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KIM KARDASHIAN TO RENAME SHAPEWEAR BRAND FOLLOWING BACKLASH FROM SOCIAL MEDIA USERS

Kim Kardashian is set to rename her shapewear brand – Kimono Solutionwear – following backlash accusing her of appropriating the Japanese culture.

Using the hashtag #KimOhNo, people on social media expressed their agitation over Kim Kardashian naming her shapewear ‘Kimono’, insisting that the name was disrespectful to the Japanese culture.

The Kimono is a traditional Japanese attire won on very special occasions and according to the Japanese, Kim Kardashian had no right to use the name for her shapewear.

Responding to the backlash, Kim had said that her shapewear is ‘built with inclusivity and diversity at its core’ and she is ‘incredibly proud of what’s to come’. She also insisting on not changing the name and went ahead to trademark the name.

‘Filing a trademark is a source identifier that will allow me to use the word for my shapewear and intimates line but does not preclude or restrict anyone, in this instance, from making kimonos or using the word kimono in reference to the traditional garment,’ Kim had said.

However, Kim Kardashian has had a change of mind and has decided to launch her Solutionwear brand under a new name.

She also broke the news on her social media handles saying:

Being an entrepreneur and my own boss has been one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve been blessed with in my life. What’s made it possible for me after all of these years has been the direct line of communication with my fans and the public. I am always listening, learning and growing – I so appreciate the passion and varied perspectives that people bring to me.

When I announced the name of my shapewear line, I did so with the best intentions in mind. My brands and products are built with inclusivity and diversity at their core and after careful thought and consideration, I will be launching my Solutionwear brand under a new name.

I will be in touch soon. Thank you for your understanding and support always.

Credit: Bella Naija

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14-YEAR OLD SYDNEY WILSON BECOMES THE YOUNGEST STUDENT ADMITTED INTO SPELMAN COLLEGE

At just 14-years old, Sydney Wilson is about to start her freshman year at the prestigious Spelman College this fall, making her the youngest student ever admitted into the all-women HBCU.

During her early years at school, it has always been evident that Wilson was an excellent student. When she reached second grade, it was found that she was really a bit different from her peers. Many of her classmates teased her for being too smart but she didn’t let it bother her.

“I just stayed on my path,” Wilson told WSB-TV. “I didn’t really feel like I needed to be popular… because, I mean, I like myself.”

When she was 10-years old, Wilson’s parents decided to enroll her in Wilson Academy in Lithonia where she already started taking high school classes.

Just a few months ago, Wilson was just then 13-years old when she applied to Spelman College. Later on, her father received an email from the school saying that she got accepted.

“So, he calls me in and he says, ‘Look at the computer!’ So I looked at it, and I just melt,” Wilson excitingly said. “I was screaming and I was crying. I ran out to tell my family, and we took a bunch of pictures and posted it on Instagram and everything.”

Just like a usual college student, Wilson plans to live on the campus. Although she is still young, she isn’t worried about her age gap from her future schoolmates.

“I’ve been with the older kids all my life, so socially, I don’t think it will be a problem for me,” Wilson said.

Moreover, Wilson said she wants to major in Biology in hopes to use animal science in curing human illnesses one day.

Credit: Blacknews.com

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BRIANNA MASON BECOMES THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE CROWNED MISS TENNESSEE

History was made in Tennessee on Saturday night after Brianna Mason was crowned Miss Tennessee, making her the first Black woman to hold the title. 

The 23-year-old elementary school teacher and Nashville native took home the crown after competing in the pageant for four years. 

Dedicated to increasing visibility for young Black women in the pageant circuit, Mason said, “I’m here to tell you that it does not matter what your skin color is. It does not matter what your religion is. You can do anything you want.”

Last year, she competed as Miss Knoxville and was second runner-up. 

“I can’t even put into words how special this is,” Mason said during a press conference following her win. “I have been competing for so long, and there’s a Miss Tennessee room with portraits of all past Miss Tennessees, and none of them looked liked me.”

As the newly crowned Miss Tennessee, Mason, who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee, received a $15,000 scholarship and a chance to compete in the Miss America pageant on September 8.

With Mason’s crowning, she is in good company; earlier this year, the nation’s top pageants crowned three Black women as their winners: Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, Miss America Nia Franklin and Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris.

Credit: blavity.com

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LOTA O: A ‘MAN OF GOD’IS JUST THAT….A MAN!

