The official portraits of Former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are now on display at the White House. The former First Couple returned to the White House for the unveiling of the historic portraits of the first Black President.
From this day forward, the official portraits of former President Obama and former First Lady Obama will now display on the walls of the White House – the People’s House – forever. pic.twitter.com/Ceb0wR4Ya2
President Biden honored the pair by saying, “Welcome home.” He said Obama’s tenure was marked by integrity, decency, moral courage and doing what’s right. Biden looked at Michelle Obama and noted, “He couldn’t have done it without you.” Calling the former FLOTUS, “one of the most consequential First Ladies.”
Barack and Michelle Obama receive a standing ovation upon returning to the White House for their official portrait unveiling.
Donald Trump refused to hold the ceremony for the Obamas while he was president. pic.twitter.com/wNBoG2rlgH
The former President praised Biden as a true partner and a good friend. He also thanked members of his former staff, calling them talented, selfless and idealistic.
First Lady Michelle Obama talked about raising two daughters in the White House for eight years and called it a special place.
Michelle also made comments that insiders believe were directed at the Trump administration. “The people make their voices heard with their vote,” and “we hold an inauguration to ensure a peaceful transition of power.” She added, “once our time is up, we move on.”
The Obamas’ POWERFUL remarks following the unveiling of their official White House portraits continue to instill hope in every American that we can ascend to the highest levels of success! pic.twitter.com/zTreiDqajD
The historic unveiling marks the return of the tradition of sitting presidents welcoming their predecessors for official portrait unveilings, regardless of party.
What an incredibly happy moment we all experienced today. It is comforting having the Obama’s portraits now in their rightful place. The Bidens and Obamas are good people pic.twitter.com/QcyhcaRHrK
GRAMMY award winner, Lauryn Hill returned to The Surf Lodge this past Monday, September 5, taking the stage at the iconic venue for an intimate concert.
She performed some of her most popular hits from the Fugees including “Fu-Gee-La,” “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and “Killing Me Softly.”
Notable guests in attendance at the concert included Liev Schreiber, Olivia Culpo, and Mischa Barton.
This was L Boogie’s second time performing at The Surf Lodge, she first played the Montauk hot spot back in 2017.
“It was a complete honor to welcome such an iconic and prolific artist back to the property,” says Jayma Cardoso, Founder and Creative Director of The Surf Lodge.
“Ms. Hill is a multigenerational talent that completely captivates her audience, and it was so special to have her grace our stage once again.”
In addition to Hill, The Surf Lodge has also announced their final fall music lineup to close out the 2022 with acclaimed musical acts, Wyclef Jean on Saturday, September 17 and Lupe Fiasco Saturday, September 24.
Billboard-charting raptress Coi Leray as well as Saucy Santana are set to perform during this year’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW). The Model Experience (TME) announced in a statement on Tuesday, the fashion-forward event curated by Shaun Ross is set to take place on Sunday, September 11.
“New York is the Mecca when it comes to Fashion in the US. We’ll be featuring everything from streetwear, to gowns, and custom corsets, with over 800 models taking the stage. Most of them are unsigned, and this is a big break moment for a lot of them,” shared TME founder Ashley Covarrubias.
“When you think of NYFW, the high-fashion shows are really raw and industrial. We wanted to emulate that feel, so the space is really raw. We’re excited to bring this vision to life at our first-ever NYFW show, and the support from our New York models has been amazing, ” explains the founder.
NAACP Image Award nominee Serayah (“Empire,” “BMF”) will star in the upcoming action-thriller Takeover, alongside Rap star and actor Quavo (“Atlanta,” Wash Me in the River) and Billy Zane (“The Boys”).
In the film, Serayah plays “Lt. Keisha Jenner,” the leader of a special task force assigned to apprehending jewel thieves. Level-headed and always by the book, she’s disgusted by Sheriff ‘Herc’ Hitchens’ willingness to play outside the lines. Keisha also is the childhood friend of Guy Miller (Quavo), a recent parolee who’s attempting to rehabilitate his life when circumstances propel him back into Atlanta’s dangerous takeover scene.
The feature-length film is produced by Trioscope in partnership with Quality Films (Ice Cold, How High 2), the expanded film unit of premier music management and Hip Hop mega-label Quality Control Music.Takeover is written by acclaimed and world-renowned action screenwriter Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive, The Vikings) and Brandon Easton (Marvel’s Agent Carter). Takeover is directed by Trioscope Chief Creative Officer Greg Jonkajtys, who directed The Liberator.
Takeover began filming earlier this month in Atlanta, and hasn’t been set with a release date as of yet.
