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Nelson Mandela In Hospital With Lung Infection

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Courtesy of The Associated Press

South Africa MandelaNelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first black president, has been hit by a lung infection again and is in a hospital, the presidency said Thursday.

Mandela, 94, has become increasingly frail in recent years and has been hospitalized several times in recent months, including earlier this month when he underwent what authorities said was a scheduled medical test. The Nobel laureate is a revered figure in South Africa, which has honored his legacy of reconciliation by naming buildings and other places after him and printing his image on national banknotes.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sad,” said Obed Mokwana, a Johannesburg resident. “I just try to pray all the time. He must come very strong again.”

The Nobel laureate was admitted to a hospital just before midnight Wednesday “due to the recurrence of his lung infection,” the office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement.

Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his 27-year imprisonment for fighting white racist rule in South Africa. He has repeatedly had lung problems.

“Doctors are attending to him, ensuring that he has the best possible expert medical treatment and comfort,” the statement from the presidency said. It appealed “for understanding and privacy in order to allow space to the doctors to do their work.”

Continue here…

South Africa Mandela

Regina King Lands ABC ‘Divorce’ Pilot

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Regina KingWith the fate of TNT’s Southland up in the air, actress Regina King has lined up a new gig with ABC.

Deadline reports the 42-year-old star has joined the network’s multi-camera comedy pilot Divorce: A Love Story, based on the Israeli series Life Isn’t Everything.

Related: Regina King Denies Breakup Rumors: ‘Malcolm And I Are Good’ [UPDATED]

The hopeful television spot, directed by Pam Fryman (How I Met Your Mother), centers on recently divorced couple Kenny (Jason Jones) and Robin (Andrea Anders) who were bad together but find they’re even worse apart and can’t seem to stay out of each others’ lives.

King will play wife to Ike (Adam Goldberg), a dental hygienist and Kenny’s neurotic co-worker/best friend.

Southland is currently in its fifth season with no word on what the future holds. Cast members Ben McKenzie and Shawn Hatosy have also been booked for broadcast pilots on CBS’s The Advocates and Reckless, respectively.

 

Regina King

Turn The Other Cheek: Malik Yoba Explains Why Celebs Lose This Battle Sometimes

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UPTOWN_malik_yobaCourtesy of Hello Beautiful

Malik Yoba was involved in a Twitter beef earlier this month, sparked by a reporter who apparently loves to “at” celebrities and poke them until she gets a reaction.

This reporter’s timeline is filled with examples of her constantly berating celebrities with insults. Malik’s exchange with her ended with him telling her to place her lips around his d*ck. This is the type of reaction I’d expect from someone like Rihanna and not from someone like Malik. I have a personal connection with Yoba and I know him to be a well-spoken gentleman. According to Malik, “People think that it’s ok to degenerate and disrespect someone just because they’re in the public eye.”

Continue reading at Hello Beautiful

The post Turn The Other Cheek: Malik Yoba Explains Why Celebs Lose This Battle Sometimes appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

RIP Chivalry

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tiara crown

By Tracy Clayton

Recently, Essence Magazine ran a piece written by Nathan Hale Williams entitled “Girl’s Best Friend: Is Chivalry Dead?” The article speaks briefly of the author’s upbringing and his belief that chivalry, in current society, is a rare commodity.

To support this idea, Mr. Hale points to a few instances, and the issue of using curse words in front of a woman was visited upon more than once.  That a man would use harsh language in front of a woman made him “cringe.”  “I was raised to know that you don’t use profanity in front of a woman,” he says.  Similarly, he was raised to know that a woman in the company of a man should never open her own door.

But it’s a two-way street, the author cautions; “Women need to understand that they deserve to be treated with respect.”  Few women realize this because there are so few chivalrous men.  His point, in effect: chivalry is dying because black men don’t know how to treat black women.

The most refreshing thing about Mr. Hale’s article is that it does not outwardly blame women for the death of chivalry, as most such arguments do.  But beyond that, this article was pretty much bullsh-t.  My heavens!  Pardon my French; proper ladies apparently aren’t supposed to hear profanity, let alone use it.

Here’s the problem with chivalry and the reason why this entire argument just needs to go away already:  it is founded on the idea that women are the weaker sex, in need of constant protection dependent on men to save them from everyday dangers.  Men aren’t supposed to do certain things around women because their weak constitutions, it is assumed, can’t handle it.  Like cussing, apparently.

Listen.

