Fab Maven, is a movement created to help empower and uplift women. Chaya Kennedy-Burnettis the founder, a passionate volunteer and professional of women’s issue and spiritual and life coaching. After facing her own share of life challenges, she recognized the need for women to have access to a “pick me up” when one may otherwise be unavailable. A grassroots movement was kick started that is now Fab Maven,which has managed to reach women across the world from all races, genders, religions, cultures, and political backgrounds.
Women face battles, immense hardships and trauma, either in the present or from their pasts, and yet commit their lives finding opportunities to heal and move forward. “Fab Maven helps women from all backgrounds including those facing hardships and trauma from chronic illness, major loss, abuse, assault, and depression do just that by connecting through shared experiences”, wrote blacknews
Fab Maven is focused on women’s fashion and markets unique apparel and accessories with Fab Maven’s unique logo. They are committed to keeping prices low, reaching women from all walks of life. The company’s signature logo is a symbol of optimism and hope, empowering women by helping them to find their individual and collective voices.
The Fab Maven apparel and accessories are available for purchase on Amazon.com
About Fab Maven
Fab Maven is on a mission to educate, uplift, and empower women who have endured traumatic experiences, yet are striving for complete healing. By providing a safe space and judgement-free zone, resources and workshops, Fab Maven equips women with tools that promote spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Learn more at FabMaven.com
A short video of a cute 9-month old baby washing the dishes has gone viral on social media.
Arabia-Iman Tillery, the baby’s mother, posted the video on Twitter. In the video, the baby can be seen laying on the counter washing off utensils and sucking a green pacifier while his grandmother is on the phone.
“My mom has my 9 month old son doing dishes,” Tillery wrote. “My mom got him to work already,”
People all over the world are impressed and amused over the little boy who has started early on with his household chores.
The video has gathered about 5 million views since it was posted.
Tillery said it was all a plan to get him to stop fussing so he can take a nap. Arabia-Iman Tillery tells Fox News that during a recent visit to see Tillery’s mother in Maryland. Tillery’s mom, Denise Jackson, then suggested they set up Chase at the sink, to occupy his attention before putting him down.
“My son was getting a little fussy before a nap, like he usually does,” . “[My mom] figured he might as well play with water and ‘wash the dishes’ a little, and it worked really well.”
Tillery said she intended putting up the video just for laughs and was surprised it gathered so much attention.
“I think the funniest thing of all is that clearly he’s not actually washing, he has no idea what’s happening.”
Tyler Brown, a girl a who had her arm amputated due to a tumor, has returned back to swimming. Just one month after the amputation, she continued. The 14 year old did not let her circumstances stop her. She is from Atlanta Georgia.
One day, doctors found a cancerous tumor in her right arm. The tumor was initially removed but became malignant, they had no other choice but to amputate her arm to keep cancer from spreading.
Tyler a high school swimmer, was medically cleared to get back in the pool, and then she immediately competed in the swim meet in her high school, the Elite Scholars Academy in Clayton County.
Her family supported her, and helped her back to school by organizing “one arm parties” with her friends and classmates.
She performed well in the competition, but admitted it wasn’t as it used to be.
“I do feel like I have to work harder than my two-arm counterparts, but it’s work I’m willing to do,” she said. “I am really competitive. I want people to count me out. Then I want to prove them wrong.”
Tyler is truly a resilient young woman who wouldn’t give up.
At the tender age of 7, Melissa A. Marshall’s dad was sentenced to prison. Now 35 years old Melissa has decided to become a mindset coach, to help and empower women who are fatherless..
Her best-selling book, Mind Over Matter, offers guidance for girls and teens who are growing without a father in their life.
“This book will show you how one decision – the decision to change your mind – has the unlocking power to not only free you, but to change your life. You heal better when you feel better!” says Melissa.
The pain of having a dad in prison can have hurting impact on their kids. The daughters feel a sense of fatherlessness which is harsh.
Young girls growing up without a father are four times more likely to be pregnant before turning 20.
Melissa’s book Mind Over Matter addresses this issue well. Women who have grown with their fathers serving time in prison and those who were raised without a father at all.
