You feel the need to flatter

You manipulate the truth

You love gossip

You look for the most powerful person in the room

You only have high-status friends

You research people before befriending them

You forget the names of “little” people you’ve met a lot

You do favors for people who can do them in return

If someone asks for a favor, you ask what they can do in return

You embellish your accomplishments

You have few long-time friends

You bad talk your competition

You consider yourself someone who has competition

You are suspicious of people

You are jealous of someone’s new friend

The post Do You Use People? appeared first on MadameNoire.

You paid for it

Bragging rights

You meet ambitious people

It is cool to see what your body can do

There’s usually a free brunch

You’ll believe in yourself more

You’ll lose weight

You may get fewer colds!

The free t-shirt

It helps get you organized

You’ll sleep great

It’s for charity!

It’s a way to make friends

You get to see the city

You have an excuse to get out of things

The post The Surprising Perks Of Running A Marathon appeared first on MadameNoire.

It’s hard out here for professional Black women in many ways, especially when it comes to finding a equal mate. In fact, a study by the Social Mobility Memo of The Brookings Institution, found a large percentage of Black women with college degrees just don’t get married. Why? According to the article, “Single Black female BA seeks educated husband: Race, assortative mating and inequality,” published 2015, Black college educated women find it very difficult to find Black women with the same educational and professional background. Making it even more difficult, Black women are less likely to date outside of their race.

Essence dating columnists Kelli Fisher and Tana Gilmore, known as The Matchmaking Duo, recently addressed this issue on the latest episode of the magazine’s “Yes, Girl” podcast. Fisher and Gilmore quit their corporate careers to become professional matchmakers for Black women.

“What we’ve uncovered is women have taken the fast track,” the Duo explained to Essence. “They’ve gone from high school to college to graduate school or even onto medical school or law school and they have just taken the fast track through life and they look around all of a sudden at 35 or 40 and they don’t have a husband or any children because they’ve allowed their career to take over their lives.”

The problem is real as the dating pool for professional Black women is a lot smaller. “Black men are the second least likely to earn a college education, after Latino men,” reported Diversity. Just look at the stats: Only 49 percent of college-educated Black women will marry a well-educated man. But 84 percent of college-educated white women will find a “equal” partner. And a whopping 60 percent of Black college female graduates aged 25 to 35 have never married, versus just 38 percent of white college-educated women.

“If you think of it culturally, a lot of our parents and grandparents are like, ‘OK, get your education and worry about that later.’ And how many people have not heard that? You have to get yourself positioned and you’ll find someone else later and then later comes and you have the accolades and dating might not be as intentional. You’ll meet a great guy but say you know, I’m not focused on that and you’ll let a lot of good ones get away,” said the Duo.

And once you are in the mindset of being a “boss” woman, it’s hard to get outside of the mindset when you are in social settings. “Most ‘boss’ women do still want a man to lead sometimes, they add. The problem comes when women don’t know how to let their man take the lead and they don’t know how to appropriately voice that desire,” reported Essence.

The post Why Black Boss Women (Still) Find It Hard To Find Equal Mates appeared first on MadameNoire.

Last week, we reported that Ebony Banks, a Houston-high-school senior who was battling stage 4 cancer, got her wish when she had a chance to chat with Beyoncé via FaceTime. Sadly, just four days after her friends helped make her wish come true, she passed away on Sunday.

News of Banks’ death was released by a staff member from Alief Hastings High School, where Banks was enrolled in school. Administrators from her school arranged an early graduation ceremony at the hospital months ago.

Shortly after, a candlelight vigil was held in Banks’ honor at the LeRoy Crump Stadium.

Sights from tonight’s vigil for @AliefHastingsHS student Ebony Banks pic.twitter.com/7O4yFw8VPq

— Alief ISD (@AliefISD) March 27, 2017

Though the conversation between Banks and Beyoncé was private, there was a clip of both Ebony and Beyoncé saying that they loved one another.

May Ebony rest in peace.

The post Ebony Banks, Teen Who FaceTimed With Beyoncé, Dies Of Cancer appeared first on MadameNoire.

