Source: Ericka Hart / Ericka Hart

For the past few weeks, HelloBeautiful has covered the stories of people of color who have felt the effects of racial bias in the medical field. As a part of the series, we examine the solutions, starting with the work of sex educator, Ericka Hart. Hart’s work educates doctor and physicians on the history of medical racism and how bias still haunts our medical system to this day. With these educational tools, the hope is that doctors will approach their patients of color with more patience, attention and care. We sat down with Ericka to discuss her work and how she hopes this system of training will infiltrate the medical system.

Can you describe implicit bias training in medicine? How does it differ (if it does) from what some cities are trying to implement with cops to prevent shootings?

Ericka: I am actually not entirely certain how often this is happening nor the details of what occurs. I know that reproductive justice is beginning to infiltrate medical schools, clinics, and hospitals – but there is no mandated program that requires new and/or tenured medical staff to participate in racial or social justice trainings. I have facilitated these trainings in medical schools and public health programs, and most of the participants would share that they wish everyone was required to receive these types of trainings alluding to that they do not happen often.

How did you get involved in the educational aspect of it?

Ericka: I have always found that my activism lies in a classroom/educating people. I have my Masters of Education in Human Sexuality – and my focus was always in how sex and racial justice are essentially inseparable. I hadn’t had too many experiences with the medical world for most of my life, until I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28. I saw firsthand how racism/sexism/homophobia etc were very present. I have been interested in impacting and making a shift in that area ever since.

What do classes consist of?

Ericka: My work consists of looking at the history of medicine, specifically in how black and brown bodies have been used as guinea pigs for major medical advancement. Some of these examples are not so historical, some examples are as early as 2003. The intention of the history lesson is to ensure that these practices will not be repeated and to look at what may have black and brown people hesitant to go to the doctor. We also look at the ways in which the gender binary is in full swing from the moment a patient fills out paperwork to the questions they are asked with the doctor.

What type of biases do you see some doctors enter the class with that need to be undone?

Ericka: Doctors walk in with racial, gender, and ability bias, they operate inside of what is called the medical model of disability. They are interested in fixing you, or using your body to fix someone else. So, if a doctor’s job is to relieve someone of pain and they are a black cisgender woman, they may not believe the pain she is experiencing because an idea that has persisted about black people created by the field of medicine during slavery, black people don’t feel pain or that they have high pain thresholds.

What do you think medical bias against patience develop in doctors? 

Ericka: There are more white doctors/nurses in the US than any other identity and that is due to systemic racism, so their presence in the profession is a function of the same systems that they perpetuate.

How do you gauge the effectiveness of the educational training?

Ericka: I do pre and post test mostly. They have been pretty effective tools to measure what participants are walking away with.

What dangers do you think patients face if their physician doesn’t under go this training?

Ericka: I think we see the impacts of not having these trainings with the most recent press around black cisgender women dying at increasing rates during childbirth. Even the language around their deaths is rooted in not reckoning with that their death is directly related to systemic white supremacy.

Ericka Hart (pronouns: she/they) is a Black Queer Femme activist, writer, highly acclaimed speaker and award winning sexuality educator with a Master’s of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University. Ericka’s work broke ground when she went topless showing her double mastectomy scars at Afropunk Fest 2016. Since then, she has spoken at colleges and universities across the country, been featured in countless digital and print publications including Essence, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, Refinery 29, and has a running PSA on Viceland. Ericka is currently an adjunct at Columbia University’s School of Social Work and calls Brooklyn, her partner and several plants (one of which is named Whitney Houston) home.

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Actor Michael B. Jordan was recently spotted galavanting around St. Tropez with an unknown brunette beauty. The appearance undoubtedly reignited conversations around Black men dating outside their race. HelloBeautiful’s Lifestyle Editor, Keyaira Kelly, sat down with a man in his age group, to ask why he thinks Black men date outside their race. The rules of this  Candid Conversation are simple: 1.) Men answer questions with unrestrained candor without fear of judgement. 2.) generalizations are allowed.

Here’s what Chris,*  a 29-year-old corporate professiona, had to say about Black men and interracial dating.

Keyaira: Do you think a majority of Black men who date outside their race just “fell in love.”

Chris: That’s a loaded statement, but yes. I think part of that is falling out of love with Black women.

Keyaira: Falling out of or never having loved?

Chris: Falling out.

Keyaira: Very interesting.

Chris: I think most Black men do love Black women. But it’s stressful. Speaking generally.

Keyaira: Why do you think it’s stressful?

Chris: I think the idea of Black women is sold as nurturing, loving and gentle growing up. But ya’ll are fighters by necessity. You have to be because you’re the most marginalized demographic in the world. Being a fighter is a good thing. But it’s hard to balance passion and peace. As a black man, I’m going to work draining my energy trying to get by in a world dominated by White men. Guarding my masculinity at every turn. When I come home I just want peace. It’s easier to be peaceful with people that have an easier life.

Keyaira: That’s understandable. Makes me think empathetically kinda for an artist like Donald Glover who may be willing to vouch for Blackness in career but can’t take that fight at home. Maybe sometimes people just want one part of their lie to be “easier.” I don’t know.

Chris: It takes a strong man to be with a strong woman. Not everybody wanna be strong.

Keyaira: Damn.

Chris: But you can’t say that these days.

Keyaira: That’s deep yo. But if it takes strength to be with a black woman, our sense of being unprotected than is true.

