Weekend Fresh!
Happy weekend, loves!
Author Archive
Slay Your Braids!
Looking for a dope new hairstyle to rock this fall? Well, braids are always in and we know the girl who can design a unique braiding pattern for you. Based in the New Jersey and New York City area, Kassandra Stafford is a hairstylist known for her creative braiding artistry. She started her own hair business, GetSlayedByKass, at the age of 18 and her craftsmanship as well as her clientele has heightened since then. Working with major influencers like beauty blogger Isabel Bedoya and social media maven Aggyabby, Kassandra has begun to put herself on the map.
Let’s get to know Kassandra a little better…
Who or what inspired you to start braiding hair?
I’ve been braiding hair since I was about 14. I’ve always liked the versatility of having so many styles with natural hair or adding extensions. When it comes to hair, options are endless. Braiding gave me a chance to not only express myself but to teach myself a skill that is now in high demand. I practiced until I perfected it. And naturally, like most hobbies, once you see you’re getting good at something, it motivates you to want more out of yourself. I asked myself, “What can I do to take my skills to the next level?” That’s when I developed some of my own techniques that helped me become a faster, neater and more creative braider at the same time.
What makes your braiding styles stand out from other styles?
I would say my parting designs. The cleaner the part, the neater the design looks.
#GetSlayedByKass
Where do you see your business in the next five years?
BOOMING! I really want to travel out of state and have clients in different places. Expanding my brand is important to me and I noticed that my followers are from various places. So I’d like to be able to provide services all over the world. That’s one of my major goals.
We all have tough days when we’re feeling down. What motivates you to stay positive?
Honestly, art. To be given the ability to create amazing things for people and put smiles on people’s faces tops it all. I’ve really learned how to exercise my skill and use it to my advantage. So I guess you can say that the dedication of doing something that I love keeps me motivated.
#GetSlayedByKass
We are all about EMPOWERMENT. What does empowerment mean to you?
Right now, working as an independent, self taught hair stylist makes me feel empowered. When I started my journey in branding and promoting @GetSlayedByKass, that is when reality started to hit me. Since December of 2016 when I opened my business page on Instagram, I’ve been able to establish good relationships in the beauty industry with well-known brands and social media influencers all because people are interested in my work. Whenever I receive positive feedback on my work, it makes me feel like the work I’m putting in is worth it. That makes me feel confident, nonetheless proud.
#GetSlayedByKass
Time for Faves! Celeb crush? Artist? Food? Movie?
My celebrity crush would have to be Chris Brown. He’s an all around great entertainer. Love him!
Artist? I’d say right now I’m really feeling SZA. She gives me that 90’s vibe sometimes. I really like how soulful her songs are.
Food? It would have to be rice and beans with green olives. I could probably eat that everyday.
Movie? My all time favorite movie is Selena with the beautiful Jennifer Lopez. I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen it, laughed and cried. It’ll never get old.
Check out more of Kassandra below:
Instagram: GetSlayedByKass / Facebook: GetSlayedByKass
Interview by Tia Banks
F is for Fashion!
Fall brings homecoming, 1st semester of classes and fresh looks to remix your style. While hitting the books + attempting to balance your life on-the-go as a student, don’t forget to sprinkle a little style joy to your day. Here are the hottest trends being served up closing out 2017!
Fab Frames- Who says you can’t look cute while cuddling up with a book with a dope pair of frames. Prescriptions or just to add an extra flare to wardrobe, a pair of staple frames made the cut this fall.
Faux Furs- So staying warm is clearly important around this time of year and having a little faux fur jacket is the quickest way to instantly up your style game on the weekends with your friends.
Festive Fun- Just because the leaves are brown doesn’t mean you have to shy away from color! Bring colors + prints to your wardrobe all through out the year! Not only do you look amazing in colors, it’s an instant mood booster too!
Keep sprinkling magic everywhere you go, loves!
Meet HUMAN INTONATION!
