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NYC Mayor-elect selects Keechant Sewell to become the NYPD’s first female police commissioner

InclusionLifestyle

Keechant Sewell NYPD's first female police commissioner

By Rob Frehse, Kristina Sgueglia and Eric Levenson, CNN

New York City will get its first female police commissioner in the new year after Mayor-elect Eric Adams picked Nassau County Chief of Detectives Keechant Sewell to take over the nation’s largest police department.

“Keechant Sewell is a proven crime fighter with the experience and emotional intelligence to deliver both the safety New Yorkers need and the justice they deserve,” Adams said in a statement released to CNN on Tuesday. “Chief Sewell will wake up every day laser-focused on keeping New Yorkers safe and improving our city, and I am thrilled to have her at the helm of the NYPD.”

Adams, a retired NYPD captain who was elected mayor last month, formally introduced Sewell at a press conference in Queens on Wednesday morning. During the Democratic primary this summer, Adams embraced a public safety message and ran on a promise to beef up and reform the NYPD amid concerns over a recent rise in violent crime. Sewell will take over a department struggling to tamp down a startling rise in gun violence and murders since spring 2020. NYC has had 443 murders so far this year, surpassing last year’s total and a 45% increase from just two years ago, according to NYPD data.

Adams praised Sewell’s career with over 25 years of experience in roles including undercover assignments, overseeing gun suppression cases, hostage negotiations and commanding detective squads. Sewell has been with Nassau police on neighboring Long Island for over 25 years and was promoted to Chief of Detectives in September 2020, becoming the first Black woman to hold that role, Adams said.

She is a leader with a “full breadth of experience,” Adams said. “She didn’t sit behind a desk. She was out there learning the job and learning how to be better for the job.” The announcement of her impending appointment is “a powerful message to girls and young women across the city. There is no ceiling to your ambition,” he added. Sewell accepted the nomination and praised Adams in return for pledging during his campaign to select a woman to lead the NYPD.

“I am mindful of the historic nature of this announcement. As the first woman, and only the third black person to lead the NYPD in its 176-year history, I bring a different perspective, committed to making sure the department looks like the city it serves, and making the decision, just as Mayor-elect Adams did, to elevate women and people of color to leadership positions,” she said.

Sewell said she would be focused on stopping violent crime with an emphasis on guns, and she emphasized that public safety and police accountability were related challenges.

“I will have the backs of my officers, but they must have the backs of the public,” she said.

Emotional intelligence was a large theme throughout the press conference. Both Adams and Sewell cited this concept being enacted through policies that go beyond punishing people for crimes and looking at the needs that cause a given crime. An example would include getting shoplifters connected to services like food banks to address the reason why they did the crime in the first place.

“But that is a partnership that we must conduct by making sure my chief is connected with my chancellor [of Education] and making sure (she’s) connected with my other agencies so we will prevent the causes of crime,” Adams told reporters. Sewell will take over the top NYPD position from commissioner Dermot Shea. When she is sworn in next month, she will become the first Black commissioner since 1992, when then-Mayor David Dinkins replaced Lee Brown with Ray Kelly as the head of the NYPD. Adams will be inaugurated as mayor January 1, taking over for Bill de Blasio.

Click here to read the full article on CNN

6 Latina-Owned Sustainable Skincare Brands to Support This Earth Month

EntertainmentLifestyle

By Alejandra Tolley, Veg Out

Are you in search of some new vegan skincare products? Hoping to find brands that not only offer nourishing plant-based ingredients but also take sustainable steps to ensure low-waste and eco-friendly packaging? We’ve got what you need! Here are six Latina-owned sustainable skincare brands to support this Earth Month.

Sanara
Founder Rebekah Jasso Jensen is creating plant-based skin and body care with sacred intention. Filled with ingredients like cupuacu butter, jojoba oil, and bamboo fiber, Jensen’s products celebrate the rich variety of Indigenous botanicals. Sanara, translating to “you will heal,” is felt throughout the brand’s body polishes and hand-poured soaps. These luxurious formulations will leave your skin feeling balanced, moisturized, and rejuvenated.

