FASHION INDUSTRY CELEBRATES BLACK MODELS AS FASHION REVOLUTIONARIES

American fashion has not always been a frontrunning contender in the fashion world, if there was one night that changed all that it was a night in Novemember 1973 at the Palace of Versailles.
MeaLee

via NPR



It was the fashion equivalent of a first-class prize fight — the Thrilla in Manila, only with high heels, not boxing gloves.


In one corner, the titans of French haute couture: the houses of Yves St. Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro and Pierre Cardin — designers known for being elegant, traditional, proper.

And in the other corner, some of America's best and brightest: Anne Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Halston and a swiftly rising star, Stephen Burrows.

The audience at the Palace of Versailles that November of 1973 was star-studded, too: plenty of American socialites, one of the richest women in France, and the former Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco.
 
But as important as those ladies were, the event was transformed by the presence of several African-American models. According to Harold Koda, curator in charge of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, at the evening's end, fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, who had dreamed up the event, described it this way: "It was as if, on this cold night, all the windows of Versailles had been blown open."
 

HEALTH & FITNESS GURU JACK LALANNE DIES AT AGE 96

Jack LaLanne died Sunday from respitory failure due to pneumonia. He has influenced generations to get fit and stay healthy. Even in his later years Jack Lalanne was still on our TV sets, on talk shows and infomercials telling and showing us how being healthy can be fun and good!

Elaine LaLanne, Jack's wife of 51 years stated: ""I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for,"

BLAKstar's thoughts and prayers go out to the LaLanne family, all their friends, supporters and fans!

MeaLee

SHEDDING SOME LYTE ON THE MUSIC BUSINESS

Trailblazer MC Lyte announced from her site The Lyte Zone that she will be hosting a Q&A about the music industry. Answering your questions about how to make it in the music business and really make a lasting impact on the industry as she has.
MeaLee

via The Lyte Zone

A special Q&A on January 26th at 9pm est. that will address many elements of the music business. Time to get the tools that you need to really make an impact in the industry!!
I’ve traveled all over the globe, in my 20 plus years, as a hip hop artist on the grind. I’ve performed in almost every country on this planet and I did and do it because I love what I do. In the face of every adversity I’ve come through having new tools to handle most any scenario and experiences that have taught me to never stop living my dream.



Throughout my career I’ve worked with the best including Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Diddy (well when he was Puffy), Jermaine Dupri, Teddy Riley, Neptunes, R.Kelly, DJ Premier, Janet Jackson, Tim & Bob, Sinead O’connor, Moby, Xscape, Sinbad, Angie Stone, Missy, Beanie Man, Biz Mark, Total, LL Cool J, Da Brat, En Vogue, Boys II Men, Mary J Blige, Will Smith, Bob Marley, Brandy, LSG, Common, Kane, Macy Gray, Rah Digga, KRS 1, Queen Latifah, YoYo, Chuck D, Faith, Sugarland and soooo many others.

I’ve worked for and along side huge corps including AT&T, Nike, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Wherehouse, Jordan Brand, Tide, BET Network, VH1, MTV Network, IBM, Proctor & Gamble, Target, Wal-mart, McDonalds, Mattel, Star Trek, MGD, Hennessy, Motions, Universal/NBC, Grammy Organization, My Black is Beautiful and many others.

All of the above mentioned to paint a broad picture of what your career in entertainment can look like after hard work and dedication. Throughout all these many relationships formed I have had an enormous amount of fun doing the work I love to do. It’s never been about the money and it never will be. The focus is creating works that are more than just authentic but truly appealing to one’s self. The question then becomes, “DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU CREATE?”
 
Please join me at MCLYTE.TV on January 26th, 9pm est for an unforgettable Q&A with yours truly. Get your ticket now! Also post your question in the comment box at LearnTheMusicBusiness.com

MUSIC VIDEO: MELKY JEAN - "BETTER"

Wyclef Jean’s younger sister Melky Jean debuts “Better”, the first single from The Care for Haiti Charity Album. The track, which was produced by Wyclef, is available on iTunes and Amazon with proceeds benefiting Care for Haiti, Yele Haiti, Carma and the Ted Lucas Foundation.

