Lifestyle
Aurora James Discusses the Honor of the New York City League and the Fearless Fund Ruling: ‘We Live in an Attention Economy’
When Aurora James, the founder of the brand Brother Vellies and Fifteen percent oath and vice chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, when she heard the news of the Fearless Fund ruling, she immediately shared it on social media.
IN Video from TikTok published after the news, the founder elaborated on a federal appeals court ruling that suspended the program, which largely awarded funds to businesses owned by Black women, after it was sued by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, a gaggle led by Edward Blum, conservative activist behind the Supreme Court case that ended affirmative motion in college admissions.
She noted that talking about what is going on on and “mobilizing” people through her platform is very important at a time like this.
Because of this support, together with the impact she has made on behalf of black businesses through the Fifteen Percent Pledge, she was amongst those honored by New York Municipal League at the 58th annual Frederick Douglass Awards on Thursday. This yr’s gala honorary co-chairs are Meagan Good, Tonya Lewis Lee and Bethann Hardison. Others honored alongside James included George Gresham and Renee McClure.
When asked how he felt receiving the honor, James replied, “It’s a little bittersweet, honestly.”
“The last six to eight months have been somewhat challenging as people have tried to undo some of the progress we have made in the equity and inclusion space,” she continued. “But I think this award is really important because it speaks to the work.”
The first Black designer to ever win an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, James founded Brother Vellies in 2013 with the ambitious goal of creating an exploitation-free brand. The result’s a widely known brand offering one-of-a-kind luxury shoes and accessories made by African craftsmen in which customers can feel good.
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She didn’t stop there. After seeing high-profile brands and corporations committing to Black and Brown people in this country during the race unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd, James founded the Fifteen Percent Pledge Foundation in 2020. Its mission was to get major retailers like Nordstrom, Sephora and Macy’s to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black brands. Since its launch, 28 corporations have joined the effort, including Nordstrom, Sephora and Macy’s.
“We’ve all heard the saying that talent is distributed equally, but opportunity and access are not,” James said. “I think the commitment, or rather the initial call to action that I put out on social media four years ago, is simply about giving people some access. And these are people who are brilliant.”
James realizes that there are people like the Blums in the world who may view initiatives like the Fifteen Percent Pledge or the Fearless Fund as someway exclusionary. Many people say things like, “Why can’t this go to the best candidate?” He challenges this fashion of pondering by highlighting how these funds actually help be sure that the best get a platform.
“Previously, so many groups have been historically excluded,” she noted, adding: “Many of these stores would just buy whatever the next Heinz product or the next Estee Lauder product is. It’s easier to just connect with these giant companies that you already sell and have relationships with than to take a chance on a small company.”
However, taking this chance can profit all parties. James noted that her involvement gave brands an opportunity, which made a difference in the lives of founders and their brands. Recently, one of the founders contacted her and said that due to his work, he was capable of buy a house for his family.
James said moving the needle for Black and brown businesses ultimately comes right down to where we focus our attention. Paying attention can appear like the way you vote in the upcoming election, what you spend your money on, and even what you literally concentrate to online and in culture.
“We live in an attention economy. People compete for your attention more than anything else,” she said. “Whatever you focus your attention on will win. The Kardashians win because they capture our attention across multiple platforms. This is difficult. America has many various ways. So if we redirect our attention, we also can redirect much of the power in this country.
Lifestyle
Why do the demographic boom stay in their homes vs. Auxiliary life
reports that the housing crisis can To be Brewing as a demographic boom Collect their houses and refuse MOVEW financially bored residential facilities.
Meredith Whitney, a financial analyst, said that the generation of the boom of demographic houses maintains hard -earned houses, because moving to residential assistance is equally expensive. During the interview, Whitney emphasized that some older Americans are attached to money and borrowing towards their homes. Forty -four percent of home equity loans are charged by seniors, which they call “contradictory”. “It’s crazy, right?” She preserved.
Whitney’s points of view are significantly different from the standard narrative that the majority of the demographic boom is financially secure and sits on money flaws. This shall be true because seniors constitute 42% of all houses buyers in comparison with generations who constitute 29%. “I divide it into various cohorts,” said Whitney.
