Remember the 70's TV show The Bionic Woman? I use to love that show. Watching a smart, savvy and strong woman take on the bad guys and win was awesome. I had all the toys; the doll, her blow up house (that took all Christmas Morning to inflate), her bionic station, the outfits....EVERYTHING. I wanted to be the bionic woman. Yet, I was only a little girl that hadn't experienced tough life occurrences. I only saw the end product. The bionic woman kicking butt and taking names. But who was Jamie Summers before her bionic prowess? How did she get ...
Karen’s New Radio Job
Happy New Year! I have some exciting news to tell you. I am moving to Cleveland for a new radio job in February. Thank you to everyone in South Florida for supporting my radio career in Miami, my wonderful listeners in Charleston, SC and Florence, SC., and of course everyone on the Working Divas Network. I have been absent for a minute trying to get my professional and personal life in order for this cross country move. Once I am settled, (sometime in February) I will be more active on the blog and network. I can't wait to reconnect with ...
Mo’Nique won Best Supporting Actress last night during the Oscars for her roll as an abusive mom in “Precious.” She paid tribute to Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win Best Supporting Actress in 1939 for “Gone with the Wind,” by wearing a royal blue gown and hair embellished Gardenias, as McDaniel did during her Oscar appearance. She cites her husband in her speech by expressing, “Thank you for showing me that sometimes you have to forgo what’s popular to do what’s right.” We are proud of you Mo’ Classy, Mo’Sassy, Mo’Nique! Watch her speech below.
Know your history: Watch Hattie McDaniel’s acceptance speech for her roll in “Gone with the Wind” in 1939.
Book clubs stand up! After a 10 year break from writing and getting her exhale on, Terry McMillian has written “Getting Happy,” the much anticipated sequel to her bestseller “Waiting to Exhale.” We have been ready for this one for a long, long time. My wish….a sequel to the movie with the original cast. Wouldn’t that be sweet. Let me not jump the gun….the book still has to make its way to the shelves. Terri was recently in the Bahamas to chat about book being released in September. You know ”Getting Happy” will be a book club pick this fall. Check out the video.
The devastation in Haiti after the earthquake is more than heartbreaking. We have to do what we can to help our brothers and sisters of Haiti…NOW. Entertainer Wyclef Jean; a native of Haiti has put together a Earthquake Fund for his country. Please contribute what you can. Here is his open letter.
“Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced.
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake – and several very strong aftershocks – struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.
I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now.
President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.”
Many people have already reached out to see what they can do right now. We are asking those interested to please do one of two things: Either you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can click here to DONATE.
For decades, our images were rarely featured in mainstream fairytales, but a new day has come. This holiday season, Anika Noni Rose makes history when she’s crowned as Disney’s first, Black Princess–Tiana–in ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ With credits spanning stage (‘Caroline, or Change’), film (‘Dreamgirls’) and television (‘The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’), the 37-year-old Tony Award-winner is intent on keeping her good fortune rolling.
Essence.com caught up with Rose to chat about landing her dream job, seeing herself in animation and how she hopes to switch things up for her next, big role.
ESSENCE.com:What was your initial thought when you heard there was going to be a Black animated princess? ANIKA NONI ROSE: Oh my God, I was thrilled. [Working with] Disney has been my dream, so I just focused on getting the part and when I did, I called home screaming! [laughs] There’s no reason why a girl from Connecticut would end up being the first Black Disney princess.
ESSENCE.com: Well, there’s no reason why not, either! Weren’t Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Tyra Banks being considered, too? ROSE: I read that they were, but I don’t know any details. Ultimately, that didn’t matter to me because I was competing against me. As an actor, if you spend so much time thinking about how many other people are coming into a room, you’ll psyche yourself out before you even get there.
ESSENCE.com:How did you feel when you saw Tiana on the big screen for the first time? ROSE: When I saw Tiana, with my expression on her face, in color, standing in the moonlight, surrounded by sparkles–I was truly undone! I’ve been crying for a year– seriously.
