Viola Davis will play former First Lady Michelle Obama in a new one-hour drama series called First Ladies that Showtime just picked up. The Emmy, Oscar and Tony winner will also serve as an executive producer.

The series will be executive produced by Julius Tennon, Oscar winner Cathy Schulman, Jeff Gaspin, Brad Kaplan.Produced by Showtime and Lionsgate Television.

Author Aaron Cooley, who created the series, will also write and executive produce.

The announcement was made today by Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

In the East Wing of the White House, many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies.

This series will display the personal and political lives of these enigmatic women.

The first season will be focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama.

“Throughout our history, presidents’ spouses have wielded remarkable influence, not only on the nation’s leaders but on the country itself.” said Winograde.

“First Ladies fits perfectly within the Showtime wheelhouse of drama and politics, revealing how much personal relationships impact both domestic and global events.

“Having Viola Davis play Michelle Obama is a dream come true, and we couldn’t be luckier to have her extraordinary talent to help launch this series.”

”For two decades, Melinda worked hard to keep a low profile. She enrolled her kids in school under her maiden name. She spoke out rarely. When she did begin to give interviews, she talked almost exclusively about her philanthropic work and this is still mostly the case. But more recently, Melinda is finding her voice, she is doing her own investing- she just published a memoir- The Moment of Lift and perhaps most powerfully, Melinda is sharing more about her own life.”

Melinda was recently interviewed by Jessi Hemphel for the Hello Monday podcast series and here are 4 things we took out from the conversation.

1. Have a career goal. It is instrumental to attaining corporate success. “I wanted to join a company that was changing the world. And when I eventually interviewed that spring before I graduated with Microsoft, I literally came out and I remember calling my parents, I was in Seattle, they were back in Dallas, saying, oh my gosh, Mom and Dad, if this company makes me an offer, I won’t be able to refuse it. They are changing the world and I want to be a part of that.”

2. Like Chimamanda says “Because you are woman is never a reason for anything.” Similarly, your gender should never be the reason why “you cannot” or “should not” rise up to the full height of your potentials. “They (Microsoft) hired 10 MBAs that year, which was their first “class.” And I was the only woman, the other nine were guys. And that didn’t seem that odd to me, honestly. Because in computer science, when I was studying it at Duke after freshman year, there were just so few women. And so when I would be in the computer lab, I was always coding with guys and I actually got really good at running teams that were all guys. I would sort of rise up. Even when I was coding in college, I would sort of rise up as the leader and manager. So when I got to Microsoft, it just didn’t seem that unusual to me. We were creating products that were changing the world. And for me the great thing was that at Microsoft it was very merit-based. And so my chance for advancement was so rapid there because I knew how to code, I knew how to run teams, I knew how to manage things when I came in. And so very, very quickly I moved out of product marketing into actually development of products where I was running the whole team and they just kept giving me larger and larger teams. And then by the time I left, I was in the consumer division running a team of many, many products, over 1700 employees.”

3. Always be yourself. Don’t try to fit into notions of how “a proper woman” should be or act or speak. Who made the rules anyway? Be yourself. “I loved it (working at Microsoft) at first, but then as I started rising in the ranks and I could see how aggressive the culture was, you had to go into every meeting knowing all your facts, you know, standing up for your point of view, being willing to argue it at the table. I knew how to play that game. I could play that game. I did that game, but I didn’t like myself very much. And so as I would go home and think about it more, especially about a year and a half, two years in, I thought, you know, I might just leave. And I had been told by consulting firm, and they stayed in touch with me that I would basically have a job offer there anytime I wanted if I got a couple of years experience. So I thought I might go and do that. And then I was at home and reflecting on it, I thought more and more. No, no, no. I love this company. I love building products. I love being on the front end. What I don’t like so much as the culture. And so what I decided to do was just try on being myself. I thought I’m going to just go in and be myself and if they don’t like it they can take it or leave it cause I’ll just leave that and go get another job.”

