Source: ullstein bild / Getty Singer Sade’s son, Izaack Theo Adu , took to social media to share his difficult transitioning journey. The 23-year-old was forthcoming about the painstaking process, but also optimistic about what’s on the other side of the pain. “This process is trying, tiring, painful, emotionally exhausting, physically exhausting, uncomfortable (like I can’t sleep like a normal human being rn lol) I often ask myself “why the fuck do I have to endure this to be who I am” but at the end of the day this is the path that was laid out for me and I’ll walk it to the end,” he explained on social media . Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). “My dad always says ‘keep your eyes on the horizon’ and that’s what I do, because through all this pain is the comfort that it’s not forever and I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I am so, SO DAMN EXCITED, I just have to remind myself to be patient sometimes as I’m sure we all do. Big up to my Mumma, Pappa, family and friends for all the support you give me on the daily, it’ll never be forgotten.” Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Sade's Transgender Son Izaak Theo Opens Up About His Journey Of Transitioning (Video) https://t.co/g4SHPjYcpu #IzaakTheo #Sade — IceCreamConvos.com (@IceCreamConvos) July 28, 2019 He previously posted a photo of the nurses and doctors who have helped him throughout his journey here . Sade Adu and her son Izaak Theo pic.twitter.com/p2ZMgRlOI9 — LGBTQ Africans (@queerafricans) May 6, 2018 This story was originally posted on MadameNoire.com . [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1643210″ overlay=”true”] ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : LisaRaye Goes Off On Nicole Murphy [VIDEO] 3-Year-Old Girl Killed By Her Father After Running Out To Greet Him A Lela Rochon Appreciation Post: The Brown Bombshell Of The 90s [PHOTOS] Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Prince Williams / Getty Brooklyn rapper Casanova is getting sued for assault. A woman claims the rapper and his entourage put hands on her in a New York City diner last year. According to the woman who filed the lawsuit, Casanova was the ringleader. Reports TMZ : The incident went down last August when Casanova and a group of friends sat down at the Good Stuff Diner. The alleged victim, Niya Rucker , says his group included 2 women who were not Casanova’s wife … and she thinks that’s why he went off on her. According to the suit, Niya was shooting an Instagram Live video of her meal … but Casanova “mistakenly believed” she was recording him and the 2 women. She says the MC instructed one guy in his group to “take whatever action” was necessary to get Niya’s phone … “including physical force.” Niya says the henchman put her in a strangulation grip, grabbed her phone and deleted the video she’d already posted. She also posted a video of the aftermath, showing her mouth and chin bleeding profusely. In the lawsuit, she says she suffered a fractured jaw, damaged teeth, loss of consciousness, a split lip and several other cuts. Rucker is suing Casanova for assault and battery. No specifics on how much money she is seeking. Back in August 2018, shortly after the incident occurred , Casanova turned himself in and was booked for felony second-degree robbery. However, the case has not yet gone to trial. Casanova has denied putting hands on Rucker. Expect this to be settled out of court.
