Divine Women of Our Time: Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks (born December 4, 1973) is an American media personality, actress, occasional singer, former model and businesswoman. She began modeling in the 11th grade. She later went to Paris, France to do some runway modeling. Within Banks' first week in Paris, designers were so entranced by her presence on the runway that she was booked for an unprecedented twenty-five shows – a record in the business for a newcomer. She has done extensive print and/or runway work for fashion/advertising giants until she retired from modeling.


Banks was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the VH1 award for Supermodel of the Year. That same year, she became the first-ever African American chosen for the cover of the Victoria's Secret catalog Banks was a top supermodel of the 1990s, when she became the first African-American model featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Famously curvy even by supermodel standards, she was a regular on fashion magazine covers and in the Victoria's Secret catalog. Banks also dabbled in acting, with appearances in the movies Higher Learning (1995, with Jennifer Connelly) and Coyote Ugly in 2000.

In the new century she shifted her focus to television. In 2003 she began producing and hosting the reality series America's Next Top , now in it’s 14th season. The show was a hit and spawned spinoffs in Germany, Holland, and many other countries. Banks also began hosting her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, in 2005. Banks announced her retirement from modelling the same year, saying she would focus on her television career. Since then she has also co-produced reality Tv show True Beauty. In 2009 she announced that The Tyra Banks Show would end its run after five seasons in March of 2010 so that she can focus on producing. Banks will focus on the launch of Bankable Studios, a N.Y.-based film production company currently reviewing possible projects. Sticking to her mission, Banks aims to bring “positive images of women to the big screen,” says an industry insider. Source Wikipedia/Answers.com
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

Divine Women Of Our Time: Deloris Sims

Deloris Sims and Margaret Henningsen

Deloris Sims started her banking career as a part-time teller for Firstar Bank in central Milwaukee, where she had lived since the age of five. Over 28 years, she rose up the ranks to become a vice president and a business banker, developing five Firstar banks in the city. All the while she watched as her own neighborhood, a low-income minority community, steadily deteriorated.

In 1999, she teamed up with two other minority women, Margaret Henningsen and Shirley Lanier, to found Legacy Bank. Their goal was to give the area's poor residents a stake in their neighborhood by financing small businesses and home purchases. The three women raised $6.9 million, bought the former Firstar building where Sims had worked for most of her career, and got to work with Sims as President and CEO.

Among projects Sims has been proud to see the bank support: the 2003 opening of a Ponderosa Steakhouse on King Drive in a lot that stood vacant for decades. The owner, Stella Love, is the only African-American woman in the United States to own a Ponderosa franchise.

Legacy also financed Milwaukee Health Services, which is owned by and serves minorities. The bank's support allowed the MHS to move to a location where they could serve more low-income residents.

In the bank's beginnings, Sims said, "Raising capital was the biggest challenge. None of us were wealthy." To get started, the team bought a preferred trust for $5 million and won awards from the U.S. Treasury Department. Nine years later, Legacy has assets of about $221 million. Year-over-year average deposit growth is 21 percent. In 2007, assets grew by 15 percent and the loan portfolio grew by 11 percent.

This year's efforts to raise capital, given the crises in the real estate and subprime markets, have been "very, very, very slow," Sims says. "With the banking industry the way it is, nobody wants to buy stocks in banks." And yet, based on Legacy's success in developing central Milwaukee, charitable foundations are picking up the baton and running with it. (c) 2008 U.S. Banker and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.americanbanker.com/usb.html/ http://www.sourcemedia.com/
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

Divine Women of Our Time: Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American television host, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century and beyond, the greatest black philanthropist in American history and was once the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.

In 1985, Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. She earned immediate acclaim as Sofia, the distraught housewife. The following year Winfrey was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The Color Purple went on to become a Broadway musical and opened in late 2005, with Winfrey credited as a producer.