Chris: Yea. Also I do feel like a lot of Black men get tired of feeling like the bad guy. There’s a narrative of “black men don’t do this” “we always have to save Black men.” “Black men aren’t ever there for us when we need them. Which of course, isn’t meant to mean all Black men.

Keyaira: I know none of these mean all.

Chris: But when as a Black man that doesn’t do XYZ you constantly feel like it’s an attack. I’m constantly hearing “Black men don’t believe or protect Black women.” I’m sitting here like, I personally listen as much as I can and do everything in my power to empathize. But I am a Black man so despite that I’m lumped in with that group.

Keyaira: OH YES. Great great poignant example. Funny thing is, when I agree with that statement I’m weighing you and maybe one other Black man with the twenty I know who have done terrible things and continue to do terrible things to women.

Chris: Yes.

Keyaira: So it’s always weighing the 15% good against the 85% bad.

Editor’s note: Due to the sensitivity of the topic, names have been changed.

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Source: Paul Archuleta / Getty

Rapper Remy Ma is flexing her philanthropic skills with a new plan to start a fund for women who are experiencing difficulty conceiving children.

Remy, who is now expecting, has been vocal in the past about her fertility issues.

The Bronx lyricist opened up to Essence about how her miscarriage affected her life, unveiling plans to turn her heartbreaking tragedy into a story of healing for women.

“I was distraught, I was embarrassed, I was ashamed. I felt less than a woman and [the doctor] assured me that was no way to feel and that for a certain amount of thousands of dollars, it can be fixed,” she revealed to the site.

“And because I have the finances, I never even thought twice about it. I was like, ‘Alright, how many thousand? Okay, no problem We’ll start doing it right now,’” Remy continued.

Remy recognized the socio-economic advantage she has over other women who also may be suffering from fertility issues. Understanding conceiving and caring for children as a financial game inspired the 37-year-old to help others.

“It wasn’t until I publicly spoke about it that I realized how many women are in the same predicament as me where they actually can have children, they just need an assist from, you know, medical procedures and they can’t because they are not financially stable enough to do it,” she said. “I think the percentage is actually 80 percent of women who can’t have children. It’s not because they can’t physically have children. It’s because they can’t afford to physically have children,” she explained.

“I’m trying to start my own fund so that women who are like me or have similar situations to me but they can’t afford it, they can possibly get these procedures done and have children,” she concluded.

Remy has been married to fellow rapper Papoose for 9 years. She has one son and a child on the way!

SOURCE: ESSENCE

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In light of “new information,” Emmett Till’s death investigation will be opened by the government, according to the AP.

The 14-year-old’s death by lynching in Money, Mississippi rocked the proverbial core of America and as a result became a watershed moment in the civil rights movement. The Chicago teen was lynched while visiting family.

A federal report sent to congress in March noted that the 1955 case would be re-opened, but did not specifically indicate what the new information may be.

Till’s harrowing death was recently profiled in a book titled, “The Blood of Emmett Till,” written by researcher, Timothy B. Tyson. In the book, a white woman named Carolyn Dunham was quoted saying that she falsely testified in court when she claimed Till grabbed and whistled at her while making sexual advances.

Dunham’s initial allegations against the teen led to his death after a white mob, including Dunham’s then husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, beat and shot Till, then weighed his body down with a cotton gin before throwing him in the Tallahatchie River.

Bryant and Milam were arrested and charged with murder, but later acquitted in Till’s death. In a 1956 magazine interview, the two men confessed to Till’s death, but were never re-tried. Bryant and Milam are now deceased.

Supporters believes Dunham’s confession, coupled with multiple requests from Till’s family, led to the Justice Department’s decision.

The case was initially reopened in 2005, but was closed in 2007.

SOURCE: AP

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In light of the recent fraught discourse on immigration in America under Donald Trump, teen artist and writer Citlali Perez penned a touching piece on her father’s struggle as a Mexican-American immigrant. Although his immigration to this country was legal, it was still a challenging experience and one that so many can relate to. At just 15 years old, Citlali’s love for her father comes through in her words below.

Of her father, Citlali says:

He’s my entire world. It’s tough to make ends meet sometimes because he’s the only parent currently working, but he manages to keep us supported. He’s sacrificing his physical health to give my mom, sister, and I a good life, and while I will never understand how extreme those sacrifices were, I will always be grateful for them. He’s an honest man who allows me to be who I am, supports all of my endeavors, and gives me a reason to finish school to give him a better life than the great one he has given me. Three times he has crossed the border illegally and was scared every time. I’m not sure many people understand it is literally life and death right there. I think that shows how fearless he is and I adore him for it. I love him with all my being.

I Used To Pray For Rain

I used to pray for rain

Rain meant that my dad would pick me up from school in his gray Toyota truck and we’d go home to watch Plaza Sesamo while he sipped his tea and I sat on his lap

Rain meant he didn’t have to make houses pretty that day

Rain meant he didn’t have to heave 80-pound bags of concrete mix on each shoulder that

Rain meant that his calloused hands wouldn’t get pricked by thorns but hold my hand and walk me through Costco for the free food samples

But as I got older I realized he actually prayed rain’s polar opposite:

Sunshine

Sun means he could go to work and mow other people’s lawns

Sun means an aching back, pulled muscles, and the smell of sawdust

Sun means Andale mija, sobame

Sun means we don’t have to worry about next month’s rent

That same sun was bright enough to show him to way to America but not wise enough to fulfill the American Dream he was promised over 2 decades ago, as he said goodbye to his mother and father

To become the stereotypical Mexican man in America:

A landscaper

Then he became a father and found more lights in his life other than that big star in the sky

The same star that makes his skin brown

The same star he beats every day on his route to work

That same star that gifted him the empty promise of “Work hard and receive what you wish for”

But now his wife and two daughters keep the promise of rubbing his weary feet and calves so he can stand up and continue praying for sun

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Singer and songwriter Keyondra Lockett walked the red carpet at the McDonalds 365 Black Awards at Essence Festival 2018. The artist is known for her inspirational songs and being rooted in the Lord, as she’s also a member of the all-women gospel group, Zie’l.