My 86-year-old grandmother, the strongest, most womanly woman I’ve ever known, cusses like a sailor to this very day.  It must be genetic because my mother can sh-t talk with the best of them, and I’m not too bad myself.  The idea that women should not overhear someone using profanity implies that it somehow clashes with her femininity and womanhood, which in turn implies that women themselves should not cuss; that a woman who cusses is not a lady.  This is what’s wrong with chivalry:  it’s not just about removing your hat when a woman walks into the room–it’s about repressing, controlling, and exploiting women in the interest of male supremacy.

Chivalry is a tool of sexism in that it demands an adherence to gender roles.  Men are men, women are women, and as such, there are things that men and women have to do simply because of their gender.  This basic premise of chivalry has been used to justify all sorts of injustices, from treating women unfairly in the workplace to the lynching of scores of black men in the name of protecting fragile white womanhood (see: Emmett Till).  Chivalry is a residue of an explosive history that has been conveniently forgotten.  If it’s on life support, let’s go ahead and pull the plug–it’s a fitting fate.

This doesn’t mean that I think men should run around treating women any kind of way.  I absolutely agree with Mr. Hale’s argument that men need to respect women more, but more than that, I believe that everyone should respect everyone more.  Screw chivalry.  Just be a decent human being.

If you treat me a certain way because I am a woman, I may as well be just a vagina with legs because that’s basically what you’re reducing me to. Don’t treat me nicely because I’m a woman. Treat me respectfully because I am a human, a full person, and all humans deserve it.  Further, Don’t just teach your sons to respect women; teach them to respect everyone equally. This will increase the chances that he will grow up to see women as equals, as he should.

If I open my own door in the company of a man, it doesn’t mean that I “don’t understand that I deserve respect.”  It means that my arms work and I don’t mind putting them to use.  And if I’m at a bar tossing back bourbon shots and cussing like a Def Comedy Jam episode, it doesn’t mean that I’m any less of a woman; it just means that I’m my mother’s daughter, my grandmother’s granddaughter, and f-cking proud of it.

 

Photo credit: Shutterstock

tiara crown

From Filmmaker Byron Hurt, a Singular Courage to Tackle ‘Hazing’

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UPTOWN_filmmaker_byron_hurtCourtesy of BlackEnterprise.com

Sometimes documentary filmmakers are inspired to embark on their projects. Others are compelled.

But in the case of the documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt, inspiration, a strong moral compass and increased confidence in himself as a filmmaker and moderator of some of the weightiest topics in American culture, has introduced his audience to Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In?. It’s a feature-length documentary in the development and fundraising stage. It’s also timely, given the fallout from the hazing death of Florida A&M University student and Marching 100 Band member Robert Champion.

“I have to acknowledge that I’ve had some fear and trepidation taking on this topic,” he said via phone, back from a trip during which he was screening his film, Soul Food Junkies. “But it’s a really timely, important piece. I’m prepared both as a filmmaker and an intellectual.”

Continue reading at BlackEnterprise.com

The post From Filmmaker Byron Hurt, a Singular Courage to Tackle ‘Hazing’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

The Blackest White Folks We Know 2.0

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UPTOWN_black_white_folksCourtesy of The Root

Some of these white men and women stand with us in solidarity, and the others do when it’s convenient. Either way, this list is full of black allies and black imitators, as well as those who relish the title but are also really happy to go to sleep at night knowing that it’s not actually true.

Continue reading at The Root

UPTOWN_black_white_folks

NY Giants Player Gets Robbed Of Nearly $500K In Jewelry By Unidentified Party Girl

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Shaun Rogers

Let this be a lesson to all: Be careful of the company you keep.

New York Giants defensive tackle Shaun Rogers learned the hard way when he discovered nearly $500,000 in jewelry had been stolen from his hotel room after meeting up with an unidentified party girl in Miami.

According to the New York Post, the 34-year-0ld star was out partying with a man and woman Sunday night at Fountainebleau hotel’s Club LIV when he met another woman at the venue. The two couples headed back to Rogers’ room around 7 a.m. where he stashed his jewels in a safe and went to sleep as the others continued to party.

When he woke up around 12:30 p.m., he realized his date was gone. And so was his bling.

Rogers initially had trouble opening the safe, so he called hotel security to pry open the door. The stolen items reportedly included: diamond earrings worth $100,000; two wristwatches worth a combined $160,000; a gold necklace with gold pendant worth $50,000; gold bracelets worth $60,000; and a diamond Cuban necklace with a gold pendant worth $70,000– all worth about half of the $1 million deal he signed with the team last month.

The three-time Pro Bowler did not know his date’s name, but provided police with a phone number of a woman who was with her in the club earlier.

 

The post NY Giants Player Gets Robbed Of Nearly $500K In Jewelry By Unidentified Party Girl appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

First Look: ‘T.I. And Tiny: The Family Hustle’ Season 3 Supertrailer

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The Harris clan has returned for yet another season of family fun, life lessons and…relationship troubles? For the kids– not our lovely couple.

Related: Yay Or Nay? T.I. & His Family Channel The Huxtables [PHOTOS]

Take a peek at the series supertrailer as the group tackles first dates, new professional projects and exciting adventures while adapting to the challenges of raising the growing bunch.

Season three of T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle will premiere Monday, April 8 at 10/9 p.m. on VH1.

Get More:

The post First Look: ‘T.I. And Tiny: The Family Hustle’ Season 3 Supertrailer appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.


NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak Work On friendship

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UPTOWN_kim_zolciak_nene_leakesCourtesy of Sister 2 Sister

Though the cast members have warned fans about the drama, it seems some good may have come from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion.

After very public disputes that date back as far as season one, NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak may have buried the hatchet.

“Just had the best wit @KimZolciak!” tweeted NeNe Wednesday. “Now I see @BrielleZolciak is following me! I just pulled off the road 2 cry. This is 2 much.”

Continue reading at Sister 2 Sister

UPTOWN_kim_zolciak_nene_leakes

2 Men Plead Not Guilty In Death of Hadiya Pendleton

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2 Men Plead Not Guilty In Death Of Hadiya Pendleton

Two Chicago men have pleaded not guilty in the death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton who was gunned down on the city’s South Side just one week after performing at President Obama‘s inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, Michael Ward (18) and Kenneth Williams (20) plead not guilty to the charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the Jan. 29 shooting that claimed the life of the King College Prep honors student. Both men were also charged with aggravated battery with a firearm when taken into custody in February.

Pendleton was fatally shot while huddling with a group of friends under a canopy at a local park during a rainstorm after an early dismissal from school. That’s when witnesses said a man hopped a fence, opened fire on the group– striking Pendleton in the back– and then fled the scene.

Related: It’s Deeper Than Gun Control in Chicago

The incident happened just blocks from her school and about a mile from the president’s Chicago home. The young girl’s funeral was held on Feb. 9 and attended by First Lady Michelle Obama and other dignitaries.

Police said Ward and Williams mistook Pendleton and her friends as rival gang members who had injured one of them in a previous shooting over the summer. According to authorities, neither the victim nor her friends were affiliated with gangs.

Ward and Williams have been denied bond.

Coincidentally, it was announced Thursday that the FLOTUS will travel to Chicago on April 10 to join Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Allstate Corporation President Thomas J. Wilson and Loop Capital CEO James Reynolds, Jr. to discuss youth violence.

2 Men Plead Not Guilty In Death Of Hadiya Pendleton

AIQ…Will Smith, Beyoncé, Usher & More

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UPTOWN_aiq_032913No tea, no shade! All tea, all shade! This week, Will Smith speaks about passing on Django: UnchainedBeyoncé supports marriage equality, and Usher shuts the lights on late night television. Plus, guess “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star who went in on Wendy Williams via Twitter. And Amanda Bynes said what?! AND I QUOTE …

WillSmith2013Django wasn’t the lead, so it was like, I need to be the lead. The other character was the lead!

Will Smith, who is gearing up for the summer release of his sci-fi epic After Earth, explains why he turned down the role in Quentin Tarantino’s Django: Unchained, via Entertainment Weekly

Continue reading on UPTOWN

Beyonce2013“If you like it you should be able to put a ring on it. #wewillunite4marriageequality.”

Beyoncé makes her stance on marriage equality clear, via Instagram.

Usher2013“I’m the new Larry David. I’m the black Larry David. I’m kinda misunderstood. I curb your enthusiasm.”

Usher chats about his sense of humor, new gig on “The Voice,” and more in a sit down on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Source

NeNeLekes2013“@WendyWilliams don’t know s**t about my relationship! Have u ever seen her and Kevin kiss? Yuck”

NeNe Leakes lashes out at TV personality Wendy Williams, who thinks the RHOA star and husband Gregg Leake’s relationship is for business purposes only, via Twitter.

MikeEpps2013“MAN IF KATT WILLIAMS WOULDN’T HAVE FLIPPED OUT IT WOULD NOT BE NO KEVIN HART.” 

Mike Epps takes jabs at fellow comedian Kevin Hart and lets him know why he’s so popular, via Twitter.

UPTOWN_amanda_bynes_piercings“I want @drake to murder my vagina.”

Amanda Bynes, who obviously has a thing for chocolate men and piercings, confesses her attraction to Drake, via Twitter.

Toure2013“Just so we’re clear, I’m not really into being the ‘black friend.’ If I get that sense that you like me just because I’m black and you’re, sort of, exoticizing that, then your emails stop getting returned.”