Brujita Skincare
This vegan-friendly sustainable skincare brand ensures organic and sustainable products are accessible to all communities. Inspired by open markets in Mexico City, founder Leah Guerrero formulates her products with unrefined ingredients. Not only does Brujita offer nontoxic skincare, but they also make it easy for you to find the right product! Take their skin quiz to begin your holistic skincare journey.

Nopalera
Nopalera shows us why cactus is one of the most versatile crops around. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, cactus is infused in all of Nopalera’s products to detox and gently exfoliate skin without compromising moisture. Offering solid products, including moisturizers and soaps, this eco-friendly skin and body care line celebrates the richness of Mexican culture through its low-waste packaging and enriching ingredients. Cactus being the star of the show, it’s accompanied by calming, soothing, and detoxing formulas. There’s a product for everyone with this vibrant brand!

Dermlove
Dermlove is revolutionizing the skincare industry. With a focus on clean, safe, and effective ingredients, this innovative brand is also helping our environment with one biodegradable skincare capsule at a time! Efficiency and science-backed formulas are at the core of Dermlove and continue to ensure potent ingredients, including vitamin C and retinoids, and are gentle enough even for the most sensitive skin types.

Bubbly Moon Naturals
Second-generation soap maker and founder Marshella Ramos-Inde infuses her lush products with fair trade essential oils and wildlife botanicals that will leave your skin feeling illuminated. Not only does this entirely handcrafted brand use recyclable and reusable packaging, but you can also customize your own vegan skincare gift box! With Mother’s Day right around the corner, this is the ultimate gift of vegan green beauty.

Click here to read the full article on Veg Out.

Black Women Influencers Were Being Left Out, so This Marketer Built an Agency for Them

BusinessCareersLifestyle

La Toya Shambo founded her influencer agency, Black Girl Digital, in 2016

By Emmy Liederman, Ad Week

LaToya Shambo was used to being the only Black woman in rooms that advocated for the same faces in marketing campaigns—the typical white, thin determinants of beauty and success. But it wasn’t until 2011, when she was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street and holding her newborn, that she decided to do something about it.

Surviving that accident, spending months in rehab and her entire maternity leave in a cast changed Shambo’s life forever. “During that process, there was a lot of self-reflection,” she said. “I decided that I had to give back to the culture.”

A lifelong singer, Shambo had briefly flirted with the idea of working in music before settling on marketing. Following that, she transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology, switched majors from music business to marketing and spent her spare time in the library sifting through career books. After landing on the radio ad sales page and snagging an internship at 106.7 Lite FM, Shambo decided what she really wanted to do was work in media planning and buying.

Shambo has made stops at companies including SpikeDDB, Complex and Condé Nast, with each new role deepening her understanding of how to package and sell media while building a sustainable business model. At Complex, she got to observe the publishing business and connect with Black female bloggers who struggled to monetize their platforms.

Then came the accident. A few months after it, Shambo stopped by the Complex office to sign some paperwork. Her boss asked her why she had a smile on her face given all she had endured, and Shambo replied that she had “figured it all out.” Her vision was to build her own Complex, which led Shambo to found Black Girl Digital in 2016.

The shop’s mission is to address the equity and wage discrepancies for Black and multicultural women in the marketing industry through meaningful action, such as the launch of its own app, iLinkr. The program is a tool for brands and agencies that are looking to book and manage talent of color.

“At the time, there were no ad networks specifically for Black female bloggers,” she said. “That birthed Black Girl Digital, which was originally designed as a service to the Black community from the perspective of bloggers. All my bloggers then became influencers, and Black Girl Digital is my contribution to the culture.”

Click here to read the full article on Ad Week.

Zendaya Did Her Own Oscars Makeup Because of Course She Did

EntertainmentLifestyle

Zendaya at the 2022 oscars wearing a silver sequin skirt and a white buttom up crop top

By Brittany Talarico, People

Zendaya can now add “professional makeup artist” to her expanding resume.

The Euphoria actress and fashion industry darling not only had one of the most talked-about red carpet outfits at the 94th annual Academy Awards, but she also had one of the best beauty moments — and it turns out, she has herself to thank.