Lockett is known for empowering other women and for her volunteerism, working with non-profit organizations like Glam Camp For Girls, Saving Our Daughters, and more. How does the beauty help keep her cup full, so she can continue to produce soulful music as well as help others?

Source: Brande Victoria / Hello Beautiful

She told Hello Beautiful, “I know that this sounds cliché, but prayer. Everybody needs prayer. You gotta go down in order to continue to go up.” Prayer is a big part of this beauties life as she’s a gospel singer and a songwriter who has written for artists like Kierra Shearad. She continued, “This is why we are down in spirit a lot of times because we have nothing to lift us up inside. Go down to pray, in order to go up!”

We feel you, sis!

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Source: NBC / Getty

After a week of the viral #InMyFeelingsChallenge making its way around social media, Will Smith has touched it and just smashed it out of Budapest.

In case you missed it, Instagram comedian Shiggy, who often infused dancing into his funny videos, launched the #DoTheShiggy challenge on Instagram and it quickly morphed into the #InMyFeelingsChallange. Celebrities like Ciara, La La Anthony, Odell Beckham have participated in the challenge, inspiring Will Smith to get in on the craze.

The social media GOAT scaled a bridge in Budapest and delivered the most epic video equipped with drone shots. Even Drake commented on the video, saying “Wow the video is done” with a green emoji check.

Drake has yet to post Shiggy’s challenge, but we have a feeling Shiggy is going to make a major appearance in the highly anticipated visuals.

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A New Jersey man got the shock of his life when he arrived home on Monday to find his wife and her alleged lover, the couple’s mechanic, dead in their garage from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Kahali Johnson walked into his Newark home and discovered his wife Tameka Hargrave and the unidentified mechanic lying on the floor next to a running vehicle around 9 p.m.

Johnson said he went to investigate after an alarm went off due to a strong odor of gas in the couple’s apartment. The smell of exhaust prompted Johnson to search further, leading him to the garage.

“Basically she died because of carbon monoxide,” Johnson said. “They do not have adequate alarm systems, because if there had been an alarm in that garage, people would have been alerted to the fact that it was going on.”

“As I tried to step to open the last garage door, I see the mechanic, he’s laid out,” Johnson said in an interview with WABC. “She’s just a few feet away, she’s laid out. And pretty much I had to call 911 because, at this time, with that level of emissions, I knew that they were gone.”

Authorities believe their deaths were accidental.

“Basically she died because of carbon monoxide,” Johnson said. “They do not have adequate alarm systems, because if there had been an alarm in that garage, people would have been alerted to the fact that it was going on.”

SOURCE: WABC

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Teyana Taylor says that her love for her man has inspired her to explore.

During a Thursday interview with Angie Martinez, Taylor sat down to talk her new album “Keep That Same Energy,”–but also took a minute to address her song, “Three-Way,” a steamy ballad about having a threesome with your partner.

Taylor took a large portion of the interview to make it clear that what she does in her marriage with baller Iman Shumpert is up to her. Major tea spills at the 9:00 minute mark.

“My thing is that’s my husband and like I said, if I want to be Dora The Explorer, I’m going to do the bob, the bang, the backpack. All the way. And I’m going to make my husband Diego,” she said.

Taylor also denied previous reports that she said a three-way was the key to a successful marriage.

“If it’s something that I want to explore, that’s what I’m going to do,” she said. “When you in love, you want to explore everything.”

Martinez then asked Taylor on how she manages to keep it easy breezy when inviting other people into the bedroom, but Taylor said the trick is to choose someone away from your inner circle.

“It gets complicated when people want to do it with their homegirls,” she continued. The singer said that engaging in threesomes is not an everyday thing for her and Shumpert, it depends on a vibe.

“I don’t need anybody thinking I’m doing anything to keep my man, because that’s not the case,” Taylor said.

What do you think beauties? Are you down for a three way with your significant other?

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Source: L. Busacca / Getty

With the recent documentary “Whitney” revealing that Whitney Houston was molested by a female family member, Cissy Houston claims she was shocked to learn of it. That, and she has serious doubts that it ever happened.

According to PEOPLE, the deceased singer’s mother is finally breaking her silence, speaking out about the accusations made by Whitney’s longtime assistant Mary Jones. Remember: Jones claims that Dee Dee Warwick, Whitney’s cousin and Dionne Warwick’s sister, molested the Grammy winner.

In addition, Whitney’s brother Gary says in the film that he too was molested between the ages of 7 and 9 by a female family member.

“Being a child—being seven, eight, nine years old—and being molested by a female family member of mine. My mother and father were gone a lot, so we stayed with a lot of different people . . . four, five different families who took care of us,” Gary said in the film.

