Women of Rubies
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#PROFILE| MEET HENRIETTA LACKS, THE SUBJECT OF A MEDICAL EXPERIMENT STILL SAVING LIVES TODAY

Doctors stole her cells. Henrietta Lacks was an accidental pioneer of modern-day medicine; her cells are saving lives today even though she died in 1951.

Lacks was a 31-year-old mother of five when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Just months before her death, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore sliced pieces of tissue from her cancerous tumor without her consent — in effect, stealing them. It was another instance of decades of medical apartheid and clinical practices that discriminated against blacks. Lacks was not a slave, but parts of her cancerous tumor represent the first human cells ever bought and sold.

Her cells, known among scientists as HeLa, were unusual in that they could rapidly reproduce and stay alive long enough to undergo multiple tests. Lacks’ cells — now worth billions of dollars — live in laboratories across the world. They played an important part in developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization. The HeLa cell line has been used to develop drugs for treating herpes, leukemia, influenza and Parkinson’s disease. They’ve been influential in the study of cancer, lactose digestion, sexually transmitted diseases and appendicitis.

Lacks’ story is an example of the often-problematic intersection of ethics, race, and medicine, a link to the dark history of exploitation of, and experimentation on, African-Americans that ranges from the Tuskegee syphilis study to a 19th-century doctor experimenting with gynecological treatments on slave women without anesthetics.

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OLACHI OLATUNJI: ONE GIRLS’ GUIDE TO STRESS-FREE PARENTING

Part 1 of 3

If there’s any area that receives more unsolicited advice than dating, its parenting.

Everyone seems to have an idea how you can do it better – Don’t pick him up, don’t cuddle them too much, you don’t cuddle them enough, hug them every day, don’t hug them every day, spank them, don’t spank them — which is it?

At some point, you have probably also dealt with the seeming hap-hazard behavior of children themselves; all of a sudden, they decide its either they get this toy, or they die – *cue tantrum*. Not to mention all the people around you giving you the eye, silently judging you (huh, story of my life).

Add all of this to the fact that you are busy!

You work, you run businesses, you volunteer, and you speak at your kids’ school. You have a lot going on and life is crazy enough already but everyone seems to always have ideas and opinions about how you should be doing it, how you should be parenting.

The problem here is that a lot of this ‘advice’ is mostly methods and very little principles. Methods don’t work on each kid in the same way or even at all – so how does all of this leave you?

F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-E-D, Tired and confused.

Here, here now, the first thing I’d say in response to this is “Hold your center”. Hold your what?

Well, your center, your middle, your core.

Here’s how to hold it

You can’t control every move of your child and to attempt to do this will be suicide. So why do you keep trying? What can you do instead? Focus on the center.

A friend of mine told me of the only day he his Father hit him – he had lied about something silly – stealing a fork or something like that. His Father found out and gave him the beating of his life. Now, if you are where I’m from, you know exactly what this means.

That was the only time in his 40 years on earth that he recalls his father had EVER hit him. It’s clear that the center for his dad was NOT raising a liar.

He would let many things go but lying was NOT acceptable and he made it clear.

P.S: I’m not advocating that you hit your child, this was just this fathers’ approach to holding the center. Use yours.

You can’t shout every time they do something wrong, you can’t make an issue EVERYTIME they lose a toy, refuse to tidy their room or shove their sibling. You will exhaust both yourself and your child and eventually, they will tune you out.

Here’s what you can do – Decide what is really really important to you as a parent – what kind of child you want to raise, what values you want at their core, and focus here.

This is your center.

You want your kid to be able to come to you when they need to; and this will be unlikely if you keep yelling at them at every slip-up. Focusing on the center will make it abundantly clear to your kids what is acceptable and what is not, it gives them a few big things to focus on instead of trying to be perfect at all the other little things like sharing their toys or cleaning their rooms.  I’m not saying these things aren’t important, but will it really really matter in 5 years that your child isn’t potty trained now?

I mean, really! Think about it.

Look out for #part2 in this 3-part series. Big brother is always watching but he’s not who you think he is…

About Olachi

Hey, my name is Olachi and I like to refer to myself as a ‘thinking enthusiast.’