The Care for Haiti Charity Album will be released March 8 and include selections from Patti LaBelle and Talib Kweli, among others. Check out the video for “Better” below.

via ConcreteLoop

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 

Does this even need any commentary? Made me say hmm...and take a look at what I am even putting into my own brain let alone children's minds. 

MeaLee

MUSIC VIDEO: "IS THIS LOVE?" - MARA HRUBY (BOB MARLEY COVER)

~♥Shené

FATHER OF MARIA SHRIVER & PEACE CORPS FOUNDER DIES AT 95

BLAKstar's thoughts and prayers go out to the Shriver family for their loss. Robert Sargent Shriver died today after suffering for awhile from Alzheimer's. Sargent Shriver founded the Peace Corps as well as was heavily involved and advocated organizations such as Job Corps, Upward Bound, Head Start and Community Action. His voice and continued support of the war on poverty will be missed.

Read more here

MeaLee

VENUS WILLIAMS GRANDSLAM DRESS

Venus Williams' clothing choices on the tennis court have long been discussed, scrutinized and criticized. Earlier today she wore her shortest dress to date to her opening match at the Australian Open. Venus didn't disappoint winning in strait sets to beat out her first opponent. The seven time grand slam champion having the clear upper hand throughout her first match allowed everyone to concentrate on the tennis star's shorter than normal dress. Tennis is still a very conservative sport and many have something to say about Vensus' self designed on court wear.

One thing no one can talk about are how her and her sister have dominated and changed tennis since they first hit the scene with their braids, hair beads and killer serves and backhands! No one can question talent like that!

MeaLee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

~♥Shené

HAITI'S FORMER DICTATOR RETURNS

A few days ago the world looked to Haiti as it remembered the devastating earthquake that rocked the small country a year ago. The world had to face the fact that even after millions of dollars were raised to aid Haiti there is still not a lot of difference between now and a year ago. As if Haiti is not dealing with enough between picking up the pieces from the earthquake and alleged fraudulent activity in a presidential election, the former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has suddenly returned from exile. Many people are asking why has he decided to return now and what will this mean for Haiti's future.
MeaLee

via CNN.com


Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haiti's former dictator, returned unexpectedly Sunday to the country after some 25 years in exile, adding uncertainty into an already turbulent situation.

He arrived in the Haitian capital as the nation is grappling with a political crisis, sparked by fraud allegations in a presidential election. It was not immediately clear why the former leader returned.
Duvalier, wearing a dark suit and tie, greeted supporters at the busy Port-au-Prince airport. He was traveling with his wife.

The Duvalier family ruled Haiti for three decades starting in 1957, when Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier was elected president. He later declared himself president for life. When he died in 1971, he was succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.

GOOGLE CELEBRATES MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

I always love how on different days, some well know and other not, how Google always celebrates it with a special illustration or interactive game and information on their homepage. What they chose for MLK I feel illustrates one of Dr. King's dreams...the man had many!

Today is a day of service, what are you doing to serve your community to help keep Dr. King's many dreams alive?

MeaLee

TRAILER TO VH1'S 'SINGLE LADIES'

Executive produced by Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment, the comedic drama follows three best friends (played by Charity Shea, Stacey Dash, and LisaRaye McCoy) with three different relationship philosophies living in Atlanta.

Premiering Monday, May 30th at 9 PM ET/PT on VH1, the series will be the basic cable network's first foray into the hour-long scripted genre.

Stacey Dash plays Val, an ambitious aspiring fashion mogul who wants to find a true partner, LisaRaye McCoy is Keisha a former video dancer in search of a sugar daddy to keep her laced in riches and Charity Shea is April, the married friend who learned that finding your true love isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

 

via BlackVoices

90 GIRLS PREGNANT AT MEMPHIS MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL

What's going on???

~♥Shené

MAINE GOV. PAUL LEPAGE ON NAACP: "TELL 'EM TO KISS MY BUTT."

SANFORD, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- While attending a meeting for business leaders in Sanford, Governor Paul LePage spoke out about why he would not attend Martin Luther King ceremonies on the upcoming holiday.

LePage has declined invitations from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The organization has already expressed its displeasure with the governor's plans to not attend the events.