4. Have your female tribe. Women who affirm and validate your authenticity. “I surrounded myself with other women. I write in the book about one of my best friends, Charlotte Guyman. And I could see her working in her own style. She was a bit older than me. She had worked at HP and then gone back to business school and Charlotte was just herself. And I thought, well that seems to be working for her, so maybe I should do that. So I could often talk things through with her. I had other female friends I would talk things through about are you unhappy about this? What do you think about that? And then eventually I actually was working for Patty Stonesifer in the consumer division. She later came to work for us at Microsoft and Patty was somebody that I learned a tremendous amount from about how to push yourself and hold your ground, but also how to be yourself.”

 

Source: Woman Africa

The Star of 12 Years A Slave, Lupita Nyong’o was invited to the  Harris Westminster Sixth Form, London to mentor young women on leadership and the importance of literacy in an event hosted by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Lancôme.

Nyong’o, now a best-selling author, told the BBC she didn’t even like reading when she was young as the books were not about her personality and kind.

She believe books should be about all people, black and white and it should address all concern.

Last year, she released her book ‘Sulwe’  a children’s fiction picture book that addresses colorism in the Black community. It follows the story of a young girl who wishes for her dark skin to be lighter. The story is ultimately about colorism and learning to love oneself, no matter one’s skin tone.

While there, the Kenyan-Mexican actress spoke to the BBC about the importance of literature and her own journey with reading books as a child.

‘I realized that books don’t have to be about White people, they can actually represent all people,’ the actress says describing her complex relationship with literature during childhood.

“When I was growing up I didn’t like reading but I was surrounded by books all ti mes and I did know how to read. But as I grew older I realized that with reading comes comprehension and confidence,” Nyong’o begins. “And I think those are two qualities that are really important as you get into the workforce and try find your place in the world.”

Intermittent snippets show the actress speaking to the young women about the roles reading and studying have played in her professional career when having had to play certain characters with specific capabilities.

Cutting back to the main interview, Nyongo’o continues, “When I was younger, one of the things that didn’t help my dislike of reading was the fact that not a lot of the books that I was reading were relevant to my immediate life, to my immediate world.” She adds that, “I realized that books don’t have to be about White people, they can actually represent all people.”

Towards the end of the interview, Nyong’o says simply, “When you are reading stories that have themes and characters that are relevant to your world, then you’re more likely to stick with [reading] longer because you can see the ways in which it is applicable to your life.”

 

20year old, Hannah Olateju at the tender age of 2, had four of her limbs amputated to save her life, after contracting meningitis.

Despite all, she has a lucrative career as a fashion and beauty influencer. Currently, on her platform, she intends focusing on motivating and inspiring others.

She documents her life experiences on her social media, with about 105,000 followers on Instagram, using her platform to boost self-esteem in others

“My childhood was extremely happy, I always remember laughing and playing around like a headless chicken, everything was pretty normal, and that transpired to me been a confident person.”

She is a body positive amputee, and wants people to treat others right, despite their disabilities.

“The only difference between me and you is that I have less limbs”, Hannah explains.

“I would say to people who do have a negative view of amputees and disabled people – get a life’

 

Daniella Ekwueme, founded the Nigerian palm wine company Pamii, in 2016 after a casual thought when looking out at her mother’s land in Abuja. “She just had this farmland and she wasn’t doing anything with it,” she recalls. “So I was like ‘Oh, have you ever thought of planting palm trees and getting palm oil or palm wine and boxing it up?”

Though, her mother’s answer was no, the the idea was already fixed on her entrepreneurial mind. She’d had palm wine—an alcoholic drink made from the sap of various species of palm trees and endeared to many Nigerians—at weddings and gatherings in the past, but it never quite “hit the spot” so to speak. “I realized that every time I’ve had palm wine in Lagos or Abuja, it’s always off or sour. Because palm wine ferments, so the longer you leave it, it gets bitter and [undrinkable]. So anytime I’ve had it at weddings it just doesn’t taste right to me.”