I am not a member of this church, and sadly I only heard about them after the allegations against their founder started.

I woke up Friday morning to several posts, reposts and reactions (good and bad) on social media, all of them about Busola Dakolo’s four-part interview, during which she recounts the rape incidents (yes incidents, plural – it happened twice) she suffered from Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, the Senior Pastor of COZA Ministries, one of Nigeria’s mega protestant churches.

This issue of rape/sexual assault, especially on the heels of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, is met with mixed reactions whenever it comes up. It’s either the survivor is immediately believed and has a lot of people supporting him/her, or the allegations and stories are met with flat out disbelief, and then some people proceed to call the survivor all sorts of names. Victim blaming commences, and the survivor ends up being shamed into silence and regrets ever speaking up. Then there are those that are sort of on the fence about it, who first try to make sense of the story by asking as many questions as possible before they decide who and what to believe.

When I saw the interview itself, I wasn’t that surprised. I sort of saw it coming, because her husband, Timi Dakolo, had previously spoken out about the issue of rape/sexual abuse by pastors, and had called out this pastor specifically, several weeks ago. Busola herself had also put up a peculiar post on Instagram just yesterday that I took to mean something big was coming.

The issues surrounding sexual abuse and rape, its prevalence, lack of justice/punishment for the perpetrators, report time, consent, and the culture of silencing and shaming of victims are currently being addressed across all social media platforms, and are perhaps a topic for a different day. However, some of the reactions to Busola’s interview that I have seen are what have me riled up.

Not surprisingly, a lot of people cannot bring themselves to begin to process or fathom that a religious figure (pastor, priest, bishop, nun, etc.) could ever engage in such shameful, criminal (and sinful) behaviour. Crazy, right? But I understand it because:

1. Cognitive dissonance:  psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously (Merriam-Webster dictionary). This is usually for friends and family of the perpetrator, or those that hold them in high regard.
2. Some people have sadly undergone the same abuse, and are not ready to acknowledge what happened to them.
3. Some people have unfortunately tied the basis of their faith and spirituality to these religious figures, and so acknowledging or believing such allegations will shake their faith. This is what I want to address today.

We are all human beings. Men of God included. Yes, they might read/understand the Bible more than others. Yes, they are charismatic and know how to get a message across. Yes, they might be able to get spiritual revelations, or possess certain gifts of the Holy Spirit. But, at the end of the day, they are just men. In fact, if anything, they are in a better position to be the perpetrators of such sexual misconducts. Why? Because, among many reasons:

1. Rape is about power, and they possess tremendous power.
2. They believe they will get away with it, because for so long, they have.
3. Rape, sometimes, is a crime of opportunity, and between the adulation and undue attention they get from their followers, the opportunity will present itself somehow, and they will take advantage of it.

I am not a member of this church, and sadly I only heard about them after the allegations against their founder started. So, I sympathise with anyone whose world seems shaken by this. But, please, let us all remember that these people are only human beings like you and me. They are not God, they are only a mouth-piece, and no one is above sin or mistakes. Please, please, please, do not let your faith in God be shaken by this.

I am Catholic, proudly so. And yes, the Catholic Church has had its own share of sex scandals that spans centuries, especially involving the sexual abuse of younger boys by priests. I have also had my fair share of abuse and molestation from religious figures that occurred when I was much younger (sometimes in my own home), and I only recently opened up to my family and friends about it. And no one had no clue.

When we are able to see past their titles and positions, one thing is clear: sexual assault/rape can happen to anyone, by anyone, anywhere, and at any time. Hopefully, when we all come to this realization, we can better prevent, manage and tackle these issues so that they don’t keep happening, and so that the perpetrators don’t go unpunished.

I commend Busola for speaking her truth. It takes a special kind of courage and bravery to speak up about something like this, especially considering her status in the society, and being a mom of three not-so-young kids. I hope she is able to find healing and peace from this. Also, kudos to her husband, Timi, for standing by her and putting himself and his reputation out there for the greater cause.

I sincerely hope that as a country, we are able to finally hold powerful people accountable, and that this man is brought to justice. And if indeed there is a different side to this story (I highly doubt it – this is not the first allegation against him), then said pastor should come out and tell it.