Unhealthy: You're irritable at the airport

Healthy: You laugh in the TSA line

Unhealthy: You stick to your magazine

Healthy: You riff/play a game together

Unhealthy: You get angry at the other's beauty routine

Healthy: You lovingly ask them to wrap it up

Unhealthy: You drink tons and fight

Healthy: You drink tons and have sex

Unhealthy: You fight for your activity

Healthy: You look for an activity you'll both love

Unhealthy: You fight over sleep

Healthy: You commiserate over sleep

Unhealthy: You take photos alone

Healthy: You take photos together!

Unhealthy: You find ways to be apart

Healthy: You find ways to be together

Unhealthy: You nitpick if one thing goes wrong

Healthy: You find the humor in everything

Unhealthy: Distractions cause a huge fight

Healthy: You understand phone calls have to happen

The post What Vacation Is Like In A Healthy Vs Unhealthy Relationship appeared first on MadameNoire.

There has long been a debate on whether racism causes PTSD in African Americans, and, according to a new study, violence in Black neighborhoods does cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the African-American community, and it seems Black women are hit the hardest.

The study published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in December found that many African-American women in disadvantaged communities suffer from PTSD. “A recent Northwestern Medicine study that examined the South Side neighborhood of Oakland found that 29 percent of the 72 African-American study participants have the disorder and an additional 7 percent exhibited a large number of signs that are part of a PTSD diagnosis,” reported The Chicago Tribune. “Researchers said they believe that points to a need for more mental health services and screenings in poor neighborhoods.”

The National Institute of Mental Health defines PTSD as a potentially debilitating anxiety disorder that often develops following experiencing a “shocking, scary, or dangerous event.” And this definition relates to the experiences of many in Black communities who have had loved ones become victims of violent deaths or they themselves victims of a violent crime.

Living in an environment of poverty and violence can trigger PTSD or subthreshold PTSD, which means that several symptoms characterizing PTSD are present.

“Sometimes the PTSD is missed or a lot of times, it could be the patient not being forthcoming with past trauma or past physical abuse, and it’s something that is definitely out there,” said Dr. Michael Malone, who worked in the violence-ridden Chicago neighborhood of Englewood for 11 years before spending the past four years in Bronzeville. He said he has many patients who are dealing with trauma and struggling with PTSD. “Unfortunately in the inner city where we are, that’s something that needs to be addressed more, and the study was right on. As I’m reading through it, I’m thinking of different patients in my head that we’ve diagnosed.”

The post Black Women In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Suffer Higher Rates Of PTSD appeared first on MadameNoire.

If you hopped on Twitter yesterday and saw United trending, you might’ve thought, “Great, another airline I’m going to have to stop flying.” But before you jump to conclusions, it seems special circumstances were involved in United’s decision to block two teenage girls wearing leggings from boarding a flight to Minneapolis yesterday.

The young passengers weren’t your everyday customers, they were “pass riders” — relatives or friends of United employees allowed to fly at discounted rates — and as such they are required to follow the airline’s dress code when flying which, apparently, does not include leggings.

Despite the explanations being tweeted from United’s Twitter handle during the debacle, celebs and citizens alike dragged the airline for their “policing” of women’s clothes which, understandably, was deemed sexist. Today, United put out a formal statement on the incident, attempting to assure its regular customers their leggings are all good, but it might not be enough for the airline to recover from yesterday’s mishap. What do you think?

Let us take a moment to explain today’s news:

We care about the way we present ourselves to you, our customers, as we believe that is part of the experience on board our flights. One of the benefits of working for an airline is that our employees are able to travel the world. Even better, they can extend this privilege to a select number of what we call “pass riders.” These are relatives or friends who also receive the benefit of free or heavily discounted air travel – on our airline as well as on airlines around the world where we have mutual agreements in place for employees and pass riders.

When taking advantage of this benefit, all employees and pass riders are considered representatives of United. And like most companies, we have a dress code that we ask employees and pass riders to follow. The passengers this morning were United pass riders and not in compliance with our dress code for company benefit travel. We regularly remind our employees that when they place a family member or friend on a flight for free as a standby passenger, they need to follow our dress code.

To our regular customers, your leggings are welcome.

The post United Airlines: “Your Leggings Are Welcome” (Despite Yesterday’s Mess) appeared first on MadameNoire.

The tech and auto worlds have been touting the future of driverless vehicles. Cars that will basically drive themselves while you sit back and relax.