This presented an opportunity for the young student who was just 18-years-old at the time and moving between Lagos, London and Abuja: she could improve upon an age-old product, still very much in demand, by revamping the production process and packaging it. After extensive research and visits to local palm wine farms in Abuja, Ekwueme decided she was ready to experiment. Along with a small team, she bottled her first batches of palm wine in December 2017, calling the product Pamii—a naturally-brewed, premium palm wine. Ekwueme’s product is different—it fills a void in the Nigerian spirits market because it’s actually Nigerian-made. She reminds me that while her company isn’t the first to try bottling the beverage, others fell short due to “poor execution, poor branding,” and failure to “cultivate a brand and lifestyle around it.”

“I had never tried palm wine myself before my uncle served my mom and I a chilled bottle of Pamii during my recent trip to Lagos. “Back then it was considered the drink of choice for the big men in town,” he told me of the slightly sweet, but mostly tangy cream-colored beverage. Likening it to a typical image of old men opening a bottle of aged scotch and gathering around to share war stories. It was traditionally served and preserved in a large “calabash,” a jug made from the fruit of a gourd plant, and bowls made of the same material. “You can just drink it and go to sleep,” he added, clearly speaking from personal experience.

In reality, palm wine is less of a hardy liquor and more like a wine cooler, with an average of only 4% alcohol content by volume (it becomes more alcoholic the longer it ferments) the drink, especially when served chilled, is a light refresher in thick Lagos heat. It’s considered casual and inexpensive.

“Part of what makes Pamii apart is it’s “premium” brand identity and the drinking experience that it promotes, which is a far cry from the old-timey one my uncle described. Instead, Ekwueme wanted to make it more accessible for people in her age group. “Because I’m young, I [thought] let’s get young people drinking palm wine and package it as premium wine,” she says. “So you’re actually telling people this is a drink, it’s really nice. And you can take it to the beach and you can mix it with other things.”

Most importantly though, it tastes good. After tasting Pamii at my uncle’s home in Lagos, my mom and I became curious to try it at the various restaurants we visited. After trying it at the first restaurant, my mom remarked: “No. I like the one we had at your uncle’s house much better.” I agreed and we resorted to drinking from the stash of Pamii stored in my uncle’s “special fridge” for the remainder of our trip. I brought two bottles back with me to the U.S.

As someone with a unique vision and a quality product to offer, 21-year-old Ekwunema—who is preparing to graduate with a degree in Development Economics from London’s SOAS University—represents a very specific kind of Nigeiran “do it yourself” mentality. She’s also an image for what the future of Nigerian entrepreneurship could and should look like: young, forward-thinking, willing to preserve tradition while also improving upon it, and emphatically culture-driven. “I’ve always had an interest in everything African. I’m an African optimist,” she explains, adding that she’s proud of Pamii’s status as a “for Nigerians, by Nigerians” product. “There’s this culture brewing,” she says. “[It’s about] appreciating things from home and reclaiming them and doing them better. Because there’s no reason, honestly and truly, why there’s Guinness beer and no Nigerian homemade beer. There’s just no reason why.”

While her business model is young and progressive, Ekwunema asserts that she’s really just following in the tradition of women-led entrepreneurship that has always existed in Nigeria—even though women haven’t always received the recognition they deserve.”Young women and old women from everywhere in Nigeria, drive the entrepreneurial spirit of the country,” she states firmly. She’s had several examples of this kind of leadership in her own life from her mother, to a friend who owns a wig business, another who runs a honey business and the scores of Nigerian women who fill markets and sell everyday items by the roadside. “If you look on the road, they’re frying puff puff at 4:00 in the morning, they’re making soup, they’re selling corn—I heard of a woman who built a house in her village out of her corn proceeds,” she adds.

Drawing inspiration from these highly-capable women is why she won’t let things like the “mansplaining” she faces from men, who assume she’s too young or too inexperienced to actually know what she’s doing, phase her. “Having a strong mom, I’ve never felt like I could do less. There’s no way someone would tell you no and you listen to the no when you know it’s a yes,” she says quoting words of wisdom from her mother.