Making a fashion statement in today’s age is more than rockin’ the latest trends! Verneda Adele White combined her style for powerful social change. She’s the Founder and Creative Director of HUMAN INTONATION, the premium, charity-driven apparel brand dedicated to raising awareness while donating 20% of each sale to pertinent social & human rights issues. Following her family’s personal experience with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the loss of her closest cousin and best friend to AIDS, Verneda began designing men and women’s graphic tees, tank tops, and dresses made from her own original patterns, using organic materials, to draw attention to re-building efforts in the Gulf Coast.
Her national platform of using fashion for social change, related community events, and speaking engagements has since extended to education for children in Darfur, rebuilding Haiti, and the brand’s primary focus on HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment. Verneda has received support from the likes of Usher Raymond, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Wyclef Jean, and Hydeia Broadbent, in addition to lifestyle mogul B. Smith who wore her own Human Intonation tee during a cooking segment on The Wendy Williams Show. Human Intonation has been covered by VH1, the Black AIDS Institute, NV Magazine, Black Enterprise, AOL, and Uptown Magazine
Let’s get to know Verneda Adele White of HUMAN INTONATION a little better!
HUMAN INTONATION is an awesome charity driven apparel brand, please share with our audience what inspired this concept.
My greatest inspiration is the opportunity to impact the lives of others through fashion. As a premium, charity-driven apparel brand, HUMAN INTONATION® (H.I.) is dedicated to using fashion as a platform to raise awareness and funding for a number of social and human rights issues. Originally inspired by my family’s personal experience with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I started Human Intonation as a creative space to raise funds for recovery efforts in New Orleans. During my first volunteer trip to rebuild New Orleans, I had the opportunity to meet and was inspired to pursue my vision by one of music’s true artists, Usher, who not only continues to give back, but has been a supporter of Human Intonation since our inception. In the same year following Katrina, I lost my closest cousin to AIDS when he and I were both just starting out in life after college. These were two back to back life experiences that greatly shaped my entrepreneurial spirit, and continue to inspire me to use Human Intonation to champion causes that impact us globally.
Today, Human Intonation is an international platform with related events, partnerships, and speaking engagements, along with working with Non-profit organizations to develop compelling apparel that meets their branding and fundraising needs. While our primary focus is HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and treatment, our brand is accessible, not only in giving voice to social and human rights issues that affect all of us, but in being the most wearable, soft, organic, and uniquely cut conscious t-shirts and tank tops you will find.
How has fashion and style shaped and impacted your lifestyle?
I have always loved all things fashion, from producing fashion shows to developing my own original t-shirts for our H.I. Collection, but my journey with fashion and how it impacts my lifestyle is constantly evolving. As a personal lifestyle, I feel I am often more in tuned with the rhythm of the business of fashion than with any one particular style of the moment. Sometimes I’m on trend and sometimes I walk to the beat of my own drum. I want to be comfortable and stand out all at once, and when I really want to rock something special I call my stylist @MsDaniDK. What fashion gives me is pure adrenaline, motivation, creativity, and belief that anything is possible. I seem to have super human strength during Fashion Week (New York and London) while attending, getting my hands into production, and reviewing as many shows as possible. As a brand, I am constantly looking at fashion, but our silhouettes and designs are inspired by our customers and followers. One of my biggest lessons in business has been to understand that the end product is not always going to be what I would wear. It’s truly about what our customers want.
What message do you hope people will receive and act on by purchasing HUMAN INTONATION designs?
For us, the power in Human Intonation is that we are able to inspire people to start the conversation about social and human rights issues in a way that can change perceptions, change choices, change lives. With the designs and messages in our collections, we often include a call to action to empower individuals to have a positive impact on their own lives or the lives of others. When it comes to HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment, it is my hope through Human Intonation that even one family may have a different experience than my own. It is important for all to understand that HIV is 100% preventable, and it starts with each person taking the action of getting tested and knowing your status. Currently, I am excited to be featured in the “Bare It All” Ad campaign (http://bit.ly/2sacmco) from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to raise awareness for sexual health, and encourage all, including LGBTQ New Yorkers, to talk openly and honestly with their doctor about their sex lives and drug use in order to receive the treatment and services one may need.
What are 3 pieces of advice you would give to girls who wanted to pursue their dreams but are too nervous to start?