Sounds like an intriguing notion, but Maya Rockeymoore, PhD, founder and CEO of Global Policy Solutions LLC, a social-change strategy firm, and the Center for Global Policy Solutions, a think tank and action organization dedicated to driving society toward inclusion, wonders if this innovation might actually but Black people out of work.

While Rockeymoore contended that driverless vehicles might help alleviate the dangers of driving while Black, she pondered if “the advent of fully autonomous vehicles brings a different set of concerns for African Americans, particularly those who make their living driving delivery and heavy trucks, buses, taxis and chauffeured cars,” she wrote in The Root.

Her organization, the Center for Global Policy Solutions, conducted a study called “Stick Shift: Autonomous Vehicles, Driving Jobs, and the Future of Work” and found that “whites make up the largest number of our nation’s drivers and would be especially vulnerable to job loss in the event of a rapid transition to autonomous-vehicle technology. Nevertheless, with 4.23 percent of Black workers employed in driving jobs, compared with 2.85 percent of all workers in these jobs, Blacks rely on driving jobs more than any other racial or ethnic group and would lose a greater-than-average share of jobs under conditions of rapid automation.”

And these jobs are nothing to cough at. African Americans in such positions earn a median annual wage that is $2,500 more than they earn in nondriving jobs.

The driving industry, while still dominated by men, has seen a boost in Black female drivers as well. “Although men of all races and ethnicities dominate all categories of driving jobs and receive much higher wages (earning 64 percent more than women) across these positions, it’s worth noting that bus-driver positions employ the greatest number of women and that the number of Black female bus drivers (70,000) comes ‘close’ to reaching numerical parity with Black male bus drivers (86,000), even though they are still paid less—earning an annual median wage of $22,000 versus $32,000 for black men—for doing the same job.”

And if these Black women drivers, who may be heads of households, lose their jobs it could have far reaching societal effects.

The post Will Driverless Cars Put Black People Out Of Work? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Some men don’t seem to understand that planning a great date takes a lot more than saying “eenie meenie miney mo,” picking a random place out of a hat, and, bam, you’re all done.

Just listen to the true-life stories from my friends in dealing with the dreaded man who can’t plan:

“I’ve been dying to see this one movie, and so he agrees to take me to go see it. Tell me how, when we get there, the theater’s not even playing the film I wanted to see!”

“This one guy told me to meet him at a laser tag place, only to be told that, because my date didn’t make call to make a reservation in advance, we had to take our a–es back home.”

“This guy, for a first date ‘surprise,’ thought it was a good idea to take my claustrophobic a– to an escape room. You know, where you pay to get locked in some dark, dirty, dingy room and solve puzzles to navigate your way out? I kept sticking my head out the tiny basement window every five minutes to keep myself from passing out!”

The consensus was complete confusion over why their dates didn’t do any research – a quick Google search will tell you whether a place accepts walk-ins or if a theater is playing the movie you want to see. And as for the escape room scenario, probably not a good idea not to trap your date – someone you don’t know from a hole in a wall – into a locked room as a “surprise.” Just a thought!

But here’s where things got heated. Is a man who can’t plan a dealbreaker?

A resounding “hell yeah” was heard from my more conservative, “men should do this and women should do that” friends who won’t even look back after a poorly planned date:

“I think men should take initiative, plan the dates, have enough common sense to do his Yelps and Googles, and make sure that everything goes smoothly from start to finish. It’s not that hard!”

“Yeah, if we’re habitually finding ourselves in sticky situations because he doesn’t care enough to put some effort into doing some research, guess he doesn’t care about me either.”

But my more “new school” friends, myself included, aren’t so quick to write these men off. I mean, what’s not to love about planning for a date, whether it’s for a first date or a relationship? When I pick the place, he’s on my turf now – I know where the closest escape routes are if sh-t goes south. Since I made the plans, I know for a fact all the bases are covered, so I don’t have to worry about my man forgetting to tie up loose ends.

Plus, I don’t have to painfully endure sitting through a snoozefest of a baseball game or an ear-bleeding, cacophonous live band because, you know, “tradition” and “men plan dates.”

I get to stray away from the usual, boring ol’ cafe-bar-movie-restaurant suggestions and do something fresh and original. If everything else is going well, and bad planning is his only hiccup, as someone who’s a strategic master planner, I don’t mind it at all – we’d balance each other out, no?

