Celebrating Black Brillance

It’s a bit ironic and definitely unfortunate that in the African-American community (reported) good news is so scarce. With the main stream media so infrequently reporting about the accomplishments of young, gifted African Americans-we must take it upon ourselves to be the sounding board, acknowledging each other’s achievements.

Google's doodle celebrating Dr. Percy Lavon Julian.

Today, Google's doodle celebrates a 'forgotten genius,' Chemist, Percy Lavon Julian. He was the grandson of slaves who was not permitted to attend high school, who later went on to become one of the first African-Americans to earn a Ph.D in chemistry. Dr. Julian was a researcher and pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medical drugs from plants. Dr. Julian synthesized chemicals from plants to make medicine, which included treatment for glaucoma and other inflammatory illnesses. He’s most well-known for synthesizing male and female hormones from soybean oil and later creating a synthetic substitute for cortisone. His cortisone substitute was inexpensive, yet effective, and helped make the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis more accessible. He obtained more than 100 patents and was the first African-American to be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences. His work laid the foundation for the steroid drug industry's production of cortisone, other corticosteroids, and birth control pills. During World War II, DR. Julian also developed a foam from soy protein that could put out oil and gas fires; it was quickly adopted by the military.

Let's take a moment and honor Dr. Julian on what would have been his 115th birthday. As we honor legends of our past, let's also remember to honor legends in the making. Here are some of the outstanding students who are destined to leave a mark in history.
 

For the fifth year in a row 100 percent of the graduating class of Urban Prep Academy, consisting of all young men of color is college bound. All 240 seniors are heading to college. According to Urban Prep founder Tim King, these young men have received acceptance letters from over 185 colleges and universities and earned over $11,000,000 in scholarships and grants.

At 16, Alex Dunlap is poised to graduate from Broad Ripple Magnet High School a year early in May. She is one of only 1,000 students in the country to receive the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship. She plans to study Spanish, French and Chinese in college with a focus in Arabic; after which she plans on attending law school. Equipped with a stellar education, Dunlap hopes to fight for the rights of children in foreign countries.

Avery Coffey, 17, has been accepted to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, and University of Pennsylvania. With a 4.3 GPA, this high school senior is poised to graduate from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, an institution known for its exceptional track record with college acceptance rates. The school has had a perfect track record of 100 percent acceptance for every graduating class since its first in 1984.

Kwasi Enin is a student at William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, N.Y. The 17-year-old received acceptance letters from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale. That’s right all 8 Ivy League institutions! Enin also scored 2250 on his SATs, putting him in the 99th percentile.

Stephen R. Stafford II, at the age of 11-years-old was enrolled at Morehouse College. He is a triple major, studying pre-med, mathematics and computer science. Stafford is on track to graduate from medical school at age 22. Notably, Stafford was homeschooled! This is how investing in your kids pays off.

Akintunde Ahmad, who calls himself, ‘a regular street dude from Oakland’s public schools,’ has been accepted to several Ivy League Schools thanks to his 5.0 GPA and 2100 SAT Score. Although some people judge him based on his appearance, (Ahmad keeps a copy of his grades and SAT scores on his phone as proof), he is deciding between Brown and Yale. Yale is trying to recruit Ahmad for its baseball team. That’s right; he’s got brains and athleticism.

Stories like these should be passed on; so spread the word! These are the faces of our future.



I do not claim ownership to the above images.

Why Lupita Matters More Than You Think

“Her beauty was like a language he didn’t speak and had never heard.” D. Nurske

Whoever thought that a name like Lupita Nyong’o would be a household one? The 12 Years a Slave actress and Academy Award winner has skyrocketed from an unknown with no major film roles to Hollywood’s newest “it” girl. With all the clout surrounding Lupita, it’s no wonder she was selected by Lancôme cosmetics to be their new brand ambassador. Her streak of awesomeness continues with her feature on the cover of the latest issue of Marie Claire magazine. The Yale-graduate, 31, is one of five young stars included in the fashion magazine’s Fresh Faces issue.  

