cops To Make Sure They Pay Bill

Source: FOX / Getty

Months after the #WhoBitBeyonce scandal hit the Internet, it looks like Sanaa Lathan is still trying to clear her name.

Earlier this week the “Shots Fired” actress opened up with the co-hosts of “The Talk” about her reactions to first hearing the rumor that she was the one who bit Beyonce at a party in Los Angeles.

She said, “Me and my friends, we laughed our a**es off. We thought it was funny. I mean, it was so absurd.”

“We thought it was funny. I mean, it was so absurd. The hashtag #WhoBitBeyoncé, it was just this big whodunit. You know, I’ve had lots of rumors over the years and after so many of them, you get a thick skin,” she added.

We’re pretty sure Tiffany Haddish hasn’t helped the rumor mill, telling “The Hollywood Reporter” last month that Sanaa indeed did nibble on the Queen.

“I’m super good friends with her stepmom and her dad (producer-director Stan Lathan), and they were mad at me,” Haddish said.

“They were like, ‘Why would you do this to the family? You know, black actresses, you guys have to stick together, it’s so hard for you guys to get work as it is, why would you try to ruin her career?’ “

Haddish said that was never her intention.

“I didn’t try to ruin her career,” Haddish explained. “I never said her name! I was just trying to say how Beyoncé kept me from goin’ to jail that night. I coulda just shut my whole career down.”

As we previously reported, the drama all started when Haddish shared this infamous story to GQ back in March.

“(Beyoncé) was like, ‘Tiffany, no. Don’t do that,’ ” she recalled. ” ‘That (woman) is on drugs. She not even drunk. She not like that all the time. Just chill.’ ”

Soon after Twitter started accusing Sanaa of being the one, she was quick to deny it.

Either way, we hope this story has finally been put to bed. It’s time for everyone involved to move one. If Bey ain’t pressed, why is anyone else?

RELATED NEWS:

Sanaa Lathan Wants You to Know She Didn’t Bite Beyoncé’:’I Would Never Do Anything Malicious Like That’

#WhoBitBeyonce Launches Internet-Wide Investigation, Sources Point To Sanaa Lathan

This Member Of Beyoncé’s Family Believes Tiffany Haddish Went ‘Too Far’ With The Face Biting Scandal

Source: iOne Digital / iOne Digital

HelloBeautiful and MadameNoire have collaborated on a brand new digital talk show called Listen To Black Women which discusses the issues that affect us most. In today’s episode we’re asking the question: Is there a stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community?

Mental health has been a mum topic in the Black community for generations. Often dismissed as “white people problems,” many Black men and women fail to get the mental health help they need because of the stigmas surrounding psychologists, therapists and suicide.

Tune in to the episode above and make sure you take our next poll to have your voice heard in the conversation.

RELATED LINKS

Listen To Black Women: Can You Be Pro-Black And Date Interracially?

Listen To Black Women: Why Can’t Some Black Women Let Go Of R. Kelly?

Listen To Black Women: Can You Have Daddy Issues When Your Father Is In Your Life?

Singer Chris Brown was arrested on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Florida while on the road for his “Heartbreak On A Full Moon” Tour.

Police detained the R&B singer after his performance for an outstanding warrant in Hillsborough County, according to PEOPLE.

Brown was released around midnight after posting bail for $2,000, the outlet reports.

According to the outlet, Brown was booked around 11 p.m. over a 2017 incident, where he allegedly punched a photographer outside of a Tampa nightclub called AJA Channelside. Brown had exited the venue by the time police arrived. The reported victim, who suffered a cut lip, voiced he intended to prosecute.

On social media he responded with a post that said, “What’s NEW????? Show tomorrow!!!!!

The next leg of his tour will stop in Tampa on Friday, July 6.

Brown was arrested in 2009 for a physical altercation with his then girlfriend, singer Rihanna. He was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats and was ordered to complete community service and five years probation, according to CNN.

In 2013 Brown and his bodyguard were arrested outside a D.C. hotel during an alleged altercation. The charge was dropped from felony assault to a misdemeanor the next day after Brown appeared in court.

Brown was sentenced to 131 days in jail in March 2014 after he was kicked out of a Malibu treatment facility, which violated the terms of his probation. He was released early in June 2014.