Source: Renato Rimach / Photo Credit: Renato Rimach Name: DaQuendra Elston IG: @daquendra Agency: State Model Management Claim to Fame: DaQuendra won the Torrid model search. She also appeared on America’s Got Talent with her dance troupe the Honeybeez . On a balmy July afternoon most members of the Alabama State University graduating class of 2019 are working diligently behind the desks of their entry level jobs and hard-won internships ; DaQuendrea Elston isn’t among them. The model and dancer is spending her post-grad summer day sitting on set chilling in her robe between looks. In an exclusive interview with HelloBeautiful before the next take , she explained how she went from shaking her hips in one of the most impressive marching bands in the world to walking the catwalk for some of fashion’s biggest names. View this post on Instagram Be Proud Of Who You Are “I come with no wrapping or pretty pink bows. I am who I am, from my head to my toes. I tend to get loud when speaking my mind. Even a little crazy some of the time. I'm not a size 5 and don't care to be. You can be you and I can be me. I try to stay strong when pain knocks me down. And the times that I cry are when no one's around. To error is human or so that's what they say. Well, tell me who's perfect anyway.” -S. Raine #selflove #joy #beproudofyourself #proud #love #beauty #melaninpoppin #plussize #plussizefashion #plussizelove #model #plussizemodel #beyourself A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on May 21, 2019 at 3:48pm PDT The rejection that is standard in the modeling industry echoed early experiences for Elston, who started her own plus-size dance troupe in high school in the face of existing groups’ discrimination . “There was no way possible for anybody plus-size to make it,” she said. “They allowed us to audition but we knew at the end of the day that there was no way we were gonna make it.” Giving up because of their actions was never an option for her. She explained, “In elementary, high school, college it’s always been somebody trying to knock me down and say I can’t do something cause of my size and unintentionally I always end up proving them wrong,” she said. View this post on Instagram Cartwheel caught on camera! #MyASU A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Nov 5, 2017 at 5:10pm PST She maintains that she made the effort to do her own thing because of her passion and nothing else. View this post on Instagram T O R R I D F I N A L S A L E . . . . #torrid #torridfashion #torridinsider #torridcurve #torridmodel #plussize #plussizemodel #curve #curvemodel #intimates #40percentoff #bra #MyASU #HBCUBuzz A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Nov 5, 2018 at 10:39am PST “I like to dance,” she stated plainly. Her ingenuity paid off when an adviser suggested she continue dancing in college as part of the Alabama State University marching band. “He was an alumnus, so he kind of put me on and gave me information about the university and my aunt attended Alabama State University so I was familiar with the school,” she said. View this post on Instagram Die Hard #Auburn Fan but #MyASU is home! . . @ka_vetta . . @torridfashion . #Auburn #AlabamaStateUniversity #Football #WDE #WarEagle #GoHornets #ASASASU #2018 #HBCU #Torrid #TorridFitsMe #TorridModel #plussize #model #plussizemodel #auburnal #tigers #melanin #goldenconfidence #overalls #denim #denimoveralls A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Sep 8, 2018 at 7:14pm PDT She killed her audition and not long after she was ready to spend four years studying and slaying. “I made my decision after I made the team,” she noted. Elston brought the charm and stamina she supplied to the ASU Honeybeez with her to a Torrid Model Search. View this post on Instagram Yaaas for the colors an inclusivity!! Sizes 0-24 Ladies please go check out @katiesturino ‘s new collection with @stitchfix . Click the link in @katiesturino bio or check it out in the Stitch Fix store. A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Jun 25, 2019 at 7:16pm PDT She entered the competition after being encouraged to do so by her family who were always very supportive cheering her on no matter what activity she was involved in. “I’ve always been an active plus size child. I always cheered, did dance, track field tried to stay involved,” she said. “They hype me up like ‘go Que, go Que’,” she says about her family. “My family has always been supportive. Anything I set out to do they’ve always been there to support me. They come to the events I’m at and show their love.” “I never thought to model. I was a tomboy growing up, so I never really was girly and took pictures. But as I got older, I did gain more confidence in myself. I loved to dress nice and look cute,” she said. The way the shift in her style highlighted her beauty led to her family pleading with her to try modeling as she gained more and more followers on Instagram with each outfit post. “Everybody was like you should model! You should go to a casting,” she said. She intentionally brushed off their suggestions but in 2017 they refused to be ignored. “Everybody on Facebook all my family and friends sent me the link.” View this post on Instagram One Of My Favs!! . . .