But of course, for some women, it’s a complete and utter turn off: “Look, if he’s half-a–ing it and can’t take a few minutes to plan a date properly and thoughtfully, and worse, I have to step in and take over his role, I don’t want no parts of it!”

Alright, alright. You’ve got a point.

So what do you think? Is a man who can’t plan a dealbreaker?

Kimberly Gedeon is a content creator with nearly 2,000 professional articles published online about everything from beauty and business to politics and pop culture. You can follow her on Twitter @sweetenedcafe or Instagram @kimmiexsweetie

The post The Man Who Can’t Plan: Is It A Dealbreaker? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Parenthood is hard. There is no instruction manual and there are no cliff notes to explain how to deal with things — especially things that seem trivial but may not be. Although being a parent can also be an exciting journey, it can be very difficult and oftentimes annoying. It’s not just the kids that make you want tear your hair out at times, but it is also interactions with other adults, with or without children, that can make you want to scream.

A few months ago, my husband and I, along with our two children, visited a local restaurant. While waiting to be seated, the affable host told my two-year-old how cute she was then gave her three dollars. She stuck her hand out, accepted the money, and we made sure she thanked him, like we always do when someone does something nice for her or gives her a gift.

Initially, I expected the host to give one of his dollar bills to another kid standing about two feet from us. You know, as if he were giving money to all of the little kids in the area, which would have made sense. Instead, he chose to give all of the money to my daughter. I thought it was more random than weird — until it happened again, with the same man.

The restaurant host told us that day that he occasionally preaches at his church and invited us to attend. He was set to stand in the pulpit the very next day. Because we didn’t have a church home, we decided to attend his place of worship just to check it out.

As my family and I were sitting in a pew during praise and worship, the man took notice and proceeded to walk over to us. After thanking us profusely for showing up, he said to my toddler, “Man, you are just so cute! You’re going to take all of my money!” Then he handed her money again.

To say that it was odd would be an understatement. Our toddler looked at us with such bewilderment and we couldn’t blame her. Why was this man consistently giving her money (and doing so as though she really knew what to do with it)?

This is the first time that a stranger has given her money and I have to wonder if we handled the situation well. Should we have turned down the money the second time or maybe even the first?

Later on, my husband and I figured out why the man giving our daughter money was so weird to us. Not only was he a stranger, but also he appeared to give her money because she is cute (we came to this conclusion since he gave her money upon complimenting her). This isn’t a message that we want to send her, the idea that people will give you things and should give you things because you’re cute. We don’t want her growing up thinking she should use her looks to get what she wants.

If he was going to give her money, couldn’t he have given it to her and told her to put it in her college fund (obviously she wouldn’t fully understand, but it’s a great and better message nonetheless)?

However, I did think about the fact that he is an older man and he might not have thought anything of it. Maybe he has grandchildren that he doesn’t see often or he doesn’t have any at all and giving my toddler money was his way of filling a void. Or maybe, just maybe, his way of being nice to kids is to hand out a few singles.

Either way, a stranger giving my kids money is obviously not something I’m comfortable with. Instead, a simple compliment and a high-five, and maybe an encouraging word or two, will do just fine.

Images via Bigstock and Tumblr 

The post Do You Think Anything Of A Stranger Giving Your Child Money? appeared first on MadameNoire.

Myth: You can drive a man to cheat

Reality: Cheaters are cheaters; you don’t make someone a cheater

Myth: A distracted man is a bad husband

Reality: You signed up for that

Myth: You should forgive but not forget

Reality: You must truly forget

Myth: You can make yourself love someone

Reality: Settling never works

Myth: Distance can be a good thing

Reality: If you need that distance, there is a problem

Myth: Your bond is unbreakable

Reality: Bonds require time and attention

Myth: The honeymoon lasts two years

Reality: It’s more like three to four years

Myth: Divorcées can make good spouses

Reality: Only if they’ve learned their lessons

Myth: Your network should approve

Reality: So long as they don’t hate him, it’s fine

Myth: You need married friends

Reality: You can befriend whomever you please

The post Marriage Myths Busted By Women Who’ve Married Multiple Times appeared first on MadameNoire.

Most of us know that, come spring, it’s time to ditch our heavy winter creams for lighter, water-based moisturizers, but the step you may be skipping is buying new products rather than reaching for that same hydrator you haven’t used since last March.