SOURCE: PEOPLE, CNN

DON’T MISS:

Chris Brown Slammed With A Restraining Order From Another Woman

Chris Brown Photographed With Hands Around Woman’s Neck, Lawyer Says It’s For Play Play

This post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading.

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty

Former First Lady Michelle Obama was clear when she said at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that when “they go low, we go high.” This was the phrase that the woman who climbed the Statue of Liberty on the Fourth July took to the heart—literally.

According to the New York Daily News, Therese Patricia Okoumou, 44, a Staten Island personal trainer and activist, stressed the following in front of the outside the Manhattan federal courthouse on Thursday: “Michelle Obama — our beloved First Lady that I care so much about — said, ‘When they go low, we go high,’ and I went as high as I could.”

She added: “Trump has ripped this country apart. It is depressing. It is outrageous. I can say a lot of things about this monster but I will stop at this: his draconian zero-tolerance policy has to go. In a democracy we do not rip children—we do not put children in cages, period. There is no debating it. Nothing you can say to me will justify putting children in cages. Only a stupid, unintelligent coward and insecure—I will add, a maniac—will rip a tender-aged child from its mother. Reunite the children now.”

Okoumou, a Congolese immigrant, plead not guilty to federal misdemeanors of trespassing, interference with government agency functions and disorderly conduct this week.

As we previously reported, Okoumou was arrested on Wednesday (July 4) for perching herself up on the Statue of Liberty waving a t-shirt with the phrase, “Trump Care Makes Us Sick,” plastered on it. After a three-hour stand-off, the police finally arrested her.

CBS News reported that Det. Brian Glacken of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit said at press conference that Okoumou talked to them about the “children in Texas,” referring to the Trump administration’s policy that separated families who entered the country illegally.

Okoumou, a member of the protest group Rise and Resist, strongly believes that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency needs to be abolished. ICE under Trump has separated more than 3000 children from their parents at the Mexico-U.S. border, to much chagrin, in the past few months.

While many are calling her a hero, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman called her incident a “dangerous stunt.”

“While we must and do respect the rights of the people to peaceable protest, that right does not extend to breaking the law in ways that put others at risk,” Berman said in a statement.

If convicted, Okoumou could face up to six months behind bars on each count, CBS noted.

RELATED NEWS:

Smithsonian Moves Michelle Obama Portrait Due To ‘High Volume Of Visitors’

Meet The Amazing 24-Year-Old Single Mother Who Just Graduated From Harvard Law School

Welcoming A New Age Of Badass Black Women Protesters

Source: Christopher Futcher / Getty

The white man who acted a plum fool with a Black woman swimming in her own community pool has lost his job.

According to the Winston-Salem Journal, Adam Bloom got his pink slip from his employee Sonoco for being accused of racism after asking a Black woman for her ID at a community pool. A pool she belonged to.

“The well-documented incident, which involves activities at a neighborhood pool over the 4th of July, does not reflect the core values of our Company, and the employee involved is no longer employed by the company in any respect,” the company wrote in a Facebook post.

Apparently, Bloom called the police on Jamsine Edwards, who he believed that Edwards didn’t belong there.

In a video that went viral, Bloom, who served as the pool chairman and as a board member for the community’s homeowner’s association, asked Edwards for her card.

Edwards tells him, “Where does it say that I have to show an ID to use my own pool.”

To add insult to injury, Bloom suggested to use her ID card to see if it worked, and it di. Yet, for whatever reason, that wasn’t enough for him.

Sigh.

Pool lifeguard, Karam Gulkham, who was not at the scene of the incident told the newspaper that, “There’s a keycard to the door to get into the pool. Apparently it was not enough for him. I don’t know why he felt it wasn’t enough.”

The Glenridge Homeowners Association announced Thursday that Bloom resigned from his position as the pool’s chairman and board member, effective immediately.

#SnackingWhileBlack: Georgia Subway Employee Calls 911 Because Black Family Kept Using The Bathroom

You A Lie Patty! Audio Proves That Woman Did Call 9-1-1 On Black Girl Selling Water

#MowingWhileBlack: Neighbors Call Police On 12-Year-Old Boy Cutting The Grass

Source: Tom Hahn / Getty

Another white person took it upon themselves to call the police on a Black person at a swimming pool. This time the crime was wearing socks.

