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Celebrated author Karen Good Marable talks about her debut children’s book ‘Yaya And The Sea’

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6 months ago

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Laylah Amatullah Barrayn; Simon and Schuster/Tonya Engel

The importance of positive books with black characters for black children, and albeit, for kids, is unquestionable – at the very least not here. We know the impact that reading funny, engaging, and even whimsical stories with individuals who appear like them can have on our youngsters. Telling our stories beyond conflict, hardship and trauma has unquestionable power, especially for young, precious minds. They are still being shaped and have an innocence and curiosity about the world that we regularly lose on the opposite side of middle school.

So once we heard that veteran wordsmith Karen Good Marable had created a children’s book about just a little girl named Yaya who visited the ocean with her mother and three aunts on the primary day of spring, we were greater than excited. Marable’s name has appeared in lots of books and publications, from , , and, in fact, . But more importantly, she is a mother, an aunt (each by blood and surrogate), a niece and an artist who has consciously focused on culture throughout her impressive twenty-year profession.

We got to discuss with the Prairie View, Texas resident about the magical day over 20 years ago that inspired her to jot down what her little daughter thinks of the book and the incontrovertible fact that, yes, the tooth fairy can – and does – stop by black children’s homes, too.

ESSENCE.COM: How long did it take you to jot down?

KAREN GOOD MARABEL: was originally a journal entry I wrote on an A train in 2001. My friends and I took the very same trip I describe within the book, and it was a bit Yaya too! I used to be moved by Yaya’s unexpected presence that day (my mother did not have a nanny) and I wrote the story through her eyes. (Yaya was five years old on the time). Fast forward to 2018; Denene Millner z Books by Denene Millner/Simon & Schuster Kids asks me if I’ve ever written a children’s book. I told her I had written a story with a baby in it, but I wasn’t sure if it was for kids. She said, “Let me read it.” I wrote it down – thank God I keep journals – and he or she loved it.

You’ve been a longtime editor, journalist and author for over twenty years, profiling celebrities from DMX to Lauryn Hill for canopy stories. How was the technique of writing this book different out of your previous work? And how was it the identical?

The technique of writing Yaya and the Sea was different in that the text and illustrations needed to work together. I needed to learn to not say or describe every part and as a substitute let the illustrations do what they were meant to do. One of the similarities between my previous work and writing is that it relies on a real story. This is me writing about my life. In recent years, my work has mainly consisted of private essays, poetry and memories, so Yaya is a continuation of this trend.

What was it like working with illustrator Tonya Engel on this project?

. Tonya Engel dropped at life! When I first saw her illustrations for the book, I cried. This is our first time working together and I’m honored that Denene and the ancestors have seen fit to bring us closer together. In terms of cooperation, there was no real contact between us. There might need been an occasional query about a scene within the book, like a New York subway or a bodega, but Tonya had clearly done her research. Her illustrations are paintings. Therefore, once I talk about an image book, I also mean an image book as a murals, something to be collected. Valuable. As a lovely book in your library. I view the work of Tom Feelings and Faith Ringgold in the same way.

One of the important thing elements of this book is how the Yaya aunties love her and one another. Was it vital to you to place that within the book – the love between girls and the love we give and receive as aunts?

This was very vital. Throughout my life, at every stage, there has all the time been a sisterhood, whether it was the coven of six girls I used to be born into growing up in Prairie View, Texas; my Wheatley Hall crew from the fourth floor at Howard University; or the sisterhood I joined in my early twenties while living in Brooklyn, Oya’s Elements. Oh, and I grew up with the very best aunt on the planet. My Aunt Nita (short for Juanita) is famous. Quintessential and irreplaceable. She is the role model aunt I hold for all my nieces and nephews, real and funny.

When I became a mother, I actually began to know the necessity for “auntie love.” My daughter all the time says, “Mom, I have lots of aunts!” That is, a circle of sisters who love and take care of her (and laugh with her). A secure space to which he can return repeatedly. I like that that is displayed in .

What feedback have you ever received out of your daughter, Mia Pearl, about this book?

I used to be afraid to point out the book to my daughter to whom it was dedicated. Kids give it to you straight, and I already felt so rattling vulnerable. But I finally showed her the folded and picked up pages when the book was in its early stages. The very first thing she said was (knowing Aunt Renée was me), “Wait a minute. Were you naked in the ocean?” And when she got to the tip: “I adore it. Good job, mom.