I love a few things, number one of them being learning and number two would be spreading.

I believe in the power of right thinking to transform lives and as a result; I enjoy spreading knowledge, inspiring thinking and encouraging movement.

I however am not a very serious person so please don’t expect to find me in a suit… In a crowd with beating music though, find me somewhere in the middle – moving to the beat and filling my soul with joy.

Olachi Olatunji

Chief Curator,

THEKNOWLEDGEOFHOW Blog.

#TKOH

 

 

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77-YEAR-OLD WOMAN BAGS DEGREE FROM UNILAG

A 77-year-old female retiree was among the 1,008 students of the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, that bagged a degree at the institution’s 2017/2018 Convocation Ceremonies which held today April 2nd.

The retiree, who refused to mention her name to journalists, said that the achievement was her dream come true. According to her, she did not want to sit at home after her retirement, hence her choice to pursue a first degree.

“I studied guidance and counselling and I am most grateful to God Almighty who made me to see this day. I will not like my name to be mentioned because I know where I am coming from and what I am protecting. I am a retired officer. I have worked in a lot of countries around the world and also in Nigeria, where I finally retired,’’ she told journalists.

The retiree who was visibly elated, said

“You know when you retire like that, you will not want to stay at home and be dying slowly. Education has no limit. It is from cradle to death in order for one to add value to the society”.

 

Credit: LIB
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JENNIFER LOPEZ SUED FOR $6.5M FOR ‘STEALING’ THE IDEA OF ‘WORLD OF DANCE’ TV SHOW

American singer, Jennifer Lopez, who is the judge and executive producer on NBC’s  “World of Dance,” is being sued by a man who claims he came up with the idea for the TV show.

The man named Alvin Gray-El reportedly filed a federal lawsuit this week against J.Lo, NBC and famed choreographer Debbie Allen.

Alvin Gray-El ?is suing J Lo claiming ‘WoD’ is a total rip from an idea he first pitched to renowned choreographer Debbie Allen.

According to another court documents obtained by The Blast, Gray-El claims he came up with the idea for a show called “Let’s Start the Dance” back in 2009. He claims to have faxed a letter to Debbie Allen and her production company in an effort to see if she was interested in producing the show.

Gray-El claims he never heard back from her. In 2010, Gray-El claims he had the show registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Years later  Gray-El claims he discovered “World of Dance” was in the works at NBC in 2017. He says he tried to contact NBC to notify them of the copyright infringement but says he didn’t get a reply.

Gray-El is asking for $5 million in actual damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages.

But a source told Page Six on Tuesday that Jennifer Lopez didn’t come up with the idea herself. He went on to explain that“ World of Dance” began as an organization that existed prior to the show’s creation and that NBC brought the idea to Lopez.

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FEDERAL COURT RULES AGAINST A NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL’S DRESS CODE REQUIRING GIRLS TO WEAR SKIRTS

Based on a new ruling issued by a federal court in North Carolina, female students attending Charter Day, a school in Leland, North Carolina, will no longer be forced to wear skirts as part of their required school uniforms.

 

The ruling comes after guardians of three students who attend the school, comprised of 900 students in grades kindergarten through eighth, sued the district in 2016 on behalf of the students, CBS News reports.

In their suit, the guardians alleged that in forcing female students to wear skirts, the students have “to pay constant attention to the positioning of their legs during class, distracting them from learning, and has led them to avoid certain activities altogether, such as climbing or playing sports during recess, all for fear of exposing their undergarments and being reprimanded by teachers or teased by boys.”

As the school’s dress code previously read, the required uniform policy was enacted to “serve the School’s mission of providing a classical education by creating a traditional learning environment.” Under the previous dress code, girls were required to wear jumpers, skirts, or skorts that were knee-length or longer. Boys were permitted to wear pants and shorts.

Per a ruling by Judge Malcolm J. Howard, female students will no longer be required to wear skirts. As his ruling states, “Women (and girls) have, for at least several decades, routinely worn both pants and skirts in various settings, including professional settings and school settings. Females have been allowed to wear trousers or pants in all but the most formal or conservative settings since the 1970s.” The judge went on to say that “the skirts requirement causes the girls to suffer a burden the boys do not, simply because they are female.”