Once she graduates, she plans to head back to Lagos to work and continue running Pamii. She expressed slight nervousness, but full-blown excitement about plans to expand and start bottling other popular Nigerian beverages. Though she won’t tell me which one, only stating that it will likely be an accompaniment to Pamii.

Pamii is already being delivered across the country to loyal customers like my uncle, and being sold in select stores. But there’s still so much the young business-owner wants to do, including possibly exporting to the U.K. and the U.S. in the future.

As a young, first-time business owner in Lagos, Ekwueme knows she faces potential challenges, and while she expressed that there may be a “learning curve” ahead, it hasn’t stopped her from getting this far—or from wanting to go even further. “I definitely think we’ve barely reached the surface, like I’ve barely scratched it, and I’m very excited. In the next two to three years, I think Nigeria women will definitely take over for sure.”

Click to read more here

“Do you feel a guy likes you but he is afraid to say it”? This article is just for you!

Some men are shy like that, they will do everything and anything to please you, while acting like you are just a friend. Lol.

The dating scene is tough to navigate. It’s especially difficult when you have to try to read someone and figure out whether they actually like you or not. The fact that lots of people can be cripplingly shy about their attraction definitely doesn’t help matters!

Luckily, no matter how cautious someone is, they’re sure to let slip a few tell-tale signs that indicate their interest. Though they can differ from person to person, for the most part, they’re pretty reliable!

1.   He Jokes about liking you!

It’s not unusual for someone to fear rejection. In fact, it’s very natural. As such, a man who is afraid you aren’t interested and will turn him down may try to test the waters and gauge your reaction to a suggestion that he might like you. He may do this by making jokes about:

Having a crush on you

Going out on a date with you

Calling you his girlfriend or boyfriend

Doing something romantic together

The reason he may tell these jokes is so that if your reaction to them is not positive, he can just laugh it off and play it like a harmless, innocent joke, avoiding awkwardness and saving face.

Depending on whether you want this guy to like you or not, tailor your reactions to be clear and concise so he understands them. React negatively if you’re not interested, and positively if you are. Usually, all you have to do in this scenario if you want him to ask you out is to just react well, and after a few of these jokes, he’ll make the leap and say them for real.

2.   His body language

Body language speaks much louder than verbal language in many cases. That’s why communication, on the whole, is just as much about nonverbal language as it is about the words you say.

There are a number of ways that body language can be one of the biggest signs a man likes you. To begin with, pupil dilation is a very quick and easy way to see if someone likes you, or at least likes your appearance. Pupils dilate when they see something pleasing, after all.

Here are a bunch of other body language signs that you can take note of, such as:

An open facial expression (parted lips, slightly flared nostrils, slightly raised eyebrows)

Touching his face while looking at you

Open arms, not crossed

Facing you with his whole body

Leaning in towards you

Fidgeting with hair

A quick eyebrow raise and lower

Smoothing clothing

Playing with buttons

Fiddling or pulling socks

Spread legs when seated and facing you

Standing with legs at hip-width apart, hands on hips

Sitting on the edge of a seat

Standing straight, chest puffed, shoulders back

“Accidental” light touching

Doing big or loud motions to attract your attention

3.   He appears Jealous, even though he hides it

When you like someone and they don’t know about it, it’s easy to get jealous when other people interact with them. The same is true for most men. As such, if you speak to other people who suit your sexual orientation, flirt with them, or spend time with them, you might notice that the man you’re wondering about gets agitated or angry.

Of course, if this man is a good person, they’ll likely not admit their jealousy and won’t let it get out of hand. Jealousy, after all, is not a very positive emotion and can be toxic. But you might still be able to notice his gritted teeth and demeanor changes when he sees you with someone else.

4.   His Friends know who you are

If you hang out with this guy and his friends and they all seem to know about you, then it’s pretty easy to figure out that the man in question has been talking about you to his buddies. This means he’s likely talked about you, his interest in you, or shared some of his thoughts or feelings about you with them.

