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WOMAN GOES FROM TEACHING ENGLISH TO OWNING MULTIPLE BUSINESSES IN KOREA

Jessica Fry, a native Michigander, who left the U.S. for South Korea about 11 years ago to teach English. Fry told Travel Noire that she initially left so she could save money to invest in real estate. “I was looking for a change and a way to save money so I thought I would come to Korea, save money, and then start a business. I read a blog that you can come to Korea and work and not have to pay rent,” Fry said. 

Soon after arriving in Korea, she realized that the opportunities for other types of business were endless. She also very quickly realized that there was a need for more Black hair care products. The area of Pyeongtaek, where Fry lived, was home to a large Army and Air Force base. Her idea for hair care came after researching ways to make the soldiers lives easier. This led to the opening of Fry’s first beauty supply store, Honey Hair. 

The business quickly took off and Honey Hair eventually became one of the largest beauty supply stores in the country, offering products that women couldn’t find anywhere else. 

“I wanted to meet the needs of Black women. I have also expanded to being able to meet the needs of women in general, even Asian women. A unique quality that I have is that I’m a great buyer. So, I’m great at finding the trendiest things and products that people need,” Fry told Travel Noire.

Fry went on to try her hand in a number of other business endeavors. She opened up a boutique clothing store that she was eventually able to sell to the government. Then she used the money to open up a small sandwich shop which eventually turned into a larger restaurant, JJ’s American Diner. 

Photo courtesy of JJ’s American Diner/Travel Noire

The diner provides a true American experience and authentic American cuisine. Fry said that “the restaurant is really focused on being just like America. It’s a novel experience for the Koreans and a taste of home for the soldiers.”

She has absolutely no plans of slowing down either. Fry is planning on launching even more businesses including a swimsuit shop and a natural and holistic health business. To learn more about her business go to www.naturalbeautykorea.com or follow Honey Hair via social media. 

Keep doing what you’re doing Jessica. We are truly inspired!

Photo courtesy of Jessica Fry/Travel Noire

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ALL STAR CAST TO RETURN FOR COMING TO AMERICA 2

It’s official, everyone is coming back to star in the sequel for Coming To America. 

Deadline and Variety were first to report that Shari Headley and Vanessa Bell Calloway will both be reviving their roles. Headley played Lisa McDowell, the romantic interest of Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and Calloway played Iman Izzi, Prince Akeem’s betrothed bride in the original film. The two round out a long list of original cast members returning for the sequel including, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, Paul Bates and John Amos.

The original film centered around Prince Akeem who traveled to New York to find love before marrying and becoming the rightful heir of Zamunda. The second installation finds Prince Akeem awaiting to be crowned, before he discovers he has a child, and travels back to the U.S. from Zamunda to meet the son he never knew, a witty street hustler named Lavelle. 

Also joining the cast are Jermaine Fowler (Sorry To Bother You), KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk), Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live), Rapper Rick Ross, and the incomparable Wesley Snipes. 

Calloway was the last of the original cast members to close the deal. Murphy is producing the film alongside Kenya Barris (Black-ish). The sequel, now titled Coming 2 America is set to be released in theaters in late 2020.

As the cast is being assembled and the final details are being made, we are also remembering the amazing Madge Sinclair, Queen Aoleon, who died in 1995.

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25-YEAR-OLD CREATES $7.3M TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY

25 year old Chaymeriyia Moncrief, launched Tesix Wireless, a telecommunications firm offering prepaid cell phone service eight months ago, and it is already valued at $7.3 million. 

The Alabama native said the idea was birthed out of frustration with cell phone companies and their hidden fees. “You go in and they say your phone bill is going to be $98, but you are getting a $150 or $200 bill. I think the final straw for me was a $235 bill, and that is when I said I want my own company,” Moncrief told WSFA.

Tesix wants to get rid of everything millennials hate about their wireless plans and give them more of what they want. The company boasts no contracts, unlimited data, unlimited talk and text and a free customizable 2nd phone number, so we can get rid of those Google voice numbers for business.

Before its launch in December 2018, Moncrief received a $4.4M offer to sell the company. Tesixwas already valued at over $1M and rising because of its customer waitlist and notable investments from several high profile people including Ladarius Gunter (former-Green Bay Packers Cornerback), Shaun Hamilton (Washington Redskins Linebacker), and Ayodeji Olatoye (Atlanta Falcon Cornerback). Moncrief turned the offer down. 

When asked why she turned declined the offer Moncrief said,  “If anyone is willing to offer this amount of money for a company that hadn’t launched, it was because they saw value, they saw the worth. What they didn’t realize, however, is that I too saw the value of my company.” By the time Tesix launched, its value had already surpassed the initial offer, coming in at $5.9M.