According to WREG-News, on the Fourth of July, Erica Walker, community manager for the Riverset Apartments in Memphis, contacted the authorities on resident Kam Porter because she didn’t like that Porter’s boyfriend was wearing socks.

In the video shot by Porter and posted on her Facebook page, she said, “I think she’s calling the police because he has on socks. She’s walking off making a phone call to whoever she needs to call. I haven’t said anything crazy to her, but I did tell her I was not going to leave.”

Porter confronted Walker, pointing out that there were other people there not following the rules and she wasn’t bothering them.

“So, she basically said no hats, no shirts, no socks,” Porter said. “We have two men, who are her friends, sitting right here in hats. Two hats. We have a man over here sitting in a hat.”

When the police officer, who was Black, showed up, Walker claims that that the issue was that Porter’s boyfriend was dunking his feet in the water with his socks on.

“You asked me if you could wear a hat out here,” Walker said. “I said, ‘Yes, as long as you’re not dunking it in the water.'”

Porter wasn’t having it, stressing that she believes that they were singled out because of their race.

“It does look funny,” she said. “It’s 25, 30-plus white people out here and you haven’t said anything — you’re partying with them. You’re partying with them! But when we come, it’s an issue.”

Porter complained to the complex’s management company, and after an investigation, Trilogy Realestate Group ended up firing Walker for her behavior.

“After assessing statements from Ms. Porter and determining that this former employee’s actions violate our company’s policies & beliefs, she is no longer employed by Riverset Apartments.”

When are these folks gonna learn?

RELATED NEWS:

White Man Who Called Cops On Black Family Using Pool Gets Fired From Job

#SnackingWhileBlack: Georgia Subway Employee Calls 911 Because Black Family Kept Using The Bathroom

You A Lie Patty! Audio Proves That Woman Did Call 9-1-1 On Black Girl Selling Water

Source: Noam Galai / Getty

Despite Oprah Winfrey being one of the most famous and successful people in the world, even she doesn’t know just how deep her accomplishments go. She had to discover a few of them online.

Recently, the talk show icon told British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, that she had no idea she was the first self-made African-American billionaire until she Googled it. (She was labeled a billionaire back in 2003.)

“This is what I didn’t know,” she explained. “That I was the first African-American self-made billionaire. Did not know that.”

She also learned that she’s given more money to charity in the 21st century more than any other African-American.

“I said ‘this is really good,’”she said about seeing that tidbit.

Watch this interview of her below:

You go Auntie Oprah!

RELATED NEWS:

All Hail The Queen: Oprah’s British Vogue Cover Is What Royal Dreams Are Made Of

Hail To The Queen! Four Things You Need To Know About Oprah Winfrey’s Smithsonian Museum Exhibit

The Smithsonian’s Oprah Exhibit Is About So Much More Than Oprah

Source: PAUL CROCK / Getty

It’s not easy being a working mother, especially when you think about all the milestones you might miss out on. Just ask Serena Williams.

Tennis’ GOAT took to Twitter on Saturday to share that she missed seeing her 10-month-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. take her first steps while she was training for Wimbledon.

“She took her first steps… I was training and missed it. I cried,” she tweeted.

Luckily for her, her fans sent her words of support and encouragement to help ease her pain.

As we previously reported, Serena has been working hard to reclaim her number one spot, but it hasn’t been easy. After losing at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, along with having to drop out of the French Open in May with in injury, she is finally back on her stride, making it to the fourth round of Wimbledon.

We got your back Serena and you are a wonderful mother!

RELATED NEWS:

Why Is Serena Williams Being Drug Tested More Than Any Other Tennis Player?

Maria Sharapova Could Never, And Will Never Be Serena Williams’ Rival

Serena Williams Talks Pregnancy, Marriage In HBO Docuseries Trailer

Source: Jim Spellman / Getty

We’re only two episodes into Power Season 5 and it’s clear that the running theme of this season is that no one really has as much power as they think. Tonight’s episode starts with two Toros Locos bodies dropping. We later find out it was the Serbian cartel behind this, but it’s the Jimenez Cartel that’s running things at the moment. However, the feds are on their case. The feds are also still working hard to find a way to take Jamie down as Ghost and to take Angela down as well. Meanwhile, everyone in the St. Patrick residence overhears Tasha sobbing over Raina. Tasha holed up in Raina’s room and just let it all out. Later on, we find out that Tasha plans to seek outside help to deal with her grief and this is about to lead to a doozy. Hold that thought.