First and foremost, bringing any idea, business, or creative dream to life is not easy, no matter your age, background or level of education. With that being said:
Girls who set out to make their dreams a reality should know you are already ahead of the game just by making a beginning. I am constantly reminding myself there are so many who dream but never attempt to try. Start by writing your dreams down or making a vision board to make it concrete. Believe in your vision. To be successful you must first believe in yourself.
Learn to forgive yourself. Be fearless and unafraid of making mistakes because mistakes and setbacks will happen no matter how hard you try to avoid them. Do your best to learn the lesson, and keep pressing forward. In my experience, everything happens for a reason.
To jumpstart your dreams, put yourself in the best position possible by planning how you will take care of yourself. If you are making the leap from a steady paycheck to “do what you love, the money will follow,” put your savings together before you leap. Following your dreams always costs more than you think it will. Fortunately, it’s worth every penny.
We tend to pull characteristics from others in our lives or from people we admire, who inspires you and why?
At the moment, I am completely inspired and draw my energy from all the #BlackGirlMagic in the world. Parts of my character, from my determination to my unbridled ambition, comes from the #BlackGirlMagic in my life whether drawing from other women entrepreneurs, the imagination sparked by a Beyoncé or Serena Williams, or the very special #BlackGirlMagic that my mom has created in her lifetime. My mom, better known as Dr. Darlene Riggins White, was not only the first African-American woman to be accepted and graduate from the University of Buffalo’s School of Dentistry, she went on to become the first African-American woman to own her own dental practice in the western half of New York State. I am proud I have my mom’s entrepreneurial spirit! I had an opportunity to write about my love for all things #BlackGirlMagic earlier this year in my Huffington Post blog: http://bit.ly/2iveGpM.
We are all about empowerment, What does EMPOWERMENT mean to you?
For me, the ultimate form of empowerment is the being comfortable in one’s own skin. That’s what I strive to give to myself and others each day. Being comfortable in one’s own skin lends to being confident, to know that you can do it, you can survive even the most challenging situations, and be stronger for it on the other side. Don’t be discouraged by the naysayers. Naysayers come in many different forms, but each of us has everything we need inside to make a difference in our lives and to have a positive impact on the lives of others. When I made the decision to start HUMAN INTONATION by developing t-shirts from my own original patterns, to source my own fabric and build my own supply chain it was because I knew I could do it, but more importantly I wanted our t-shirts, tanks, and dresses to be able to empower others down to the very core of our brand. Education is also key, and in business it is critical to be both book and street savvy. Hone your craft and never stop learning. You never know when you will be able to take what you’ve learned and empower someone else.
Time for the Faves! Celeb Crush? Artist? Food? Movie?
I love this question!
Celeb crushes: Kofi Siriboe, I mean how can anyone not… but I can’t front like I haven’t fallen head over heels for Sterling K. Brown. Idris is still in the game because he will simply never go out of style.
Artist: Kanye, Solange and Kendrick Lamar (current), Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder (classic)
Food: I am a total foodie which means I am always up for trying just about anything from around the world. If I have to choose, I would say my palate stays close to home with fried catfish, collard greens, homemade baked mac n cheese, or a pot of gumbo.
Movie: Again a tough one (of all time) … Coming to America
Check out more of HUMAN INTONATION here:
Our primary social media platforms include:
Instagram
Twitter
Huffington Post
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Happy weekend, loves!
Meet PhDivas!
What do you get when you add brains, ambition, drive + beauty? PhDivas, of course! In a society where media loves to portray women of color as just beauty with no brains, it’s completely refreshing for Dr. Liz Wayne and Dr. Christine “Xine” Yao to create an empowering platform that flips the script! PhDivas podcast covers academia, culture, + social justice across the STEM/humanities divide. An engaging conversation between friends and scholars, PhDivas fills a niche for witty and insightful discussion and proves that PhDs in Engineering and English literature have more in common than meets the eye.
At over 50 episodes, PhDivas garnered a wide audience with a listenership from over 100 countries and over 20,000 plays. Two women of color Ivy League PhDs navigating higher education. Biomedical engineer meets literary critic. And of course, both fans of lipstick!
Let’s get to know Liz + Xine a little better!