Although this book is for any who has been through painful periods in their life. The book tells readers how to break free and grab the key that lies within and unlock the doors to the future.
As a nurse by profession, she uses her knowledge and personal experience of growing up fatherless to empower women of all walks of life to live a purposeful life. She has helped women across the globe to deal with theri daddy issues as an empowerment and mindset coach.
Melissa Marshall’s new book, Mind Over Matter Book is available on Amazon.
Mikayla Simpson otherwise known as Koffee in the music industry on Sunday carved her name in the history of Reggae.
Koffee made history as the youngest and the first woman ever to win a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.
According to eDaily, Koffee, 19, won the award for her Reggae EP ‘Rapture’ released last year.
The EP featuring among other songs, her biggest hit ‘Toast’ debuted at the top spot on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. It held that position for 32 weeks.
A singer-cum-rapper, Koffee was born in 2000 and raised by her single mother in Spanish Town, just the outskirts of Kingston. She sang in a church choir as a child and taught herself how to play guitar at the age of 12.
Koffee started writing lyrics in her early teens drawing inspiration from Jamaican reggae stars – Chronixx and Protoje.
Koffee released an acoustic version of her song “Legend” about Jamaican runner Usain Bolt in 2017, and the video quickly went viral on Instagram. Her next single, “Burning,” featured her original take on Upsetta Records’ “Ouji Riddim” and topped several reggae charts in the U.S.
In 2018, at only 18 years old, Koffee performed with both Protoje and Chronixx, joining the latter on a BBC broadcast from Kingston’s legendary Tuff Gong Studios and later on a tour of the U.K.
According to Allmusic.com, Koffee’s status as a rising star grew even brighter when she signed with Columbia U.K. and released the singles “Toast” and “Ragamuffin,” both of which appeared on her debut EP, Rapture, in 2019.
Speaking to Guardian, last year, Koffee said she counts Bob Marley as an influence and that the pace that “Bob Marley set in reggae music, on such a positive and widespread level, is something that I want to emulate and carry on.”
“I want to honor his legacy in that sense.”
Koffee describes her sounds as “youthful”.
“Positive … Me nah know. It’s kind of difficult to describe sound as positive, but I feel like music has feeling,” she said.
Attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson and Ayanna Alcendor have joined forces to create the powerhouse law firm Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC in metro Detroit. The minority women-owned law firm was launched at the beginning of 2018, and will offer one-stop-shop service to a range of clients.
Attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson
Crump-Gibson comes with a plethora of experience, as she has been recognized three times by the Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine as a rising star. After earning dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and english from Michigan State University, Crump-Gibson then went on to earn her juris doctorate from Wayne State University Law School. Post law school, Crump-Gibson opened up her very own law firm, C&G Solutions, for a while before joining forces with Alcendor. She received the 2015 and 2016 Martindale Hubbell ® Client Distinction Award and was recognized as one of Michigan Chronicle’s ’40 under 40’. United States Senator Gary Peters appointed Crump-Gibson to the Michigan Senate Judicial Advisory Committee in 2017 and she was admitted to practice law in Michigan and before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Alcendor also comes with an abundance of experience as well. Having received her Juris doctorate degree from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2013, Alcendor interned at C&G Solutions, Crump-Gibson’s law firm. She also interned at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan with Judge Mark A. Randon, the state appellate defender’s office, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office and a number of area boutique firms as well. At Ernst & Young, she served as a client servicing associate in the Detroit office. Alcendor also founded her own practice, Allied Legal Consulting, PLC., before teaming up with Crump-Gibson.
Rolling out Magazine had the opportunity to speak with these two dynamic women about the inspiration for launching their own firm in metro Detroit and as well as discuss the services that their new firm will specialize in, they also touched on the unique skillsets they collectively bring to the firm as a team.
What was the inspiration for launching a minority women-owned law firm?
JCG: You have to be the change you want to see. This is why we thought it was so important to start the firm. Minority women continue to be underrepresented in equity positions in law firms and the legal field as a whole. A minority-woman owned law firm like Great Lakes Legal Group is uniquely positioned to aid in the ongoing efforts to address this disparity. Minority women serving in such critical leadership roles are integral in diversifying the legal profession. In turn, this diversification has a direct impact on the communities we serve.