According to The New York Times, Baker Mitchell, founder of the Roger Bacon Academy, a company which operates four charter schools in North Carolina, said that following the ruling, the Charter Day School Board was “analyzing the opinion and will be meeting with counsel in the very near future to discuss their options moving forward.”

 

Credit: Teen Vogue 

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LUPITA NYONG’O WRITES BOOK TO INSPIRE CHILDREN TO LOVE THE SKIN THEY ARE IN

Here’s the plot for the book titled “Sulwe”.

Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.

In this book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty.

She shared a post about the book on Twitter:

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7  CORE BEHAVIORS OF PEOPLE WHO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE WORLD

Look around you and you’ll see three kinds of people – those who hate their work, and complain bitterly, those who just tolerate their work and see it as a paycheck and aren’t looking for more (or feel they can’t have more), and finally, those who love their work, and relish it.  The third category is a small subset of all professionals globally, but this group stands out because these are, most often, the people who change the world for the better.

It’s critical to note that people who’ve made a real difference aren’t all privileged, advantaged or “special” by any stretch.  Many come from disadvantaged families, crushing circumstances and initially limited capabilities, but have found ways to pick themselves up and rise above their circumstances (and their genes) to transform their own lives and those around them.

The 9 core behaviors of people who positively impact the world are:

  1. They dedicate themselves to what gives their life meaning and purpose.

Thousands of people today don’t believe in meaning and purpose as something to discover or pursue in life.  And others believe in a life purpose but won’t take the risk to identify or honor it.  Those with positive influence feel otherwise.  They have found that there is a purpose to their life, and that purpose usually involves some aspect of turning their “mess into a message,” or using what they’ve learned (often the hard way) as a means of being of service to others.  People with a sense of purpose are driven, focused, committed, and lit up from the inside – unable to be deterred or distracted from what they believe is the reason they’re on this planet at this time. This sense of meaning and purpose gives them inexhaustible drive and offers guideposts to follow along the path.  It informs them of what they wish to attend to in life, and what they need to walk away from because it doesn’t support their higher purpose.

2. They invest time and energy not in what is, but what can be.

The people I’ve interacted with and interviewed who’ve made a positive impact in the world don’t settle for conformity.  When they see something that agitates and disturbs them, they strive to know more, get to the root of the issue, research and understand the contributing factors, and arrive at new solutions.  They observe gaps and mistakes in common thinking and behavior, and trust themselves in their belief that it’s time to push the boundaries of what’s accepted.   They want to affect change because they believe change will bring a better way to live.

3. They embrace critique.

The most powerful positive influencers don’t need or want to be “right” – they want to grow and be more effective.  For that to occur, they walk right into critique, and they embrace challenge.  They’re not afraid to put their work out there for others to poke holes in.   They are strong and confident in the face of opposition, yet know how to integrate constructive feedback to strengthen their work and ideas. They engage in open dialogue and welcome scrutiny.

4. They spread what they know.

We’ve all met authors or “experts” who keep their knowledge secret, close to the vest. They’re afraid to let it out for fear someone will steal it or make money on their ideas.  This is the opposite of the positive influencer’s mindset.  Those who make a true positive difference can’t help but share and teach what they’ve learned. They don’t see their knowledge as just some commodity to sell, as a meal ticket or a money maker – they see it as information that has to be shared with the world for its betterment. They believe their ideas and innovations are of use and value to others, and can’t help but share those openly, and teach others what they’ve learned.  They live the universal principle  – “the more you give, the more you get.”

5. They uplift others as they ascend.

You’ve experienced, as I have, scores of “leaders” and high-achievers who’ve gotten where they are by stepping on the heads and backs of those in the way.  These are not true leaders or influencers because their power is a sham – it was obtained unethically and is shallow and weak, and can’t be sustained over the long haul.   I have encountered power-mongers who were crushing and cruel to their subordinates and I wondered when they would finally reap what they’ve sown.  Over the long term, this day always comes.