"They are a special interest. End of story...and I'm not going to be held hostage by special interests. And if they want, they can look at my family picture. My son happens to be black, so they can do whatever they'd like about it," said LePage.

LePage has an adopted son who is from Jamaica.

When a reporter from another television station asked LePage if his non-participation is more than one instance, and rather a pattern, he replied, "Tell 'em to kiss my butt. If they want to play the race card, come to dinner and my son will talk to them."

Dan Demeritt, LePage's Director of Communications, says the governor has personal commitments on Sunday and he is attending the funeral of a state trooper on Monday.

In an email to NEWS CENTER, Demeritt wrote, "This is about a special interest group taking issue with the Governor for not making time for them and the Governor dismissing their complaints in the direct manner people have come to expect from Paul LePage."


Demeritt also said as mayor of Waterville, LePage gave the welcome address at the MLK breakfasts in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.

This isn't the first time LePage has caused a stir with his comments. During the campaign, while speaking in front of a group of fishermen, then-candidate LePage said if he were elected governor, headlines would read "Governor LePage tells President Obama to go to hell." At the time LePage said he regretted his choice of words, but stood behind the intent.


SOURCE: WCSH6
~♥Shené

MUSIC VIDEO: "HEAVEN" - GINUWINE

This track was produced by Tank. What you think of The Bachelor re-emerging? Does he still have it?

~♥Shené

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY!

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. With his birth began his destiny to lead a nation, a people to demand equal rights in a nation that did not welcome the right especially in deep south. 

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Four days after King was assassinated in April 1968, Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced legislation to create a commemorative holiday honoring him. 

Conyers and Rep. Shirley Chisholm, D-N.Y., resubmitted a bill for the King holiday during every legislative session for a decade. There were many arguments against the legislation; some felt King was not worthy of the honor, and others complained that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to the longstanding tradition of honoring only those who held a public office.

After the bill stalled in Congress, organizers submitted petitions endorsing the holiday signed by six million people. In 1980, music icon Stevie Wonder released the song “Happy Birthday,” which became a national rallying cry. Public pressure further heightened during the 1982 and 1983 civil rights marches in Washington.

After 15 years of continuous advocating, Congress passed the legislation, and in November 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a law creating the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The law moved the holiday from Jan. 15, King’s birthday, to the third Monday in January. The first official holiday was observed in 1986. 

Source: PBS

~♥Shené

HALLE BERRY TO PLAY ARETHA FRANKLIN IN BIOPIC

Aretha Franklin wants Halle Berry to play the younger version of herself in her upcoming biopic.

WHAT DOES BLAKSTAR THINK?

~♥Shené

BLAKSTAR WEDNESDAY: SKIN + SHADE - SHADISM

REMEMBERING HAITI - ONE YEAR LATER

Haiti tent camp

One year ago today Haiti was devastated by an Earthquake that claimed approximately 230,000 lives. The Earthquake that lasted no more than 30 seconds has caused so much damage for this country that a year is not nearly enough time to resurrect it. 

According to USA Today:

The United Nations, U.S. aid officials and Haiti's government insist that progress is being made though it's hard to see amid the widespread devastation. Still, that progress is piecemeal, a reflection of Haitian poverty and institutional weakness before the quake, the scale of devastation after, and the challenge of coordinating an international cast of actors carrying out their own rebuilding objectives, say aid experts.

The U.N. reported in December that the number of people left homeless by the quake had dropped from 1.5 million to 1 million. Even that possible sign of progress may not be what it seems, because the U.N. isn't sure whether those who left camps set up for the homeless had found decent housing. Elsewhere in this nation of close to 10 million that was struggling with poverty long before the quake, there is little sense that things have improved.

The unemployment rate here is the highest in the hemisphere. The U.S. government reports that as many as two-thirds of Haiti's workers have no job or are working very little. Most homes, schools and buildings that toppled in the quake have not been rebuilt; even the rubble has not been cleared. Crime is going up.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY J. BLIGE

I remember when "What's the 411?" dropped and the world was introduced to the raw, soulful voice of Mary J. Blige. She was able to express pain and heartbreak in her songs that allowed you to believe in what she was singing. Furthermore women had an ambassador to what they were feeling.

What a talent to share!

Happy Birthday Mary J. Blige!

~♥Shené