From perfectly-patted afros to ’90s inspired box braids and a slew of protective styles in-between, Solange Knowles is something like the unofficial queen of natural hair. Now, as many women are transitioning from relaxed to natural, the Sol-Angel has teamed with Carol’s Daughter to make the switch less of a headache and more of a journey.

Carol’s Daughter Transitioning Kit is the first hair care treatment of its kind to address the most difficult problems women face when deciding to go natural: product build-up, scarred scalp and breakage at demarcation points.

The product boasts 93 percent less shedding, a healthier scalp and softer tresses.

Carol’s Daughter Transitioning 1-2-3 Kit ($40) can be found at Carol’s Daughter Stores, Carolsdaughter.com, Sephora, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Ricky’s, HSN and Regis Salons in June!

How do you alter “music’s biggest night” after the death of one of music’s biggest icons? And how do you do it in less than 24 hours?

A Death in the Family: The Show Must Go On takes viewers behind the scenes of the 54th annual GRAMMY Awards after the news of Whitney Houston‘s death, a day prior to the event (Feb. 11). The film includes late Friday afternoon when Paul McCartney‘s performances were being rearranged and rehearsals and re-write sessions on Sunday.

Related: Jennifer Hudson Honors Whitney: ‘I Will Always Love You’ [VIDEO]

The 26-minute documentary features host LL Cool J, Jennifer Hudson, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh, Foo Fighters’ Grohl, executive producer Ken Ehrlich and more.

“There was greater interest than normal because of the circumstances, but an awful lot of people want to know about the process,” Ehrlich told Billboard. “We never said, ‘let’s look back.’ It was incredible how much stuff we didn’t have because there was little footage other than rehearsals. But we had some B-roll and we lucked out that film crew was following Paul McCartney.”

The 2012 show brought in 39.9 million viewers making it the second largest audience to watch a GRAMMY Awards show.

“Maybe we’ve learned something in this process,” Ehrlich said. “Maybe we ought to think about doing this every year. We didn’t even think about this one until the middle of March.”

A Death in the Family will premiere June 11 at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood, Calif. and can also be seen on Grammy.com.

by Jozen Cummings

When Reverend Calvin O. Butts III takes the pulpit every Sunday to preach before his congregation at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, he always reminds the congregation that he too is a sinner. He does this, he says, as to avoid the stigma of today’s modern day preacher. “There have been these public displays of biting the dust,” says Butts. “Preaching one thing and doing something else.”

The other preachers that he mentions are not Butts’ main concern—it is their reputation that has him alarmed. In an age where outlandish sermons can be viewed millions of times online, and today’s image of a church is no longer a quaint parish on a dusty road but rather a mini stadium with ATM machines in the vestry, Butts is working to dispel the marred image of his occupation. He is a true old-school preacher who stretches himself to be as many things as possible for his community.

When he’s not preaching on Sundays, Rev. Butts may be walking the campus of State University of New York College at Old Westbury, where he is the president, or at any number of speaking engagements around the world. He might drop by the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, a middle and high school he founded in Harlem, or he may be in Washington, D.C. for a meeting with the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, a committee on which he sits. Add onto that his duties at the Abyssinian Development Corporation, the Harlem community development organization he founded in 1989, and you have a man so busy he worries if he’s setting the right example to the generation who will succeed him.

Janet Jackson has been taking her place in front of the camera since the late ’70s, but in her newest role, she’ll be reaching audiences from behind the scenes.

The 46-year-old singer/actress is expanding her executive producer credentials as she begins production on Truth, a documentary chronicling the lives of trans-and non-gendered people around the world and their struggle for equality.

Jackson was previously executive producer of The Rhythm Nation Compilation in 1990.

“All people are very important to me. I’ve been fortunate to make friends and learn about very different lives,” she said in a recent interview. “‘Truth‘ is our small chance to ask that you try and understand someone who lives their life in a way that is a little bit different from yours, even though all of our hearts are the same. We want to stop the hate and find understanding.”

Jackson will team up with director Robert Jason for the upcoming project and will also conduct some of the on-camera interviews.

“Janet Jackson will take us on a visually innovative, cerebral journey through the turbulent lives of transgendered people of all ages around the world and their epic struggle for equality,” said Jason. “This film will highlight landmark mainstream stories and provide a glimpse at others that will change the gender landscape of the world forever.

He added, “Just as it is hard to believe that there was a time when different components of society were required to use separate drinking fountains, it is as incredible that one’s gender expression remains just such a target for discrimination.”

Production for Truth begins this summer.