PhDivasis a podcast about academia, culture, and social justice across the STEM/Humanities divide, what made you launch this powerful podcast?
Academia is a struggle for everyone, especially for those who are underrepresented minorities. Solidarity between women, especially women of color, is so important for surviving higher education regardless of discipline. Sometimes we have to be the change we want to see in the world or the inspiration we wish we could have had. This work is deeply personal: we hope to be part of a chain reaction that will make higher education a better place. As Liz likes to say, “Academia won’t be the space that was provided for me but one that I create — not the one I dreamed of but one that I build.” Join our community!
Being a voice in the community motivates others to be great, which past topics/episodes do you feel your audience responded to more than others? And why do you feel this topic had a large effect?
People feel the pressure to perform perfection all the time, but we try to be honest about the struggle and our anxieties. One of our most popular recent episodes was S03E23 “The Secret Life of Academic Conferences.” Perhaps drew our listeners was that we went beyond the list of practical, professional tips and advice that can be found elsewhere; instead, we delved into the social life and psychology of the conference experience that people don’t often talk about — especially not from the perspective of those who are junior in academia. One of our classic episodes S02E07 “Imposter Syndrome and Other Anxieties” speaks to the personal and structural difficulties everyone can have in competitive environments. Together we discuss the difference between responding to environments inhospitable to women of colour versus universal worries about expectations and performance.
Christine “Xine” Yao
We tend to pull characteristics from others in our lives or from people we admire, who inspires you and why?
We both love how Laverne Cox talks about possibility models instead of role models. For Xine that person is Sara Ahmed, a (now former) academic in the humanities working on feminist and queer of color criticism; not only does Xine draw from Ahmed’s theoretical models, but she is inspired by how Ahmed practices her principles in life, not just in research.
For Liz that person is Dean Gilda Barabino, the first Black women to be Dean of an Engineering School. She has led an exemplary career and she just an amazing and lovely person to be around. She gives me hope.
Liz Wayne
If you had to give one piece of advice to teen girls who are struggling with race and gender issues in their day to day, what would it be?
Xine: There’s a community out there for you and those people are both more wonderful and more flawed than you can imagine. You will grow together when you work toward each other’s liberation. Oh, and you need to learn how to strategically stop caring or listening to those on the outside in order to make it through.
Liz: Some things we can’t change or help– where we live, who are family is, etc., but we can choose our friends and our life partners. Choose wisely. When the world feels like it has no space for you, surround yourself with people who want you to be healthy, happy, and successful. Don’t linger on the toxic relationships or the toxic social images. Having a strong support network has helped me deal with the struggles of the world.
We’re all about empowerment at C.O.R.E Mag, what does EMPOWERMENT mean to you and your organization?
Lift each other up!
Fun Faves! Fave Food? Artist? Song? Celeb Crush?
Xine: Food: loves eating everything but if she had to choose it would be good ice cream. Artist: Gustav Klimt or Kara Walker (easier for me to think of this kind of artist and not musical ones!) Song: History Maker by Dean Fujioka (the theme song for the anime Yuri!!! On Ice) Celeb Crush: Riz Ahmed
Liz: Food: Chicago deep crust pizza. Artist:Titus Kaphar & Frida Kahlo. Song: Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks Celeb Crush: Rihanna (because she puts in work work work work work).
Check out more of Liz + Xine here!
Racing Against The Clock!
Time Management…oh how I love the thought of doing it successfully. The reality is that many of us are struggling. We have so much to do but we have little time to do it.…scratch that. We have so much to do and we aren’t aware of all the time we have to do it.…That’s better. School has begun. Many of us are entering a new stage in our lives. Becoming a freshman…becoming a senior. Though we are diving head first into these new experiences, there are a few things we can keep in mind in regards to managing our time.
Assignment written. Assignment complete! Many of us are guilty of pushing back work with the hopes of completing it at a later date. This can be problematic because realistically we find that the time spent watching YouTube or on Snapchat, could have been spent starting, and possibly completing, a paper. So I advise you to complete your assignments when given. This leaves you with more free time later.
Shut it off and Tune in! As briefly mentioned before, many of us are active on various social media platforms and some of us have a small addiction to it. Your ability to shut off your device and tune into your work is a challenge but I believe you can do it. When you think of time management think of discipline. Your ability to control your bad habits not only helps with time management but also in life.