In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time interview with Michael Jackson which became the fourth most watched event in American television history as well as the most watched interview ever, with an audience of one hundred million. As well as hosting and appearing on television shows, Winfrey co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen. She is also the president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards). Winfrey publishes two magazines: O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home. She has co-authored five books;

In 1998, Winfrey began Oprah's Angel Network, a charity aimed at encouraging people around the world to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged others. Accordingly, Oprah's Angel Network supports charitable projects and provides grants to nonprofit organizations around the world that share this vision. To date, Oprah's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000. In 2005 she became the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America's top 50 most generous philanthropists, having given an estimated $303 million. Winfrey has also helped 250 African-American men continue or complete their education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

In addition to several acting roles she has done voice overs for Charlotte's Web, the 2006 film as Gussie the goose. She is also the voice of Judge Bumbleden in Bee Movie (2007) In 2009, Winfrey provided the voice for the character of Eudora, the mother of Princess Tiana, in Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

In 2008 Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced plans to change Discovery Health Channel into a new channel called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN will debut at an unspecified time in 2010. It was scheduled to launch in 2009, but has since been delayed. On November 2, 2009, it was announced that Winfrey will narrate Discovery Channel's upcoming documentary series Life, which will air in March 2010. Sorce:Wikipedia
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

Divine Women of Our time: Mae Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison (born October 17, 1956) is an African American physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first woman of recent African ancestry to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.

Jemison says she was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. but to her King's dream wasn't an illusive fantasy but a call to action. "Too often people paint him like Santa -- smiley and inoffensive," says Jemison. "But when I think of Martin Luther King Jr. I think of attitude, audacity, and bravery. "The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up," says Jemison

Jemison graduated from Chicago's Morgan Park High School in 1973 and entered Stanford University at age 16. Jemison graduated from Stanford in 1977, receiving a B.S. in chemical engineering and fulfilling the requirements for a B.A. in African and Afro-American Studies. Jemison obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981 from Cornell Medical College (now Weill Medical College of Cornell University) She interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and later worked as a general practitioner. During her years at Cornell Medical College, Jemison took lessons in modern dance at the Alvin Ailey school. Jemison later built a dance studio in her home and has choreographed and produced several shows of modern jazz and African dance.

Jemsion was turned down on her first application to NASA, but in 1987 Jemison was accepted on her second application and became one of the fifteen candidates accepted from over 2,000 applicants. Her work with NASA before her shuttle launch included launch support activities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and verification of Shuttle computer software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Jemison flew her only space mission from September 12 to 20, 1992 as a Mission Specialist on STS-47.

Because of her love of dance and as a salute to creativity, Jemison took a poster from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company along with her on the flight. "Many people do not see a connection between science and dance," says Jemison. "but I consider them both to be expressions of the boundless creativity that people have to share with one another. Jemison resigned from NASA in March 1993. "I left NASA because I'm very interested in how social sciences interact with technologies," says Jemison.

In 1994, Jemison founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence and named the foundation in honor of her mother. " One of the projects of Jemison's foundation is The Earth We Share (TEWS), an international science camp where students, ages 12 to 16, work to solve current global problems, like "How Many People Can the Earth Hold" and "Predict the Hot Public Stocks of The Year 2030.

In 1999, Jemison founded BioSentient Corp and has been working to develop a portable device that allows mobile monitoring of the involuntary nervous system. Biosentient has obtained the license to commercialize NASA's space-age technology known as Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE), a patented technique that uses biofeedback and autogenic therapy to allow patients to monitor and control their physiology as a possible treatment for anxiety and stress related disorders.

Jemsion sometimes appears at charity events. Jemison is an active public speaker who appears before private and public groups promoting science and technology as well as providing an inspirational and educational message for young people. "Having been an astronaut gives me a platform," says Jemison,"but I'd blow it if I just talked about the Shuttle. "Jemison uses her platform to speak out on the gap in the quality of health-care between the United States and the Third World. "Martin Luther King ... didn't just have a dream, he got things done."[

Jemison is a Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and was a professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College from 1995 to 2002. Jemison continues to advocate strongly in favor of science education and getting minority students interested in science. She sees science and technology as being very much a part of society, and African-Americans as having been deeply involved in U.S. science and technology from the beginning.

Jemison participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a forum for promising girls in the Washington, D.C. public schools in March 2009. Source:Wikipedia.com
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

Divine Women Of Our Time: Susan Taylor

Susan Taylor was born in New York in 1946. In her early twenties, the young entrepreneur started Nequai Cosmetics, one of the first companies to create beauty products for African American women. Although her product line was well received in African American communities and in the Caribbean, Taylor was interested in expanding her career. She heard that Essence, a fledgling publication catering to African American women, was looking for a beauty editor. Taylor approached editor-in-chief Ed Lewis for the position and was hired in 1970.

Although Taylor had never attended college, she was a licensed cosmetologist who understood the specific needs and concerns of black women. Her monthly articles were popular with African American females who were historically undervalued and underrepresented by media companies. Taylor soon became responsible for fashion as well as beauty, and in 1981 she was promoted to editor-in-chief, a post she held until July 2000.