We know it’s a pain, not to mention a hit to the wallet, to totally replace your skin care products every other season, but it’s necessary, says Brooke Jackson, MD, of the Skin Wellness Dermatology Clinic in Durham, NC. “Once products are oxidized (exposed to the air) many of the ingredients may break down causing the active ingredients to be less effective and potentially rash-provoking irritants.”

And while we know life would be so much easier if the brand behind your favorite foaming face wash just told you when to toss it, “Non-prescription items are not required by the FDA to have an expiration date,” Dr. Jackson says. “If a product provides and expiration date it is because the corporation has chosen to. However, the dates may be in code which is individualized to the company and not standardized. If your product does not have a legible, understandable date then you should create your own.”

That’s right, “Take a sharpie,” she says, “and label the date you open the product then toss after. If you open the product and it smells bad or the ingredients no longer hold together then it’s best to toss right away.”

So what expiration dates should you use when labeling your products? Here’s Dr. Jackson’s general guideline.

• Face wash: 6-12 months “You should be washing your face every day so it should not last that long!” she points out.
• Moisturizer: 6-12 months
• Toner: 6-12 months
• Eye Cream: 6 months if you squeeze it onto your finger, 3 months if you dip your fingers into it (bacteria)
• Face Masks: 6 months
• Face and Body Scrubs: 6-12 months
• Lotion:  6-12 months

Oh, and that loofah you love so much? It’s probably time to toss it too. “Moist, wet Loofahs and bath sponges can harbor bacteria on the surface and in all those small holes,” Dr. Jackson says. “Over repeated use will introduce this to your skin, potentially causing infection (folliculitis) to your skin so make sure to clean and dry them or replace them every month.”

Chances are you’re going to be a little low on product after reviewing Dr. Jackson’s tips, but never fear. The good doctor also suggested a few replacement items for your medicine cabinet, depending on your particular skincare needs.

• Dry Skin: Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion
• Eczema, Dry/Sensitive Skin: Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar and Vaseline Original Jelly “It won’t heal the skin condition, but can be incredibly helpful, as it protects, soothes, and repairs dry, cracked skin.”
• Underarm Hyperpigmentation: Dove Advanced Care Clear Tone Antiperspirant “This is a common area for hyperpigmentation in women of color. This antiperspirant goes beyond protection with a unique, hydrating formula that cares for sensitive underarm skin, to help to reduce dark marks and restore skin to its natural tone.”

The post Spring Clean Your Beauty Cabinet: The Timeline For Tossing Your Skincare Products appeared first on MadameNoire.

Earlier this morning I had the chance to read a great piece from Jezebel called “Somebody Tell Me What’s Happening On The Walking Dead Because I’m Not Watching.” In it, author Clover Hope talked about the fact that she’d dropped off of the popular AMC series after the arrival of the barbarous character Negan. Since his introduction to the series, the violence has been kicked up a notch, with a bold announcement of this as he pummeled the heads of beloved Walking Dead characters Abraham and Glenn in the season premiere. As she pointed out, that was a turning point for many fans, who decided they were mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. But the show has been violent. Why would one get their undergarments in a knot at this Season 7 juncture? Hope put it best when she said, “one could assume that it’s easy for American viewers to develop fatigue for zombies now that we have actual bloodsuckers running the country.”

That message stuck out to me because I never fully acknowledged that these changing, hostile times have had quite the impact on the way I watch television. I need a break.

Like Hope, I was once a pretty big The Walking Dead fan, but after learning of the way things were set to go in the premiere of Season 7, I didn’t even bother to watch it. (I did view a part of it a month later, and only because my husband has a habit of trying to show me things I don’t care for).

From there, I started avoiding the show, deeply sighing every time my husband turned to AMC at 9 p.m. on Sundays. “I just can’t” I would say, and I really can’t. I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t watch a show where there never seemed to be a reprieve for the characters we’ve grown to love. The idea that it’s not the zombies that are the real problem for Rick, Darryl and co., but that it’s the people, just as down and out as our favorites, who continue to put them in harm’s way, makes it much harder to enjoy. With the sh-tty reality of the many people in this country who put their self-interests above the greater good always on my mind, the show’s base premise feels a little too relatable.

I also can’t do shows that I actually want to support because some are too heavy, and too real. Shots Fired? Looks great, but the idea of being entertained by the fight against police violence and corruption week to week doesn’t really draw me. It’s part of the reason I already feel crappy about the fact that I likely won’t watch John Singleton’s new BET drama, Rebel. 

