In “Janet Jackson: Beyond the Velvet Rope” in Variety by Andrew Barker it was revealed that Janet Jackson is now a billion dollar performer. However, many news organizations took this to mean that Janet Jackson is a billionaire, which in fact she is not.

by Ellen Usher

I do the same thing every Father’s Day. I wake up. I thank God for my grandfather. I reflect and think about the many times my grandfather was there for me when my own father abandoned me physically, emotionally, and financially. I make no phone calls to wish my father a Happy Father’s Day. I turn on my music and I mourn for the ten year old Nicole. I think about what her life would have been like had he made better choices. I cry a little and think about the day she stopped being a Daddy’s Girl.

by Jordan Hamilton

Whether we want to admit or not we have all gone through our significant others phone at least once. That sudden urge that takes over your body the moment they get up to leave the room or fall asleep. We have that one little voice in one ear telling us don’t do it, but then we have the other voice in our other ear telling us it won’t hurt to take a small peak.

 
Here's a question I'd like to see in a GCSE maths exam: in a climate where only one in 13 (7.7%) university professors are from BME backgrounds, where only 50 out of a total 14,000 university professors in Britain are from black Caribbean or black African backgrounds, and only 10 of these are women, how much tenacity does one black female PhD student need to achieve her full potential?

by Evan Seymour of Moi Naturale

Fewer teens are deciding to become moms. A report released by the CDC on Thursday details the substantial decreases in births among adolescents.

The record-low teen birth rates present a nationwide trend. Declines were most prevalent in the Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to the CDC report.

In September 1963, white supremacists bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The blast killed four girls: Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. The girls died inside of their Sunday School classrooms, and the blast kill 22 other congregants.

by Denise J. Hart

Does that say become a butterfly? Well, yes it does. Everyone knows that before a butterfly becomes itself, it gets to be a caterpillar and experience a really cool metamorphosis. Well, it's in the metamorphosis where you find the lesson for increasing your social net worth.

In a new study by Kaiser Permanente, published in Neurology, it was discovered that Multiple Sclerosis is more common in African-American Women than Caucasian, Asian and Hispanic Women. Multiple Sclerosis is now added to the long list of diseases that affect the African-American race more than others.

by Evan Seymour

No excuses.

These two words from President Obama’s 30-minute commencement address at Morehouse College have gotten so much attention.

Many have praised the president’s speech, but there are critics on both sides of the ideological aisle who are up in arms about Obama’s message to the graduating class of Morehouse. The Atlanta school is one of America’s premier institutions of higher learning, and the only college in the country geared specifically towards the education of men of the African Diaspora.

“Nappy,” “kinky,” and “coarse” are some of the terms used to describe the tightly-coiled texture of three-fourths of the indigenous African population and of most Black people living in Africa and America today. In North America, these were considered negative terms (sometimes fighting words), because the hair being described was not favored and the terms used to describe it were not considered complimentary.

Earlier this week, Mignon Clyburn became the first African-American  woman to head the Federal Communications Commission. Although, Clyburn will head the Commission, which started in 1934, her position is temporary; Congress is currently approving Obama’s permanent choice for head of the commission, Tom Wheeler, which could take an unforeseen amount of time.

by Nika of Faces of Black Fashion

Many of us are intentional about various areas in our lives. We have a goal, and we strive for it by any means necessary. For example, we will invest thousands of dollars, sacrifice sleep and go without certain luxuries to earn that degree or attain our career goals. We chart our paths and stick to it, knowing that success takes tenacity and strength of character. Thus knowingly or unknowingly, we become intentional about our goals. We are intentional by our actions.

Now, that we've recovered from our Scandal hangovers (Dad???!!!!!), let's talk about new television foolywang that has left me verklempt and outdone to the point where I've decided to write...wait for it...an open letter. Yes, it's that serious. If Hov can do one on Cuba, I can write one on this hot mess waiting to happen.

by Evan Seymour

It is nothing out of the ordinary for superstar entertainer Beyonce to grace the cover of a magazine, but rarely do these appearances spark conversations around feminism. Ms. magazine, one of the oldest, most widely recognized feminist publications in existence, has selected Mrs. Carter as their spring 2013 cover girl, but not all of the magazine’s readership agree with Bey’s selection, or with her being labeled a feminist.

reposted with permission from Strong Families Blog

By Bianca Campbell

The South is often seen as a threat to the rights of our chosen families, but Southern Black women, in alignment with African American views on reproductive access, have been taking this opportunity to uplift the values of our communities.

by Denise J. Hart

Mindset Mojo - preoccupation with perfectionism is the pathway to experience shame, while embracing process is a full time journey to building courage and confidence.