Under Susan's expert guidance, Essence experienced phenomenal growth. Its monthly readership soared to more than 5 million, reaching black women all over the world. Capturing the hearts of Essence readers was Susan's monthly column, "In the Spirit," which addressed themes such as family, faith, self-esteem and health. Her motivational features culminated in the popular books, In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor and Lessons In Living. She also authored a third book with her husband, Khepra Burns, Confirmations: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives. Taylor also became a popular speaker on the lecture circuit.

In March 1986, Taylor was elected vice president of Essence Communication, Inc. and became senior vice president in 1993. She was the host and executive producer of Essence, the country's first nationally syndicated African-oriented magazine television show, the Essence Awards show and the Essence Music Festival.

In 1993 Taylor collected a number of these essays and new ones for her book, In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor. "In the Spirit is a deeply personal book," Taylor wrote in the preface. "It's about my healing and yours. It contains the seeds I want to plant in our hearts and within our universal garden so that we can uplift our people and ease the suffering in our world." Publishers Weekly commended the book, particularly the author's style, warmth, and generosity in revealing herself. Library Journal highly recommended it, noting that it was written "first of all for black women," yet still "appeals to common humanity while encouraging transcendence." In the Spirit became a national best-seller.

Although she recently stepped down from her duties as editor-in-chief, Taylor remains the chief editorial executive responsible for the overall vision, articles and images of the publication. She also maintains a high profile in the community, where she is a staunch advocate for the nation's poor. Taylor is an avid supporter of Edwin Gould Services for Children, a foster-care agency, and serves on the advisory board for Aid to Imprisoned Mothers. Many recognize her tireless work and charitable contributions. Mission Society. Source: Thehistorymakers.com answers.com
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

Divine Women Of Our Time: Cathy Hughes

Cathy Hughes, born Catherine Elizabeth Woods in Omaha, Nebraska on April 22, 1947, is an American entrepreneur, radio and television personality and business executive. After obtaining her degree from Creighton University She began her career in radio with KOWH and later went on to become the General Sales Manager of WHUR-FM, the Howard University-owned, urban-contemporary radio station.

Cathy Hughes made presentations to 32 different male loan officers to get the funding to buy her first radio station: "And the fact I was an African American female in her early thirties and a single mom, I was not the most desirable of candidates to them. And they all told me no. The 33rd presentation was to a woman banker at Chemical bank, her first week on the job. She was Puerto Rican. And she said to me, 'I thought my first loan would be to a Puerto Rican entrepreneur, but I guess an African-American female is close enough, I'll do the deal. And her name was Lydia Colón and she loaned me the money to buy the station'."

In 1979, Hughes founded Radio One, and with then-husband Dewey Hughes bought AM radio station WOL 1450 in Washington, D.C. After the previous employees had destroyed the facility, she faced financial difficulties and subsequently lost her home and moved with her young son to live at the station. Her fortunes began to change when she revamped the R&B station to a 24-hour talk radio format. Since 1980, Ms. Hughes has worked in various capacities for Radio One including President, General Manager, General Sales Manager and talk show host. Ms. Hughes has been Chairperson of the Board and Secretary of Radio One since 1980, and was Chief Executive Officer of Radio One from 1980 to 1997.

Hughes and Radio One went on to own 70 radio stations in nine major markets in the U.S. As of 2007, Hughes's son, Alfred Liggins, III, serves as CEO and president of Radio One, and Hughes as chairperson. Hughes is also a minority owner of BET industries.

In January 2004, Radio One launched TV One, a national cable and satellite television network which bills itself as the "lifestyle and entertainment network for African-American adults." Hughes interviews prominent personalities, usually in the entertainment industry, for the network's talk program TV One on One.

Cathy Hughes believes in creating opportunities for her employees: "Maybe 10 years ago now I had a goal of having 1000 women and people of color on my payroll. Well, I now have 2200 employees and so I have upped my goal to 5000 women and people of color. Because someone opened the door for me, and it is now my responsibility to open it for others, and I think that that's my true mission."