Another thing I can’t do is all of the network news. My husband watches everything MSNBC has to offer from the moment he wake up, to the moment he gets home from work, and it literally makes me want to scream. (The polar opposite, my father hasn’t watched any of these cable news channels since November, despite once having a similar habit.) It’s probably because I’m consistently reminded that these people, the talking heads, were the same ones who got it wrong. They put out shoddy polls and confidently told viewers that Donald the joke Trump couldn’t become president of the United States. Months later, he we are. So you will have to excuse me if I don’t want to hear a word from Chris, Rachel, Andrea, Mika, Joe or anybody else.

Basically, I can’t watch anything at this point that seems to glorify violence, mirrors too many of the tragedies we witness on a daily basis, points out all of the failings of an administration we can’t quickly give the boot to, or just doesn’t seem to look at things on the bright side. It was much easier to view all of this around this time last year, but things are too strained to sit around subjecting myself to programs that make me feel worse, despite that not being the intention, of course. But we’re all stressed out, whether we want to admit it or not. So why would you want to watch something that fills you with more anxiety? (At least with a film the stress comes to an end within three hours.)

So, instead, I’ve turned to lighthearted viewing that my husband turns his nose up at. He will have to deal because it’s all a form of self-care. That viewing includes a lot of comedy, a lot of series about things I can’t necessarily relate to but can be entertained by, and a lot of reality TV. I’m talking Girls. Reruns of The Wayans Bros., Martin and Moesha. This Is Us. Big Little Lies. The Americans. Love and Hip Hop. Teen Mom. Black Ink Crew. The Rap Game. Bring It. And while these shows and programs may not be the cream of the crop to some, they provide me with a respite from not only the stress of things going on in my life, but from the realities of the world around me. I find amusement and enjoyment in the stories, as opposed to yet another headache. And really, isn’t that the point of entertainment in times like these?

Image via Bigstock 

The post Have These Tense Times Changed The Way You Watch TV? appeared first on MadameNoire.

HBCUs are life! They provide experiences for students that you can’t find anywhere else, allowing Black girls to work their magic in sectors not commonly open to them. Jere’ Williams is one such woman. Currently a Junior at Xavier University in New Orleans, LA, she began taking college courses when she was in high school.

“As high school Junior, I started taking duel enrollment classes at Fletcher Technical College; I finished with 12 hours,” Jere’ says. “My senior year, I took classes at Nicholls State University as well and finished with an additional 13 hours before entering Xavier. I took a Calculus class there.”

This allowed Jere’ to enter Xavier with enough credits to be a Junior and afforded her the opportunity to be a part of a NASA research project to build a battery that can be utilized in space exploration in the year 2021. Here she told us about her out of this world experience.

Madame Noire (MN): Exactly how did the NASA opportunity come about?

Jere’ Williams (JW): The NASA opportunity came about surprisingly! I received a call one day from my now research adviser, Dr. Meda. He began explaining that Xavier received a $5 million grant to fund a research project that would a build a solid state battery using chemical elements to complete the mission to Mars in 2021. He also explained his prior research on this battery that would be meant for patients with pacemakers, so because my great grandmother has a pacemaker, I instantly was ready to join the team. And as the saying goes, “Here I am, and the rest is history.”

MN: What does a typical day of research consist of for you?

JW: A typical day at my school’s research lab begins with the making of the material that will be used to make the battery cell. Once the material is made, it is then analyzed to develop more knowledge prior to building the cell. After analysis, the battery cell is then built and tested to see how well the material is working.

MN: What do you like most about your duties?

JW:  My favorite thing is constantly learning more. Each time I think I have mastered something, there’s always some new information presented. I am constantly being challenged in my research lab, whether as a researcher or as a normal human because as a person we develop thoughts and hypothesis, but it is not true until it is tested. So my ideologies are proven to be either wrong or right.

MN: Why did you choose Xavier to pursue your formal education?

JW:  Xavier offered me a great scholarship along with the opportunity to complete research for NASA. The value of an education from Xavier University is also a large investment into my future because the curricula is of a higher standard than any other University.

MN:  What is your major?

JW: I’m pursuing a dual degree Chemistry-Chemical Engineering

MN: What are your career goals?