The 25-year-old star took to her Instagram stories to flex her glam skills, captioning a red carpet photo of her look, “Every now and then I do my own beat.”

Zendaya, an ambassador for Lancôme, used the brand’s products to create her dewy Oscars makeup moment, which featured bronzed cheeks, a glossy nude lip and silver eyeshadow to complement her custom sequin Valentino Haute Couture skirt, which she paired with a cropped blouse from the luxe label and tons of Bulgari bling, including stacks of diamond serpentine bracelets on both wrists and a diamond necklace.

When it came to her glamorous touled updo, the Dune star did collaborate with a pro.

“We decided to go with this soft up-sweep because we felt it’s very glamorous and Hollywood-esque,” her hairstylist Antoinette Hill said. “It also accentuates Zendaya’s beautiful features.”

Hill added fullness using 18 inch Hidden Crown Original Clip Ins, which the pro customized the color of using Joico’s BlondeLife Powder Lightener. She dried and styled Zendaya’s hair with the T3 AireBrush Duo for volume and applied TRESemmé Keratin Shine Serum from roots to ends for added smoothness and shine.

Click here to read the full article on People.

From the Editor’s Desk: The Business of Self-Care

Lifestyle

By Tawanah Reeves-Ligon Editor, Professional WOMAN’s Magazine

‘Self-care’ has been a buzzword over the past decade, highlighting the importance of making you a priority in your life. However, the benefits of health and wellness in your professional life and workplace are multifaceted as well.

Being the best version of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally can only improve your career and company.

Thus, the Professional WOMAN’s Magazine staff is excited to be highlighting health and wellness in this issue. So, who better to feature on our front cover than Top Chef and wellness advocate, Padma Lakshmi? Lakshmi is a producer, writer, television host and celebrity chef, as well as a philanthropist and mental health advocate.

She’s a co-founder of The Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) as well as a diversity and inclusion activist who encourages all of us to speak up for ourselves and others and express what we need. “Our world is not built for people who want to speak up and do the right thing.

There are many systems in place that have not supported our collective well-being…” she shared with us during her interview. “But in order to free oneself of the yoke of trauma on one’s future, one has to identify the trauma outright and say what happened or what is happening to you out loud.”

Read more about Lakshmi and all the ways she advocates for a better future on page 88.

If you’ve been looking for an advocate and experienced resource in your professional life, then read about “How to Find a Mentor and Make the Relationship Stick” on page 36.

You can also visit page 60 to learn more about helping your employees thrive by “Building Better Workspaces through Exercise.” We also want to take the opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day by highlighting the work of women changemakers all over the globe on page 106.

Remember that self-care extends beyond your home and should be a part of your work and career as well. Be the best version of you today and always.

View our exclusive interview with Padma Lakshmi!

Black women start to talk about uterine fibroids, a condition many get but few speak about

HealthLifestyle

Uterine Fibroids patient Daye Covington after treatment

By Claretta Bellamy, NBC News

When Daye Covington visited her doctor for a routine physical last year, she expressed concern about weight gain in her belly that she said made her look seven months pregnant. But she knew she wasn’t pregnant, and she had a healthy lifestyle. An MRI revealed that she had multiple uterine fibroids — noncancerous growths in the uterus — the size of cantaloupes.

“First, I was relieved to know that I was not pregnant because I was not trying to be pregnant,” she told NBC News, “and then I was scared because I didn’t know much about fibroids.”

Uterine fibroids are rarely discussed, despite being a common condition, particularly for Black women. Experts say that by age 35, about half of Black women have had them, and by age 50, 80 percent of Black women have them, compared to 70 percent of white women. Black women are also more likely to have higher fibroid growth than other racial groups. While most cases require no treatment, in some instances, they can cause weight gain, heavy periods, frequent urination or pelvic pain, and they may require surgery.

Now, some Black women, like Covington, who shared her experience on are speaking up about their struggles and are encouraging others to educate themselves about the condition, so they can identify the symptoms and seek treatment, if necessary. Former star of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” Cynthia Bailey, 55, recently shared her experience with uterine fibroids with People, saying she endured heavy bleeding during periods, fatigue and an expanded belly, which led fans to assume she was pregnant. She also said her mental health took a toll.

