Culture
HBCU Graduates Work Together To Build a Strong Network of Women Across the US
Three HBCU graduates are working together to help build Brown Skin Brunchin as a strong network of Black women across the United States.
While having a great education is key, networking plays a critical part in one’s success, especially for Black and brown people. That’s where Brown Skin Brunchin’ comes in.
About Brown Skin Brunchin
Founded in 2018 by Virginia natives Lillian Jackson & Melissa Mason, the Brown Skin Brunchin’ social group was created for Black and brown women who share a love of brunch and travel. With more than 70 chapters, its monthly brunches bring members together in a fun and casual setting.
The HBCU Experience
Similar to the HBCU experience, being a part of Brown Skin Brunchin’ offers members the opportunity to be amongst people who look like them and understand their unique journey navigating the world as a woman of color. As with supportive professors and classmates, you are surrounded by people who want you to win in all aspects of life.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumna Kassinda White chose to attend her HBCU out of her desire to learn, develop, and grow amongst professors and students who look like her.
“There are certain experiences that you can only get at an HBCU,” says White. “HBCUs incorporate Black excellence in the college experience. Opportunities for internships and jobs are presented and highly encouraged at HBCUs because at times we are left out of conversations in other educational settings. Additionally, attending an HBCU helped to develop me socially, professionally, and academically because the environment around campus promoted that heavily.”
Likewise, Yolina Owens chose to attend Charlotte’s Johnson C. Smith University because she preferred to learn in an environment that was familiar with her life experiences and the struggles that come with being a minority.
“Both environments afforded me numerous opportunities to meet and connect with new people, share business ideas and life goals, and offer safe spaces for thoughtful and sensitive discussions about life,” says Lee.
Historically Black colleges and universities have consistently produced exceptional Black leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals in every field. Black women who attend HBCUs enjoy a variety of benefits and advantages that those attending predominantly white institutions may not be afforded.
Johnyelle Lee, Yolina Owens, and Kassinda White understand the importance HBCUs have played in their lives and are using the skills they acquired at their respective HBCUs to help build a strong network of Black women across the United States.
Brown Skin Brunchin
As ambassadors for Brown Skin Brunchin’, Lee, Owens, and White help professional minority women connect and network with one another, thus expanding their professional and personal circles and building and maintaining crucial bonds of sisterhood.
Owens says that her experience with Brown Skin Brunchin’ reminds her a lot of the bond she shares with her sorority sisters.
“This bond is uniquely strong because we do not just communicate socially over brunch; we motivate each other by sharing inspirational thoughts and prayers to encourage one another to push through our personal and professional journeys.”
She recommends that all current HBCU students prepare for their future by finding a mentor or tribe that motivates and encourages them but also holds them accountable for living up to their best potential.
Lee also stresses the importance of networking and how vital it is to overall success.
“Education is very important,” she says, “but networking will grant exclusive opportunities that may not be available to others. Don’t be afraid to communicate. Don’t lose yourself in social media. Nothing replaces face-to-face conversations and interactions, particularly with mentors and other influencers.”
How to connect
In August 2021, Brown Skin Brunchin launched an interactive app that serves as a hub for members to personally connect and give members first access to events and updates. The app has over 16,000 members with an average of 1000 new downloads per week as of December 2021.
Visit their website for more information.
Black Excellence
Inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood® Awards
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Get a look inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards.
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
About ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honors women who are making their undeniable mark in film and television and amplifies their strides in defining what it means to be a Black woman in Hollywood.
Honorees
This year’s honorees and entertainment industry trailblazers include Academy Award nominated actress & Grammy Award winner, Danielle Brooks, six-time Grammy nominated singer and leading-actress Halle Bailey, acclaimed screenwriter and showrunner of All American, All American: Homecoming and Found, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and industry powerhouse & President of Original Programming for STARZ, Kathryn Busby.
Check out some photo highlights inside the 17th ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Shavone Charles attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Loni Love attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Halle Bailey attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Halle Bailey attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Nkechi Okoro Carroll attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Danielle Brooks attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: (L-R) Danielle Brooks, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and Kathryn Busby attend the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Host Method Man speaks onstage during the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: (L-R) Joey Badass, Gail Bean, Patina Miller, Kathryn Busby, Brandee Evans, Da’Vinchi and Shannon Thornton onstage during the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Patina Miller attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Tamera Mowry attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
-
- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 07: Boris Kodjoe attends the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
For more, please visit http://www.essence.com/bwih2024
Culture
U.S. Virgin Islands Announces the Performance Line-up for St. Thomas Carnival Village Featuring Shaggy, Sizzla, Patrice Roberts, and Machel Montano
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals has announced the performance line-up for the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village.