On the other hand, people who positively impact the world not only obtain amazing results in their work, but their process of obtaining these results – how they operate in life — is also inspiring and uplifting.  They are happy to help and support others, and have an overflow of positive energy that enriches the lives of everyone they work with and connect with.  These positive influencers want others to grow.  They walk away from “success-building” opportunities that will be hurtful and damaging to others. They know that those unethical, demeaning or destructive approaches go against the very meaning and purpose they’re committed to.

6. They view the journey as the goal.

Positive influencers don’t take short cuts or go for the quick buck or easy answer. They don’t view some arbitrary goal or outcome as a destination, because they believe there is no end – it’s all in the journey.  It’s about what they’re learning, experiencing, and building that helps others, and for that, there is no defined end point.  They embrace failure more readily than others as “information” that guides them.  They are more fluid and flexible, and more open to the “how’s” because their ultimate goal is not about upholding their title, income, reputation, stature or power, but about new ways to help and share what they know.

7.They use their power and influence well.

Sadly, it’s a common occurrence in business today to witness power and influence being wielded as a weapon. It hurts and destroys. Positive influencers use their power well and wisely. They understand the widespread influence they have, the power they have to build up and elevate, or tear down.  Those who impact the world for the better are careful and judicious with their words, actions and behaviors. They operate with heart, and care deeply about their leadership and communication process and style, and the influence they have.  They take it seriously, as a special honor and responsibility not to be flaunted or misused.  They understand their special role, and accept it with grace, compassion, and care.

Are you longing to make a positive impact in the world?  If so, do these behaviors match your own? How are they different?

By: Kathy Caprino for Forbes

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AYOMIDE BELLO BECOMES THE FIRST NIGERIAN TO WIN GOLD AT AN INTERNATIONAL WATER SPORTS EVENT

Since the Nigeria Rowing, Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF) was formed, the country has never finished tops in an international outdoor water sports competition.

That was until Sunday when Ayomide Bello won a gold medal at the Open International Canoe Sprint Competition. Making her the first Nigerian to win the top prize at an international water sports competition. The athlete took home gold at the Open International Canoe Sprint Competition in India, coming in first place in the final of the 200 meters event.

According to Nigerian Sports publication Brila, The athlete also won bronze in the “individual event (C1 500m), and two more in the C2 500m and C2 200m team events, with her partner Blessing Amusar.” Their success means that Team Nigeria left the competition with a total of four medals.

Both athletes competed in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina, as highlighted in this BBC Pidgin report.

“The federation is proud of the achievement of the athletes in India and we hope they will do more in other international engagement,” Secretary of the NRCSF, Bunmi Oluode told the News Agency of Nigeria according to The Sun.

Next, the athlete will head to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where we hope to see her shine once again

Credit : fabwoman.ng
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CHUKWUNETA OBY: VICTIMS OF OUR EMOTIONAL DAMAGE…

Sometimes, all a lady seems to just want is a husband material, the type of man that comes with the right values, etc.

Then, when such a man seems to come her way, she realizes that he is a husband material quite alright, just that he lacks that “swag”, that sexiness, that “fine boy” edge…that excites. And he ends up being roundly abused!

Therefore, a man who has only treated a woman well ends up being paid back with ingratitude. All these and more have simply taught me that some of us are simply victims of our emotional damage. When a man is not mean to them and has not treated them badly… they don’t feel complete. Playboys seem to hold a permanent magnet of sorts on them. A decent guy is not easily appreciated by them.

Even after going through a harrowing experience in the hands of a man that has been mean to her, as soon as she catches her breath…she finds her way back to him-for more experiences.

The proclivity towards bad boys has a strong hold on most women. Yet we all know that it takes stability of (attitude) for a relationship to succeed…anything contrary leaves a trail of heartbreak and tears behind.

There are men that deafen one’s hearing with “wife material requests” but the moment a decent lady comes their way-they get bored faster than fast and begin to yearn for the wild ones. People, to whom “goodness” is lost on, get their kicks from being saddled with unpleasant characters.

One of my friends had been on my neck to help find him a wife.