31-year-old Daye Covington’s stomach is shown before and after her myomectomy. — 31-year-old Daye Covington’s stomach is shown before and after her surgery to remove fibroids. Daye Covington

“It’s very hard to be in a good space mentally when you’re bleeding all the time and when you don’t have any energy, and you’re anemic,” she told the magazine.

While all women are at risk for developing uterine fibroids, Black women are disproportionately affected, with one study showing that Black women are three times more likely to develop them than white women and that Black women are more likely to need surgical treatment.

The reasons for this disparity, however, are less clear, said Eric Hardee, a physician and co-founder of Houston Fibroids and Texas Endovascular Associates. A family history of fibroids increases a woman’s risk. Obesity, diet and environmental factors may also play a role. Hair relaxers have also been linked to increased risk of uterine fibroid development.

Black women may also be less likely to seek help.

Cynthia Talla, 28, said despite her severe symptoms, she felt like she had to endure her pain alone. When she did seek help after dealing with fibroid symptoms as a teen, Talla said the medical professionals made her feel that Black women are able to bear the pain.

After Talla had surgery in 2020, she recalled telling her mother how good she was finally feeling.

“I remember crying, like, ‘I can’t believe I didn’t feel like this for years,’” she said. “So it’s very bad.”

Sara Harris, who serves on the board of the reproductive health organization Resilient Sisterhood Project, agreed.

“I do think there’s that superwoman phenomena, that Black women can do it all,” she said, “and speaking from my own personal experience, not wanting to ask for help because you know that you can take care of your own stuff, and you have to take care of everyone else around you at the same time.”

Harris added that many Black women also feel a taboo talking about these issues. Resilient Sisterhood Project offers support groups and virtual webinars with Black health experts to answer questions about topics on endometriosis, infertility and HPV, as well as training for universities and health care organizations about reproductive health and Black women’s needs in accessing health care.

Another issue with uterine fibroids, Harris said, is that they’re often misdiagnosed.

“Black women might be misdiagnosed for having an STI [sexually transmitted infection] or misdiagnosed for being pregnant or treated for preventing pregnancy, rather than looking at sort of what could be a deeper cause of the same symptoms that a Black woman is facing — like pelvic pain or prolonged menstrual bleeding,” Harris said.

Click here to read the full article on NBC News.

Bella Hadid says she regrets her plastic surgery: ‘I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors’

EntertainmentLifestyle

By Kerry Justich, Yahoo! Life

Bella Hadid has been in the spotlight for a decade after beginning her own modeling career in 2012. Now, she’s opening up about the reality of what those years in the public eye have been like for her personally and how she’s struggled in private.

In an interview with Vogue the 25-year-old got candid about facing mental health issues and struggling with body image throughout her time in front of the camera. She even admitted to being a people pleaser and feeling the need to prove herself after following in the footsteps of her older sister, Gigi.

“I was the uglier sister. I was the brunette. I wasn’t as cool as Gigi, not as outgoing,” Bella says recalling opinions shared of the sisters. “That’s really what people said about me. And unfortunately when you get told things so many times, you do just believe it. I always ask myself, how did a girl with incredible insecurities, anxiety, depression, body-image issues, eating issues, who hates to be touched, who has intense social anxiety — what was I doing getting into this business? But over the years I became a good actress.”

Bella explained that people seem to have a perception of her as a “mean, scary dragon lady, or some kind of sexbot,” when in reality, her public demeanor is a sort of protection for her.

“I put on a very smiley face, or a very strong face. I always felt like I had something to prove,” she said. “People can say anything about how I look, about how I talk, about how I act. But in seven years I never missed a job, canceled a job, was late to a job. No one can ever say that I don’t work my ass off.”

While Bella’s sentiment comes within the same week that Kim Kardashian was criticized for advising women to “Get your f***ing ass up and work,” Bella made sure to acknowledge where she started as a daughter of supermodel Yolanda Hadid and real estate developer Mohamed Hadid.

“It’s not to say that I didn’t have a very privileged upbringing,” Bella admitted. “But my parents are immigrants who came here and worked for everything they had. I always knew the value of a dollar.”