ESSENCE.com:What does it mean to you to be making history? ROSE: The largesse of it all didn’t hit me [in the beginning], but when they unveiled the doll to me, I remember thinking, “There’s a doll, based on me and the work I’ve done, that’s going to be here for these little girls–and she’s glamorous.” This movie is showing the world a different picture of Black America, which is phenomenal. It’s just phenomenal.
ESSENCE.com:What were your feelings about the initial criticism surrounding the film, specifically relating to the prince not being Black and the firefly being a bit…ethnic? ROSE: I was surprised by some of the things that the community took issue with, especially considering the amount of negativity that’s in the world about us, on TV and film. But I think it’s really about us not ever having this happen before and wanting to have some control over our image, because we so rarely do. There’s a lot of humor in the film. There are also a lot of touching moments that I think are very genuine and it’s all been done with such love, which you can see in the details. You can see it in Tiana’s little, round nose and in how she moves…and that firefly’s funny!
ESSENCE.com: So, what can we expect from you next? ROSE: Well, I’m co-composing a musical for Broadway. I’m reading a lot, too, and I’m always looking for books that are a possibility to make. I’d love to do some foreign films and also, an action movie where I could wear a boot–a heel–and beat somebody’s butt. I’d be 5′2″ and just punching and kicking…in leather! [laughs]
Academy award winning actress Halle Berry is one woman that has it going on.
She handles it all with grace, motherhood, acting, producing and living life to the fullest. She is revered as one of the most beautiful and sexiest people on the planet. We have been mocking Halle’s hustle for years…from her signature short hair to her style.
Want to peak behind the velvet rope on her beauty secrets? She reveals them to OK Magazine…and now…to us.
It’s been a long time coming. Finally, SADE is BACK. Don’t we all just love Sade. After a 10 year break, she is back with Solider of Love…the title track was release today and it’s getting raves from radio stations throughout the country.
Her longtime band-mate Stuart Mattewman worked with singer and label-mate Maxwell on the track, “Trust Me.” He says, “It is so monolithic it’ll shake you in your shoes.”
Solider of Love will be released worldwide February 8, 2010. Just in time for Valentine’s Day! *hint, hint*
We are a few weeks away from the premiere of the highly anticipated Disney animation, “The Princess and the Frog.” Get a quick peak before you take your little princess. Not only will she love it. You will love it too.
You still have time to get your limited edition, “Princess and the Frog” bath and body products from Carol’s Daughter. The Magical Collection is selling like hotcakes. Put in your order now for holiday gift giving.
Janet Jackson wows the audience at the American Music Awards. Her medley of hits took me back to when my friends and I use to record her videos on the VHS and memorizing all her dance moves after school. Love her new song, Make Me, it’s one for the dance floor. As she wrapped up her performance with, Together Again, it only reminded all of us how much she misses her brother Michael Jackson. Loved her tribute….no dancers, no choreographed dance moves, just a fun loving performance. The words spoke for themselves. Janet is resilient.
A look back at Janet Jackson performing, Control, during her first solo American Music Award appearance in 1986.
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If you're looking to amp up the "wow" factor this season, no need to go out and buy a push-up bra or fishnets. A few smart buys and some little wardrobe tweaks will earn you tons of compliments and a perfect 10 in the spring style category. […]
When it comes to serious glamour, not all clothes were created equal, ladies. (Case in point: that beloved yet embarrassingly pilly cardigan you can't give up.) The good news is that if you know what to look for, wardrobe pieces with instant glam-up potential are easy to find. In fact, you've probably got at least one--if not all--of these pieces i […]
When it comes to clothes, we're eternal optimists: We can see the good in pretty much anything--even the scary stuff. Not so with the dudes, we learned. When we asked a few of our guy friends what they thought about the fall 2010 Fashion Week shows, they had a lot to say. Here, their no-holds-barred comments on some of the wilder outfits that debuted on […]
Sure, the clothes on the runway made us swoon. But some of the most memorable Fashion Week moments happened in the front row, backstage and at parties. Read on for some of Fashion Week's most shocking, entertaining, stylish and exciting highs and lows. […]