However, Cissy, also speaking for Dionne, sent a statement to PEOPLE questioning the validity of the allegations. Here’s an excerpt of her statement:

My niece Dionne Warwick and I make this statement to raise our voices above the din surrounding the release of the film, Whitney. Although the film is marketed as a Houston Family approved/endorsed project, neither my son, Michael, Dionne nor I knew of the allegations of abuse, the direction the film would take, until two days before the screening at Cannes.

To begin we want to state clearly that the horror of what victims of sexual abuse experience is unimaginable. We make no attempt to minimize the pain, the trauma and perhaps lifelong damage to the psyche of abuse victims. We understand and acknowledge that there are no rules governing a person’s reaction to trauma and every person reacts differently. By this statement we do not intend to defend, condone or excuse the crime of molestation.

Source: Dave Kotinsky / Getty

We cannot, however, overstate the shock and horror we feel and the difficulty we have believing that my niece Dee Dee Warwick (Dionne’s sister) molested two of my three children.

I’ve been told—as justification for the invasive theme of this film—that Whitney was a public person and therefore the public has a right to know any and everything about her. I say, NO, she was a famous person … a singer, an actress, a quiet but generous philanthropist. She wasn’t running for office, asking for money or trying to win the right to run anyone’s life. Her job does not entitle the “public” to know every intimate detail of her life beyond what she herself revealed during her lifetime. Although she spoke about her struggle with drugs, the interventions, her daughter Krissi and issues in her marriage, she never PUBLICLY spoke about her father’s stealing from her or revealed any claim that she had been molested. IF she was molested I do not believe she would have wanted it to be revealed for the first time to thousands, maybe millions of people in a film.

I know the woman who was identified as Whitney’s “close confidante”. If she was my daughter’s “close confidante” it would seem she chose to betray Whitney’s confidence by publicizing rumors and hearsay. In any case Dionne, Michael and I do not know her the way we knew and loved Dee Dee Warwick. Dee Dee may have had her personal challenges but the idea that she would have molested my children is overwhelming and for us unfathomable. We cannot reconcile the Public’s need to know about Whitney’s life as justification for invasion of her privacy or the charge against Dee Dee, a charge which neither Whitney nor Dee Dee is here to deny, refute or affirm. Neither I, Dionne, nor my son Michael who was very close to his sister, and in the film is VERY candid about their drug use, has ever heard these allegations; we have never heard anything remotely connected to the crimes charged against Dee Dee in the film. How can that be fair to my daughter, to Dee Dee, or to our family?

I spent many years in recording studios (sometimes with Dionne and/or Dee Dee) where I earned my living. I also went “on the road” with my group The Sweet Inspirations to try to help provide a good life for my family BUT my children always came first in my heart and in my life. When I was away they did not stay with four or five different families; they stayed at home where their longtime babysitter, Phyllis, or my dear friend Bae or their father took care of them. In all the years I traveled Dee Dee, who was 21 years older than Whitney, NEVER BABYSAT for them.

Despite Cissy’s statement, Jones stressed to PEOPLE that she is telling the truth and didn’t mean any harm by speaking out.

She added: “I deeply love and respect Dionne, Cissy, and their entire families, and my intention was never to embarrass anyone in the family, but rather to bring to light that Whitney was subjected to something painful and troubling as a child. And it’s something that happens to other innocent kids and goes unspoken too much.”

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In the three years since Sandra Bland‘s death, the world still grapples with the loss of her deeply profound life.

HelloBeautiful asked noted Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, strategists and organizers Duanecia Evans, Jamira Burley, and author Andrea Ritchie of”Invisible No More,” to share their thoughts on what our hearts can muster in light of Bland’s death.

Her arrest on July 10, 2015 from failure to signal at a traffic stop resulted in a physical encounter with a Texas police officer–captured on dash cam for the world to see. Three days later on July 13, her body was found hanged in her jail cell. Bland’s family and friends stunned by police reports of suicide, called for an independent investigation into her death. The arresting state trooper, Brian Encinia, was indicted for perjury in making false statements surrounding Bland’s arrest, but the charge was later dropped.

There is no justification for her death other than to note the open space her light once held. In the years and months following, more Black women have also found a similar fate. We coined the terms #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName to thread their lives, photos and memories together. And while our stories of police brutality and state sanctioned deaths are largely ignored by mainstream media, we are still here learning, fighting and loving in your honor.

Patrisse Cullors, writer, activist and co-founding member of Black Lives Matter

Source: Paul Morigi / Getty

“Sandra Bland’s murder changed me forever. When Sandra was killed I felt like a part of me died. She was a young Black woman who could have been me. I knew that the claim of suicide was a lie and a desperate attempt at covering up Sandra’s murder. Our work to challenge anti black racism and gender based violence was absolutely necessary in 2015 and it’s absolutely necessary now. Sandra, I love you.”

Duanecia Evans, Managing Partner & Lead Strategist, Seventh Suite

“Sandra’s spirit reminds me that in every space that I have the privilege of occupying, Black women deserve center stage. As a Black woman, I will always do whatever I can to ensure that we are always fought for. That our perspectives are heard and our impact shared. It is no longer enough for us to be honored for taking care of everyone else, it is time for us to be taken care of.

The silence around Sandra pushed me toward acknowledging just how easy it is for the world to try and forget us. To try and silence us. It is now my responsibility to make sure that the world sees Black women as a priority. Not because of our labor, but because we are  valuable. We are worthy.