When it seemed to me he was serious enough, I decided to show him some pictures of a few friends that are still in the singles market.

I didn’t bother asking him too many questions about the qualities he wants in a lady because experience has taught me that some of them can tell you all you want to hear-just to impress and make you conclude they’ve got their heads properly screwed on their shoulders-even when their body language is pointing to the things (freaky in nature) that are left unsaid.

So, I decided to come to my own conclusion by watching him. I observed that CHARACTER was not in the picture (yet) for him and he bluntly confirmed my worst fears by telling me that once he is OKAY with a lady’s looks-he can easily tolerate her character…

Interestingly, his past failed relationships have a similar trend (IN YOUR FACE looks –amongst the ladies), judging from the pictures of his EX (es) that he showed me. My only worry is that he continued to let LOOKS be the sole determinant of his choice of a marriage partner.

I expected him to veer from this norm for once and see if he can get a different outcome. That is my opinion, though!

He has made his choice and I have never stopped praying for the success of that “setting” because my humble neck is seriously at stake here-should anything go awry. I am the one that’s going to receive “you are siding with him/her’’ bullets from both sides, when things get out of hand and one has to intervene.

However, if you find yourself frustrated that all your niceness has not yielded results in your love life, please don’t fall prey to the mentality that you have to give up “being good” to attract someone.

Being less than yourself won’t fulfill you. Also, perish the thought that whom you love should love you back. Actually, no one owes you their affections because you feel you are good. Everyone’s heart is theirs to give at their own discretion and it cannot be demanded.

A friend once said: “Most Nigerian ladies don’t appreciate a good or gentle man because most times 99 per cent of men and women carry the baggage of the last bad relationships to the new one. They already expect the worse even before it happens. Yes, experience is a good teacher, but we stick more to the past and destroy the present and future in our relationships. Another thing is the attitude of “I will get and take what I can immediately first and forget about tomorrow’’. A wise man once told me and I quote “life and happiness is a journey and not a destination.”

But, this concludes it for me: ‘’Nigerians take everything as a destination, our life, our job, our family and love life, all as a destination. The situation in Nigeria has also changed the dynamics of relationships, most guys see women as commodities and women see men as opportunity to get and better their lot. We should look at relationships as a selfless venture for the one we love.’’

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FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, VOGUE ARABIA PUTS THREE BLACK HIJABI MODELS ON THE COVER

For the first time in history, three black Hijabi models were featured on the cover of Vogue Arabia, the April issue. Models Halima Aden, Ikram Abdi Omar, and Amina Adan were photographed by Txema Yeste and styled by Vogue Arabia fashion director, Katie Trotter, with a focus on shattering stereotypes associated with modest fashion and Muslim women.

This is the first cover for Abdi Omar and Amina Adan, and Halima Aden’s second since she was featured on the cover of the magazine’s June 2017 issue. In the Vogue Arabia article that accompanies the cover story, Aden said, “I think it’s important to remember that wearing a hijab is a woman’s personal choice. It doesn’t make her any better or worse than another Muslim woman. To me, it symbolizes modesty and gives me a sense of power.”

They spoke about their experiences as young Muslim women and the discrimination that comes with that identity. Adan, who is the first Hijabi model signed to a Danish agency, said, “Most people are afraid to ask questions and have a conversation about it, even if they are genuinely curious. All they know about Muslim people stems from the news or videos on the Internet about women not having the same rights as men.”

The effort to better represent Muslim women is not lost on fashion fans around the world, and many had a lot to say about the cover and its significance. Gigi Hadid praised the cover on Twitter, saying, “Vogue Arabia is really out there showing people how it’s done.” Another Twitter user said, “Somali girls singlehandedly putting Vogue Arabia on the map the power and international implications!!!” On Instagram people were posting and praising the cover, too. One user posted “Happy #MuslimWomen’s Day! Today We celebrate with the historic all-hijabi/Somali women Vogue Arabia Cover!” Another user posted the photo of the cover with the caption, “Use the power of fashion and magazines to make society more inclusive.”

This year it seems fashion’s attempts at more representation and inclusion are picking up pace.

 

Credit: Teen Vogue

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