Momentum is one of my most favorite words. Back in high school, when I played basketball and ran track, my coaches would frequently weave the word momentum into their strategy talks with the team. It's true, that momentum means to be in motion and to have the strength of forward movement, but my former coaches also helped me to understand that momentum also has the connotation of being an advantage. Once you gain momentum, and this powerful energy is flowing in your direction, many people believe that the person that has momentum has an advantage that others do not.

by Evan Seymour

Let me start off by saying this – I absolutely adore Zoe Saldana. She’s one of the hottest stars in Hollywood and sistah girl’s sense of style is absolutely fierce. I am for sure a Zoe fan. However, what I do not, not even one bit, appreciate is the casting of the actress as legendary jazz, soul, and folk singer Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic.

by Keidra Chaney

I realized a couple of weeks ago that between Revenge, Scandal, and Nashville, ABC single-handedly brought new life to the nighttime soap opera, and I am not mad at that at all. Never a huge fan of crime procedurals, reality TV, or medical shows, I’ve watched more TV in the past season than in the past six or so years. I don’t want to sound completely shallow; I do watch and appreciate TV shows that illuminate the stories of hard-working, marginalized people, but I will not deny that I have a special place in my heart for the tales of the powerful and amoral. Blame it on a childhood of watching ABC daytime soaps with my grandmother, but there’s something about well-dressed people having sex with and/or killing each other that makes for great drama.

originally posted at Faces of Black Fashion

I come from a legacy of small women, but I did not always accept and embrace that legacy. It’s one of those things that you don’t talk about openly. These kind of conversations are reserved for trusted girlfriends or family members, until someone disrupts your security blanket with the all too sarcastic “oh shut up” or “cry me a river.” What right do you have to complain when mainstream society says your body type is the ideal? Are your feelings valid when well-meaning folks around you tell you that you’re so lucky that clothes fit you easily and that they “wish they had your figure.”

by Evan Seymour

NEW ORLEANS --This year, Mother’s Day in New Orleans served as a brutal reminder of the violence that plagues this city, and many neighborhoods across America. 19 people were injured Sunday afternoon when shooting erupted during a local Mother’s Day parade in a community known as the 7th Ward. Among the victims were 10 men, seven women, and a girl and a boy, both 10 years old.

I recently spent an afternoon on YouTube watching pop and r&b music videos from the 80s. I shooped and snaked along with two of my favorite female artists of all time: Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, I made my debut in time to catch only a few months of the 80s, so the unfamiliarity of the 80s aesthetics caught my eye. I studied the big hair, bright makeup, and the fashions. Both of these incredibly successful black women performers wore, essentially, street clothes in their videos and performances. And when they opted for flashier attire, their costumes were downright demure. Strikingly, both ascended to international superstardom without sartorial references to their sexuality.

Young adults across the country are ending their college years and beginning a new phase. The transition from student to bill-paying grown up can be a rocky one for for those who've never had to manage their own finances. Now that there's no more Work-Study and refund checks, the real financial work begins. Here are a few tips for new grads who want to get serious about staying on top of their money.

When Alice Walker speaks, we listen. The Pulitzer Prize winning author offered her thoughts on the renewed hunt for Assata Shakur. In a brief article, Walker laments a lack of empathy in US governmental policy. She writes:

by Denise Hart

Everything you want to achieve, everything you desire to be or do, depends entirely on you. You are always your point of attraction. Which means, wherever you are in your vibration will impact and determine what you receive into your life. If you are predominately feeling negative about the situations you encounter it will be very difficult to attract or create something that does not reflect that core negative outlook.

by Brandi M. Green (@b_mariegreen)

Two years ago, I sent my mother a mother’s day gift after years of sending her a card out of obligation. It was a first step in reconciling after many years of being estranged. We’d began talking every few months – albeit forced and about superficial topics – but still it was a start in moving our relationship in a better direction. I had no idea that that would be the last Mother’s Day gift that I would give her. My attempts of rebuilding our relationship were thwarted when she unexpectantly passed away that summer.

by Evan Seymour

Brittney Griner is a beast. Yes, I called a woman a beast. As a fellow black female, I feel I am at liberty to do so. The 6’8 center towers above most of her competition. She is a force to be reckoned with. Griner is the first player in NCAA history, male or female, to score 2000 points and block 500 shots. She’s the hottest new player in the WNBA and a breath of fresh air in women’s sports. Griner also happens to be gay.

A Response from ‘The Ignant Intellectual’

Dear Mister Cee,

I won’t pretend to ‘feel where you’re coming from’. I won’t pretend to ‘get it’ as both would be lies, but I am writing in hopes of translating to you the message of love—more specifically, self-love—more specific than that, radical self-love. I, like you, am a black person living in America. Those two identities alone send many to an early grave. But something I am not is a black male-bodied person living in America so I won’t pretend to ‘understand’.

by Evan Seymour

According to a Pentagon study released Tuesday, a staggering 26,000 members of the military were sexually assaulted last year – a 35% increase since 2010. That amounts to 70 sex crimes in the military per day.

The worsening statistics are a slap in the face to the Pentagon’s recent efforts to curb military sexual abuse.