Charts. Calendars. Timers. Timing is key. Literally. If managing your time is spent complaining about lack of time, it is time to get a planner and calendar. You can track all your assignments and put them in time slots. This is where discipline is needed. Though you will not receive penalties for going over the time you’ve given yourself, the stress that will result will be punishment enough.
Help me! Help me! This one is simple. If you spend your time looking confused at your homework-get help. Work in friend groups, get tutoring. There are many different methods one can use to get help. You are never limited in your resource when you have access to the internet. The time spent will help you greatly in the long run. The key for time management is staying focus.
–Written by teen blogger, Brynn Hutchinson
A Night With Ashley Stewart!
Need a dose of inspo + empowerment? Well, it was definitely served up on September 16th at the Brooklyn Kings Theatre where Ashley Stewart hosted an evening of fresh girl power! Real Husbands of Hollywood star Boris Kodjoe and wife + actress Nicole Ari Parker teamed up with Grammy-nominated vocal group En Vogue for the first-ever Finding Ashley Stewart 2017 Finale to benefit Dress for Success and celebrate Brooklyn, women’s empowerment, and community.
In addition to crowning Theresa (Larsen) Royals from St. Thomas with the title of ‘Ashley Stewart 2017’, the event awarded a total of $20,000 in scholarships to the North Carolina A&T University student winner Lydeah Kearse ($10,00 scholarship winner), as well Medgar Evers College student winners Latchmie Marajh ($5,000 scholarship winner) and Kedeisha Freeman($5,000 scholarship winner). The sold-out, star-studded event also featured celebrity judges and special guests! Take a look at who brightened up the pink carpet that evening!
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 16: Iyanla Vanzant presents Latchmie Marajh and Kedeisha Freeman with the Medgar Evers Scholarship award onstage at Finding Ashley Stewart 2017 at Kings Theatre on September 16, 2017 in (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for Ashley Stewart)
Lydeah Kearse ($10,00 scholarship winner), as well Medgar Evers College student winners Latchmie Marajh ($5,000 scholarship winner) and Kedeisha Freeman($5,000 scholarship winner)
Actor Boris Kojoe + actress Nicole Ari Parker showed their love as husband + wife with a sweet selfie on the Pink carpet. Photo credit: C.O.R.E Magazine
Grammy-nominated vocal group En Vogue. Photo credit: C.O.R.E Magazine
Actrees Andrea-Rachel Parker from the hit series Power rocked the pink carpet! Photo credit: C.O.R.E Magazine
Leading gospel artist gospel singer Kierra Sheard on the Pink Carpet. Photo credit: C.O.R.E Magazine
Brooklyn United Drumline spiced up the pink carpet and brought their amazing energy!
Check out more of Ashley Stewart here:
Ashley Stewart Scholarship!
We know that college life can be filled with tons of memories, friends and new chapters but it can also give us a headache when it comes to finances. This is one of the many reasons C.O.R.E Mag is excited to celebrate with Ashley Stewart as they award a total of $20,000 in scholarships to empowering young women striving for higher education!
The scholarship announcements are a part of the nationwide ‘Finding Ashley Stewart 2017’ finale. During the crowning of ‘Ashley Stewart 2017’, Spiritual Life Coach Iyanla Vanzant will be on hand at the event to award a total of $20,000 in scholarships to North Carolina A&T University student winner, Lydeah Kearse, as well as the yet-to-be announced winning students from Medgar Evers College. The scholarship aims to celebrate strong female leaders that are excellent students and role models for their peers.
It will be held in Brooklyn where actor Boris Kodjoe will be hosting and Grammy-nominated vocal group En Vogue is set to perform! The evening will be filled with a variety of star-studded celebrity guests + judges, including Nicole Ari Parker.
Check out teaser to this fab event + EMPOWERING cause!
All net ticket proceeds are being donated to Dress for Success.
Order your tickets now at Ticketmaster: Tickets Here
Also, check out AshleyStewart.com!
Make sure to follow @corereader on Instagram for live updates + coverage!