Jamira Burley, Head of Youth Engagement & Skills, Global Business Coalition for Education

“When I first heard the news of the state-sanctioned murder of Sandra Bland, I was both devastated and afraid by the lack of respect black lives were given by those who are entrusted to protect us — but what I’ve learned in the aftermath of Sandra’s murder is that police were never created to protect us. They are lawfully required to enforce laws that are often rooted in racism, set in place to systematically oppress those at the very margins of society.

So while Sandra is not the first or unfortunately the last black woman to be murder by police, her death symbolized the experiences of black women who suffer many of the same circumstances of black men, but their lived experiences and sometimes their death is overshadowed. Every day I leave my house scared of any encounter with police because anyone of us could be Sandra, if we are stopped at the wrong time, wrong place and by the wrong police officer, who doesn’t value who we are and that is not the American dream I was taught.”

Andrea Ritchie, writer, lawyer & activist

Source: Paul Morigi / Getty

“Sandra’s story is simultaneously unique to her, representative of national trends in policing of Black women documented in “Invisible No More,” and a call to action for all of us to confront ongoing racial profiling and police violence targeting Black women, to end the money bail and pretrial detention that kept Sandra behind bars after an unjust arrest, and to prevent the harms and dangers of solitary confinement and medical abuse and neglect of Black women in police custody.

Sandra has also been on my mind lately as more and more instances of violent policing and punishment of Black women’s mere public presence and protest of discriminatory treatment come to light, from Chikesia Clemons to Mama Campbell, and so many more. So many of us do what Sandra did every day – change lanes without using an indicator, especially when pulling over to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. The fact that such a common act, escalated by an officer arbitrarily and violently abusing his power can lead to death is testament to why Black women’s experiences of policing must be at the center of both our analysis and action. I hope many people will be inspired by the HBO documentary “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland,” made in close collaboration with her family, in theaters this fall, to honor her life and legacy of resistance by demanding justice in her name and going beyond her case to do just that.”

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New Orleans is by far one of my favorite cities. I truly consider it the heartbeat of America. From the food, to the music, to the people, it’s so culturally rich that you can’t help being enveloped by it when you touch down in the Bayou. While at Essence Festival 2018, I had the pleasure of visiting two Black, women-owned establishments that focus on art.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Danielle James and Stella Jones 

The first was the Stella Jones Gallery, located at 201 St. Charles Avenue. The gallery defines itself as “the place in New Orleans for Black art.”

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Artwork at the Stella Jones Gallery 

Stella Jones and her husband, Harry Jones (now deceased), started the gallery in 1996 and got it together in about three weeks. The gallery currently represents a plethora of Black artists across the diaspora and has art that is focused on the Black experience.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Chef Sergine Love and Danielle James

The gallery in conjunction with Soul of New Orleans (a tour experience focused on the exposure of Black businesses and history of NOLA) hosted a luncheon where attendees were able to experience the food of New Orleans, by Chef Serigne Love.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Chef Sergine Love talking about the meal

The 24-year-old Chef educated the audience on New Orleans food and the West African history.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Jambalaya by Chef Sergine Love

He made jambalaya, a New Orleans dish with West African foundations. When New Orleans was being colonized, the Europeans didn’t bring women with them. The slave women ended up cooking and you can see the African influences in many popular New Orleans dishes today. He made the jambalaya without a rue, as rue is a French influence, and used authentic Senegalese spices flown in just for the occasion.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Poached

He also made poached red fish. He explained that similar to West Africa, he went to the Farmer’s Market and bought whatever vegetables were in season.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Red Poached Fish 

The meal had crispy sweet potatoes and a tamarind jus. All the flavors melded together perfectly.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Lakh Pudding 

Chef Love finished with a dessert he created, utilizing millet, called Lakh pudding. He affectionately told the crowd, “I’ve been perfecting this dessert just for you.” Yum!

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Art at Stella Jones Gallery 

The art was phenomenal, featuring both historic and modern pieces that are influenced by everything from slavery to even Colin Kaepernick taking a knee.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful

The current exhibit on display is entitled, Tied To Love, and is the work of Master Quilter Phyllis Stephens. The exhibition holds a special place for the Stella Jones Gallery as it drew it’s inspiration from Harry Jones, the stylish, late co-owner of the gallery who was known for wearing bowties. Stephens has repurposed Jones’ bowties as well as others under the broad theme of Love. It’s on display through July 31st, 2018.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Photo of Danielle James and staff member of Le Museé de f.p.c.

The second place I visited, thanks to Ford Motors, was Le Museé de f.p.c. This is a historic house that serves as a living museum dedicated to preserving the material culture of and telling the story of New Orleans’ free people of color.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Photo of clothing on second floor of Le Museé de f.p.c.