Think about it – when you’ve got a crush, don’t you tell your close friends, too? Men do the same, and even shy guys are likely to share their attraction to you with those they trust.

5.   You catch him staring

A man infatuated can’t help looking at the person he’s into. He wants to watch everything they do and admires their subtle actions and movements easily. So if you continually catch a man staring, even just quick, subtle glances, there’s a good chance that he’s into you.

Usually, when you meet the eyes of a man staring at you, he’ll quickly avert his gaze and pretend he wasn’t even looking. This is because he’s frightened of being caught, and isn’t ready to reveal his feelings for you yet. He’ll pretend to be busy, quickly glance at his phone or out the window, and basically look like someone putting on a very unconvincing act!

But, if a man lets you see that he’s staring at you, he’s already flirting with you! At that point, it’s on you to either encourage or discourage the interactions to achieve the end-goal you desire.

It’s difficult not to notice when someone’s eyes are tracking you. The human brain is actually capable of feeling an odd sensation when someone’s gaze won’t leave us, alerting us of what’s going on. Use this positive sixth-sense of sorts to determine whether that guy is watching you!

6.   He acts anxious or nervous

If someone is usually confident and smooth but acts nervously around you, then it’s a sign that they feel something special for you. If he’s usually relaxed and laid-back but becomes high-strung and fidgety whenever you’re around, that’s a pretty good indicator that he likes you!

How can you tell if someone is nervous? Here are some common nervous behaviors that he may exhibit:

A cracking, dry voice

Lots of throat-clearing

Fidgeting with any nearby object

Forgetting information

Blushing

Pacing around or swaying from side to side

Shrinking away or “escaping” the situation

Freezing up

7.   He gives you mild compliments

When someone gives you big compliments, they are being open and honest, and likely aren’t trying to hide anything. They aren’t worried about coming on too strong because they might not be coming onto you at all.

But when a man gives you very small, subtle compliments, it’s often because they’re being extra careful. They’re afraid to tell you that they like you and therefore are giving you “safe” compliments that won’t result in awkwardness or embarrassment if you turn them down. Examples include:

You look nice.

You’re a really good listener.

That’s a nice shirt/skirt/dress.

You did well on that project.

It’s fun hanging out with you!

You’re pretty cool.

You’re really good at (insert hobby or talent).

I like what you’ve done with your hair.

8.   He smiles alot around you

When a man feels good around you, he’s more likely to fall for you. Of course, feeling good also means you’re more likely to be in a good mood. So, if a man is feeling warm and fuzzy inside, they’re sure to let it show on their face through generous smiles. It’s a totally natural and positive reaction!

Of course, do note that smiling doesn’t always refer to happiness – but you can’t deny that someone ecstatic to see you will be grinning from ear to ear! A lot of times, a man who likes you but is afraid to say it will try to dampen his smile or make it less obvious so his feelings aren’t found out.

As such, it’s important that you pay attention to how the smiling occurs. Does this guy smile all the time? Is he usually serious, but now has a bit of a grin? Does he look like he’s trying not to smile too much? Take note!

9.   He Somehow Always Manages To Spend Some Time With You

Someone who likes you is going to want to spend time with you. That’s just how it works. After all, being with that person makes you feel good, so it’s only natural to want to increase those feelings.

Of course, we’re not talking about stalking or predatory behavior. We’re referring to the ways that someone will try to see you as often as he can!

If a man likes you but is afraid of showing it, he will find any and every excuse possible to hang out with you. He just happens to be around you a lot, or chooses or be in close quarters with you. He might:

Decide to attend an event because he knows you’re going

Join your table during meals

Seem to have something to say to you often

Stop by your table/desk/place of work often, even if it’s just for a few minutes

Give you his full attention whenever he is around you

“Bump into you” fairly often

There is more…

When someone is trying to hide their feelings, it can be tough to decipher them and figure out whether or not they’re into you. One or two of these 9 signs a man likes you on very rare occasions may not indicate a serious crush, but several of them exhibited often certainly point to that!