Angela asks Tasha if anyone else knows that Tariq knew Raymond Jones. Tasha doesn’t know at the moment but she’ll find out. This is important because if anyone else makes that connection they’re all going down.

Business is not going well for the Three Amigos, Kanan, Ghost, and Tommy. It’s bad enough that they all got the Jimenez signature death cards, but then one of Tommy’s connects, the Serbian Cartel boss, is pissed because Tommy said he’d stop working with Ghost and obviously lied. So, since Tommy loves Ghost so much and he’s rolling with Kanan too, all three of them have to make up the million dollars that Tommy lost them. Tommy says he’ll make it right by killing the Jimenez bosses. This is a suicide mission for all of them, but you’ll say anything with a gun is in your face as was the case here (the Serbian goons had the Three Amigos surrounded). Kanan and Ghost have no choice but to be part of this. So, there’s that, there’s the Dre/Jimenez problem and Tommy also has an Italian problem and it’s astonishing that he’s still alive but we’ll get back to that.

via GIPHY

Meanwhile, Councilman Tate has his Queens Child Project on his mind and he needs James to be the face of it, as we know. He wants to tug at people’s heartstrings (hoping they’ll donate) by having Tasha and Jamie hold a press conference offering a reward for information leading to Raina’s killer. Obviously the St. Patrick’s know who killed Raina and definitely don’t want to bring more attention to that situation, but Councilman Tate could care less. Plus, he knows that Jamie is shady and it really doesn’t look good that a man who is allegedly clean would have a situation like this. More often than not, normal people’s children don’t randomly end up assassinated without answers about who did it so Tate has a point. Plus, it takes one to know one. We see you, Councilman Tate (we don’t know what’s behind that politician exterior just yet, but it will come out at some point). Anyway, Tasha is absolutely against this, but Councilman Tate is determined to get his way.

Later on, Kanan and Ghost link up and Kanan actually apologizes to Ghost for leading Tariq astray.

“Sorry about your kid. Tariq tried to step up he’s a tough little nigga.”

Gee, thanks.

via GIPHY

Ghost seems to accept this apology and also finds out who else knew about Tariq. Kanan thinks only one person can tie Tariq to Ray Ray, that would be David Strothers aka Brains, who he believes might be dead. Tasha presents that info to Angela, who then confirms that Brains and another associate named Big Country are dead. Angela also knows about the robbery ring because she has been investigating, and as long as Tariq isn’t implicated in the ring then he should be good. The thing is, they all forgot about Ray Ray’s cousin. You know, Tariq’s little hood booger girlfriend.

via GIPHY

Proctor has a hearing to get his license to practice law back and his affiliation with James and Tommy doesn’t make him look good at all, especially since witnesses have disappeared during that time. That on top of his unorthodox methods of practicing law. It also comes out that Joe Proctor isn’t his government name. His father was a criminal and he changed his name to get away from that image. So now he’s basically trying to convince them that he’s not a gangsta like many of his clients have been accused of being (*coughs* and actually are). And then, Terry comes out to testify as a witness to Proctor’s shady practices. Proctor is shocked and Terry doesn’t even want to do this but he had no choice because Mak subpoenaed him. Terry tells the truth—he thinks Proctor can be unethical. Proctor then cross-examines Terry and asks whether he’s ever compromised himself or an innocent client before. Terry had the nerve to say no. We all know dang well dassalie. *Coughs* TASHA!

via GIPHY

About that outside help that Tasha needed to cope with her grief. She convinces James to go to a church counseling group for parents who have lost children. James didn’t want to go but goes begrudgingly and Tasha tries to get what she needs to get off her chest, he grabs her hand to subtlely tell her to stfu. Tasha is pissed but both are moved by other parents’ testimonies. There’s one story from a dad who says he fantasizes about killing his son’s killer all the time. Said child was run over by a drunken driver. That driver is still living a lush life free of real consequences for his actions. All this grief and Ghost still can’t reconnect with his wife that he forsook. Instead, he decides to call Angela but gets voicemail (and he continues calling her constantly and not getting through). He leaves a distraught message about not doing and he’s actually alone in his car drinking. This is going to lead to somewhere not good. Hold that thought because in other Everything is Terrible News, Tate tricks Tasha and James into coming to a press conference that he set up anyway.

via GIPHY

This event is actually a press conference. Tate set them up to do it anyway. It’s awkward when they come through thinking it’s a fundraiser and now they have to play along. Tasha gets on the mic and talks about bout how Raina was robbed of her beautiful future and really just tries to get her feelings off her chest but James gives her the “that’s enough” tap once again.