#Torrid #torridfitsme #curve #plussizemodel #plussize #goldenconfidence A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Apr 17, 2019 at 8:53pm PDT On the second to last day before the end of the competition her mother sealed the deal insisting that she take the two-hour drive from Alabama to Georgia and claim her spot. “She was like you better take yo’ butt down there and don’t be late!” As her support system suspected she was a natural . She was selected as a finalist among thousands of applicants. View this post on Instagram Still feels unreal!!! Thank you so much God and @torridfashion for the opportunity to be apart of your Denim Campaign!! Who would’ve thought a girl from the country waaay in Alabama would’ve ever be in stores on posters banners and mailers until now! Yes I’ve always dreamed of it but who knew!? Dreams really do come true!! #Torrid #TorridFashion #TorridJeans #Denim #TorridModel #TorridFitsMe #FitToPerfection #FirstAtFit #PlusSize #Model #PlusSizeModel #CurvyGirl #Curve #MyASU #HBCU #HBCUBuzz A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Aug 7, 2018 at 12:00pm PDT But while judges later admitted to her that “they knew I was special,” she did not make it out of the top ten. She chalked up the experience as a fun time and a cool free trip to the Big Apple until the company contacted her later unable to set aside the impression, she left on them. “After the competition a couple of months later they called me back like ‘This is the people from Torrid we just like loved how you wore our pieces and we would like for you to come back and model for us. And I was just like ‘Oh my gawd! I was still in college.” Like other young women juggling the spotlight with the real world Elston refused to abandon her education. View this post on Instagram Never Perfect Always Beautiful A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Feb 8, 2019 at 10:01am PST “It was junior year and I was like this is gonna be hard, but they worked with my schedule,” she recalled. Just as valuable as her education were the experiences, she had working with brands that wanted to appeal to fashion forward plus-size women. “Being from Alabama a country girl being able to travel to New York for the first time and Los Angeles for the first time that was something new to me and I’ve always been the type to want to go and experience new things but being a part of New York Fashion Week , never ever modeling (before) that was just mind-blowing to me.” Elston’s energy paid off when she wasn’t on the field as well. One of her fondest memories on set is breaking out her skills at the request of her biggest client. “One time at Torrid they found out I was a dancer as a college student and that I knew how to do cartwheels and splits and everything and they was like oh my gosh do a split for the denim campaign so I had did a split for one of the photo shoots. It was crazy!” View this post on Instagram Little Black Dress . . . . . . . . #Torrid #TorridFashion #TorridFitsMe #TorridFangirl #TorridModel #Model #PlusSize #PlusSizeModel #Curve #CurveModel #BlackDress #LittleBlackDress #Curvy #CurvyGirl #CurvyModel #Photoshoot #MyASU #HBCU #HBCUBuzz A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Jan 4, 2019 at 12:05pm PST Presenting her body in unexpected ways has had an impact in the plus-size community. She is often tagged in others images on social media sharing how she’s given the confidence to stand out. “It makes me feel so good to know I have an influence and have people telling me I inspire them. It touches my heart. I be so happy for them,” she gushed. She revealed that the attention can be overwhelming. “I’m just being myself,” she said. She shared that she often runs to her mother phone in hand after receiving a particularly warm message. View this post on Instagram A post shared by daQUENdra (@daquendra) on Jan 7, 2019 at 4:34pm PST “Sometimes I am speechless because I really don’t know how to respond because I’m just a regular, degular, smegular girl from Alabama! I never saw myself as an influencer or an inspiration to people, but it makes me feel so good to know they see me and want to do something like me. I just hope they do whatever it is they say they want to do. I want them to be happy. It makes my day even brighter!” Currently she is looking forward to furthering her influence by breaking the stigma surrounding plus-size bodies. She is staring to create content that centers on the journey of plus-size women as career girls and go getters instead of invisible sloths, and illicit sex symbols . It is her goal to show women modeling, dancing, acting, and living their best lives without being restrained by their bodies, or others’ ideas about their bodies. “There really needs to be more platforms showing what being plus-size is because many people are not aware,” she said. DON’T MISS: MONDAY MONDAY: A Trip To The Motherland Inspired This Model To Move To Paris MODEL MONDAY: Ashley Chew Started #BlackModelsMatter After Seeing Fashion Week From Both Sides MODEL MONDAY: Ariel Pierre-Louis Talks Colorism And Classism In The Modeling Industry [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3053929″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Ryan Herron / Getty Slider crimes are one of the most popular crimes in Atlanta, and a pregnant woman was recently the latest victim. According to WSBTV, a pregnant woman was at a southwest Atlanta gas station on Metropolitan Parkway when the thief hopped into her car and tried to pull off. The woman immediately tried to open her car door when the thief sped away with the woman still attached to the door of the car. The scary moment was caught on surveillance video. The woman suffered a broken leg, but fortunately the baby is ok. Click here to read more If you don’t know about slider crimes read the article below.. RELATED: What Are Slider Crimes And Why Atlanta Thieves Are Taking Advantage ____ The Latest Music, Celebrities and Interviews: Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit
Source: Lorne Thomson / Getty Lil Yachty has his eye firmly on the jig when it comes to “help” from Donald Trump. The Atlanta rapper says the POTUS doesn’t really care about A$AP Rocky and instead of tweeting needs to actually do something. The racist POTUS has taken to Twitter to claims that he’s been getting rebuffed by Sweden’s Prime Minister over his request to free the jailed rapper , who has now been charged with assault. “If you’re going to do something then do it,” Yachty told TMZ . “You don’t gotta keep telling everybody, just do it. He ain’t gotta keep tweeting.” He added, “I don’t think he doing sh*t either,” while expressing concern for Rocky who he considers his big brother. Many have clearly seen that Trump’s sudden concern over a rapper he never heard about is strictly for the sake of earning some votes from confused Black people who clearly don’t know any better. That knowledge being that Trump is an unrepentant racist, as his recent, ugly commentary about Elijah Cummings and Baltimore only reinforces.