Touré criticisizes African-American conservative Dr. Ben Carson for siding with the Republican Party and being their  “token Negro,” on his show “The Cycle.”

Source

UPTOWN_aiq_032913

LOTD: Rick Ross Responds To Date Rape Lyrics + Lil Wayne Diagnosed With Epilepsy

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In today’s link round-up: Forest Whitaker takes over the long-awaited Richard Pryor biopic, Barbara Walter announces her retirement and much more!

Rick RossBlackVoices
Rick Ross ‘U.O.E.N.O.’ Date Rape Lyrics: Rapper Responds To Controversy
It’s pretty hard to “misunderstand”: “Put molly all in her champagne/ She ain’t even know it/ I took her home and I enjoyed that/ She ain’t even know it.”

The YBF
Lil Wayne Gives First Post-Hospital Interview, Reveals “I’m Epileptic”
The YMCMB rapper said he’s prone to seizures and has been for some time.

EURweb
Forest Whitaker Takes Over Richard Pryor Biopic
The project will move ahead with the help of Whitaker and the late comedian’s widow, Jennifer Pryor.

VIBE.com
Barbara Walters To Retire In 2014?
The rumors are true…

The Root
Judge Joe Brown Canceled: $20 Million Was Too Much?
After 15 years, Judge Joe Brown is putting away his gavel.

The Frisky
6 Dating Rituals That Have Become Extinct Because Of The Internet
No. 6: Love letters.

The post LOTD: Rick Ross Responds To Date Rape Lyrics + Lil Wayne Diagnosed With Epilepsy appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

First Look: ‘Venus And Serena’ Documentary Trailer [VIDEO]

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Venus and Serena
Icons. Rivals. Champions. Sisters.

The feature documentary Venus and Serena, directed a produced by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major, will recount the remarkable journey of tennis sister duo Venus and Serena Williams as they made their way from the streets of Compton, Calif. to their place as sports royalty.

The film will feature interviews from Bill Clinton, John McEnroe, Anna Wintour, Billie Jean King and others, as well as first-hand accounts from the dynamic pair and their father Richard Williams.

Venus and Serena hits iTunes April 4 and will open in theaters on May 10.

The post First Look: ‘Venus And Serena’ Documentary Trailer [VIDEO] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Rogue Dentist May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients to HIV, Hepatitis

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Courtesy of ABC News

DentistThe Tulsa Health Department is warning 7,000 patients of a local dentist’s office that they could have contracted HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C from poor sterilization practices.

Dr. Wayne Harrington, an oral surgeon with a practice in Tulsa, Okla., is being investigated by the state dental board, the state bureau of narcotics and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency because one of his patients recently tested positive for hepatitis C and HIV without known risk factors other than receiving dental treatment.

Upon hearing of the infected patient, the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry conducted a surprise inspection of Harrington’s practice on March 18, allegedly finding numerous problems, including regular use of a rusty set of instruments on patients with known infections, and the practice of pouring bleach on wounds until they “turned white.”

Calls to Harrington’s office were directed to an operator, who told ABC News the clinic no longer took voicemails. The operator said patients were being referred to another clinic, but did not disclose the clinic’s name.

Susan Rogers, executive director of Oklahoma’s Board of Dentistry, called the incident a “perfect storm.” On top of his many violations in sanitary practice, the dentist was a Medicaid provider, which means he had a high proportion of patients with HIV or hepatitis, she said.

Continue here…

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Idris Elba Says His Upcoming Mandela Biopic Is ‘Hands Down The Best’

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Courtesy of The Grio

Idris ElbaWhile Nelson Mandela’s recent hospitalization has been garnering headlines, actor Idris Elba plans on making news of his own as he announced that he will be portraying the South African leader in an upcoming biopic.

According to The Guardian, Elba believes the film to be the finest interpretation of Mandela yet, saying that the movie is “hands down the best.”

“Not in terms of performance,” he clarifies. “But my film’s about his entire life. Anyone wanting to understand who Mandela was should go and watch my film.”

Continue here…

The post Idris Elba Says His Upcoming Mandela Biopic Is ‘Hands Down The Best’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.


Kevin Hart Tells His Side Of The Story In ‘Let Me Explain’ [TRAILER]

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Kevin Hart

As the follow-up to his wildly successful 2011 stand-up comedy doc Laugh at My Pain, Kevin Hart has stepped back to the mic for a new look at his thriving Hollywood career in Let Me Explain.