She (no pun intended ) finally did it! Shereé Whitfield finally debuts her She By Shereé fashion collection on the Real House Wives of Atlanta Season Finale On Sunday. “I want everyone who feels like they can’t do it to keep pushing with prayer, determination, hard work … It will definitely pay off,” Whitfield said of pulling off her She by Shereé fashion show. If you haven’t kept up with the series, let us give you some backstory. In 2008 on the RHOA first season, Whitfield attempted to put on a fashion show but it didn’t go as planned She didn’t have samples to show due to poor production and quality and her failed attempt became a running joke amongst cast members on the show. This time around Whitfield debuted the line that she wanted, The guest list that attended the show was a real who’s who from the RHOA galaxy including cast members Kandi Burruss and husband Todd Tucker, Kenya Moore, Marlo Hampton, and Drew Sidora with Husband Ralph Pittman as well as friends and alums like Lisa Uw Hartwell, Peter Thomas and Married to Medicine’s Dr. Jackie Walters.
In an Instagram post that announced the season finale and the surprises to come, Whitfield confessed her struggles in creating the line to her followers. “When I look back at everything I see how far I have come. I have always had an eye for fashion and even had a luxurious boutique Bella Azul Which catered to the country’s elite. I was determined to create my own generational wealth for my kids. Freshly out of a divorce I wanted to regain my independence and get back to my first love which is fashion. It’s been a long 14 years as I have had hiccups and even moments of letting go of my dreams of having my own fashion line. It’s extremely hard when funding a fashion line by yourself with no backing behind you. Let She By Shereé be the example of perseverance for independent women….Thank u guys for the . the support and even the shade….it all kept me going!! I love u guys!
This time around didn’t come without its own set of controversy, Social media users slammed the RHOA for selling a $130 gray two-piece athleisure set that looks nearly identical to versions sold by Shein, and some fans Tweeted “Nah you wrong for these Shein joggers and charging NIKE prices,” another adding “Ummm when you can buy it from Amazon without the She by Sheree logo for a third of the price, then I have a problem.
If that wasn’t enough, and only after a few hours of going live the site crashed on Sunday, the designer claimed that the She by Shereé website crashed due to “overwhelming interest” and an “influx of love.” Whitfield assured fans that the issue was “being worked on” and urged them to check back in periodically. We are working to get this quickly resolved,” she wrote in a statement. “We wish to serve you soon. Thank you for your interest. Thanks to the customers whom we were able to serve so far tonight.” As of this morning, the site is still down.
Since becoming an internet sensation and becoming the “it girl” of the digital generation, 27-year-old Ari Fletcher has helped boost brands’ names and presence and helped them generate millions of dollars and become multi-millionaires. Known for her social presence and recently the girlfriend of rapper Moneybagg Yo, Fletcher is forming her own beauty trail with the debut of REMEDY BY ARI her newest all-inclusive beauty line. The Makeup line is an extension of who Fletcher is at the core, which exudes glamour and self-confidence and now she is sharing the secrets and leveraging her 7 million followers to what she say’s is her personal “definition of beauty” and “remedy to beat bad days.” The vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free product line consists of 10 glosses, 1 eyeshadow palette, and 8 lip liners which sold out in 3 hours! Fletcher is no stranger to beauty “I’ve always loved makeup and especially lip glosses. That’s why I wanted to release lip glosses first because I love a really nice lip. And I’m super obsessed with makeup overall.” in an interview with ‘21Ninety’ I’ve been wearing makeup for years, and I wear it so much because I’m always going out and going to photoshoots. So I know exactly how I like my makeup, and I have a tendency of always wanting to fix other people’s makeup – I’m just super into glam.” The highly anticipated collection, which includes the jet-set adventures, is appropriate for everyday beauty routines “It took us a really long time to get everything to where I felt like it would be one hundred percent perfect for everybody to wear. And then I really had to come to an assured place in making sure that all of the products were ones that I genuinely loved. That whole process took almost a year.” Simply stated in the Remedy by Ari Instagram post …The Remedy to all things beauty . We’ve curated products that speak to our glam connoisseurs. What kind of products are you hoping to see? Tell us below in the comments .”
The family of two young Black girls snubbed at “Sesame Street”-themed amusement park, declined an invitation back.
In July, a viral video shot at the Pennsylvania theme park showed a costumed character appearing to shake her head ‘no’ at two young Black girls and refusing to interact with them which sparked backlash against the park.
Jodi Brown was there with her daughter (Skylar) and niece (Nylah), as they were rudely dismissed by a Sesame Place employee in character during a parade
The park has now reached out to the family and asked them to return, however they say their daughters are still traumatized.
Since the incident, Sesame Place has rolled out a new set of policies including comprehensive racial equity and bias training for their employees.
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Comedians Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears are being sued for allegedly grooming two children. A lawsuit filed against the two from a 22-year-old woman, Jane Doe claims they groomed the two siblings.
The filing alleges child sexual abuse when the 14-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, were convinced into performing sexual acts for comedy skits that were video taped.
The John Doe in the suit also claims Spears and Haddish molested him while filming a “Funny or Die” video titled “Through a Pedophile’s Eyes.” In the sketch, Haddish allegedly played the boy’s mother and Spears portrayed a pedophile.
Haddish’s attorney says the lawsuit is nothing more than an extortion attempt, and that the plaintiffs have been trying to assert the claims for years.
According to the New York Post, the attorney for Spears, said the comedian “isn’t going to fall for any shakedown.”