In your author’s note, you state that children remind adults to be honest and real. What did Mia Pearl teach you about honesty and truth?

My child insists that I be honest with her, which requires me to be honest with myself. In , the aunts knew that little Yaya was on the shore watching them, which was humbling and honorable. You model sacred work. Children are innocent. Untainted. This innocence have to be protected. Respectable. You make these earliest impressions because adults are answerable for this purity. That doesn’t suggest the tooth fairy won’t stop by or we cannot go see Black Santa at Greenbriar Mall [in Atlanta]. But that is also a part of the magic.

What else would you prefer to tell the ESSENCE audience about?

As a part of the promotion, along with Saturday mornings with children, I run family-friendly salons for adults. Parents, aunts and uncles, those that buy books, read to children. People who see picture books as artworks that might be present in any library. We take themes present in ritual, intention, community and elevate them for adults. There is music, food, wine, a brief discussion, and a ritual. It’s time. You can find more information about these salons on my website Instagram account and mine website.


This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Caitlin Clark fans send shocking wave of racist attacks to Dijonai Carrington over eye foul

Published

2 hours ago

on

September 27, 2024

By

Caitlin Clark

Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington has quickly grow to be one of the WNBA’s rising stars.

However, Carrington recently shared with the general public a disturbing insight into the backlash she has received over the past few weeks from Caitlin Clark’s fans.

Known for her skills on the court, Carrington won the “Most Improved Player” honor in her fourth season, and recently took to social media to reveal some of the hateful messages she received from Clark’s fans.

Racist Caitlin Clark fans
Some of Caitlin Clark’s fans have issued threats to Dijonai Carrington that they may injure her and attack her with racial slurs. (Photos: Justin Casterline/Getty Images; Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

On Thursday, September 26, she posted on her Instagram story a threatening email she had received, containing racial slurs and a brutal threat of sexual assault.

The email read: “You worthless nigga, I hope someone scolds you and chops your head off.”

In response, Carrington wrote: “I am unable to make this up. Sent to my email. You will need Jesus.

The post, which has since expired, has sparked widespread concern. One fan caught on and commented, “We need to do a better job of protecting WNBA players.”

The hostility is reportedly linked to supporters of Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Many people, mostly her white fanbase, became outraged at the best way Clark was treated on the court – normally directing their outrage at her black opponents.

On Wednesday, September 25, when Clark didn’t like how a fan was harassing her on the court in Game 2 of the primary round of the Indiana-Connecticut playoffs, she grabbed him. ejected. Connecticut won that game at home 87-81 and took the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Clark’s fans have also been vocal in expressing their hatred towards Sun’s Black players by harassing them, but none of their players have managed to eject a fan.

The abuse seemed to escalate more, especially after the Sun eliminated the Fever, denying the Rookie of the Year a probability to make a deeper playoff run in her first season within the league.

During the extraordinary matches, the rivalry reached such a boiling point that some Clark fans repeatedly directed their frustration at Carrington.

“The same people who want to pretend that #CaitlinClark was ‘attacked’ by DiJonai Carrington have nothing to say about Caitlin Clark who came close to ripping out DiJonai’s eye” – one user X he tweeted September 23. “Playing for the ball and pulling the contact back towards someone’s eye and breaking the contact.”

The social media user referenced the primary game of the Fever-Sun series when Carrington poked Clark within the eye in an attempt to block a pass, leaving the rookie’s eye blackened. No foul was called throughout the play and Sun insists it was an accident, although fans imagine she deliberately tried to use her fingernail extensions to injure Clark. Later in the sport, Clark punched Carrington within the face, breaking the Sun player’s contact lens. Carrington was assessed a foul on the play.

Clark also noted that the scratch was “not intentional” and told her fans to watch the show.

The vitriol kept coming.

Another person wrote on Twitter: “I am warning DiJonai fans, the Connecticut Sun and the #WNBA as a whole about this disgusting, pathetic excuse for a human being who is actually praying for Dijonai to get hurt. Block such toxic people to clean your tl. This is EXACTLY what Carrington was talking about,” posting comments like “Dijonai gets hurt, idc. I hate that bitch my whole fucking life.”

The same Clark fan added, “I hope Dijonais’ eye contact is contagious to her,” and “I pray for absolutely the worst for Dijonais. I hate this bitch a lot.

On September 25, a fan who attended the Fever v. Sun game noticed Carrington being taunted with “racist” taunts about her nails and eyelashes.

“I’m at the Sun/Fever match and the atmosphere is terrible,” they are saying he wrote. “A woman behind me mocked DiJonai’s eyelashes and only stopped when my partner turned around and told her to stop being racist. There is a man wearing a MAGA hat. There’s also THAT woman with the no-nails T-shirt and cartoonish fake nails.”

Another fan placed the blame squarely on the WNBA, writing“Two important things that happened earlier today, long before Indiana lost, and now you want to say something. You allowed Dijonai Carrington to be interrogated and threatened with death. Not to mention all the shit that’s happened since the beginning of the season. DO BETTER WNBA.”

While it’s unclear why it released correspondence from the obnoxious fan, the WNBA quickly responded, which included all concerns about racial bigotry from fans, players, franchises and anyone involved within the league’s ecosphere.

“WNBA is a league by which the perfect athletes on the earth compete. While we welcome our growing fan base, the WNBA is not going to tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments towards players, teams or anyone related to the league,” the statement read.

It added: “League security is actively monitoring threat activity and will work directly with teams and arenas to take appropriate measures, including the involvement of law enforcement as necessary.”

Despite Clark’s attempts to distance herself from the actions of her more hostile supporters – when she remarked earlier this 12 months, “Everyone in the world deserves the same respect” – the situation has only gotten worse.

The Sun’s Alyssa Thomas also shared her opinion, reflecting on the season’s intensity and labeling racist attacks from Clark’s fans “unacceptable.”

“Basketball is going in a great direction, but we don’t want fans who are belittling us,” Thomas said. “There’s no time for this anymore.”

However, according to Carrington, hate attacks and online attacks proceed.

While her Instagram highlights her achievements this season, her X profile has been wiped, likely in response to the relentless harassment. Despite Clark’s repeated calls for civility, the fallout from their on-court clash shows no sign of abating.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown shows off his own brand and signature shoes ahead of the 2024 NBA season – Andscape

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 27, 2024

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After greater than two years of deciding to play without an official footwear agreement, Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has unveiled his own brand, 741, under which he’ll launch the long-awaited first signature shoe of his profession – Rover.

The announcement of Brown’s self-funded and managed brand got here Tuesday after the Celtics’ media day, during which the reigning NBA Finals MVP posed for official team photos in his latest shoes, which he’ll wear throughout the upcoming 2024 NBA season.

“741 is more than just a sneaker brand,” Brown said in an official press release. “It’s a statement – ​​about independence, creativity and ownership.”

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown poses for a portrait during the 2024-25 NBA media day on September 24 at TD Garden in Boston.

Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

The 741 Rover is scheduled to debut on October 22, the same day Boston opens its season against the New York Knicks. According to 741’s official website, adult shoe sizes are priced at $200 per pair, while kid’s sizes are priced at $70.

Brown’s first shoe will make him the NBA’s twenty eighth energetic headliner. The debut shoes signed by Sacramento Kings All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox (Curry Brand) and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (361 degrees) from the Denver Nuggets are expected this season. Brown also becomes a minimum of the ninth player in NBA history to release a signature sneaker under a private or family brand, joining Patrick Ewing (Ewing Athletics, 1989) and Shaquille O’Neal (Dunk.net/Dunkman, 2000-01). and Stephon Marbury (Starbury, 2006).

“Black Moon” colorway of Jaylen Brown’s latest 741 Rover sneaker.

741

“Understanding ownership and value is important for the next generation of athletes,” Brown said in the debut press release promoting the 741. “It’s time to create greater value for everyone involved, from athletes to consumers to employees and the communities that support them.” He said , that he “rejected $50 million in offers” from major shoe corporations to realize full ownership and control of creative design inside his own company.

Brown initially endorsed Adidas under the standard player contract he signed as a rookie in 2016 and played until his five-yr contract expired in 2021. In the spring of 2022, Brown made headlines as the first NBA player to sign with Donda Sports , the talent agency founded by music artist and longtime Adidas collaborator Kanye West. The move potentially set the stage for Brown to grow to be the face and debut headliner of Yeezy Basketball’s division until the rapper’s partnership with Adidas abruptly led to October 2022, just before the start of Brown’s breakout seventh NBA season, and Brown has left Donda Sports.

For the past two years, Brown has been wearing Nike sneakers, though he was not officially affiliated with the shoe company. However, in late 2023, he began removing the swoosh from pairs he wore from the late Kobe Bryant’s signature line and pairs from Nike’s GT series. Brown’s creative control over his Nike shoes was likely prompted by a controversial conclusion directed at his former Celtics teammate Kyrie Irving’s long-term cooperation with Nike, which ended before the 2023 NBA season. “Since when does Nike care about ethics?” Brown wrote on X, formerly referred to as Twitter, in response to company founder Phil Knight’s comments about ending his relationship with Irving. Brown’s post has since received greater than 120,000 reposts and likes.

“I’m more inclined to go down this destructive path for tennis players,” Brown said in November 2023 on the show , hosted by longtime NBA veterans Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. “Many contracts signed by athletes are stationary. Here it’s, cut and dried, with no creative control, no marketing control, but mainly no input.

In early June, as the Celtics reached the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown’s desire to forge his own path in footwear took center stage as he participated in pregame warmups in an unassuming shoe, prompting speculation that it was his upcoming first signature model. However, nobody has been in a position to discover or confirm the brand behind the aesthetically futuristic design.

A number of months later, basketball and sneaker culture found an official answer. After eight seasons in the NBA, one sneaker endorsement and three years of free shoe agency, Brown finally has his own signature shoe, designed for him and by himself, with the freedom and vision of his own brand.

Brown also continues the legacy of NBA players bringing sneakers to market on their own terms. It was founded 35 years ago in 1989, after former Knicks star Ewing left Adidas and a one-yr, $1 million contract to form Ewing Athletics to supply more fuel-efficient, high-performance basketball shoes. Ewing’s sneaker entrepreneurship paved the way for O’Neal’s Dunkman brand at Payless, Marbury’s Starbury line as one of the most fascinating stories in sneaker history, and now Brown has disrupted the modern NBA star footwear landscape.

“I put everything into designing 741,” Brown said, “and it was as challenging and rewarding as anything I did on the court.”

Aaron Dodson is a sports and culture author at Andscape. He writes primarily about sneakers/apparel and hosts the Sneaker Box video series on the platform. During Michael Jordan’s two seasons with the Washington Wizards in the early 2000s, the Air Jordan 9 “Flint” shoes sparked his passion for kicking.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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50 Cent is working on a documentary for Netflix regarding the Sean “Diddy” Combs molestation case

Published

8 hours ago

on

September 27, 2024

By

Netflix and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson are teaming up to supply a docuseries detailing the ongoing case of Sean “Diddy” Combs. This week, Jackson confirmed the streaming service’s partnership in the project, which is able to address allegations of brutal abuse and sexual assault against Combs.

“This is a story with significant human impact,” Jackson said in a statement: for a change. “It’s a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines and clips we’ve seen so far.”

Alexandria Stapleton, who directs the upcoming documentaries, and Jackson want to offer “a voice to the voiceless” and present “authentic and nuanced perspectives.”

“While the allegations are disturbing, we urge everyone to remember that the story of Sean Combs is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We are committed to ensuring that individual actions do not overshadow the broader contribution of culture,” they added in a statement.

Over the years, Jackson has been vocal about his disdain for Combs without apology. Even though each men have had significant influence on hip-hop, 50 Cent says he was postpone by the “uncomfortable energy associated with” the “Bad Boys” founder and his infamous parties.

Lifestyle

“I’ve been very vocal that I don’t go to Puffy parties and do crap like that,” Jackson said Hollywood reporter. “I’ve been staying away from this shit for years.”

“I told you all this weird shit, I do not throw ANY fancy parties. you didn’t consider me 🤨 but I bet you suspect me now,” he added on X, sharing the Netflix announcement.

Earlier this 12 months, the “G-Unit” rapper teased plans for a docuseries on social media. After video footage emerged of Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend (*50*) in 2016, more women got here forward to sue the mogul for sexual assault. Concerned by Combs’ actions, Jackson reportedly said that proceeds from the documentary, which he previously described as “Diddy Do It,” could be donated to victims of sexual assault.

Although the rapper didn’t confirm the title of the documentary, the “Power” producer used the phrase to troll Combs online.

“Now it wasn’t Diddy who did it, it was Diddy who did it 🤷🏽‍♂️they don’t come like that unless they have a case,” he said he tweetedin response to federal agents raiding Combs’ home.

Combs was recently charged with sex trafficking and racketeering after allegedly engaging in a “persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse of women and others in order to pursue his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.” After being denied bail, the music mogul awaits trial at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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