“So a senior who everyone thinks that” demographic booms have all this money ” – this is a small part. Seniors live withdrawals for payment. ”
The generation collectively has 75 trillion usd wealth. However, Whitney, also sometimes called “Oracle of Wall Street”, which provided for a incredible financial crisis, estimated that only one in 10 seniors can afford to assist in maintaining help, forcing many to stay in their homes with a mortgage surplus.
As a result, the rates created the “block” effect, described as when the owners of the house who got to the market at low rates, hesitate to purchase recent houses, bearing in mind today’s increased loan costs. “This is one of the problems with housing inventory,” said Whitney during the interview. “They stop longer in their homes because they can’t afford to move out.”
The weight is just not only on the demographic boom. Their thousand -year -old and generation X got stuck in an inaccessible long -term address aging parents. Because the elders not have funds for long -term care, in response to subsequent generations they typically leave work or work less to supply care. Social insurance experts Name it “victim” which could potentially hurt them Financially at present and in the future. “The bigger problem is that you can create almost a series of poverty,” said professor Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Marc Cohen.
“This is not something that simply sticks to one generation. The costs are socially incurred.”
The Harvard Center for Housing Studies 2023 report confirmed that private long -term care, like helpful communities and healthcare, is beyond the reach of the average middle class citizen. Less than 15% of Americans 75 and older people living alone in the primary American cities could afford to pay for help in the field of help or healthcare without immersing in their savings. The federal government may not have much help, because Trump’s administration focuses on Medicare, a government medical insurance program for the elderly.
Medicare also doesn’t include most long -term healthcare.
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Lifestyle
Will the southern accent repair disappear in some parts of the south of the USA?
Growing up in Atlanta in the Forties and Fifties, Susan Levine’s visits to relatives in New York embraced the star of improvised news: her cousin invited friends and accused 25 cents for pop to be conscious of Levine’s southern accent.
Although furthermore they grew up in Atlanta, two sons Levine, born over 1 / 4 of a century after her, never talked to an accent, which could thoroughly be the most famous regional dialect in the United States, with elongated vowels and soft sounds “R”.
“My accent does not exist,” said Ira Levine, her eldest son. “The people I work with and even at school, people did not believe that I was from Atlanta.”
The southern accent, which has many sorts, disappears in some areas of the South, when people migrate to the region from other parts of the USA and around the world. A series of research articles published in December documented a discount in a regional accent amongst black residents of the Atlanta area, white people from the working class in the region of New Orleans and other individuals who grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Has over 5.8 million people He moved to the south of the USA Until now, in the Nineteen Twenties, the sum of three other regions of the country is larger than 4 times. Linguists don’t imagine that mass media have played an infinite role in changing the language, which normally begins in urban areas and radiate to more rural places.
At the end of the twentieth century, the increase in migration affects the accents
The classic white southern accent in the Atlanta region and other parts of the urban south reached the peak of demographic growth born in 1946–1964 Gen Xers Born in 1965–1980 and subsequent generations, largely because of the huge migration of people in the second half of the twentieth century.
He was replaced amongst the youngest speakers in the twenty first century of the dialect, which was first noticed in California in the late Eighties, in accordance with the last studies of the Linguists from the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Brigham Young University. This dialect, which was also detected in Canada, became a regional accent since it spread to other parts of the US, including Boston, New York and Michigan, contributing to reducing their regional accents.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, the trigger point in the fall of the southern accent was the opening in 1959 of the research park, an infinite complex of research and technology corporations that attracted tens of 1000’s of highly educated employees from outside the South. White residents born after 1979, the generation after establishing a research triangle, normally don’t confer with the southern accent, the linguist Sean Lundergan wrote in an article published in December.
Often, external people wrongly associate the southern accent with an absence of education, and some younger people can try to distance themselves from this stereotype.
“Today’s young people, especially educated young people, do not want to sound too much, as if they came from a specific city,” said Linguist Georgia Tech, Lelia Glass, who co-author of the study in Atlanta. “They want to sound more mobile, unlocal and geographically.”
The accents change in younger people
Southern Dialect amongst blacks in Atlanta has fallen in recent an prolonged time mainly because of the influx of African Americans from northern cities, including “Reverse great migration.”