Since her target audience is millennials, Moncrief does a lot of her marketing via social media. She’s been busy partnering with influencers to increase the brands profile and spread the word. The company is currently valued at $7.3M and has seen an influx of subscribers since its 1st quarter. 

Moncrief’s goal is to build out her own infrastructure and be able to provide an in house network and make Tesix its own carrier. Currently, the company is opening two stores and recently released its very own smartphone. 

 

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GEORGIA TEEN WINS DOODLE FOR GOOGLE CONTEST WITH AN IMAGE HONORING HER MOTHER

Arantza Peña Popo created a Doodle titled “Once you get it, give it back,” that shows “a framed picture of [the teen and her] mother carrying [her] as a baby (a real picture in [her] house) and below the picture [of Popo], caring for her [mother] when she’s older in the future.”

Popo said that she came up with the idea the day submissions were due. “I looked at the photograph of my mother (the real version that inspired the drawing) and thought, ‘Hey, why don’t I reverse it?’ I wanted to focus more on a message of helping out my awesome mother more than anything else.”

Well she is definitely helping her mother now. Popo’s win was announced Monday evening on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As the winner, she gets her Doodle displayed on Google.com for one day, a $30,000 scholarship to college a $50,000 technology package for her school and a trip to Google’s headquarters in California. 

The National Doodle for Google contest began in 2008 and is open to all students, K-12, who want to submit their artwork. Fallon served as one of this year’s judges. Popo said she has been interested in art since she was very young. She was having a hard time coming up with anything to submit for the contest but got inspired by her mother in the final hours. The theme for this year was “When I grow up, I hope…”

Popo, who was valedictorian of her class says she hopes to pursue studies in literature.

Congratulations, from all of us here at Because Of Them We Can. 

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ANGELA BASSETT, REGINA KING, AND CIARA TO RECEIVE HONORS AT THE 2019 BLACK GIRLS ROCK! AWARD SHOW

The highly anticipated BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Award show is back for another year with even more unapologetic Black girl magic!

The annual award show highlights the exemplary achievements of Black women and girls, past and present, across the globe. 

This year’s award show is hosted by Emmy nominated actress, Niecy Nash, and will tape in Newark, New Jersey at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). Honorees include THE Angela Bassett who will be receiving the much deserved Icon Award, Regina King (Star Power Award), Ciara (Rock Star Award), Academy Award nominated producer Debra Martin Chase (Shot Caller Award), two-time Grammy award winning artist H.E.R. (Young Gifted and Black Award) and activists and heroines, “The Mothers of The Movement,” Sybrina Fulton, Geneva Reed Veal, Gwen Carr, Lucy McBath, Maria Hamilton and Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley who will all be receiving the Community Change Agent Award.  

The BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Award show was founded by celebrity DJ and model, Beverly Bond. Bond created the show to celebrate women of color who are breaking barriers, trendsetting and trailblazing in their chosen industries.  Since 2006, the award show has been dedicated to empowering women and girls through media, leadership, education and pro-social programs. “I am thrilled to host this year’s BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards. We are celebrating Black women who serve the world with style, grace, class and sass,” said 2019 host Niecy Nash in a statement.

Past honorees include  #MeToo Movement founder Tarana Burke, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige, dance legend Judith Jamison, actress Issa Rae and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.  Founder and executive producer, Beverly Bond said that “BLACK GIRLS ROCK on BET is the mecca for Black girl brilliance. This show is the preeminent annual celebration of Black women and girls influence across sectors and this year’s cohort of celebrants are stellar examples of our illustrious contributions to the world.”

The award show will air on Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 8pm EST on BET. And of course, we’ll be watching!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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POLICE SEIZE COZA’S PASTOR FATOYINBO’S INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT, CONDUCT SEARCH ON HIS HOUSE AND OFFICE

Detectives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department(FCID), Abuja, investigating the alleged rape against pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo on Wednesday, August 28 conducted a search on the residence and office of the embattled pastor in Abuja.

According to a report by Daily Sun, the police also seized the passport of Fatoyinbo, as part of the bail conditions granted to the pastor. Fatoyinbo was also made to provide two level 16 officers with landed property in Abuja, before he was allowed to be taken on bail.

He was however told to be reporting to the FCID on a daily basis until investigation is concluded. The COZA pastor who attended another round of interrogation Wednesday, has since been released to go home. A source told Daily Sun that part of the investigation that took place on Wednesday was a search on the home of the pastor and his office by detectives.