By living museum, you can actually sit on the furniture, touch clothing, and more. It’s so much history within this place that you need to dedicate at least two hours. The staff is knowledgable and accomidating, answering all questions, and excited to teach the history of free people of color.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Photo of Leah and George McKenna

The museum was founded by George and Leah McKenna and there is African American art all over ranging from 1718 all the way to 2018. The historic house is so important as you have an opportunity to see how aristocratic Blacks lived. Often, our history is only told as slavery and oppression but there were free people of color thriving and stepping into this museum gives one the opportunity to see what life was like for them.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful

New Orleans’ free people of color are responsible for some of our most historical moments and contributions. Scientist Norbert Rillieux revolutionized the refining of sugar but had to go to Paris to get it patented. In Tremé (a neighborhood in New Orleans), a group of Blacks and Whites established St. Augustine’s Catholic Church. This led to the second African-American group of nuns in the United States: The Sisters Of The Holy Family.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Photo of oil on canvas, ‘The Slaves’ by 19th Century British Artist Edward Fitzgerald 

Driving down the picturesque block in my Ford Mustang, you could mistake Le Museé de f.p.c. for one of the opulent homes on the block; however, within the structure is our history. It’s importance to see all sides of Black history. We can thrive now as we have excelled in the past.

Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful / Cupcake Fairies 

Ford Motors hosted a 10 Years Of Sisterhood Luncheon at the museum, hiring everyone Black, from the venue, to the floral arrangements, to the dessert, which were cupcakes that were specially created by the Cupcake Fairies. Ford has really been leaning into their entrepreneurs and helping to elevate women.

Beauties, on your next visit to New Orleans, make sure you take the time to visit these sites preserving and celebrating our history. You can find out more about the Stella Jones Gallery, here (all the art displayed is for sale!). You can find out about Le Museé de f.p.c. and schedule a tour, here.

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Source: Brian To/WENN.com / WENN/Angelica Ross

If you’re not watching FX’s “Pose,” you are truly missing out on something extraordinary.

The Ryan Murphy drama set in 1987 is centered on New York City’s ballroom scene, a safe haven for the Black and Latino LGBTQ community. While voguing and winning categories are definitely part of that world, the show digs deeper, showing us the importance of building one’s chosen family via a home, the devastation transphobia and homophobia cause and the power of living one’s true self in an unaccepting world.

Not only has it been hailed as one of the most anticipated shows of the summer, it also made history as the first to television show to have five transgender women playing leads, all of which are dynamic and the heart and soul of the show.

One of these gems is the ultimate scene-stealer, Angelica Ross (“Her Story” and “Claws”), who plays the no-nonsense, yet vulnerable Candy Abundance (member of the House of Abundance). While early in the season, Candy initially serves as the comic and shade relief, it’s in episode four that we see what’s behind Candy’s tough exterior. She struggles with her own insecurities of not being able to “pass” as a cisgender woman, the desire to have a more “female’ body and the loneliness that comes with that.

Trust: These scenes are powerful to witness.

HelloBeautiful sat down with actress, activist and creator of Trans Tech to talk about the cultural and political importance of “Pose,” why we need to see more Black trans women on the screen and what Black cisgender women can do in order to be better allies to our trans sistas.

HelloBeautiful: Now, this isn’t your first acting job. You’ve worked on “Claws,” “Doubt,” and the Emmy-nominated webseries “Her Story.” How did you get involved with “Pose?”

Angelica Ross: My old agent reached out to me about the show and talked to me about auditioning for the role of Blanca (MJ Rodriguez). So I did, but still felt that I wasn’t necessarily the best person to play an Afro-Latina, but I gave it my best. Later on, they called to tell me that I didn’t get the part, but Ryan Murphy sent a message saying that I was talented and that he hoped to work with me in the future.

A couple of months later, I learned that they created the role Candy for me!

HB: That’s so dope. I really love Candy and all of her layers. I want more of her.  

AR: Candy is so funny and witty and reads people a lot, but we see in episode four that there’s so much more underneath all that. She is insecure [because she can’t pass as a cisgender woman in society] and she lashes out as a way to protect herself.

So you think she is tough and ready to fight for whatever the situation, it’s not just because she likes to be that way. We see this as she gets read by Pray Tell (Billy Porter) and has to “learn” to find the category that’s the right fit for her, despite what her body looks like. But what Candy shows us is that she feels sexy and there isn’t one way or definition to be a woman.

Looking back, I didn’t know if I initially intended to create that layer for her, but I realized I was developing this part of her character in communicating who she really is to the world. And you can’t help but to root for Candy, even though she can be a bitch.

HelloBeautiful: Every Sunday night, #PoseFX is trending on Twitter. Fans just can’t stop talking about the show. Did you ever imagine the response would be this like?

AR: No. I had no idea the show was going to be this big!

I’m still getting used to how this is happening. It’s incredible and mind-blowing. But I have to constantly check in with myself like, “You good girl?” [Laughs]

But it’s time. For decades the world has been waiting for a show like this, because the ballroom scene has spread across the world. Finally, we are seeing it on the screen. But I also realize there is so much trans history that hasn’t been told yet. it’s been whitewashed, co-opted or not recorded and while “Pose” is making history right now, that’s just one part of it. There are so many people making this moment happen who are at home that don’t get recognized for all the work they have done to get us all here to be on a show like this.

HB: I won’t lie. When I first heard that Ryan Murphy was doing a show about the ballroom scene, I was a little apprehensive. Not because he’s not talented, but because too many times we’ve seen white creators make so many mistakes telling our stories. But I stand corrected in this case. Not only is one of the creators, Steven Canals, a gay Afro-Latino man from the Bronx, but trans writers such as Janet Mock and Lady J are helping shape the stories as well. 

AR: Definitely. How could someone not ask, “Is this gonna be done right? Is this gonna hit the community wrong?” But let me say, Janet has made the world of a difference. It would not be what it is without her.  Not only was she in the room writing, she was also in the room challenging certain notions and that matters.