In fact, making work a priority in her life is what brought Bella to her lowest mental state.

“For three years while I was working, I would wake up every morning hysterical, in tears, alone,” she confessed. “I wouldn’t show anybody that. I would go to work, cry at lunch in my little greenroom, finish my day, go to whatever random little hotel I was in for the night, cry again, wake up in the morning, and do the same thing.”

The model had also been suffering from health issues, including Lyme disease, and said she was driven to anorexia when she was prescribed Adderall for symptoms of adrenal fatigue that were misdiagnosed as ADHD. The appetite-suppressant effect of the medication led her down a dangerous path.

“I was on this calorie-counting app, which was like the devil to me,” she recalled. “I’d pack my little lunch with my three raspberries, my celery stick. I was just trying, I realize now, to feel in control of myself when I felt so out of control of everything else.”

She added, “I can barely look in the mirror to this day because of that period in my life.”

Bella has faced accusations of having multiple cosmetic procedures done, which she denied in the piece, which has also impacted her mental health and body image.

“People think I fully f***ed with my face because of one picture of me as a teenager looking puffy. I’m pretty sure you don’t look the same now as you did at 13, right? I have never used filler. Let’s just put an end to that. I have no issue with it, but it’s not for me. Whoever thinks I’ve gotten my eyes lifted or whatever it’s called — it’s face tape! The oldest trick in the book,” she said.

A nose job at 14 is all Bella said she’s had done, and since regrets. “I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors,” she admitted. “I think I would have grown into it.”

The dichotomy of who Bella is perceived to be by the public and who she knows herself to be ultimately has caused unsettling feelings. “I’ve had this impostor syndrome where people made me feel like I didn’t deserve any of this. People always have something to say, but what I have to say is, I’ve always been misunderstood in my industry and by the people around me.”

By opening up about her struggles, the model seems to be working to undo that. But most importantly, she’s keeping herself as the priority.

Click here to read the full article on Yahoo! Life.

How to Eat Like Your Life Depends On It (Because it Does)

HealthLifestyle

group of five women lined up against brick background wearing fitness clothes

March is National Nutrition Month, making it a great time to talk about what we eat. Sure, most people know what a healthy diet looks like, but truth be told, they don’t follow it. However, the problem with this is that it’s leading to a myriad of health problems. Junk food, fast food, and highly processed items may be convenient and taste good, but they are not good for the body. It’s time to get serious and make some healthy changes.

“We all get stuck in ruts, where we are doing the same thing over and over,” Jennifer Scherer, certified personal trainer and owner of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. “Oftentimes, these things we are doing are unhealthy. We have to change the habits that we have, so they are helping us, rather than hurting.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of the adult population considered obese continues to rise. The latest figures show that 42% are obese, and obesity increases the risks of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. All conditions, which they point out, are largely preventable through diet and lifestyle.

Here are some expert tips on how to make changes to your diet to make it healthier:

Eat five or six small meals per day and aim for half your plate to be fruits and vegetables.
Aim to consume no more than 2,000 mg per day of sodium. Purchase canned goods with no salt added and cook without adding salt. Salt can be added at the table, but it can’t be removed once it’s added during cooking.
Don’t drink your calories. Eliminate empty calories in sugar-sweetened beverages, coffees, and fruit juices.
Focus on Fiber. Try to get at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men. Great sources of fiber include oatmeal, beans, lentils, popcorn, and whole-grain bread.
Power with protein by getting 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight. Consuming adequate protein is good for bone health, retaining muscle mass, and reducing cravings by keeping you full. Great protein sources include lean meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, beans, tofu, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds.
Make a goal to increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake. Fruits and veggies should be a staple to the diet because they contain fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. The CDC reports that only 9% of adults eat the recommended daily supply of vegetables, and 12% eat the recommended daily supply of fruits.
Try to limit eating highly processed foods. Most of them are made with a long list of unhealthy ingredients. The National Institutes of Health reports that those eating highly processed foods tend to eat more calories and gain more weight. Make snacks at home, so there’s more control over what goes into it.