Funny or Die said it immediately removed the video after it became aware of it. “We were not involved with the conceptualization, development, funding, or production of this video. The platform said they viewed the video “absolutely disgusting and would never produce such content,” according to TMZ.
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Babyface and Ella Mai unveil the official video for their new single “Keeps On Fallin’.”
The modern R&B track’s opulent romantic visual grabs its inspiration from Regency-era courtship rituals. Starring Emmy and GRAMMY winning actress/comedian Tiffany Haddish as the queen mother and Kendrick Sampson (Miss Juneteenth, “Insecure“) as the handsome prince who is courting Ella Mai. Babyface, who plays a duke, joins them for an extravagant meal as a string quartet plays while the bubbly flows.
“Keeps On Fallin’” is the first single from Babyface’s new project, Girls Night Out, set to be released by Capitol Records on October 21.
Described as a sonic journey through love, heartbreak and all of the emotions in between, Girls Night Out will give classic Babyface with a modern R&B twist. The album features the iconic hitmaker collaborations with some of today’s most sought after female R&B stars, including Ari Lennox, Queen Naija, Doechii, Kehlani and more.
Take a look at the new visual from Babyface featuring Ella Mai shot at the historic Malibu estate Villa De Leon by director/cinematographer Ava Rikki.
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Regina Hall has been quite active since we saw her co-hosting the 2022 Oscars. Her latest project is the comedy/satire Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, (Sept. 2 on Peacock), which premieres in theaters this weekend. The 51-year-old comedian, plays Trinitie Childs, the first lady of a megachurch, who’s husband is Sterling K. Brown, who plays pastor Lee-Curtis Childs. Hall’s character supports her husband and the church as they rebrand after being involved in a scandal that upsets their congregation.
The famed actor and director who is known for her roles in Black Monday, Girls Trip, the Best Man and cult classic Scary Movie franchise recently partnered with CÎROC for #CIROCStands for Black Businesses at the 20th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. A mission that highlights effort and ongoing commitment to celebrate the powerful voices and people within the Black community that are depicting excellence and igniting change.
The DC native and Me Time (Aug. 26 on Netflix), cast member who also stars in the limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Dec. 22 on Peacock), spoke with Kim SoMajor of The Source and dished on her new partnership with #CIROCStands, having ownership in Hollywood, starting her production company Rh Negative and more.
What sparked you to take on your latest film project, “Honk for Jesus. Save YourSoul.”
I really enjoyed the script when I read it and then I met with Adamma and Adanne and although they were young, I had seen their short film and knew they had a vision for what they had in mind. I hadn’t worked with Sterling before so when he joined, I was excited to work with him and couldn’t imagine creating these characters with anyone else.
What’s your role and intention set to accomplish with your partnership with CÎROC?
As a Black woman, I of course support female, Black owned businesses which is part of why I appreciate what #CIROCStands is accomplishing for the community. It’s that shared mission that drew me to them. Being at Martha’s Vineyard and being on a panel with such amazing women was truly inspiring. There’s such a rich history and roots in the culture there and I loved celebrating that!
How does the association align with everything that you’re doing as a businesswoman?
Like #CIROCStands, I believe it’s important to highlight people of different backgrounds. There are smart, talented people from varied pasts and to find them and give them a space to create and tell really good stories is part of why I was inspired to start producing.
As a business owner, starting Rh Negative production company- What has been adefinitive moment for you that reaffirmed that you made the right move in launching?
Producing is a process that involves many people and I love the sense of collaboration involved in developing a project from beginning to end. It brings me joy every time I’m able to facilitate the success of a project and enable other people’s dreams coming true.
With your production company, you are providing an opportunity for many creatives.How important is it for black women to have ownership in Hollywood or entertainment ingeneral?
We live in a diverse world and it’s important that diversity be seen on screen, which means it must exist behind the scenes. Everyone has different life experiences, and that varied history creates well-informed decisions that positively influence each project and inherently the industry as a whole.
How did you know that was the next move for you?
I’ve wanted to produce for several years. I felt like I had worked and gotten to a place where I had enough knowledge to be able to produce. It wasn’t an overnight thing, despite what people think, it took years, hard work, and a will for it to happen.
Can you share 5 tips on balancing asuccessful entrepreneurial lifestyle and home life of wellness?
More of a balance is always the goal, although it’s not always easy. I would say what helps me is good friends, an incredible team, fun, rest, and a quiet place where my imagination can roam.
What’s in store for you in the last quarter of 2022?
We’re of course excited for Honk for Jesus to be released and then we have TheBest Man coming out just in time for the holidays! Then a few other things that are soon to be announced. I work with two organizations called Scleroderma Research Foundation and Solutions Project and hope to partner with them on a few things too.
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B A C A W (@noondlyt) September 7, 2022
These new official White House portraits of the Obamas … pic.twitter.com/CFA33YCLGI
. We’ve curated products that speak to our glam connoisseurs. What kind of products are you hoping to see? Tell us below in the comments 
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