These latest accomplishments, seemingly superficial to the naked consciousness, are feats to be counted as a shift in America’s realization that beauty is not to be determined by color. The announcement this week by Lancôme that Lupita would be its very first black female brand ambassador, earmarks the period in which the world of fashion and beauty have begun to transform its thinking that beauty is possessed only by European featured women.  As contrary to the point as one could get, the African actress is redefining beauty with one stroke of brilliance and accuracy. Perhaps done unintentionally, Lupita has become a beckon of hope to many young, African-American girls who have struggled with their complexion and self-esteem, searching for a sign of reassurance that they too are beautiful (by American standards).   

During Lupita’s acceptance speech at Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, she spoke openly about her personal challenges with growing up with a darker complexion. 

“I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin. I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned. The morning would come and I would be so excited about seeing my new skin that I would refuse to look down at myself until I was in front of a mirror because I wanted to see my fair face first. And every day I experienced the same disappointment of being just as dark as I had been the day before. I tried to negotiate with God: I told him I would stop stealing sugar cubes at night if he gave me what I wanted; I would listen to my mother's every word and never lose my school sweater again if he just made me a little lighter. But I guess God was unimpressed with my bargaining chips because He never listened.”

The gracious and authentic nature of Lupita certainly makes her more beautiful internally than it does outwardly. Either way I’m grateful that girls and women of color have a role model like her.

I do not claim ownership to the above images.

Keva J Swimwear

Scrolling through my Instagram timeline, @20somethinglayers posted a picture of the swimsuits they plan to wear on an upcoming vacation. The suits were designed by a brilliant and innovative designer by the name of Keva J. Of course I followed @KevaJSwimwear instantly. With roses budding and pollen in the air, summer is just around the corner which inevitably goes hand-in-hand with swimwear. Whether your beach-body is toned and ready, or not, the days of summer are rapidly approaching. 

Keva J is a brand that is gaining momentum and much notoriety in the world of swim. Keva Johnson, the designer who will undoubtedly soon become a household name has an edgy, sexy aesthetic, all while specializing in fit. Fit is a difficult concept to master when it comes to swimsuits, but this young fashion designer has definitely done just that. Thanks to her unconventional pairing of high-waist bottoms with sheer details and bandeau tops, among other creative, alluring ways to highlight a woman’s body-Keva’s swimwear  has been featured in Essence and Elle magazines, BET’s Rip the Runway, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and Miami Fashion Week just to name a few press features. I look forward to owning my very own Keva J original very soon, the Aria to be specific. As a matter of fact I just scheduled an appointment with a trainer at my local gym to be certain I’ll be fit and fabulous while donning my sexy new swimwear.

One thing the Kardashian sisters definitely know how to do well is look amazing in swimsuits. These Keva J suits are no different.

Thanks @20somethinglayers and @KevaJSwimwear. You ladies ROCK!

I do not claim ownership to the above images.

In the Mirror: Camo Confessions

Dermablend Professional cosmetics have launched a powerful and touching Camo Confessions campaign. While most makeup ads are focused on veiling our unique imperfections, this campaign has the makings of becoming a movement. The brand’s corrective cosmetics are used for people with mild to severe skin conditions, or even to cover excessive tattoos. "Blending in to stand out," helps to shift the emphasis from the outward appearance to focusing on inward beauty. 

Click here to watch Cheri's Camo Confession

Click here to watch Rico's Camo Confession

This empowering series of YouTube videos encourages people to post videos of themselves revealing their flaws behind the makeup. Models, coaches, DJs and everyday people have posted videos exposing their imperfections to the world. The authenticity of this series is riveting as each person sits in front of a camera and bares what once was a source of shame and embarrassment by completely removing the Dermablend Professional makeup.

Click here to watch Cassandra's Camo Confession

We should all be so brazen, learning to accept the things we cannot change; courage to change the things we can; and wisdom to know the difference.

For every confession submitted, Dermablend Professional will donate $1.00 to Look Good Feel Better, an organization dedicated to improving the self-esteem and quality of life of women suffering appearance-related side effects of cancer treatments through beauty sessions.

I do not claim ownership to the above images.