But most importantly, Ryan is enlightened and is in a place that is different from a lot of white people. He wants to be held accountable and cares about saying the wrong thing or not getting something right. He recognizes that just because he is a gay man doesn’t mean he understands everyone else’s experiences with oppression.

He allows himself to be corrected and talked to, which is different from a lot of other people in his position.

HB: Please tell our readers why Black trans representation matters. 

AR: It matters because we deserve to be seen. And Black Hollywood, who should be leading this work, for the most part are either ill-equipped or unwilling to tell our stories. But what I know is that our lives and stories matter and they need to be told.

Not only that, but watching our show takes the conversation about the trans community even further than when we only talk about us just in terms of laws [like bathroom bills]. Too often these political conversations, which are very important ones to have, often blur our humanity because when we are talking about rights, so often the response is how trans people are taking away from cis people’s rights, which isn’t the case. But what Pose” does is give America the opportunity to see these characters as the human beings we are.

Just looking at Angel (Indya Moore). I hope people seeing her are asking themselves, “She’s just a young girl, how can I spew hate towards her?”

HB: What are some of the biggest misconceptions that Black folks have about the Black trans community?

AR: One of the biggest misconceptions is this hotep idea that being LGBTQ is ruining the fabric of the Black family because “gayness” didn’t exist before white people introduced it to us through slavery by sodomizing Black men. Look, we’ve been here forever. But religion and the [homophobia and transphobia] that comes with it allows for us to hold on to this hatred and intolerance. It’s time for this to stop.

We keep talking about how Black Lives Matter, so let’s actually mean that and care about all of us.

I also want for people to stop thinking that trans women are “tricking men” and being deceptive about our identity. We are not lying about who we are and these men know exactly who we are because they are out there seeking us. If anyone is being deceptive, it’s these men not being honest about who they are and the fact that they are attracted to us. They are the ones hiding.

But I also want to say that the idea of deception also happens when cis people are not expecting for us to be in “their” spaces. I used to work at the Apple Store and I standing at the front of the store, doing my job. Two men walked past me talking about how I were there trying to trick people. Uh…what? i was like ain’t nobody trying to fool you, I’m trying to make a living. I am just trying to exist.

But see, men need to claim everything in their space without asking. It’s exhausting.

HB: Violence against Black trans women is real and deadly. How often do you feel unsafe? 

AR: There are plenty of times that I don’t feel safe and wonder can I give this man my phone number and if I do will I fall victim to his toxic masculinity.

I was recently flying on Delta and was in their Sky Club and this Black man approached me and said, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” It was like being in a rom com, girl. [Laughs]. And like many woman, who wouldn’t enjoy appropriate male attention? I believe that if a man is attracted to women, he is gonna be attracted to trans women too, but does this mean I’m trying to trick you? You approached me, so should I disclose right then?  It’s tricky because we know that disclosure in the Black community is dangerous and can lead to us getting killed.

So I’m hyper aware in situations like that because you never know what is going to happen.

HB: Finally, what can cisgender Black women like me do in order to be better allies to our trans sistas?

AR: First, see us as women. And when Black cis women are speaking about women in general conversations, challenge yourselves by saying trans and cis women, even if you didn’t think about it before. So now in that moment, you are being intentional about all the Black women you are talking about it. And by doing that you stop erasing us and  can start to see that we have more in common than we are different.

Also, stand up for us and use your platforms to educate other cis women about trans issues and the importance of sisterhood. And finally, please respect our pronouns, because when you don’t, it’s obvious that you don’t see us as human.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Watch Angelica and the cast of Pose on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on FX. 

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Source: Danai Gurira for Reebok / Courtesy of Reebok

Danai Gurira is a game-changing woman known for her strength, activism, and empowering other women. It’s no surprise that she’s joining the ranks of Ariana Grande and Gigi Hadid as the latest partnership with Reebok.

Source: Danai Gurira for Reebok / Courtesy of Reebok

Gurira has a strong belief that fitness and strong connections to one another are what makes people the best versions of themselves. Reebok has always been committed to women and empowering them to be their best versions of themselves through healthy physical, mental, and social life.

Gurira penned an open letter to her younger self and stated, “Never doubt that your hard work, your pursuit of integrity and authenticity, your struggles to do what is right will NOT be in vain. Continue to find new, healthy ways to challenge yourself, your body, your mind. Continue to make goals big and small and strive to meet them.”

Source: Danai Gurira for Reebok / Courtesy of Reebok

You can shop the above look (which is actually quite affordable). The white perforated speedwick tank comes in six colors ($24.97, Reebok.com) and the blue high waisted mesh leggings ($44.97, Reebok.com).

You can go on the site, here, to check out Gurira’s tips and tricks to staying healthy, get inspired, shop all the looks and more.

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Gospel songstress Erica Campbell and her family are open books on their new reality show We’re The Campbells on TV One. So when her daughter Krista Nicole Campbell revealed she was bullied about her dark skin, we experienced it with her.

In a heartbreaking viral clip, Krista revealed she is considered the “chubby friend,” but has learned to accept it. She later asked her mom, “Am I ugly?” Erica reassured her that she is beautiful and mentioned other celebrities who are dark skin, like Kelly Rowland. Krista reminded her mother that she walks through the world as a light skin woman, therefore her experience is different.