JW: My career goals entail a variety of things. My ultimate goals are to become lawyer for a chemical plant or chemical engineering firm, then start my own cosmetic line for people with eczema, since I have eczema.  

MN:  You are also an honor student… how do you find the time to do it all?

JW: Time management is my best friend. My life follows a chain of action. My school work is always first, then I later add in the extras in my life. Though temptation is hard to maneuver with my school work, I try my hardest to keep it first on my chain.

MN: Your hometown seems ecstatic about this opportunity. Do do you feel pressure to be successful? How do you handle it?

JW: I feel pressure not just from my community, but also from myself. I think I am my biggest critic. I handle it by constantly giving my best effort, because no one is perfect. No matter what the situation may be, the pressure will also come. I just try to not allow it to deter me from my future.

MN: What advice do you have for other undergrads who may feel like giving up on school?

JW:  Being that I am only 20, my best advice is to never allow your situation to determine your destination. My mom is a similar to a motivational speaker and she instilled that in me at an early age. No matter how tough times get, never allow it to determine your future. No one said it would be easy, but it is up to you to keep striving.

The post Black Girl Magic In Outer Space: At 20, Jere’ Williams Helps Conduct Research For 2021 Mars Mission appeared first on MadameNoire.

If you’re looking for a clear sign of weakness in a person, you will find it if when faced with truth they can’t deal with, the individual decides the best response is to hurl an insult. I talked about this last year when I spoke on the number of people, including politicians, who resorted to comparing Barack and Michelle Obama to monkeys. And just as those individuals felt the need to stoop so low because they were threatened, so has their favorite Fox Noise News ringleader, Bill O’Reilly.

While appearing on Fox & Friends this morning, O’Reilly responded to comments made by Rep. Maxine Waters of California when she was speaking on the House floor on Monday. In front of her constituents, Waters spoke about Trump’s supporters, who she said display anything but patriotism in the way they treat, and allow the president to treat fellow Americans.

“We have suffered discrimination,” she said. “We have suffered isolation and undermining. But we stand up for America, oftentimes when others who think they are more patriotic, who say they are more patriotic, do not. When we fight against this president and we point out how dangerous he is for this society and for this country, we are fighting for the democracy. We are fighting for America. We’re saying to those who say they’re patriotic but they’ve turned a blind eye to the destruction that he’s about to cause this country, ‘You’re not nearly as patriotic as we are.'”

Where is the lie?

There wasn’t one, and that’s probably why instead of coming up with an intelligent refutation, all O’Reilly could do was try to make a joke of Waters, specifically her hair.

“I didn’t hear a word she said, I was looking at the James Brown hair.”

Bill O'Reilly can't listen to Maxine Waters because of her hair. What a jackass. pic.twitter.com/DZKLO93UBM

— The Universe (@msgfromuniverse) March 28, 2017

In response to this clear diversion tactic, the Fox & Friends hosts, aside from Ainsley Earhardt, laughed. Earnhardt tried to faux defend Waters, saying she thinks the 78-year-old is attractive — how did they get there from an impassioned speech on the House floor? Anyway, O’Reilly agreed, but said, “It’s the same hair.”

There were no real rebuttals to her commentary, with the O’Reilly Factor host saying that she’s “a sincere individual. Whatever she says she believes.” But that, along with an invitation to appear on his show, was about it.

When they can’t deny you, they deflect. Never forget.

Image via WENN 

The post Bill O’Reilly Couldn’t Deny Maxine Waters’ Trump Comments, So He Insulted Her “James Brown Hair” appeared first on MadameNoire.

At this rate, Apollo and Phaedra’s sons will be in college by the time they work out their divorce. First, she claimed they were divorced. Then he filed, proving that they weren’t. There was some more back and forth and most recently, a judge threw out Phaedra’s divorce judgment because it was unfair to Apollo.

The judge said he was troubled by a number of things, including Phaedra intentionally misspelling Apollo’s name on the documents. The judge also took issue with the fact that Apollo was led to believe that he would be allowed to attend divorce proceedings from prison. That was never an option. As such, Apollo was not informed of the final hearing and had no idea that the divorce was final.

Naturally, Phaedra, through her representative, had something to say about it.

