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Unique ‘Urban Unicorn’: Businesswoman Finds a Market for Fantasy
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The “CBS This Morning” television feature on the Afro Unicorn™ brand, which she had been promoting through her online community, all started with a viral video featuring a 4-year-old girl wearing an Afro Unicorn™ t-shirt. That video was shared by numerous celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, King’s BFF.
The post Unique ‘Urban Unicorn’: Businesswoman Finds a Market for Fantasy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Lisa Fitch | Our Weekly Los Angeles
Born and raised in South L.A., April Showers (yes, that’s her real name) drove herself to the LA County High School for the Arts daily. She credits that environment for her ultimately becoming an entrepreneur and founder of the Afro Unicorn brand.
“We went to school on a college campus,” Showers said. “It gave me a sense of real independence. No one’s really monitoring you. It takes you to a different level of maturity. It definitely prepared me.”
But what could have prepared her to be interviewed by Gale King last month as a guest on “CBS This Morning?”
The television feature on the Afro Unicorn brand, which she had been promoting through her online community, all started with a viral video featuring a 4-year-old girl wearing an Afro Unicorn t-shirt. That video was shared by numerous celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, King’s BFF.
It also caught the attention of a Walmart associate. In June, Walmart launched a curated assortment of Afro Unicorn party supplies and favors. Next month, Target will feature a girls clothing line sporting the colorful cartoons.
“I am the first Black woman to have a licensed brand character in major retail,” Showers said. Her unicorns come in various shades of brown and sport afro-like manes that some children can relate to. “It’s about building confidence. A lot of the parents have told me that because the unicorn has complexion and afro style hair, that gives them an extra sense of confidence.”
The idea started when one of her friends admired her real estate business and her go-to attitude.
“‘You’re a unicorn,’ he always told me,” Showers said, admitting she had to look up exactly what he meant. “I grew up with mud pies, basketball… not unicorns.”
The mythical, magical creature has been featured in a few movies of late. The single-horned horses are so unique and hard to find in those movies, that it is said that the hairs from their tails are used in the cores of magic wands.
After figuring out the metaphor, Showers used the unicorn emoji over and over again in her correspondence.
“I decided I’m Black girl magic,” Showers said.
But one day she noticed something was wrong, even though unicorns seem to be wildly popular, especially for little girls’ products, none of the unicorn dolls or their depictions on clothes or accessories resembled her at all.
“Who determined unicorns were supposed to be white?” she asked, noting that this country has had a European standard for so long – going back to Cinderella and Snow White. “I wanted to be the change I wanted to see.”
Showers now has about 40 licenses and the line features everything needed to throw a unicorn party, including party staples like plates, napkins, balloons, decorations and pinatas. Other highlights from the brand include favors like multi-color faux hair clips, sequin journals and an Afro Unicorn stuffed animal.
“As the world’s largest retailer, Walmart continues to build an inclusive supply chain that reflects our customers and provides products and services that resonate and meet our customers’ needs,” said Laura Rush, senior vice president of entertainment, toys and seasonal at Walmart.
“My main goal for Afro Unicorn is to ensure Black girls and women feel unique, divine, and magical,” said Showers, who added that the brand is more than a line of products. “It’s a movement to make sure Black people are represented and have a seat at the table. I’m grateful Walmart understands how important this is and gave me that seat at the table.”
The post Unique ‘Urban Unicorn’: Businesswoman Finds a Market for Fantasy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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