What is there to do next? Well, if you aren’t interested, make it clear. But if you are, then why not make the first move? Waiting it out is a fine option, but it’s definitely a slow one, and sometimes you have to learn to take a leap of faith. So get your positive thinking going and just go for it!

Esther Ijewere™©

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Charles County, MD — When EmauniJ Manley, a 7-year old girl, noticed that some of her classmates couldn’t afford school lunch, she immediately thought of a way to help them. She then created an online fundraiser, and hundreds of people helped her surpass her goal.

“I saw some kids just eating a cheese sandwich,” EmauniJ told NBC.

When she learned from her mother that other kids don’t have money to put on their lunch account, she decided that “I need to do a fundraiser so I can get more money for kids,” she added.

EmauniJ and her mother, who also works at her school, started the fundraiser on Facebook to raise money to pay the unpaid lunch accounts of as many students as possible.

The initial goal of the fundraiser was $800, but a week after it was started, it has already reached more than $4,300.

Principal Ben Harrington praised EmauniJ for her efforts. He said, “It’s really cool to see a student who’s 7 taking the initiative to impact other students at the school.”

According to Harrington, out of 500 students, about 100 receive alternative lunches, even though the school system is doing its best to avoid it.

“Elementary school students have a $25 deficit,” Harrington said. “They can go $25 before they get the alternative meal. Once you get into that deficit, sometimes it’s difficult to come back.”

Moreover, EmauniJ, who also became a published author of a book about having a positive self-image at the age of 5, is hoping she could raise more money to help her classmates in need.

 

Source: Blacknews

At 31, Rihanna Robyn Fenty is the highest-earning female musician and a staple in both the beauty and fashion industries.
She will be receiving the President’s Award — which recognizes special achievement and distinguished public service — at the 51st National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 22 in Pasadena, California.
She is a high achieving, nine-time Grammy award winner, executive producer, fashion designer, actress; and a global advocate. In 2012, she founded The Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 11: Singer Rihanna attends the launch of her first visual autobiography, 

In a statement released by the organization, Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, commented on what sets Rihanna apart for the award.

“Rihanna has not only enjoyed a groundbreaking career as an artist and musician but has also distinguished herself as a stellar public servant. From her business achievements through Fenty to her tremendous record as an activist and philanthropist, Rihanna epitomizes the type of character, grace, and devotion to justice that we seek to highlight in our President’s Award.”

Johnson will present the award to Rihanna during the LIVE TV special on BET on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, in Pasadena, California.

Previous recipients includes last year’s recipient Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Jesse Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Soledad O’Brien, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Muhammad Ali among others. 

Winners for the 51st NAACP Image Awards will be revealed during the LIVE TV special airing on BET on Saturday.

Kim Kardashian West makes an amazing step for a woman we met years ago on reality TV.  She changed her focus to prison reforms so dramatically?

On her kids, she said they see so much of how she studies, go to school like them and how she opens up to them about what she does. They’re so young now, but seeing their mom make a difference means everything.

As Kim matures, its obvious she’s realizing how her A-list status can make a real impact on the lives of others.

On UsMagazine, Kim explained, “They (her children) just see so much, you know, they see that I have to study, they see that I go to school, just like they go to school and we talk about little things like that. I have always been really open and honest with my kids about what I’m doing and what’s going on, and I think they’ll appreciate it, definitely when they get older.”

She said her kids have met people she has helped, thanks to her work.

Perhaps Kim wants her children to grow up in a world where they know it’s up to all of us to demand action when things seem unjust.

This is a good lesson that it’s never too late to embark on a new path.

Her father was an attorney, and as The Things reported, that was influential in sparking her interest in the area of law. She may not have followed this passion earlier, but she has now taken action and has followed in his footsteps.

Will any of Kim’s kids follow her lead? Which is a good example been laid out for them.

For more click here