Who else is tired of Jamie’s BS? Tasha should have been cut him, but whatever.

via GIPHY

Anyway, back to Tommy and his Italian problem. Remember the two young Italian goons Tommy paid 60 racks to kidnap Dre? Welp, they end up dying so Tommy has to explain to their boss, who also has to explain to their families what happened. Tommy decides to talk to his pops, Teresi first, before going to Vincent, the Italian boss. Teresi says to apologize like a man and take whatever punishment he gets.

Vincent is obviously pissed and you get the feeling that the only thing keeping him off Tommy’s azz, for now, is the Teresi connection. Then Tommy digs a deeper hole by lying to Vincent. He tells him that he took care of the guy who did this. Vinny then asks Sammy (one of Teresi’s old partners) if this is true and Sammy lies, begrudgingly lies. Tommy’s punishment is that he will take a 50% cut in profits and Tommy eats that like his father told him to.

Finally, we all get a reminder that Dre is kind of on top but he’s at Diego Jimenez’s mercy. This becomes really clean when Diego gives him a girl. He literally tells Dre to go have sex with the girl in their club bathroom. Dre wants to pay her to say they did it and she says she have to do it because Jimenez is crazy enough to check her kitty for wetness. So, Dre bends her over the sink and gets to it but then Jimenez walks in and says he wants to watch. Dre is rattled and not with the voyeurism so he dips, clearly freaked out.

via GIPHY

Finally, the episode wraps with Ghost stalking a man and then stabbing him to death. It’s the drunken man who killed that kid. This scene is quite pathetic, more for Ghost than the dying drunk. This is how far he has fallen and the only thing he could cling to, for just one second, to feel like he has control of something and that something finally went right for a small moment until everything continues falling apart.

Let’s meet back here next week as we try to bring our blood pressure down.

RELATED POSTS

‘Power’ Recap: Darth Dre Is Going To Be Harder To Kill Than Everyone Thought

Power Recap: There’s Only One Episode Left, But Did You Properly Grieve [Blank] First?

Source: Brian Stablyk / Getty

A Texas mother recently proved that she would do anything to protect her kids, even shoot someone if needed.

According to FOX 4 News, on Wednesday Michelle Booker-Hicks went to get gas at a Dallas station when she saw a man get into her car with her 2-year-old and 4-year-old sons. She ran back to her car, hopped in and grabbed her gun out of the glove department as the driver sped down the street.

Booker-Hicks then shot the carjacker right under his eye.

“I proceeded to jump in my backseat and told the gentleman to stop, to get out the car. He would not get out of the car. He turned around and looked at me,” she told FOX 4.

“I reached over the armrest to get my glove compartment and that’s when I fired at him once I got the gun from my glove compartment.”

After being shot, the carjacker crashed the car into a fence. Thankfully, Booker-Hicks and her children weren’t hurt. The man, later identified as Ricky Wright, was arrested and taken to the hospital.

Booker-Hicks stressed that all she cared about in that moment was her children.

“I’m not a killer or anything, but I do believe in defending what’s mine,” she said. “I hope that woke him up.”

An attorney not involved with her case told FOX 4 he doesn’t think the mother will face any charges for her actions.

When children are involved, obviously the authorities are going to be very understanding of that,” Toby Shook said.

“The law says that if a reasonable person in her situation would have acted the same way, found it immediately necessary to protect herself or a third party, in this case her children, then that’s legitimate self-defense.”

However, Booker-Hicks doesn’t have a  license to carry, but the state of Texas has laws that allow those to carry guns inside their car even without a license.

RELATED NEWS:

Maxine Waters To Those Threatening To Kill Her: ‘If You Shoot Me, You Better Shoot Straight’

Officer Charged With Criminal Homicide In Shooting Death Of Antwon Rose

Meet The Pregnant Black Woman Jailed For Defending Herself With An Unloaded Gun