During great migration, from around 1910 to 1970, African Americans from the South moved to cities in the north like New York, Detroit and Chicago. Their grandchildren and great -grandchildren moved back south in large places to such places corresponding to Atlanta at the turn of the twentieth and early twenty first century and shall be more often educated in college.
Scientists found southern accents amongst African Americans who were dropped Gen Z.or people born in 1997–2012, in accordance with the study published in December. The same researchers had previously studied southern accents amongst white people in Atlanta.
Michelle and Richard Beck, General Xers living in the Atlanta region, have southern accents, but she lacks in their two sons born in 1998 and 2001.
“I think they speak more clearly than me,” said Richard Beck about his sons, a law enforcement officer. “They don’t sound like a country like me when it comes to the southern draw.”
The “Yat” accent of the recent Orleans has decreased
Unlike other accents which have modified because of the influx of recent residents, the characteristic, white accent “YAT” of the working class in New Hurricane Katrina In 2005, the accent differs from other regional accents in the south and sometimes described as they sound like Brooklynes and southern.
Hurricane was a “catastrophic” event of a language change for New Orleans, because he resettled only a number of quarter of 1,000,000 inhabitants in the first 12 months after a storm and brought tens of 1000’s of people from outside in the next decade.
Reducing the “Yat” accent is most noticeable in millennia, who were teenagers when Katrina hit because they were exposed to other ways of speaking at a key moment of language development, said Katie Carmichael Virginia Tech, Katie Carmichael.
Cheryl Wilson Lanier, a 64-year-old who grew up in Chalmette, Louisiana, one of the suburbs of New Orleans, where the accent was the most widespread, worries that part of the uniqueness of the region shall be lost if the accent disappears.
“It’s a bit like we are losing our separate personality,” she said.

Changing the southern identity
Although it decreases in many urban areas, the southern accent is unlikely to disappear completely, because “accents are an extremely simple way to show something to other people about ourselves,” said Linguist at the University of Georgia Margaret Renwick, one of the authors of research in Atlanta.
Instead, it’d reflect a change in how younger speakers perceive southern identity, with a regional accent not so closely related to what’s considered southern as in previous generations, and language boundaries less obligatory than other elements.
“So young people in the Atlanta or Raleigh area have a different vision of what life in the south is,” said Renwick. “And it’s not the same as the one with which their parents or grandparents grew up.”
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Lifestyle
Gabrielle Union claims that surrogation seemed to be a public humiliation: “Like cuckold”
Gabrielle Union becomes real in a substitute matter.
The 52-year-old actress and mother opened herself with regard to the complexity of the selection, discussing her maternity journey throughout the last profile for Marie Claire magazineThe first problem of motherhood.
When the star of “Perfect Find” was ready to expand her family along together together together along together together along along along along together together together along along together along along along together along along together along together together along together together together along along along along along together along together together together along together along together together along along together together along together together together together together along along together along together along along together along along along along along together together along along along along together together together together together along together together along together along along along along together together together along together along along together together together along along together along together along along together along together together along along along along along together along together along together along along together along together together together along together along together together along together along together along together along together along together together along together together together together along together together together along along along along together along along together together together together together together along along along together together together together together together along together together along together along together together along together together together together along together together along along along along along together together together together together along together together together along along along together along together together along together along together together along together along along together together together along along along together together along together along together along along together together together together along together along together along together along along together along along together together along along together together along along together along along along along along with her husband, a former NBA player, Dwyane Wade, eventually she had to follow a alternative road to come up along together together together along together together along along along along together together together along along together along along along together along along together along together together along together together together along along along along along together along together together together along together along together together along along together together along together together together together together along along together along together along along together along along along along along together together along along along along together together together together together along together together along together along along along along together together together along together along along together together together along along together along together along along together along together together along along along along along together along together along together along along together along together together together along together along together together along together along together along together along together along together together along together together together together along together together together along along along along together along along together together together together together together along along along together together together together together together along together together along together along together together along together together together together along together together along along along along along together together together together together along together together together along along along together along together together along together along together together along together along along together together together along along along together together along together along together along along together together together together along together along together along together along along together along along together together along along together together along along together along along along along along with her six -year -old daughter Kaavia.