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Prince once curved Nas, but the rapper took it as a life lesson. While on Noreaga’s Drink Champ’s podcast, the Illmatic rapper detailed how the late artist passed on collaborating with him because he didn’t own his masters. It turned out Prince showed up at Nas’ I Am… album release party and he figured it was his opportunity to make a song with the Purple One. “I sought him because he came to my ‘I Am . . .’ release party,” Nas recalled to NORE. “I said, ‘Yo, look, man, let’s do this. Let’s do this song.’ And he was like, ‘Do you own your masters?’ But he blew my sh*t because I was like, ‘I don’t. And I’m far from it, because I owe this label like four, five albums’. . . I was like, ‘Damn.’” Prince told Nas to give him a call after he handled his business, but unfortunately a collab didn’t manifest before his untimely passing. Added Nas, “He kind of helped me see the future.” True indeed.
Source: Radio One Staff / Radio One Indiana Social Media has given many people the opportunity to create a new stream of income they never thought was possible. With influencers and brand advertising, social media platforms have paved a way for a new kind of career. Related: Master P: “If I Had Social Media At 20, I Would Have Sold A Billion Records” [EXCLUSIVE] Jesseca Dupart –also known by her Instagram name, @darealbbjudy– has been the perfect example of how to use your social media platform to make money. She created Kaleidoscope Miracle Drops to help those in need of help with hair loss. She posted viral videos on Instagram ambushing celebrities who she thought could benefit from her products and ultimately brought her company into the spotlight. Everyone wanted to know if these “miracle drops” really worked and who this woman was! View this post on Instagram y’all kept tagging me in that video soooooo it was only right for me to pay a visit to @porsha4real . . Miracle drops help with hair growth !!!! Whether bald spots , thin or thinning hair , beards and eyebrows even if you just want longer fuller hair ….link n @kaleidoscopehairproducts bio to purchase miracle drops . . #imbackonmybullshit A post shared by Jesseca Dupart (@darealbbjudy) on Jul 24, 2019 at 12:33pm PDT At The National Urban League Conference, our girl Ashmac sat down with the business owner to talk about the importance of social media in building a brand today. Related: Shady, Sad, But True: Here’s What Life Would Be Like Without Social Media Stay connected with the whole squad on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter @hot963 [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hot963.com” id=”2570078″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Radio One Staff / Radio One Indiana Social Media has given many people the opportunity to create a new stream of income they never thought was possible. With influencers and brand advertising, social media platforms have paved a way for a new kind of career. Related: Master P: “If I Had Social Media At 20, I Would Have Sold A Billion Records” [EXCLUSIVE] Jesseca Dupart –also known by her Instagram name, @darealbbjudy– has been the perfect example of how to use your social media platform to make money. She created Kaleidoscope Miracle Drops to help those in need of help with hair loss. She posted viral videos on Instagram ambushing celebrities who she thought could benefit from her products and ultimately brought her company into the spotlight. Everyone wanted to know if these “miracle drops” really worked and who this woman was! View this post on Instagram y’all kept tagging me in that video soooooo it was only right for me to pay a visit to @porsha4real . . Miracle drops help with hair growth !!!! Whether bald spots , thin or thinning hair , beards and eyebrows even if you just want longer fuller hair ….link n @kaleidoscopehairproducts bio to purchase miracle drops . . #imbackonmybullshit A post shared by Jesseca Dupart (@darealbbjudy) on Jul 24, 2019 at 12:33pm PDT At The National Urban League Conference, our girl Ashmac sat down with the business owner to talk about the importance of social media in building a brand today. Related: Shady, Sad, But True: Here’s What Life Would Be Like Without Social Media Stay connected with the whole squad on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter @hot963 [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hot963.com” id=”2570078″ overlay=”true”]