“Start making changes with your diet, and you will see how quickly they make a difference,” adds Scherer. “When you eat a healthier diet, you will feel better and have more energy, in addition to reducing the risks of many diseases. We have to make good nutrition a high priority.”

To get in the habit of eating healthier, make a list of meals that will be made and shop only for the ingredients needed to make them. Avoid shopping while hungry, and try to stick to the store’s perimeter, avoiding much of the highly processed foods in the middle.

Fredericksburg Fitness Studio offers personalized fitness programs, including customized fitness training programs. Their private personal training studio offers a range of services to improve health and wellness, including medical exercise, personal training, in-home medical training, virtual personal training, nutrition coaching, and a Pilates reformer program.

Unlike typical fitness studios and gyms, Fredericksburg Fitness Studio doesn’t offer memberships. They also don’t have big crowds of people working out together. They offer private customized fitness programs that are available by appointment. Their nutrition coaching program is offered virtually and covers three months to help ensure accountability and success. Their Pilates reformer program uses a variety of machines with a customized routine.

Many people who go to the studio are referrals from physical therapists and doctors. The wellness professionals at the studio communicate with the medical teams to keep them up on patient progress. To learn more about the Fredericksburg Fitness Studio, visit the site at: https://www.fburgfitness.com.

About Fredericksburg Fitness Studio

Founded in 2008, Fredericksburg Fitness Studio offers personalized fitness programs, nutrition coaching, and medical training. The private personal training studio was started by Jennifer Scherer, who has a background in human physiology, anatomy, nutrition, weight training, and exercise. The studio has a team of people working to help people reach their health and wellness goals. To learn more, visit the site at: https://www.fburgfitness.com.

Zoë Kravitz was told she was too ‘urban’ to audition for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Arts and DesignEntertainmentInclusionLifestyle

Zoë Kravitz on the red carpet for her role as catwoman. She is wearing an all black tube top with kittens shaping the top

By Erin Donnelly, Yahoo! Entertainment

Zoë Kravitz’s DC debut is long overdue, it seems. Though she’s currently making waves as Selina Kyle and her Catwoman alter ego in Matt Reeves’s The Batman, the actress says she was passed over for a role in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Kravitz, who is biracial, tells the Observer she was turned down for an audition because she was considered to be too “urban.”

“I don’t know if it came directly from Chris Nolan,” the star told the U.K. publication of the feedback. “I think it was probably a casting director of some kind, or a casting director’s assistant.” She didn’t specify which role she’d had her eye on in the 2012 film, which ultimately starred Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway and future Ted Lasso actress Juno Temple in a small supporting part. Though Kravitz has gone on to claim the Catwoman role for herself opposite new Bruce Wayne Robert Pattinson, being snubbed because of her race still stings.

“Being a woman of color and being an actor and being told at that time that I wasn’t able to read because of the color of my skin, and the word urban being thrown around like that, that was what was really hard about that moment,” the 33-year-old said.

As an actress herself, mom Lisa Bonet has offered advice to help her daughter deal with rejections within the industry. Bonet and dad Lenny Kravitz, both of whom are also biracial, have also encouraged their daughter to celebrate her individuality.

“They both dealt with being artists who didn’t act or dress or look or sound the way a Black person was supposed to act in terms of what white people specifically were comfortable with,” Kravitz told the Observer, adding that her parents were “focused on trying to make sure I understood that despite the color of my skin I should be able to act or dress or do whatever it is I want to do.”

Now the face of YSL Beauté, Kravitz struggled with her looks, and her identity, growing up. Her perspective shifted, she said, when she began to better appreciate what the women in her own family — from her mother dealing with racist abuse girl in the 1970s, to her paternal grandmother, the late Jeffersons actress Roxie Roker, being one-half of the first interracial couple depicted on primetime TV.

“I felt really insecure about my hair, relaxing it, putting chemicals in it, plucking my eyebrows really thin,” she shared. “I was uncomfortable with my Blackness. It took me a long time to not only accept it but to love it and want to scream it from the rooftops.”

These days, Kravitz gravitates toward roles that aren’t strictly about race, citing her turn as Bonnie on Big Little Lies, which “was originally written for a white person.”