Source

Let me get this out of the way early before the good stuff:

Women shouldn’t be going to places or events trying to get chosen unless it’s a tryout, interview or audition. I’d say the same for men…but we be huntin’ sometimes. We be out there pussyfooting around events and venues looking for someone for the night or for life. That’s just the nature of the beast. Groar.

Jokes aside though, when out and about doing things for enjoyment, leisure or development, we should look forward to meeting people with similar interests. Life is about connections and you never know when you’ll run into someone that could change yours forever. So though this article is titled five places good men meet good women, these are potential places to meet good people period.

The latest viral sensation hitting the web comes from comedian Vitaly Zdorovetskiy and is making light of the recent zombie “epidemic.”

Related: Student Eats Roommate, Man Throws His Intestines At Police…What’s Up With All The Zombies?!

The video, which is closing in on 4 million views after just three days, shows the prankster roaming the streets of Florida as a blood-stained zombie, looking for his next meal.

While some viewers have found the “Miami Zombie Attack Prank” to be quite entertaining, others have found it controversial.

The Huffington Post states,”The video is not only cringeworthy for taking advantage and mocking others’ actual fear. It also has a blatant racist tone– as some YouTube commenters already pointed out, why is this white man chasing mostly black people?”

Check out the video for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

There’s nothing more annoying than shopping with a handbag that requires you to make constant adjustments—switching from shoulder to hand to elbow crease. Or how about when you’re sightseeing while on vacation? Who wants to miss all the historical landmarks because you’re constantly struggling with a tote bag? As the weather heats up and you find yourself out and about more and more, emancipate yourself from clunky handbags and adopt a more hands-free approach with a chic but functional crossbody bag. Who needs a fanny pack? With so many stylish options this season, you’ll be able to pack in a few must-have trinkets without restricting your hands.

Courtesy of the New York Times

When I set out to make a documentary about black women who are “transitioning”— cutting off their chemically straightened hair and embracing their natural kinky afro texture — I had no intention of appearing in the film. I felt I was an objective observer and really just wanted to highlight a growing movement. (Of the 50 or so women I struck up conversations with randomly on the street, the vast majority had gone natural within the last three years. According to one industry study, sales of chemical straightening kits, which can be harmful, reportedly dropped by 17 percent between 2006 and 2011.) But including my own story forced me to examine how I felt about my hair with more honesty than ever before.

Continue at the New York Times…

If you thought adding Grandma as a friend on Facebook was awkward, imagine adding your prepubescent teen…

Related: 9 “Humorous” Ways To Win Facebook Friends And Influence Followers

According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook Inc. is in the developmental stage of allowing children younger than 13 years old to use the social-networking site under parental supervision. Plans for the controversial change-up include links between kids’ and their parents’ accounts and requirements that parents approve every friend request and application use.

While the new format will undoubtedly bring in droves of new users (and revenue), critics are concerned about the privacy of young children.

“There are enormous social, cognitive and development issues that have to be considered (when dealing with social media and kids) and Facebook has no expertise in that area. And there are currently enormous privacy concerns regarding the teens who already use it and the preteens who sneak on,” explains James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, to USA TODAY. “Why on earth would we suddenly turn over our 8-year-olds to them while they haven’t addressed very well many of those issues yet? It doesn’t make sense.”

A Facebook spokesman says they are well aware of the underage children who “sneak” onto the site but are taking the necessary precautions to opening up the social network to users under the age of 13.

“[...] Recent reports have highlighted just how difficult it is to enforce age restrictions on the Internet, especially when parents want their children to access online content and services,” the spokesman said in a statement.

“We are in continuous dialogue with stakeholders, regulators and other policymakers about how best to help parents keep their kids safe in an evolving online environment.”

What do you think?

President Barack Obama in knee-deep in his re-election campaign and showing no signs of slowing down.

The POTUS took to the Great White Way on Monday for “Barack on Broadway,” a concert featuring James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Neil Patrick Harris and more at the New Amsterdam Theater. Tickets for the show, directed by George C. Wolfe, began at $250 while VIP tickets were listed at $1,000.

Earlier in the day, Obama headlined a $40,000-a-person reception at the Upper East Side home of hedge-fund billionaire Mark Lasry and a $2,5000-per-ticket Jon Bon Jovi show at the Waldorf-Astoria, as reported by the New York Post.

Hopefully, Obama’s campaigning won’t be in vain.

“I’ve always approached my presidency as a long-term proposition [...] I didn’t run for office just to clean up the mess I inherited,” he told ESSENCE. “I didn’t run for office just to return to the status quo. Understanding that some of the things I get done, we may not see the benefits from them for ten years. But that’s how change happens.”