Steve Honig told TMZ, “It’s very confusing why a man who is engaged and enjoys frequent visits with his fiancee would work so aggressively to avoid ending his marriage. Regardless, Phaedra is reviewing her options with her attorney to determine the most efficient path toward ending this marriage so she can move forward and focus on raising strong, health and happy children.”

But it wouldn’t Apollo and Phaedra if that were the end of the story. Now that Apollo has a chance at renegotiating the terms of their divorce, he’s asking for something different. He’s expressed suspicions that Phaedra is withholding some of the assets they both attained during their marriage and Apollo feels entitled to his cut.

Apollo wants to ensure that the property is split fairly, property that includes the multi-million dollar home they shared while they were married, millions of dollars in personal property and several businesses.

Apollo also wants joint legal custody of their two sons.

Do you think he deserves all of this?

The post Apollo Wants Millions In Divorce Settlement, Says Phaedra Tried To Hide Assets appeared first on MadameNoire.

Yesterday I got waxed for the first time in almost four months. Actually, I did sugaring, which is a slightly less painful, more natural type of hair removal, but the premise of the procedure was still the same — hair was being ripped from the most sensitive area of my body without abandon: my vagina.

As I lay on the esthetician table with my legs in a butterfly doing the opposite of what would make the process run smoothly — sweating — I found my mind wandering, mostly pondering the same questions with every tug of hair, anticipation of pain, and final snatch. When I was done, I texted a couple friends to see if they were still keeping up appearances between their legs, and that’s when I realized we all pretty much ask the same questions in the midst of a Brazilian.

• Why am I doing this? I literally stared up at the ceiling, doing my best to pull my vagina taut, while going through an existential crisis. Who am I? Am I a woman who has to keep a bare va-jay-jay? Is there more to life than hairless vaginas? Can God hear me when I ask him to give me peace while voluntarily undergoing this torture?
• Who came up with this? Like fo’real, who was the first person to let someone rip the hair off their vagina? And whose idea was it? If it was a man in 17th century Europe I’m going to be pissed. FYI, my research is ongoing.
• Is anyone even going to see this? You know, besides me?
• And will they appreciate it? If a man even says anything along the lines of “why don’t you have any hair down there?” after what I just went through I will smooth go off.
• Why did I wait so long? See prior question about whether anyone else was going to see it as part of the explanation for this question. But the other reason I asked is because, at some point, when you wait so long to be waxed, it’s pretty much like your first time all over again when you finally go back — i.e. painful AF. But when I kept up with my monthly appointment, I was in and out of that waxing room in 15 minutes without a sweat, literally.

I genuinely like the look and feel of my nether regions when hairless, and with summer — and my summer vacations — upon us I figured it was time to get back into practice. But I’d be lying if I said while laying on that table I didn’t think about just saying eff it and having a Miranda “Sex & The City” movie situation. You know the one where she puts on a bathing suit and Samantha asks her, “Geez, honey, wax much?” In the midst of my ordeal yesterday when the answer to that question was clearly no, being asked that seemed much better than the things I was asking myself.

The post 5 Questions Every Woman Asks Herself While Getting Waxed appeared first on MadameNoire.

Aquarius: Keep it interesting

Pisces: Find a way to stay grounded

Aries: Keep it exciting and challenging

Taurus: Stick to what works

Gemini: Keep healthy food on hand

Cancer: Understand that food is a weakness

Leo: Keep it social!

Virgo: Find a diet as particular as you are

Scorpio: Be militant

Libra: Get some outside help

Sagittarius: Get out there!

Capricorn: Be gentle with yourself

Ophiuchus: Try all things adventurous and sensual

All the signs: take it with a grain of salt

The post Health Tips For Your Zodiac Sign appeared first on MadameNoire.

Men need loving mothers

A lot of cheaters like to take care of people

There is a slight level of sociopathy

Their masculinity is usually threatened

Many think they're doing nothing wrong

You're a device or utility

They really do believe they'll leave their wives

They're terrified of being alone

You'll lose the trust of your friends

And future partners

They become paranoid about you

They can be control freaks

The wife is usually negligent or needy

But the man is insecure

They'll try to have it all

The post Truths About Cheaters, As Told By Mistresses appeared first on MadameNoire.

"She has already served as the face of brands such as Roberto Cavalli, and has been shot by boundary-pushing photographers including Mario Testino and Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. By joining an agency, she opens up the door for even more opportunities."

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