Both Cathy Hughes and her son, Alfred Liggins have been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the company Ernst & Young. She is also a notable member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Source:Wikipedia.com radcliffe.edu
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

Divine Women Of Our Time: Slyvia Rhone

Sylvia Rhone has chartered a groundbreaking career in the American recording industry. In 1988, she became the first black woman to serve as vice-president of a major record company--Atlantic Records--and three years later was named co-president and chief executive officer of her own Atlantic label, EastWest Records America. Though she began her career in banking and finance, Rhone has displayed a knack for discovering and developing new music talent, as well as salvaging financially struggling record divisions.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in New York City's Harlem, Rhone received a degree in economics from the prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1974, she went to work for a major bank in New York City, but after a year decided the atmosphere was too constraining. "I wore pants to work and all eyebrows turned up," she told Randolph. Rhone scrapped her plans for a financial career, took a major pay cut, and started work as a secretary for Buddah Records--at nearly the bottom rung of the music industry ladder. For Rhone, however, the position represented a great opportunity. "I knew I was taking a risk," she told Black Enterprise, "but from the moment I sat in my new chair, I knew I was cut out for this business."

In the mid 1980s, she was hired as director of national black music promotion at struggling Atlantic Records, which in its heyday represented such acts as Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Under Rhone's guidance, the black music roster at Atlantic expanded to include such number one acts as LeVert, Miki Howard, and Gerald Albright. Her success resulted in another promotion in 1988--this time to senior vice-president of the entire Atlantic Records company--making her the only black woman to hold as a high a position within a major American record company.

In late 1991, Atlantic formed a new label, Atco-EastWest, to encompass a broader range of musical artists. Rhone was named chair and chief executive officer of the label, which will feature several dozen acts--both black and white--varying in style from rock and pop to rhythm and blues to rap. In 1994, Rhone became chairman/CEO of Elektra Records. She oversaw the consolidation of four labels into the Elektra Entertainment Group, whose roster included rapper Missy Elliott, radio personality Angie Martinez, Metallica, Jet, hip hop's Fabolous, Sacario and Yolanda Adams. Rhone exited that post in March 2004 when Elektra was dismantled by its parent company, Warner Music Group.

In 2004, she was appointed president of Universal Music Group's Motown Records and executive VP of Universal Records where she has remained. Source:answers.com Wikipedia.com
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Divine Women of Our Time is a series to remind us of the rich culture we come from and to celebrate black history month. I will profile strong women that have been apart of building a culture, paving ways for those after them and who have made a memorable impact within their industry. These women were not only leaders, but they were role models for many people at an appointed time. Most of these women are still with us thankfully. Rightfully so, I want to celebrate them while they are here and can understand that there relevance is appreciated as apart of our rich history.

To Do Or Not To Do: Hair

Last Night Michelle Williams attended the after party for Beyonce new fragance launch Heat in NYC.

Are We Feeling Michelle Williams New Hair Do? I think I like her better in soft sultry looks. Edgy is not the way to go for Michelle-I'm just not buying it.

Beyonce is byfar the hardest working lady in show biz, she is trully unstoppable. She is officially the Queen of Multiple Streams of Income. Of Course Beyonce was looking smoking hot in all red. Love the little print on the bottom of those shoes.

Every One Has A Story To Tell, Tell Yours

I'm no pencil artist but I am an artist and this seems like a wonderful opportunity to win 6 months free residence in this beautiful NY high rise condominium. All you have to do is submit a self portraits; seem pretty simple right?

The deadline to submit your self portrait is Midnight, January 21st. At that time voting will end and formal judging will begin. If you submit your work before the deadline you might be able to rack up votes for the people’s choice award.

For More Info visit :http://www.artistswanted.org/

Image source:missomnimedia.com

Macy's is Looking for New Fashion Brands

Department store Macy's is taking a fashion cue from its upscale sister Bloomingdale's. Next month, the famous department store will host its first Open Call event, where fashion houses not currently selling at Macy's can showcase their wares for a possible slot on the selling floor.


Macy's is searching for established brands that may already be selling at rival stores such as Lord & Taylor. That's a different approach than Bloomingdale's takes. Last spring, it held an event called B-Seen, which was designed to attract new and emerging designers.

The Macy's casting call includes a two-week application process that starts Friday. If brands are selected, they will be asked to showcase their wares at Herald Square on Feb. 25 and 26.

“Macy's is continuing to invest in new endeavors that focus on inspiring our customer,” said Nicole Fischelis, Macy's fashion director, in a statement. This is the first time Macy's will sponsor an event of this kind, although in the early 1990s, the department store held a vendor fair where sought new and underexposed designers.

The switch to an already-established label makes sense, experts say. During this financial uncertainty, many stores are looking for tried and tested designers who already have their merchandising, marketing and production strategies in place.

Last week, Macy's announced it will close five underperforming stores, affecting over 300 employees. It has struggled with sales during the recession, though did end 2009 with sales at stores open more than a year rising by 1%.