“Sexual assault is a despicable crime and one of the most serious challenges facing this department,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said to reporters during a briefing in response to the study.

by Veronica Hilbring (@Veronicolumn)

I’ve worked in various corporate environments since I finished college in 2007. Each of the experiences was very different but there was always a constant theme: I should expect to be if not the only but one of the few black women there.

By Eris Zion Venia Dyson

Dear Mr. Charles Ramsey,

First and foremost thank you. Thank you for being an up-stander versus a bystander. All too often we are quick to flee from the things that could land us in imminent danger, but you in your heart of hearts knew that the right thing to do was to come to the aid of someone who was crying out. We as the members of this great City of Cleveland are forever beholden to you for finding three of our daughters who we thought we’d never see again. But through the grace of the Most High they are now safe.

Last week, PepsiCo dropped Lil Wayne's endorsement deal after the family of Emmett Till expressed outrage over lyrics in a Lil Wayne song. This happened just weeks after sustained protests prompted Reebok to drop Rick Ross because of his lyrics that implied date rape followed by inadequate apologies. Rap enthusiasts have expressed concern that hip hop is a target. A blogger at Necole Bitchie writes, "Corporate companies are going to be more afraid to give Hip Hop a chance, moving forward, in fear that something like this will happen again."

Last week a federal judge ordered that the emergency contraception pill Plan B should be available over-the-counter to young women as young as 15 years old. While reproductive rights advocates and women's health groups praised the decision, but on Wednesday the Department of Justice filed notice that it will challenge the ruling in court.

The Federal Drug Administration (F.D.A.) recommended lowering the age limit on purchase of Plan B One-Step from 17 with valid ID to 15. FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said in an agency news release, "Research has shown that access to emergency contraceptive products has the potential to further decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States."

After three decades of exile in Cuba, 65-year-old Assata Shakur is once again a wanted woman in the United States. In a joint news conference last week, the FBI and New Jersey state troopers announced Shakur’s addition to the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted Terrorists List. Shakur, formerly known as Joanne Chesimard, is the first woman ever named to the list. Officials made their announcement on the 40th anniversary of the murder of Werner Foerster, the state trooper Shakur is accused of killing in 1973.

Jamaica Kincaid is one of the preeminent literary voices of our time. That's why her work is featured on our list of 100 Books by Black Women everyone must read. But many Black women know that exceptional brilliance or achievement will not shield you from the closely-held misconceptions many hold about our womanhood. In a recent interview with The American Reader, Kincaid explains why critics so often call her "angry."

Building a successful blog takes passion and dedication. The process doesn't happen overnight, and often great blogs undergo many transformations until they find their niche. We recognize the importance of women creating our own spaces online. These bloggers offer exceptional content in their respective niches.

Liz A.’s poetic piece, “For Brown Daughters Who Are Not Our Own” comes from the most heartfelt of places with nothing but loving intent, but it is misguided in its approach.

The world is no doubt a hostile place for those born into black and brown bodies; no one can truthfully argue otherwise. Racism is the sickening and very real by-product of the social construct of race, and it is absolutely our duty as adults to warn the children who will inevitably face this ugly reality. We must equip them with information and give them a safe space to dialogue about their experiences so that they may flourish in spite of the cruelty.

by Evan Seymour

Saturday mornings are for sipping coffee and scouring my favorite websites. Randomly, I decided to Google the name of my alma mater, Spelman College. I was saddened as I read what popped up on the screen – three Morehouse basketball players and a fourth Morehouse student have been arrested and charged with the rape of an 18 year-old attendee of Spelman.

We're on an ongoing quest to spread the brilliance of Black women. That's why we suggest you read these books and watch these videos. Book hoarders know that constant purchases can add up, so here are a few to add to your collection.

Update: Many of these links have been disabled. We apologize and we will try to restore as many as possible. 

I am writing out of anger, fear, caution and concern for your sense of being. Right now you may be to young to understand but I’ve seen you around. I’ve seen you in the airport, I’ve seen your pictures in the media, your father, the son of my mothers brother, has shown me your picture that he keeps in his wallet and today I saw you on the train coming from a Cubs game. And I wonder, how did you end up in the care of that white woman? Did you come through her womb? Were you adopted? Or Are you the daughter of a friend? I wonder what you are thinking? I wonder if you are safe? Are you a victim of micro aggression from other white people? Are you envied by other brown people? Are you bullied at school? What do you think of your self? Do you use that white woman, whose care you are in, as a standard to measure your beauty against? 
Are you whole?

Black women of the world. We really are something aren’t we? A force, really. Constantly being stomped to the ground only for us to rise up and stampede whoever thought they could get away with such a thing. Silly rabbits of the universe continue to reach even when they know good and well they will catch hell from our wrath for even thinking for a second they could say anything remotely defamatory about us.

"You can set your mind free, you just have to believe it."

The other day, in response to a Daily Mindset Mojo message that I posted on facebook, I got a message in my facebook mailbox. It said: