Celebrity Coverage
Debbie Allen gives a lesson on harnessing your power at the Hillman Grad Women On The Rise event
Photo: Chris Lowe
“Having power doesn’t mean you can be mean or make people feel lesser; having power empowers people,” Debbie Allen told a crowd of eager listeners at the Hillman Honors Women on the Rise event in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The April 14 meeting was the brainchild of Hillman Grad Productions’ head of cultural marketing, Marquis Phifér, and a full-circle moment for Lena Waithe, who named her production company after a fictional college from a sitcom on which Allen served as showrunner and producer 122 episodes.
it felt like an escape for me,” Waithe said during a panel discussion moderated by Allen. “When I watched this movie, I obviously wasn’t in highschool yet, but I used to be experiencing college life and what that meant. And that meant community. It meant a chosen family. It also meant involvement in the politics of the time. It taught me a lot; not only about who I used to be as a person of color, but in addition about what it meant to be a good friend. What does it mean to be not only a good student, but in addition a good teacher?
Waithe was joined on the panel by Jojo T. Gibbs, star of her BET coming-of-age series, D. Smith, producer and director of the Sundance Audience Award-winning series, and AV Rockwell, winner of the Independent Spirit Award.
During the event, hosted by NAACP Image Award nominee Gia Peppers and featuring aspiring creators in addition to actresses Ashley Blain Featherson-Jenkins, Christina Elmore Duke and Aisha Hinds, each woman spoke about her entry point into Hollywood and key takeaways that they carry with them when reaching the next level of success.
Smith, a former Grammy-nominated record producer, opened up about her experiences sleeping on friends’ couches for 3 years after being shunned by the music industry when she discovered her identity as a transgender woman.
“When I passed, people just stopped coming. They stopped calling. And truthfully, I lost the whole lot,” she said.
Looking for a way out of her difficult situation, Smith asked someone to purchase her a camera, after which made her debut documentary about 4 black transgender sex employees.
“The best thing I’ve learned is that you can’t be creative and jealous at the same time,” Smith told the audience. “You have to stop your ego to move because God, the universe literally activates itself by how you act, and you have to humble yourself.”
Gibbs, who began in stand-up and currently stars in , also talked about the personal responsibility that comes with growing fame. “I have been praying and asking God about where I am now for years, since I was a child, and I think it was only recently that I realized the duality of asking God to be a pioneer in the family and the responsibility and expectation and entitlement that comes from some people to that you are able to do what you do,” she said. “Something is going on in your family, they will pay attention to you. Things come up for your friends and you are seen as the one who can handle them. There may be a lot of expectations placed on your shoulders, so you have to learn to set boundaries, but also to put yourself in front of these people, because you were the person appointed to this position and if God puts you in this position, then you are capable of doing it.”
It’s this reality that led Rockwell, who’s currently writing her next screenplay, to redefine her definition of strength, especially as a woman who has needed to be self-sufficient for much of her life.
“Being an artist outside the corporate space doesn’t require routine visits every six months where someone asks, ‘Hey, how are you?’ so I’ve learned to constantly check myself in all the ways that everyone shares. How am I? What do I need to work on? Especially limiting beliefs,” she said. “Yes, there may be a fight going on for our people, but I don’t discover with it. I’m aware of it, I navigate because it appears, but it surely isn’t my identity.
At the end of the panel, Allen received a framed playbill of the musical through which she began her Broadway profession in 1970, and a framed commencement program for Howard’s graduation ceremony in 1971. Receiving her gifts, Allen said, “I’m 74 years old and busier than ever.” before. I’m working on two movies, a Broadway show, and trying to jot down a memoir.
“I say these things to say that the road goes on and you just have to stay on it,” Allen continued. “Stay in the light and keep going. Keep plowing and stay curious. The things I do not know, I would like to know, and that can keep you perpetually young.
ASKRS> Keke Palmer
Time is now for essentially the most fashionable moments in celebrity between Fashion Week, a season of prizes and magazine covers. Meanwhile, some glances required a full GLAM team once we finished a month and Valentine’s Day, sleeping hair and romantic manicures are still strong.
For example Black flexible headband. With an analogous volume Honey Afro Janet Jackson was entwined with a red gel manicure to enhance the golden accents. Then the model Alva Claire attended Baft in a fragile UPDO, which combined her curved, thin eyebrows and a blue-winged insert.
Makeup Artist Dee Carrion was chargeable for the golden lips and teeth in the quilt. Then Coco Jones’s hair was soaked in water – glass lids and lips added to the appearance. As for TEMS? The shiny French manicure was cherry on its siren and hot chocolate gloss.
And those that participated within the NAACP rewards didn’t come either. Keke Palmer has turn into viral not only due to touching speech of “Artist of the Year”, but additionally due to her to knock out beauty: elegant red hair and gothic makeup makeup.
Sheryl Lee Ralph was on her “suit and draw” that night. Saisha Beecham Saisha Beecham worked on shiny magic, as she put it, “Sixty Fine” within the years. Finally, the hair artist Larry Sims gave the Gabrielle Union museum by some means Bobów. He wrote within the signature “It gives a film star”. And we couldn’t agree more.
If you missed this, take a look at the very best moments of beauty from the week.