In their July issue, the President discusses “his plans for improving the economy, our health, homes and future, and why he’s excited about the next four years.” First Lady Michelle Obama will also salute our military and their families in the feature “Pride & Glory.”

The upcoming issue hits newsstands June 12.

By now, I think it is safe to say that everyone is over Basketball Wives. In just four seasons, the Miami cast of Shaunie O’Neal, Jennifer Williams, Evelyn Lozada, Royce Reed, Kenya Bell, Suzie Ketcham, Kesha Nichols, and Tami Roman – have taken us from watching for the petty cat fights to wondering if these women have destroyed-beyond-repair an already tarnished image of minority women on TV. The truth is still inconclusive, but the fistfights, bottle throwing, and intimidation are tacky to say the least.

While viewers rally for the show’s cancellation, they still wonder if the ladies would show any regret about their antics. So when part one of the reunion aired on Vh1 last night, I watched.  All of the women united to barely touch on the surface of the issues this season thrived on: controversy, passive-aggressive outbursts, and leaping over tables in attack mode. With little resolved in this first part, there are still several outstanding questions that I’m pondering.

Is the real issue that Jennifer hasn’t taken responsibility for anything?

Jennifer made an apology on Monday’s reunion for any offensive remarks or blog posts that she made to any of the cast in the past. But did she actually owe them an apology? Perhaps her initial interview about Evelyn’s relationship with Chad Ochocinco was tactless, but how did she offend the rest of the girls?

Is Shaunie really over it all, or is she over being to blame for it all?

As a producer of the show, Shaunie has a stake in the ratings and popularity of the show, but at what point do you draw the line? Trying to make peace, but suggesting that confrontations take place in front of the entire cast is a bit unrealistic and backwards. Royce wrote in her last blog post that when she tried to call Shaunie about their individual disagreement, Shaunie ignored her calls. Then, last season Royce wasn’t invited to their big end of the season trip. Could Shaunie be holding on to her own petty issues?

Courtesy of VIBE.com

And here we thought his relationship with Erykah Badu was left-field!

It seems that Roc Nation rapper Jay Electronica may be the main cause between the divorce of multi-millionaire tycoon Jimmy Goldsmith’s son Ben Goldsmith and his music producer wife—also heiress of the Rothschild banking dynasty—Kate Rothschild.

The marriage ended when Goldsmith confronted his wife over explicit text messages and emails he found on her smartphone that she had received from and sent to the New Orleans-bred rapper—who ironically now lives in London and is one of Kate’s clients.

Continue at VIBE.com

The hate against Basketball Wives‘ star Evelyn Lozada is continuing to spread as she and fiancé Chad Ochocinco are finding it difficult to book wedding venues in the Miami area.

Related: 7 Questions About The ‘Basketball Wives’ Reunion – Part 1

According to TMZ, several establishments have rejected the couple’s request to wed in their hotels because “they didn’t want to deal with any fighting or risk having their hotels portrayed in a negative light on camera.” Sources say St. Regis, The Ritz and Breakers have all turned the couple down.

Related: Shaunie O’Neal Releases Statement On ‘Basketball Wives’ Controversy

But time is running out as the married-couple-to-be has scheduled a July 4 wedding.

Lozada and Ochocinco are currently filming their spin-off show Ocho and Eve which is scheduled to debut in September on VH1.

Courtesy of Loop 21

I still remember how excited I was to hear that Basketball Wives was coming on. I wanted to really hear how these women put up with their husbands’ insane schedules, raising kids on their own and the downsides of being public figures.

Instead what I got from the mind of Shaunie O’Neal (fresh off her divorce from Shaq) was a nonstop drama-fest with ex-lovers who forgot they were pushing 40 and way too old for the bottle-throwing, name-calling and bullying that runs rampant. I’m not a faithful watcher of the show, but of the episodes I’ve seen here and there it seems to be the same ol’ formula carried out to a tee: the women meet up, something gets said that pisses someone off and they spend way too long hashing it out without coming to any real agreement or solution.

Continue reading at Loop 21

Fayette County police in Georgia arrested Creflo Dollar, founder and pastor of World Changers Church International, today on charges of simple battery and cruelty to children.

Dollar’s 15-year-old daughter has accused him of attacking her after they argued about her wanting to attend a party. According to the report, Dollar choked his daughter, knocked her to the ground, and then hit her with a shoe. The responding officer noticed a scratch near the daughter’s neck that she said occurred during the altercation with her father.