Colorism is a prevalent issue in the Black community despite attempts to diminish its foundation and long-lasting affects. Krista, who said she struggled with her darker skin, believes men prefer light skin women and provided examples to her mother of the men in their family who’ve all married light skin women.

In another clip, Krista reveals a heartbreaking incident when she felt excluded by a boy at her school who told her “We don’t want no darkies.” Krista walked away and cried.

Erica later tells her Warryn about it, who said it was like a “dagger” stuck in his heart.

Krista’s struggle is a reminder how far we have to go as a society. Instead of silencing the conversation with blanket statements like, “I don’t see color,” we must delve into the foundation of colorism to figure out how to progress as a people.

We’re The Campbells airs Tuesday nights at 8PM EST on TV One.

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A Los Angeles woman was charged with attempted murder in the brutal beating of a 92-year-old Mexican man.

Laquisha Jones, 30, will face two counts including attempted murder, elder abuse and infliction of injury, CBSLA reports. If found guilty, Jones could face up to 29 years in prison. She was arraigned on Thursday after prosecutors asked that her bail be set at $1.25 million. She pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

The charges stem from a July 4th encounter where Jones attacked Rodolfo Rodriguez, after he accidentally bumped into Jones’ child on the sidewalk in a Willowbrook neighborhood. Rodriguez, who does not speak English, travelled to the States from Mexico to visit his family.

According to police reports, Jones pushed Rodriguez to the ground while hitting him in the face. Jones then picked up a brick and repeatedly smashed the man in the face, resulting in a broken cheekbone, broken ribs, bruises and lacerations on his face. A witness to the incident said that Jones also yelled “Go back to your country.”

Jones was arrested one week later on July 10. In 2017, Jones was convicted of making criminal threats, a case where she remains on probation. She is set to appear in court on July 26.

A lawyer for the Rodriguez family released a statement to CBSLA.

“Mr. Rodriguez is slowly recovering from this senseless and brutal assault,” attorney Luis Carillo said. “His family is appreciative of the community’s outpouring of support and concern about his condition. The family has been inundated with media requests and is asking for a brief reprieve as they try to get back to a sense of normalcy. As soon as Mr. Rodriguez and his relatives are ready to share their story, we will make them available to the media.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe account in the patriarch’s honor.

SOURCE: CBSLA

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Actress Gabrielle Union takes pride in raising her stepsons Zaire & Zion and her step-nephew Dahveon with her husband basketball star Dwyane Wade.

As the boys grow, Union has had to teach her sons many lessons as they develop into men, including an honest sit down about police brutality.

Now Union is opening up about teaching her kids about colorism, after noticing they only liked a particular type of girl on social media.

“Literally, probably about 10 girls I looked at had the same light skin, curly hair, tiny waist, butt, boobs — it was the same girl over and over again. So I asked them to show me the most beautiful chocolate sister they’ve seen. They say there are none. I was like, ‘Why do they get exed out so fast? What is happening in your brain that is causing you to look at these women through a prism that is distorting their actual selves?’” she told Refinery 29.

Union pulled up a photo of Ryan Destiny as an example of a brown girl that’s killing it.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, she bad!’ But do you know how many Ryan Destinies there are? I pull up every Black model, women from all over the world, and they’re beautiful. But they don’t see the beauty unless it comes from an actress or a supermodel or a video vixen. They have to have somebody else tell them that a chocolate woman is attractive for them to believe it.”

SOURCE: REFINERY 29

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In today’s episode we’re asking the question: What does it mean to be a sexually liberated Black woman? Never have Black women been able to define their sexuality on their own terms.

From overcoming hypersexual stereotypes to struggling to identify with present day movements, like the slut walk, the idea of being sexually liberated means different things to different women. In this episode of Listen to Black women we define sexual liberation on our own terms and delve into the barriers to owning who we are as sexual beings.

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Source: Earl Gibson III / Getty

Behind Erica Campbell’s smile are pains she has never revealed to the world. On an upcoming episode of We’re The Campbells, the Gospel star reveals she suffered a miscarriage while trying to conceive a boy.

“It was a tubal pregnancy,’ she revealed while shopping with her friend Lisa. “There’s so many feelings with going along with having a miscarriage and it’s not always easy to explain, but I do think women should talk about it more because once a mom finds out she’s having a baby, you fall in love with your baby before you even see it. And that’s the hardest part, falling out of love.”

To Erica’s surprise, Lisa had also suffered a similar situation. “I don’t think I grieved this,” Lisa said. She struggled to deal with watching her two sisters both have twins. “When I first found out, it definitely hurt. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy. It was just like, this is something I’ve been praying for.’

We’re The Campbells continues to tackle societal issues in ways that reality TV often leaves on the cutting room floor. Recently, Erica’s daughter recently Krista Nicole Campbell revealed she had been bullied because of her dark skin leading to a viral moment that remind us the affects of colorism.

We’re the Campbells airs Tuesday’s at 8/C on TV One.

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Source: Yuchen Liao / Getty

Boots Riley’s bold and imaginative film Sorry To Bother You explores the double consciousness Black folks face while adding a dose of wit and humor to ease a bitter dose of reality.

As a telemarketer with hopes of climbing the corporate ladder, Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) finds himself at a fork in the road when he has to choose to sell out or choose his soul.

Sorry To Bother You encourages you to question while providing little answers, Terry Crews says. We caught up with the cast of the innovative flick, who shared their views on the film and why it’s important to society today.

Catch Sorry To Bother You in theaters now!

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