With these roles, we have a responsibility. As important as it is to command a seat at the table, you have to leave the door open to the room for those to come in behind you. We do this by continuing to feed the pipeline. Recruiting talented young women of color and providing opportunities for exposure to young women in firms’ aids in augmenting representation in the industry. We are fully committed to these efforts at Great Lakes.
What services does your firm specialize in?
AA: Probate and Estate Planning, Family Law, Criminal Law, General and Civil Mediation, Business and Commercial Matters, Governmental Affairs.
Tell us about your background and previous experience. Crump-Gibson, you previously had nine years of legal experience, and you also served as the president of the Wolverine Bar Association & the Wolverine Bar Foundation. How has your previous experience helped to prepare you for opening up your own firm?
JCG: I have been blessed with diverse experiences in the legal field and in the community that have unquestionably prepared me to take on the role as Managing Partner of the firm. I have had the great fortune of gaining critical experience in government, serving as staff attorney and deputy chief of staff for former Detroit city council member Saunteel Jenkins and as a policy analyst for former Detroit city council member Sheila Cockrel. During my law school tenure, I also clerked in-house at Comerica Bank’s corporate legal department and externed at the federal district court for the Honorable Arthur J. Tarnow. Garnering knowledge and skills from these roles, I practiced as a solo-practitioner for a number of years, representing clients in various courts at the state level and in federal court.
The Wolverine Bar Association was integral in cultivating my career, from my very first day as a law student at Wayne State. As soon as I got the opportunity, I began to involve myself with leadership roles, ultimately serving as president.
The most important takeaways from my legal experiences and my role with the Wolverine Bar were leadership, commitment and accountability. By its very nature, the role of a lawyer is a leader. Having ownership in your practice takes that role to the next level. It also requires an unwavering commitment and a strong sense of accountability, to your partners, your staff and most importantly, your clients.
Alcendor, your expertise is in criminal, family and probate matters, and you’re also a certified Michigan supreme court administrative office civil mediator. What are some specific instances about your past experience that have prepared you for opening your own firm?
AA: When I decided to become a lawyer, I wanted to gain experience and knowledge in as many areas as possible. To this end, I connected with seasoned attorneys practicing civil, family, probate, bankruptcy and criminal law. While in law school, I had the opportunity to clerk for a federal magistrate judge, and serve as a pro bono pro se bankruptcy consultant and expungement advocate. The legal field is ever-changing and more times than not, clients are being confronted with overlapping legal conflicts. The diversity of my experiences lends to my ability to effectively address the issues of our clients and pool resources to best meet their needs.
As a team, what are your unique skillsets that you collectively bring to the table?
AA: Steadfast commitment to ethics, strong communication skills, and knowledge of the law are essentials of any reputable law firm. Great Lakes Legal Group offers clients and the community at large not only these fundamentals, but also two partners that have the ambition, drive and commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. These are qualities that are far too often overlooked. GLLG offers a holistic approach to meeting client needs. We have the unique ability to offer a vast array of client services in-house. This law firm truly is a one-stop shop. We are passionate about the law and our clients.
Where can we find more information on your firm?
JCG: Our website is www.gllegalgroup.com. There, you will find detailed information about the owners’ backgrounds, the services we offer and the areas we serve. You can also sign up for our newsletter on the home page to stay connected with us. We are on social media as well: facebook.com/gllegalgroup, Instagram: @gllegalgroup and Twitter: @gllegalgroup Please be sure to connect with us, as we regularly share helpful legal tips and updates in the law.
The former First Lady of United States, Michelle Obama, on Sunday, won the Grammy Best Spoken Word Album for her audiobook ‘Becoming’, at the 62nd Grammy Awards, at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles.
The audiobook, Becoming, shared her journey from a little girl from the South Side of Chicago to lawyer and the First Lady of the United States.
Other nominees in the Best Spoken World Album categories are Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt and Dan Zitt (Beastie Boys Book), Eric Alexandrakis (I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor), John Waters (Mr. Know-It-All) and Sekou Andrews & The String Theory (Sekou Andrews & The String Theory).