In related news Thursday, online retailer Bluefly Inc. announced that it will be the exclusive online retail sponsor for season seven of fashion reality-TV series Project Runway. Macy's sponsored the show during season six, when Project Runway moved to the Lifetime network. Bluefly also sponsored seasons four and five, and earned high marks for TV brand integration, according to IAG Research rankings

Source: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/ words by Adrianne Pasquarelli

MJB opens up The Mary J Blige Center in Yonkers

I love when celebrities use there star power and money to advocate for a cause bigger than themselves. Mary J Blige who is gearing up for up for her ninth studio album in December, just celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new facility in Yonkers New York for the non-profit that she and music executive Steve Stoute co founded in 2007. The organization is called Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), and it is dedicated to helping all women gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their full individual potential. The new center is a place where women can be educated, empowered and encouraged through tough times during their lives.

Thanks Getty Images :-) MJB, Steve Stoute, and Frida Giannini

Mary J Blige speaking to supporters of FFawn & Mary J Blige Center

This is a very personal cause to Blige who herself has struggled with domestic violence and drug abuse in the past. "As a child, I never saw a confident woman; I only saw women being abused," said Blige, a Yonkers native. "That's why I am here; that's why FFAWN exists. I want every girl and woman who walks through this door to know that she is loved, no matter who is telling her she isn't loved."

Congratulations and thank you to Mary J Blige, Gucci's Frida Giannini and the Westchester Jewish Community Services program for making this center possible.

For more info on FFAWN Click Here

Full Interview of Tyler Perry on 60 Minutes

Tyler Perry was on 60 Minutes last night, where he discusses the success of his entertainment empire, his audience, his abuse as a child, response to the criticism of Spike Lee referring to Madea & Mr. Brown as a coon and much more. Check it out


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Kim Kardashians New Business Venture

If you are a lover of Kim Kardashians style then you might be interested in becoming a member of her new business venture Shoe Dazzle. Each month, ShoeDazzle's personal stylists (Kim K & team) sends their members a custom email with five new shoe choices, handpicked to suit her personality and fashion preferences. The member logs into the site to make her selection, and it gets shipped out for free. Monthly membership costs $39, which covers the shoes and shipping. And yes you get to keep the shoes. There is no obligation to purchase shoes once you register, and you are charged only after you choose your first pair of shoes. In any month, you may select the "Skip This Month" button in your account section between the 1st and 5th of the month and you will not be charged. I think it’s a great idea and much more affordable than hiring a personal stylist or buying shoes from the store itself. I just hope the quality of the shoes are good, and if they are this sounds like a winner.

Here is a sampling of some of the shoes that have been sent out to members

Visit http://www.shoedazzle.com/ to sign up or for more info

Tyra a.k.a. Bankable Productions is Really Banking

According to Forbes Tyra Banks is more than a media mogul in the making, she is a mogul. Tyra is the top of their 2009 television earner list, with an estimated earning of $30 million over a 12 month span from all of her television projects combined. These shows include: The Tyra Banks Show, America’s Next Top Model and producer credits on CW’s Stylista and ABC’s True Beauty and cameos on Gossip Girl. Bankable Productions is really banking. Congrats Tyra.

Her newest venture is Tyra magazine, pictured to the left seems to be coming along. I tried to view it in it's entirety but was not able to do so from http://www.tyrabanks.com . She is definitely appreciating the path that Oprah has paved for black women in media and she is creating her own path for others to follow as well. As I stated before I think Tyra is a great role model, she is a little over the top at times on her shows, but that's what make her Tyra.

Tyra Banks on Larry King Live

Tyra is looking good these days, kudos to her. Here is a clip from the interview on Larry King last night where she was asked about being compared to Oprah and her weight. I'm very proud of Tyra and all that she has accomplished since leaving the runways. She is a great role model for not only young girls, but adults. She is a powerhouse and is evolving right before our eyes and I'm delighted with her success. I agree that there will never be another Oprah, but Tyra is the Oprah of my generation.

For more on Tyra and to keep up with all of her shows visit http://www.tyrabanks.com/

Do You Need Beauty Alerts?

Beauty Alert Stickers

I remember seeing a show on Tyra a while back when she was talking about expiration dates and the cleanliness of the beauty products we use. Sure I paid attention to all of the gross things she was talking about and I did do something about it. I cleaned out my makeup bag and threw out some obvious old products, but that was back then and here we go again.