Written by Lota O

Credit: Bella Naija

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15-YEAR-OLD CORI ‘COCO’ GAUFF BECOMES THE YOUNGEST PLAYER TO QUALIFY FOR WIMBLEDON AFTER DEFEATING VENUS WILLIAMS

In a shock defeat, five-time Wimbledonsingles winner Venus Williams was beaten by 15-year-old American tennis prodigy Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff.

“Honestly I don’t really know how to feel,” Gauff said upon winning, as the Guardian reports. “This was definitely the first time I ever cried after winning a match. I don’t even know how to explain how I feel. I had to tell myself to stay calm, I’d never played on a court so big. I had to remind myself that the lines are the same size.” 

Gauff, the youngest player to ever qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon, won 6-4, 6-4.

She revealed to BBC that Williams congratulated her after her win.

“I just told her I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her, she’s so inspiring,” Gauff said. “I’ve always wanted to tell her that but I’ve never had the guts to before.”View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter

The Undefeated✔@TheUndefeated

Last week, 15-year-old tennis prodigy Coco Gauff became the youngest tennis player to qualify for Wimbledon in the Open era.

Venus and Serena Williams were the reason Gauff picked up a tennis racket.

Gauff just defeated Venus Williams (6-4, 6-4) in the first round.29.7K7:24 PM – Jul 1, 201910.4K people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

There’s been a lot of Wimbledon surprises so far: Naomi Osaka is already out in the first round after losing to Yulia Putintseva. Osaka had been a favorite of tennis fans ever since she made her impressive performance in 2018, where she beat Serena Williams at the U.S. Open.

Credit: images.complex.com

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MEET TAMEKIA SWINT, THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO CREATED A HAIR SCHOOL FOR WHITE ADOPTIVE PARENTS OF BLACK CHILDREN

Tamekia Swint started Styles 4 Kidz after she noticed more white parents were choosing to adopt Black children.

Embedded video

Beautés Afro@Beautesafro

« Black hair School for adoptive moms » It matters 495K8:36 PM – May 19, 2019160K people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

“They’re not familiar with the [black] hair,” she told 60 Second Docs. “I saw that this might be something where I can empower them.” The documentary has been viewed more than 3.5 million times since its May 15 premiere, according to Popsugar.

She started the company in 2010 with three clients. Since then, she’s served more than 500 families. Swint offers several styles ranging from $40 to $150. She also hosts workshops for parents who want to learn how to do their children’s hair.

The mother-of-one claims the parents are eagerto learn about Black hair.

“I saw the need for this kind of service as more whites and other non-black families adopted black children,” Swint told Oak Park in March. “A big misconception a lot of blacks have about whites adopting black children is that they don’t care about these kids and that’s just not true.”

Laura Basi, mother to a pair of twins, is thankful for Styles 4 Kidz because Black hair resources are scarce in her country.

“I want to learn how to care for my children’s hair and this is the best place for me to learn how to do that. I live in Batavia where there’s not any place I can take them for hair care,” Basi said. “Adopting these two has been a positive experience for my family. We adopted them when they were five days old.”

The organization also allows Basi to socialize with other parents.

“I know soon it will be time to send them to school and that is something my husband and I are discussing now,” she continued. “I know there are things I won’t be able to relate to when it comes to blacks and that’s why I am learning as much as I can, from as many people as I can.”

The kids are also enthusiastic about their new hairdos.

“We’ll go there and give them haircuts and braid hair. You would be amazed how much self-confidence these children gain once their hair is looking good,” said Swint. “Seeing the smiles on their faces when we leave is a wonderful feeling.

Credit: blavity.com

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CARDI B’S APPLICATION TO TRADEMARK HER CATCHPHRASE ‘OKURRR’ HAS BEEN DENIED OFFICIALLY

Cardi B‘s application to catchphrase ‘okurrr’  to be used mostly for merchandise has been  officially rejected. 

According to Mail Online, Government officials have officially rejected her application to lay claim to the word, which is popularly pronounced with the Rs rolled.

Back in March, the 26-year-old rapper and mother of one submitted an application to catchphrase ‘okurrr’ including the commonly misspelled ‘okurr.’ Unfortunately, the US Patent and Trademark ruled that the slogan fell under the category of ‘widely-used commonplace expressions.’ It’s a valid argument, given that the phrase has existed in minority communities for years.


They also explained that it ‘is a slogan or term that does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of applicant’s goods and/or services.’