# BlackGirlMagic was in full effect at the FINA World Championship in South Korea. According to Team USA , Olympic swimmer Simone Manuel won the 100-meter freestyle competition for the second consecutive year and made history in the process by setting a new U.S. record. Simone Manuel wins historic world title as Dressel breaks Phelps' 100m butterfly mark https://t.co/7kCcmauNa9 — Guardian US (@GuardianUS) July 26, 2019 Manuel—who hails from Houston, Texas—made it to the finish line in 52.04 seconds. She edged out Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjostrom and Australia’s Cate Campbell . She is the second woman to win two consecutive world titles. The first woman to do so was swimmer Kornelia Ender 44 years ago. This isn’t the first time that Manuel has made history. In 2016 she became the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming. Her impact goes far beyond the water. Manuel is big on philanthropy and is on a mission to diversify swimming. “The gold medal wasn’t just for me; it was for people that came before me and inspired me to stay in the sport,” she told the New York Times in an interview. “For people who believe that they can’t do it, I hope I’m an inspiration to others to get out there and try swimming. You might be pretty good at it.” Earlier this year, she visited LeBron James ’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio to talk with students about water safety and encourage them to learn how to swim. In partnership with the Akron Area YMCA, she will provide all of the students with swimming lessons this summer. She is also spreading awareness about the high drowning rate within the Black community and is working hard to reverse the alarming trend. “The most important thing is saving lives more than winning gold medals. Representation is important,” she said . SEE ALSO: Simone Manuel Talks Water Safety At LeBron James’ I Promise School Simone Manuel Sets World 100-Meter Freestyle Record And Wins Gold Again [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3882606″ overlay=”true”]
A couple from Philadelphia is ensuring that cancer patients and their loved ones have access to quality healthcare and support. According to Because of Them We Can , Marjani and Al Harris created the only Black-owned cancer center in the country. A Philly couple made history by opening the first Black-owned cancer center in the US https://t.co/vKNgYUoEyE pic.twitter.com/kv5FpuN1kZ — Blavity News (@Blavity) July 26, 2019 For Marjani and Al , the battle against cancer hits home. Ten years ago, they had three family members who were fighting different types of the disease at the same time. While supporting their loved ones they noticed there was a lack of spaces that merged treatments with wellness and decided to open The Cancer Who Cares Center. “We noticed that there was no center where people with cancer could go to decompress, and let their emotions out, but also be treated with a sense of normalcy,” Al told the news outlet. “All of our programs are free because we want to support the person and their family without them having to worry about paying for anything.” The center has a variety of programs to provide emotional and mental care for patients, including spa days, forums and yoga classes. The couple hopes that their journey will inspire other individuals in the Black community to break barriers in whatever industry they choose to pursue. “We feel proud that we can show our children and the rest of our culture that you can always be the first at something even when you feel like you are in last place,” Al stated. There are several Black entrepreneurs who are creating spaces where people of color can receive proper care and support. Earlier this year a group of African American medical professionals joined forces to open up Chicago’s only Black-owned urgent care facility . In 2018, Dr. Tamara Moise and Wadson Fils opened the doors to Big Apple Urgent Care, Brooklyn’s first Black-owned urgent care center. SEE ALSO: Chicago Gets Its First Black-Owned Urgent Care Facility Yale Physician Aims To Increase Racial Representation In Medicine [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3882606″ overlay=”true”]