“At one point, all the scripts that were being sent were about the first Black woman to make a muffin or something,” Kravitz added. “Even though those stories are important to tell, I also want to open things up for myself as an artist.”

CLick here to read the full article on Yahoo! Entertainment.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Kick Off Women’s History Month with a Special Announcement

EntertainmentLifestyle

meghan markle and prince harry kicking off woman's history month and smiling at the camera

By Stephanie Petit, People

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have big plans in store for Women’s History Month.

On Tuesday, the couple shared through their Archewell Foundation that they will be supporting organizations working to advance gender equality through new grants.

“As we cross into Women’s History Month, and ahead of International Women’s Day next week, Archewell Foundation is announcing a number of non-profit investments in leading organizations working to advance gender equity, build policies that empower women and families, ensure meaningful media representation for women, and provide women with a network of tools and support for gaining employment,” the Duke and Duchess said in a statement on their foundation’s website.

Four organizations will be receiving grants, including Smart Works, a U.K. charity that helps women find employment with coaching tips and professional attire for their job interviews. Meghan became patron of the organization in January 2019 and has continued to support them after the couple stepped back as senior members of the royal family.

With Archewell’s support, the organization will create the Smart Works Female Unemployment Index, which will study unemployment issues that affect women across the U.K. so they can set a benchmark for progress and change to be tracked.

“We are so grateful to Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Archewell Foundation for their steadfast support of Smart Works’ mission and continued growth,” said Kate Stephens, CEO of Smart Works, according to Hello! magazine. “Whether in person or remote, we are dedicated to providing women with the tools they need to feel confident at such a critical moment in their lives, and the research we are undertaking will shine a light on the challenges they face.”

Archewell will also give grants to independent news outlet The 19th, The National Women’s Law Center and the Center on Poverty and the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University Law Center.

The National Women’s Law Center tweeted on Tuesday, “We are thrilled to be receiving support from the Archewell Foundation, Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex! Their amplification of issues central to women’s progress couldn’t come at a more critical time in the fight for gender justice.”

Meghan, 40, and Prince Harry, 37, also acknowledged that steps to advance racial and gender justice are necessary all year long.

“Part of Archewell Foundation’s core commitment is to build strong, compassionate, and equitable communities across the world. Although these grants have been announced as we recognize Women’s History Month, the work they represent is relevant and vital every day of the year,” they said.

Last year for Women’s History Month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex encouraged people to “unleash a groundswell of real acts of compassion” with suggestions on their Archewell Foundation website. They also did so themselves, from Meghan penning personalized notes of encouragement (in her impressive handwriting!) to women who received support from Smart Works to organizing a lunch at a local Chicago restaurant for women picking up community meals (including a lemon olive oil cake baked by Meghan herself!)

Click here to read the full article on People.

MERRELL’S WOMEN-LED CAMPAIGN AIMS TO MAKE OUTDOORS MORE INCLUSIVE

BusinessEntertainmentLifestyle

Three women sitting on a tree stump in the outdoors

By Yadira Gonzalez, Ad Age

As Women’s History Month begins, hiking footwear brand Merrell is encouraging women to get outdoors in a new campaign created by a female-led team. The push, which debuted today, pokes fun at self-care routines that can make women feel inadequate or lacking.

A 60-second spot, titled “More Less,” follows a series of women as they put down their gold dumbbells and vibrating face masks, and other trends that “keep telling us, you need more this to be more than that,” a voiceover says.

“We’re more than enough,” the voiceover says at the conclusion of the ad.

The ad was conceived by a female-led crew from Merrell’s marketing agency, Lafayette American and Mutt Film, with Samantha Stone Shannon directing.

“The self-care industry has made billions of dollars by telling women they don’t measure up, and that the only way to fix that deficit is by buying certain products,” Janice Tennant, Merrell’s chief marketing officer, said in a press release. “The goal of this campaign is not just to reclaim outdoor spaces for women, but to help them reclaim themselves.”

Tennant has made it her mission to make the outdoors more inclusive, educating consumers on the benefits of outdoor practices and working with agencies to create stories for broader audiences.

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