A company called Beauty Alerts came up with a product for chicks like me. Beauty Alert! stickers eliminate the need to remember, because the Home Use Life Span is printed right on the label. You only need to write in the date you broke the seal on the product and apply it directly onto the cosmetics container. Sticker packages contain 24 specially-designed stickers, 6 stickers for each of 4 categories of product life for 8.50 a pack. Or if you are a budget fashionista like me, you can make your own labels inspired by beauty alert stickers today. If you’re lazy and you know you will never get around to it and think this is a great idea, it might be worth trying out. For more info visit http://www.beautyalert.biz

Sassy but Classy Art by Karream Jones

Yesterday when I visited a friend’s home I noticed a beautiful painting on her living room wall. I told her it reminded me of my old classmate from college Kerream Jones' work, and as I took a closer look his signature was on the bottom indeed. I have not spoken to Karream in years but we were great friends in college and to my delight he’s still creating beautiful original paintings for the world to see. Check out his work at http://www.kerreamjones.com/, if you purchase a painting tell him his old friend from AIU Chimere sent you.

They Really Exist... Housewives In Atlanta

Although I love the drama that is “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” they are giving a new meaning to Atlanta wives, so I wanted to remind everyone they really do have drama free and successful housewives in Atlanta.

                                  Natalie & Derrick Alexander

Meet Natalie Michon Alexander, she is a restaurateur of a St. Louis style Smoked Meats & Seafood Restaurant in Atlanta, Michons. Guess what? She’s a housewife. Natalie has been married to her husband Derrick for 1 & ½ years now and together they have 2 children Carrington Alexander (1 yr Old) & Carson Alexander (3 mos) and she has 6 Step children: Christen (19), Derrick Jr. (16), Tori & Dedrick (14), Devin (12), & Kennedy (6).

Recently I caught up with Natalie to ask her a few questions about life as a married and busy woman and what she thinks about the ladies on RHOA. Here is what she had to say:

NUAL: How do you balance work/parent/spouse relationships and time?
Natalie: Very Delicately! I Am Specific With Work Time And Family Time. I Try Not To Intermingle Them. I Get Up Early While The Kids Are Sleep And Complete Any Work Task That I Am Able To Do At Home -Such As Pay Bills, Make Phone Calls And Email, Etc... I Am Usually Home At A Decent Time To Cook. I Take An Hour Out To Myself In The Evenings For A Little R And R Or Read A Book. After Playing With The Kids For A Little While I Spend Time With My Husband... We May Sit In The Theater And Watch A Movie.

NUAL: What can you do to be a better housewife?
Natalie: There Is Always Something I Could Do Better... Let Me Pick One! I Would Say Be Able To Do The Laundry Myself... I Am Always Missing Clothes! (Teenagers!)

NUAL: What word of advice can you share with other married or engaged couples?
Natalie: Do Not Fight Over Money... Either You Have It Or You Don't

NUAL: Who is your favorite Housewife from the Bravo Housewives Series & Why?
Natalie: I Am A Cross Between Ne Ne And Lisa. Ne Ne's Is Always Consistent. Lisa Is Like Me... Not Into Too Much Drama And Always Smiling. But She Will Get Down To Business When Necessary!

For more info on Natalie’s restaurant visit http://www.michons.com/ and you can follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/michons

Free Healthcare & Lethal Hot Wings

For as long as I can remember, taxpayers have complained about footing the bill to house inmates in our failing criminal justice system. However, a group of inmates in Florida's Hillsborough County Jail, are footing there own bill from making and selling their own line of hot sauce called JailHouseFire. JailHouseFire hot sauce comes in three flavors: Original, Smoke and No Escape. Handmade by inmates at the minimum-security jail from peppers grown on prison grounds.

Rather than glossing over the product's roots, the prisoners' marketing of the sauce makes the most of its origins, with slogans like "So Lethal" and "Murder on Taste Bud,” I can honestly taste the heat as I’m typing. The prices are slightly higher than the sauce found on your grocery isle, $7 per 5-ounce bottle or $3 for a 1.5-ounce bottle. The sauces are currently available only online; all proceeds support inmate programs.

When I came across this story I was really amazed at this opportunity that’s afforded to inmates. They attend college for free, get free healthcare, free room and board, 3 meals a day and now they can own businesses. For a moment I was feeling like the outsiders are getting the short end of the wing tip, but I much rather my freedom. Never less this is a beneficial pastime for the inmates but somehow I feel slighted as a taxpayer. Checkout www.jailhousefire.org for more info.