Her win, gave the Obama household its third Grammy as former president Barack Obama has already won two Grammys in the same category for his books.
Premium Times stated that the judge dismissed Sanda’s statement that her husband fell on a broken Shisha pot during a fight on the ill-fated day as a “smokescreen to deceive the court. ”He pushed me and as I was falling down, I mistakenly broke his Shisha bottle and the water inside spilled on the floor. He pinned me to the ground and I heard our daughter crying. I told him to leave me so that I could attend to her and he loosened up a bit and I struggled to my feet”, she had narrated. According to the judge, evidence proves the accused stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife with intent to ”kill”.
The mother of one denied killing her husband or nursing such intentions. She said trouble started after she discovered nude pictures of another woman in her late husband’s phone and confronted him.
According to an eye witness she threatened her husband on several occasions if he refused granting her a divorce.
Helen Williams made history in the United States in the 1950s when she became the first dark-skinned African-American fashion model to cross over into mainstream advertising.
Yet, it was the French who accepted her instead of the Americans who considered her to be “too dark.”
Williams would surmount the challenges that came with the color of her skin, rising to fame in Paris and New York in the late 1950s and early 1960s and paving way for other dark-skinned models.
Born in East Riverton, New Jersey in 1937, Williams studied dance, drama, and art before becoming a stylist at a New York photography studio.
There, her beauty caught the attention of Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Jr, who frequented the studio to do press shots. The two encouraged Williams, then 17, to take up fashion modeling.
And that was how she was able to break into a stereotyped industry like fashion in the 1950s, working with African-American magazines like Jet and Ebony.
But there was a problem – her dark skin color did not attract many industry folks in America, as non-white models were largely excluded from mainstream fashion. Even within the African-American modeling scene, ladies were expected to be light-skinned.
“I was too dark to be accepted,” Williams once recalled. Facing discrimination while trying to extend her career with other modeling houses, Williams moved to Paris in the 1960s, where she was embraced.
France had a different outlook on black beauty and soon enough, the African-American beauty was modeling for big fashion designers like Christian Dior and Jean Dessès.
“By the end of her tenure she was making a staggering $7,500 a year working part-time and had received three marriage proposals from her French admirers, one of whom kissed her feet and murmured, ‘I worship the ground you walk on, mademoiselle’,” writes arogundade.com
Williams later returned to America, hoping things had changed for models like her. But when she went searching for a new agent in New York City, she realized that there had not been any major change.
Told to wait two hours in the reception of one agency, she was later told that the agency already had a black model and she was not needed. Having had enough of the bias of the fashion industry, Williams took her case to the press.
Some influential media personalities took up her case, exposing the plight of black fashion models in the country and drumming home the need for change.
Eventually, the situation improved, especially for Williams, and she got booked for ads for major brands such as Loom Togs, Modess, and Budweiser.
Her rate also shot up to $100 an hour. Finally, the beautiful, talented and inspirational woman had broken the color barrier in the modeling industry. As more black models became more visible, cosmetic companies began doing a lot of research aimed at developing products for African-American women.
Retiring from modeling in 1970, Williams continued her career in fashion as a stylist. Her courage, however, paved the way for other black models like Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Duckie Thot, among others.
28 years old Ajia Monet has been a creative visionary her entire life. She decided to resign from her long time government employment with the United States Postal Service in 2015 to pursue her lifelong passion as an Interior Designer.
“A’Blige Interior Designs” is what she called it; founded in April of 2014.
The self-taught freelance designer has since been making big moves in the competitive industry doing so by her natural, creative talent. With no schooling or formal training, the designer was able to start her own company, and it has been a success ever since.
It took one argumentative conversation with her father, who is an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, that helped her come to the realization that she should take that leap of faith and start own business. At that time, she was in the midst of waiting to be recruited by the United States Navy and was working for her father. She said she felt overworked and undervalued.
“I remember him saying to me when you get your own business, you can run your business how you want to run your business,” she said. “It was so funny to me because it was kind of like an aha moment for me because I never even considered it.
From that moment, the mother of two quit her job. She started putting together business plans to bring her vision to life.