According to source,  “the home of the pastor and his office were searched today by detectives investigating the matter, but I cannot tell you what they found, but defiantly they were looking for  incriminating documents and other evidences that was revealed by witnesses during the discreet investigation conducted in the matter.

“Also part of the bail conditions given to pastor Fatoyinbo is that he provides two level 16 officers who have landed property in Abuja, and that his international passport to be deposited with the police which he has done”.

 

Source: LIB

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NIGERIA REDUCES VISA FEE FOR U.S CITIZENS

 

The U.S government on Tuesday, had announced an additional visa reciprocity fee for Nigerians who have been granted visa into the country, saying the decision is as a result of U.S citizens paying higher to get visa into Nigeria.

The announcement had said U.S citizens pay $110 higher, to apply for a Nigerian visa, than what Nigerians pay to apply for a U.S visa.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mohammed Manga, spokesman of the ministry of interior, announced that the visa fee for Americans had been reduced, according to TheCable.

Manga said the fee has now been reduced to $160, the application fee for Nigerians to get U.S visa

The statement said:

The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to the introduction of reciprocity of Visa Fees by the United States of America. The Ministry acknowledges that there were engagements with the United States Embassy on the issue and in the aftermath, a Committee was set up to conduct due diligence in line with the Ministry’s extant policy on reciprocity of Visa fees.

The Committee had concluded its assignment and submitted a Report but the issuance of authorisation for its recommendations was delayed due to transition processes in the Ministry at the policy level.

The Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has approved the decrease of Visa charges payable by US citizens in line with reciprocity policy as recommended by the Committee.

Accordingly, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has been directed to implement the decrease in Nigeria’s Visa charges to US Citizens with effect from Thursday, 29th August, 2019.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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VIOLA DAVIS TO PLAY MICHELLE OBAMA IN NEW SERIES ‘FIRST LADIES’

Viola Davis is set to play former US First lady, Michelle Obama, in a brand new White House drama series, titled ‘First Ladies’ currently in the works at Showtime.

The network has given the prospective one-hour drama a three-script commitment, with novelist Aaron Cooleyon board to write and executive produce, Deadline reports.

The series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of First Ladies throughout history, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. The series is from Showtime and Lionsgate Television.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1979, IRANIAN WOMEN TO BE ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE STADIUM TO WATCH WATCH MEN’S FOOTBALL

Amidst heightened pressure from FIFA, Iranian women fans will be allowed to attend the men’s soccer World Cup qualifying match in the Islamic Republic in October

While foreign women have been allowed limited access to matches in Iran, Iranian women have been banned from stadiums when men’s teams are playing since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

FIFA wrote to the Iranian Football Federation in June asking it to provide a timeline toward women being able to buy tickets for the qualifiers, or face consequences.

“Women can go to Tehran’s Azadi stadium to watch the match between Iran’s national team and Cambodia in October for the Qatar World Cup qualifier,” IRNA quoted deputy Sports Minister Jamshid Taghizadeh as saying.

The AFC, the Asian soccer governing body which has 47 members including Iran, said on Tuesday it was working to help world soccer governing body FIFA find an “amicable solution” that would allow Iranian female fans to attend future games in Iran.

Iranian female fans have long campaigned to be allowed to watch men’s soccer and occasionally a limited number of women have been allowed into the stadium. In June, some women were detained by security forces when they went to the Azadi Stadium for a friendly against Syria.

The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar.

Credit: LIB

 

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SCARLETT JOHANSSON BECOMES WORLD’S HIGHEST PAID ACTRESS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW

Scarlett Johansson has been named the highest-paid actress for the second time in a row.

This was revealed by Forbes in its highest-paid actresses list of  2019.

Johansson dominates the list thanks to her Marvel paycheck with a salary of $56 million.

Second place goes to Sofia Vergara, who is officially the highest-paid television actress thanks to her work on Modern Family with a salary of $44.1 million.

Reese Witherspoon takes third place with $35 million, followed closely behind by Nicole Kidman with $34 million.

Notably this year, Angelina Jolie drops off the top ten list compared to last year when she made $28 million.

Sofia Vergara is also the only person of colour to make this year’s highest-paid actresses list.

See full list below

Forbes highest paid actresses of 2019

  1. Scarlett Johansson – $56 million
  2. Sofia Vergara – $44.1 million
  3. Reese Witherspoon – $35 million
  4. Nicole Kidman – $34 milion
  5. Jennifer Aniston – $28 million
  6. Kaley Cuoco – $25 milion
  7. Elisabeth Moss – $24 million
  8. Margot Robbie – $23.5 million
  9. Charlize Theron – $23 million
  10. Ellen Pompeo – $22 million

 

 

Credit: fabwoman.ng

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