“It seemed to me a failure,” she said. “My body failed. It just seemed like such AF – public humiliation. Suroga is like a cuckold; observing how someone does something that I’m unable to do. To be there, one other person succeeded where I failed – that is the mind of F— for individuals who had my journey and who feel similar. When it was never your reality, I’d love to evaluate and throw asppers
Union, who has one biological child with Wade and is a stepmother for other three children from previous relationships, said that she stays to be not very emotional.
“I will never have peace of mind,” admitted a graduate of “being Mary Jane.” “And this is not something that with nothing-it’s just a longing for a longing. I was so ready for my surprise, but all the prayers that did not answer in the way in which I thought made my child here.”
She washed: “Did I want public applause and comments that are associated with a public pregnant person? Because your child is here. Your child is here. Healthy. Amazing.”
Regardless of this, the actress said that she is “grateful” to her surrogate.
“However, I am very grateful to our pregnancy guardian. This is just one of those things in which it is such a personal journey that maybe I never know a full room with Canta, if he should,” she noted.
She also said that people can judge their lower than Rosic feelings on this subject.
“Because it is different and because the replacement journey of each person is different,” she said. “It is as if every time there is a variance in this experience, it is:” I saw, I told you. You shouldn’t discover this selection to expand your relations. “
The modified family Union and Wade covers their daughter Kaavia; Two Wade children are shared together along along along along along together along along along along along together together along along together along along along together along along along along together along along together together together along along along along together together along together along together along along together along together along along along along along along together together together along along along along together along along along together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together along together along along together together together along together together along together along together together together along along along along along together together along along together together together together together together along together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along along along together along along together along along together along along along along together along along along together along together together together together along together together together along together along together along together together along together along together along along together along along together together together along along together along along together together together together together together along along together along together together along along together along together along together together together along along together together together together together along along together together together together along along together together along together together together together together along together along along together along together together along along together together along together together along along together together together together together together together together together along together together together along together along along together along together along along along along with his ex-wife Siovaughn Funches, Zaire, 23-year-old Zaya, and a son whom he shares with Aja Metoyer, Xavier, 11 years old. Wade can be a legal guardian of her nephew, Dahveon Morris, 21 years old, and the little sister of the Union has lived together along along along along along together along along along along along together together along along together along along along together along along along along together along along together together together along along along along together together along together along together along along together along together along along along along along along together together together along along along along together along along along together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together along together along along together together together along together together along together along together together together along along along along along together together along along together together together together together together along together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along along along together along along together along along together along along along along together along along along together along together together together together along together together together along together along together along together together along together along together along along together along along together together together along along together along along together together together together together together along along together along together together along along together along together along together together together along along together together together together together along along together together together together along along together together along together together together together together along together along along together along together together along along together together along together together along along together together together together together together together together together along together together together along together along along together along together along along along along with his family for the last five years.
An occupied actress determined by the jet, who had just appeared along together together together along together together along along along along together together together along along together along along along together along along together along together together along together together together along along along along along together along together together together along together along together together along along together together along together together together together together along along together along together along along together along along along along along together together along along along along together together together together together along together together along together along along along along together together together along together along along together together together along along together along together along along together along together together along along along along along together along together along together along along together along together together together along together along together together along together along together along together along together along together together along together together together together along together together together along along along along together along along together together together together together together along along along together together together together together together along together together along together along together together along together together together together along together together along along along along along together together together together together along together together together along along along together along together together along together along together together along together along along together together together along along along together together along together along together along along together together together together along together along together along together along along together along along together together along along together together along along together along along along along along with her husband in 2025, met on Monday Blue Carpet in New York in New York, she attributed a very closed village to how she and Wade made every part work.
During a conversation Terrible mother In 202, Union said: “I rely on heavy, heavy, heavy from our village: my sisters, my niece, my mother, my husband’s mother. My mother at the age of 60 adopted three children. They are other family members, but now there are my siblings/cousins, we call them relationships 2.0. All this on board.”
In the profile Marie Claire repeated her thoughts round her village.
“I don’t think we should be prepared to do it ourselves. Do you know what I mean?” She said.

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