“At that time we only had acrylic,” Angie Aguirre says Essence, who puts ESPY-Jones in the primary episode. “We didn’t have a number of things we have today.” Starting the series, in honor of the Black History of the month, Aguirre, nail artist Sha’carri Richardson, resembles a black story for extremely long nails-at the identical time spreading techniques from the past.
From memories of curved acrylics on Flo Jo of the Eighties to the red manicure in Donn Summer, and even the nail of Stiletto from the Nineteen Thirties about Queen Nenzim from the Democratic Republic of Congo, manicure for construction has a wealthy history hidden behind every decorating extension.
Using the attention shadows as a substitute of the airbrush machine (which within the Nineteen Nineties was a big, loud pedal machine), she recreated one of the vital popular styles that has since appeared today as a preferred look.
Often appropriated in popular culture long, loud nails are historically called “ghetto” as an offensive statement after they wear black women. Meanwhile, they are sometimes seen as fashionable after they wear white celebrities.
“We usually set up trends [and] People kick, “says Aguirre within the film while painting about traditional nail art visible within the Nineteen Nineties.” When pop culture gets it, they change what they want to be like that. ” However, “black women wore these nails long before social media.”
Now that the nail industry is to succeed in USD 36.27 billion until 2032Aguirre explains the influence that black women have on beauty and what the longer term of those historical manicures will seem like. “Nail game has become very innovative,” he says, with latest products reminiscent of Gel-X. “[It’s] It is very different from what was during the day. “
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
On Monday, at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills A Who’s Who of New Stars, Hot Talent and Legends was at hand to honor the best in black talent on the screen for the American Black Film Festival awards. Honores for the Night to Aaron Pierre, who received the Rising Star award (while the crowd sang: “Aaron Pierre, to Mufasaaaa”), Essence Black Women in Hollywood Honree Marla Gibbs, who received the Hollywood Legacy award, Keke Palmer caught the Renaissan prize. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor received the same honor for girls.
Many people got here out to have fun, including presenters Ava DuverNay, Anthony Mackie, Boots Riley, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Regina King. But in Hollywood there have been many stars and massive names, which also got here out with their partners to enjoy the annual event. They began a blue rug with sweet PDA and good vibrations, able to enjoy an important night.
From Larenz Tate and Tomasina’s wife to Dondre Whitfield and Salla Richardson Whitfield, Loretta Devine and husband Glenn Marshall, Lance and Rebecca Gross, and newlyweds Yvette Nicole Brown and Anthony Davis, Love was in the air. (Another essence of black women in Hollywood Honore, Teyana Taylor, was a supporting Aaron Pierre there, and there are rumors that these two enjoy their company, which, for which we’re here.) More couples appeared to this event than since the prize season. Scroll to see and feel all love.
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Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Sophia Rose McDowell
Los Angeles, California – 17 February: Kelvin Harrison Jr. And Sophia Rose McDowell take part in the seventh annual American Festival Black Film Festival in SLS Hotel, the luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
02
Loretta Devine and Glenn Marshall
Los Angeles, California – February 17: Loretta Devine and Glenn Marshall attend the seventh annual awards of the American Black Film Festival in the SLS Hotel, luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
03
Yvette Nicole Brown and Anthony Davis
Los Angeles, California – February 17: Anthony R. Davis and Yvette Nicole Brown participate in the seventh annual American festival Black Film Festival in SLS Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
04
Salli Richardson Whitfield and Dondre Whitfield
Los Angeles, California – February 17: Salla Richardson Whitfield and Dondre Whitfield are collaborating in the seventh annual American Black Film Festival festival in SLS Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
05
Founders of ABFF Jeff Friday and Nicole Friday
Los Angeles, California – February 17: Nicole Friday and Jeff Friday take part in the seventh annual American Black Film Festival festival in the SLS Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
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Lance Gross and Rebecca Gross
Los Angeles, California – February 17: Lance Gross and Rebecca Gross attend the seventh annual Arman Black Film Festival awards in the SLS Hotel, the luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
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Lenengreen dies and Tomasinain Frig
Los Angeles, California – February 17: Larenz Tate and Tomasina Parrott attend the seventh annual awards of the American Black Film Festival in the SLS Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
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Charles D. King and Stacey Walker King, founder and CBO Macro Media Company
Los Angeles, California-17 February: Stacey Walker-King and Charles D. King take part in the seventh annual American Black Film Festival festival in SLS Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Kayla oaddams/wireimage)
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Michael Jai White and Gillian White
Los Angeles, California – February 17: (LR) Michael Jai White and Gillian White take part in the seventh annual Honorary American Festival Black Film at SLS Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, Beverly Hills on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, Kalifornia. (Photo Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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WME COO Dan Limerick and Dawn Limerick
Los Angeles, California – February 17: (LR) Dawn Limerick and Dan Limerick, COO, WME take part in the seventh annual Honorary Film Film Film Film Film Film at SLS Hotel, Hotel Luxury Collection, Beverly Hills February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Chris Spencer and Vanessa Spencer
Vanessa Spencer, Chris Spencer during the seventh annual American Black Film Festival festival, which took place at the SLS Hotel on February 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo of Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
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Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre
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