Credit: LIB

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“I WAS ABUSED A LOT IN DIFFERENT WAYS AT DIFFERENT STAGES AND I ALMOST GOT USED TO IT” – GOSPEL SINGER, SOLA ALLYSON

Gospel singer, Sola Allyson has shared her sexual assault stories as a child growing up.

Triggered by Busola Dakolo’s recent rape allegation against Pastor Fatoyinbo, the gospel singer said, ‘I was abused a lot. Different ways at different stages. I almost got used to it. I am still healing. because I speak ! It hurts but I speak’.

The singer said she paid a visit to her mum to relive some of her childhood sexual abuse encounters and here’s what she wrote;

I was at my Mother’s today… There had been issues, since my childhood. But that story, for another time… So, I was asking her questions, out of pain.. Then, this conversation below took place:

Me: “Do you know that your cousin, when you left me at shdgrigofn, molested me?” I was in primary school. Over 30 years ago… I remember everything clearly… I was confused. What would I say? How would I say it?

Her: Eyes wide!

Me: “Do you know that Mr. Thshdudidj nearly raped me? The one that used to come to your shop…” Her: Eyes wider, mouth agape, “why didn’t you tell me?” Me: “Tell you? How? When there was no connection and it showed you didn’t like me? Kò possible nao!” Me: “That man that used to come and take beer and peppersoup in your shop, after I served him one day, brought out his penis that I should play with.” I was like 14-15. I ran away from the shop. You didn’t bother to ask why, you only punished me by depriving me of food for days because, “that’s where you get money from.” Her: No words

Me: “Do you remember that time when….” And so on

Her: No words, looking what-do-I-say kind of. I love her!

We talked about other things… I felt a lot better. The anger I’d been feeling for days subsided… I’m still healing. I was abused a lot. Different ways at different stages. I almost got used to it. I am still healing. Because I SPEAK! It hurts but I SPEAK!

This is my story. This is my song. Told in this way I choose. Sung in this form I deem fit. But I SPEAK! For the sake of my kind, who have been made “sick” by abuse of all sorts. Not for you? Please move on. I’m not begging for “fanhood”! It is not only for Busola’s sake that we are doing this. It is for our women, our daughters, our sons, our future! She murdered her privacy to SPEAK. She risked it all… Yes, I believe her. You won’t listen to my music again? If it is because of this, it’s ok. I wish you well. But you will be replaced by millions others from here, from distant shores and islands! Where I’m going is far. Everything in Creation backs me up as I stand and SPEAK for the TRUTH, only.

SPEAK, Child, therefrom your healing begins!

Credit: LIB

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LATE DR AMEYO ADADEVOH HONORED BY ECOWAS FOR HER ROLE IN FIGHTING EBOLA VIRUS

Late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh has been posthumously honoured by The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for her role in reducing the spread of Ebola virus.

Adadevoh was awarded winner of the 2018 ECOWAS Prize of Excellence.

The award was presented by President Muhamadu Buhari, at the 55th Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Saturday in Abuja and received by her son Bankole Cardoso and her niece Niniola Soleye.

Credit: fabwoman.ng

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GHANIAN MATH-GODDESS, ANGELA TABIRI GRADUATES WITH PHD IN MATHEMATICS FROM TOP UK UNIVERSITY

A young Ghanaian woman who gained the attention of major eye balls globally for the superior quality of work she produced for her PhD in Mathematics for the University of Glasgow, UK, has successfully graduated.

Angela Tabiri, a young female math-goddess who made headlines for the higher quality of work she produced for her PhD in Mathematics for the University of Glasgow in the UK, has successfully graduated as a doctor of Mathematics. She earned media attention when her PhD thesis in Mathematics for the university was first shared by globally revered Ghanaian, Ben Dotsei Malor.

Upon successfully graduating with a PhD in Mathematics, Dr. Angela Tabiri, has become an inspiration to young women especially young girls in Africa who either want to or are pursuing courses that would eventually lead to careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

While Mathematics is generally regarded as a no-go area for most women, Dr. Angela Tabiri, has challenged this narrative after successfully graduating with a PhD in Mathematics.

Tens of people including love ones have expressed their sense of pride for Dr. Tabiri’s rare achievement after super proud friends shared her remarkable feat via Facebook in photos, along with captions:

Like most math geniuses, Dr. Angela Tabiri would use the knowledge and skills acquired in solving problems including finding solutions to diseases, researching into its causes and developing long lasting solutions to critical world problems.

Credit: yen.com.gh

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