72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
“The anticipation around this year’s St. Thomas Carnival is at an all-time high, and the Village night performers reflect the continued influence and growth of our territory’s three carnivals,” exclaims USVI Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte.
Center Stage
Adam O, Rudy Live, Temisha, Karnage, Blind Earz, VIO International, and Spectrum Band are among the performers who will take center stage to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Every year, our goal is to pay homage to the vast Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture that is at the cornerstone of these annual celebrations for natives and visitors alike,” added USVI Division of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull.
Haitian kompa band VAYB and Dominican salsa orchestra Chiquito Team Band will provide a cross-cultural immersion of sound, highlighting the diverse musical interests of Virgin Islands residents.
First-time performers
Rounding out the village are a few first-time performers in the territory, including TeeJay, Jada Kingdom, and Kollision Band, and returning favorites Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, and Grandmasters.
Kids Night Out Village Night
This year, the Division of Festivals will host its first Kids Night Out Village Night, with activities including the Toddlers Derby, Best Dressed Doll, and performances by TMK and OTB.
More information on 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
For up-to-date information about the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival, visit https://www.instagram.com/usvifestivals/.
Culture
Online romances get a dose of reality in OWN’S all-new love & relationship series ‘The Never Ever Mets’
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person.
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has announced an all-new relationship series that takes online dating into the real world, The Never Ever Mets.
About The Never Ever Mets Series
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person! Now, they’re meeting face-to-face for the very first time and sharing a house together for three weeks to see if their internet love can survive off the screen and in real life.
Synopsis
As all seven couples convene under the same roof, dating in person rather than through their computers or phones quickly proves to be the biggest challenge yet.
While many couples have been years in the making, some quickly find the in-person relationship is not what they anticipated.
To test the strength of their love connections, the group participates in a series of fun and flirty relationship activities, couples therapy and for some, a trip to the “boom boom room.” But visits from discerning loved ones, meddling opinions and tension from others in the house challenge their bonds even further. At the end of their stay, some will go home together…and some will be signing off for good.
Premiere
The series premieres on Friday, April 19 at 8pm ET/PT, on the OWN Network.
Check out the trailer below:
Honor student killed by stray bullet while visiting Delaware State University
Former high school athletic director arrested and charged with using AI to frame principal
Exonerated man on a mission to rebuild his life
O.J. Simpson, football Hall of famer, dies at 76 after cancer battle
Legendary DJ Mister Cee passes away
Driver intentionally mowed down couple, killing wife, after calling 911 with ‘threats to shoot a school’
Marine from Massachusetts goes missing off coast in Puerto Rico
Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis dies at 35
Lou Gossett Jr., Oscar and Emmy winning actor, dies at 87
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes northeastern United States
KevOnStage’s “Churchy” coming to BET+
Garrett Morris to be honored with star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame
BLK Dating App launches “New Year, Real You: #RealNotPerfect” campaign to empower Black women in 2024
Marlena Shaw, legendary jazz singer, dies at 81
2023 saw a record year of killings by police in U.S.
- Mental health conference coming to Brookdale Community College in June
- N.J. Congressman Donald Payne Jr. dies at 65
- Odessa Dangler, one of the first Black, female entrepreneurs in Long Branch, passes at 87
- In Loving Memory : Renée McMillan (1963 – 2024)
- Carl Jennings, former Long Branch recreation director, dies at 76
- MyCompiledThoughts – “Soul Brother, Chapter 1” EP
- Brittany Davis debuts autobiographical album ‘Image Issues’
- TEENEAR Unwraps Sultry R&B Single and Music Video for the Holidays: ‘LONELY AT CHRISTMAS’ feat. Ronnie V
- sOuL from the O – “Family Tree”
- Yuneer Gainz – “Wave Today” Featuring JRGotTheHiTS (Music Video)
-
Entertainment8 years agoBad Boy Reunion Concert :: Major Let Down! (Opinion)
-
News3 years agoUncle of Darnella Frazier, Teen Who Filmed George Floyd’s murder, Killed in Minneapolis Police Car Crash
-
Social Justice10 years ago11 Facts About The Michael Brown Case
-
Black Excellence6 months agoUnheard Voices Editor-in-Chief receives prestigious Women of Color STEM Award
-
Health & Wellness4 years agoMeet 105-year-old runner Ida Keeling
-
Interviews5 years agoAll eyes on Rick Fouche
-
New Jersey14 years agoBad Police Behavior: Who is looking through your garbage?
-
Entrepreneur Spotlight14 years agoAuthor Larry Wilson Jr : The voice of a new African American writer