“Everybody has always known that I was creative,” Monet added. “I always changed my room. My apartments were always nice, so when he said that to me, it gave me another perspective.”
The interior designer makes it clear that the journey of finding her passion wasn’t that smooth, though.
She tried pursuing different jobs before deciding that interior design was her passion. She was interested in becoming a paramedic when she was younger, she tried to join the Navy and she also went to real estate school in 2012. It wasn’t until after working for her father and the postal service, that she realized she didn’t want to sell houses, but instead, she loved seeing the interior of homes.
“It [interior design industry] was super new and foreign to people in my community because it always been like a luxury service,” she said, “I was like, what can I do differently. I wanted to offer affordable services to my people. The supply and demand worked and so many people were willing to patronize and support. The rest is history.”
During this time, Monet was contemplated pursuing a career design in school since she didn’t have any formal training. She knew creativity is from the inside though. She sought her father’s advice of whether she should do so or not since he was somebody she looked up to on how to run a business.
He told her that if she wanted to work for someone else, then going to school would be a great idea, but if she wanted to run her own business, then she shouldn’t waste time or money according to Blavity.
Then she took the leap of faith in starting the business without school. She knew she could hire and outsource people if she needed to.
“To be honest this year will be four years I have been in business,” Monet said. “I was looking back like ‘okay, I’ve officially graduated’. I couldn’t really do it any other way.”
Monet wants to make it clear that she is not degrading people who do go to school, but in those four years, she was able to learn through her experience, in the opposite way of those who go to school yet have no experience in their chosen field.
“They have the skills but they don’t have the experience,” she said. “At the end of four years, I was able to have both.”
During her journey, Monet pursued her business full-time, even though she still had bills to pay and really didn’t have support from others or her father during the time of her transition. But, her situation motivated her to work harder.
“For me, I felt like that was the push I needed to work harder to prove him (her father) wrong,” Monet said. “Not to say he didn’t believe in me, but what I saw, I didn’t feel the love or encouragement or support that most people need on this journey.”
Earlier on there were times where she had to take her two kids to work with her. At s a point, had to do their homework in the car because they returned home as late as 2 a.m.
She had to learn how to efficiently manage her money as well. She was driving a car that couldn’t fit all of her materials and, but her father was able to step in and help her purchase a truck.
Monet learned how to properly carry herself as a businesswoman. She did research online, read blogs and using Pinterest to help drive traffic to her business. In these circumstances of starting, most people would have quit.
“I had next to no budget when I started,” Monet said. “I wasn’t really able to show what I could really do. I had to work my way up and build that repertoire with people. I just had to immerse myself in it and I had to find the key ways to do things.”
With her experiences, the interior designer launched a Business Coaching Course for people in the interior design industry.
Monet believes people should still pursue a career using their natural talents even though they may be afraid to do so, even if they didn’t go to school.
“I feel like if God gave it to you use it,” Monet said. “You just have to believe and have faith in yourself. I hate to sound so spiritual but it all boils down to your state of mind. She wants entrepreneurs to know that it still takes time to perfect your craft, and along with it comes a lot of trial and error.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Monet said. “A good business is always trying to figure out the problem and coming up with a solution to it.” She learned the mindset of having patience and managing your emotions.
She has learned that business ownership is not a process of instant gratification, but to trust the process.
“People don’t see the hard work, the late nights and early mornings and the sacrifice,” Monet said. “They just see the pretty pictures on Instagram and they try to skip the process and not do it with integrity and not do it because they love it. They’re just trying to get where you are.”
Monet believes that one needs to get away from their comfort zone. They should at least try because you never know the outcome.
“I always tell people, God makes you uncomfortable when he wants you to grow,” she said. “I believe that. Being content is a mentality.”
“Just because this is my story and it worked for me, that doesn’t mean that what worked for you will be a better way,” said.
She just encourages any learning from her them to pray, focus and believe. According to her, if you can believe it you can achieve it.
“Try it first and if it doesn’t work out at least you said you tried,” she continued. “At least if it doesn’t work out, then you can try Plan B, and if Plan B doesn’t work go back to Plan A and just figure out how you’re going to refine it.”