Related: Bring The Pain: Kevin Hart

Our February/March cover guy will take fans on a trip around the world as he sets out on his 10-country comedy tour which hit cities (80, to be exact) such as Montreal, Amsterdam, London and New York City and brought in more than $32 million in ticket sales. The film was financed and executive produced by Hart and his Hartbeat Productions.

“As a comedian, we don’t get these opportunities,” he explains in the film’s trailer. “If you don’t take advantage of them, they’re gone.”

Related: Behind-The-Scenes With Kevin Hart [PHOTO + VIDEO]

Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain opens in theaters July 3.

The post Kevin Hart Tells His Side Of The Story In ‘Let Me Explain’ [TRAILER] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Jet Covered a Lesbian Wedding in 1970?

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UPTOWN_jet_lesbian_couple_1970s_weddingCourtesy of The Root

Buzzfeed has uncovered a piece of marriage-equality history: a same-sex wedding from 1970. Bonus: the women — Edna Knowles and Peaches Stevens — were both black, and the nuptials were covered by none other than historic African-American publication Jet magazine.

Granted, this wasn’t the usual celebratory wedding profile as much as it was a news piece about what was clearly a novel event of questionable legality. “Bride,” “groom” and “married” are in quotes throughout, and the writer even called the attorney general’s office to inquire about the union

Continue reading at The Root

UPTOWN_jet_lesbian_couple_1970s_wedding

17 Dead After 16-Story Building Collapse in Tanzania

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tanzania_uptown

After the collapse of a 16-story building in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Friday, at least 17 people are dead and another 30 tragically trapped under debris.

According to the Tanzania Red Cross Society, the building was undergoing construction when it came tumbling down on Friday morning in the center of the business capital. Of the fatalities, three are children.

Fourteen people were rescued as of Saturday. Of those, seven remain in the hospital. While according to reports from The Nation, four children are still unaccounted for.

Around 8:45am Friday morning, the building collapsed with a “huge whoosh and then thump,” Ali Jawad Bhimani, a hotel owner who lives near the business district told CNN.

“The fallen building is next to our mosque. There is a small field there where the young boys play football. The building fell right on top,” he said. “But 10 to 15 of the boys playing got away safely and are unharmed.”

Police and search dogs arrived on the scene quickly. But, by Friday evening, the dogs were no longer a necessity. They were replaced by heavy equipment needed to remove debris.

The post 17 Dead After 16-Story Building Collapse in Tanzania appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Nelson Mandela Health Improves, “Breathing Without Difficulty”

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Nelson Mandela 'comfortable and breathing without difficulty'

Former South African president Nelson Mandela‘s health has improved and he is responding well to treatment for a lung infection, according to the office of the president of South Africa.

Mandela was hospitalized for three days but is now able to breathe without problems. Dating back to the days of his 1964 political imprisonment, Mandela has had a long history of lung issues–a side effect of contracting tuberculosis while serving 18 years on Robben Island.

Known widely by his clan name “Madiba” in South Africa, former president Jacob Zuma’s office spoke of Mandela’s improving health on Saturday: “Madiba [Mandela] is now able to breathe without difficulty. He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable.”

The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and first black South African president is believed to be at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. Health problems have plagued Mandela since late last year. This is Mandela’s third hospital stay in four months.

But earlier this week, Zuma stressed that people should not be worried about Mandela’s health. “Of course I have been saying to people, you should bear in mind Madiba is no longer that young and if he goes for check-ups every now and again, I don’t think people must be alarmed about it,” he said. “I would like to really say the country must not panic.”

When questioned about the possibility of Mandela succumbing to his illness, Zuma replied: “In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has gone home. I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about.”

However, he reiterated that Mandela has handled the situation extremely well. “Very few outstanding personalities in the world live to his level,” Zuma said.

Nelson Mandela 'comfortable and breathing without difficulty'

India Arie Accused Of Lightening Skin, Singer Looks Very Different On ‘Cocoa Butter’ Cover

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indiaarie_uptown

Courtesy of Huffington Post Black Voices

Is that you, India Arie?

The 37-year-old star is almost unrecognizable in the cover image from her new single “Cocoa Butter,” which is causing a lot of backlash and many to believe that she has been lightening her skin. This is quite a shock considering the afro-centric R&B singer is known for promoting black beauty– most notably expressed in her hit songs “Brown Skin” and “I Am Not My Hair.”

Sources close to India told TMZ that her “lightened” skin tone is the result of the camera flash and angle. And added that the singer never asked to be lightened. Nevertheless, the celebrity website makes the valid point that India approved the photo without correcting the color of her skin.

Continue reading at the Huffington Post Black Voices.

The post India Arie Accused Of Lightening Skin, Singer Looks Very Different On ‘Cocoa Butter’ Cover appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

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