Dollar says he was merely trying to restrain his daughter after she became disrespectful. He also admitted to spanking and wrestling with his teen daughter, but maintains that was the result of her hitting him.

Dollar appeared before the magistrate Friday and posted bond.

Source

It’s been a great week for former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams as the 31-year-old singer has attached her name to some pretty exciting projects!

The Grammy Award winner has just inked a new gospel deal with Light Records, with distribution from eOne, and is slated to release a new album next January.

“I am very excited to partner with Light/eOne. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of Light Record legends, The Winans and Andrae Crouch,” she said in a statement. “When I was a little girl I would listen to them and to be on the same label they once were is amazing! Light/eOne has been very supportive of my vision to inspire and give hope through my music.”

Many gospel fans can recall Williams’ successful solo debut Heart To Yours which became the best-selling gospel album of 2002.

“It’s an honor to work with an icon like Michelle Williams and her team. As a fan of her other two inspirational projects, I was drawn to Michelle’s comfort, confidence and genuineness,” comments James Robinson, president of Light Records. “With her pure heart for God and people, our goal is to continue her brand of love, faith and encouragement through song.”

But that’s not the only good news for the songstress. Williams is collaborating with African clothing brand Koshie O. to design new pieces for their spring/summer 2013 collection.

According to Coco & Creme, The Koshie O. Woman campaign is “an initiative using female celebrities to celebrate strong, confident and bold women who are able to juggle various day-to-day tasks while staying fashionable and stylish.”

While sample pieces will be available to buyers in July, the general public will have to wait until next spring for the collection.

Nina Baksmaty, founder and creative director of the brand, stated, “It is such an honor to have Michelle Williams design pieces for Koshie O. She has been an inspiration of mind from her Destiny’s Child days up until now and I know the public is going to love what Koshie O. and Michelle Williams will come up with.”

Tiffany Evans has practically grown up right before our eyes since her entrance onto the scene nearly a decade ago. Now, the 19-year-old singer/actress is adding “mother” to her long list of duties while working on her new EP, Take 1.

When asked about her celebrity crush in a recent interview with ESSENCE.com, Evans dropped off this exciting news…

“Well…might I say, I don’t have a celebrity crush considering I’m married! (giggles and laughs) No one knows. I’ve been married for two years. He is the  love of my life and I love him very much. His name is Lorenzo. He’s a really a  cool guy and we’re expecting something else as well– our first child together. I am six months pregnant. No one has seen me and I’ve been waiting the proper time to say something about it. I’m so happy and I’m so excited and I’m having a  girl. It’s so big and wonderful to me. It’s an amazing experience and I wish guys could go through this. It’s life changing.”

Evans is reportedly due in October.

Check out the full interview over at ESSENCE and congratulations to the new mommy!

Courtesy of Hello Beautiful

I have always found that first dates come in a few varieties, depending on the alcohol that’s mixed in:

1. Awkward, stays pretty uncomfortable and uneventful, date ends in an awkward way.

2. Awkward, a few beers helps loosen things up and make it comfortable, date ends a little better.

3. Awkward, chugging mixed drinks makes things even more awkward, and date just… ends.

Everyone has had their share of first date horror stories, and alcohol seems to be a big factor that affects the turnout. Although mixing some buzz into a first date can be a risk, the pressure of the night might require some booze:

Continue reading at Hello Beautiful

[Couple at bar image via Shutterstock]

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

We’ve borrowed everything from blazers and jeans to oversized tees from the boys. Now we’re raiding their bathroom cabinets for beauty, ahem, we mean “grooming” products! Here are 5 must-try male products we swear by:

1. After Shave. Whether it’s on their beard or bikini line, both men and women battle razor bumps. You are guaranteed to see results with Bump Patrol (Sensitive Formula), an alcohol free razor treatment that makes a visible difference in just 2 days!

Continue reading at Vibe Vixen

[Beauty products image via Shutterstock]

Courtesy of EURWeb

The woman who was the girlfriend of the now infamous Miami Zombie, Rudy Eugene, is speaking out.

Along with her attorney, Gloria Allred, Yovonka Bryant, told reporters there were warning signs that Eugene would eat off the face of a homeless man.

In a prepared statement, Bryant, 27, said she wanted to describe the Eugene she knew, not justify his actions.

“I love Rudy Eugene,” Bryant said. “I felt safe with Rudy.” She described Eugene, 31, as a family man and a religious person. Bryant said they never discussed voodoo or cannibalism and that her boyfriend was likely drugged without his knowledge.

Continue reading at EURWeb