Our lives and our bodies remain subject to political debate. In one way or another, they always have.
VOL. 83 - FRIDAY, MAY 6
Happy Friday, #NoteddTribe! It took us some time to see if we would send a newsletter this week. We questioned what words would even say after we all witnessed a bombshell this week. While it’s devastating that this is the direction we are heading as a country, it’s time to rage, as Roxanne Gay shares. It’s time for us to donate, rally, express, speak up, be frustrated, and feel hurt that our fundamental right as women is already being banned and restricted but will be at the highest degree and level in our country. We quoted Roxanne Gay in our title because here we are again in a moment where our lives are up for debate, but why?
Whichever side you are on, the facts are the facts about the disparities that women of color face regarding abortions and pregnancy-related causes and deaths. Black women are at a disproportionate risk of sexual violence. Overturning Roe v. Wade will only increase the inequities Black and Brown women face, especially for those who don’t have the time, resources, or even the ability to travel out of state.
Now more than ever, our voices are to be heard, and our stories are to be told, raising awareness and taking action on our rights as women.
We also acknowledge that this may be triggering or difficult to witness, re-live in some cases, and read the media coverage. Please protect your peace, step away when possible, and seek the support and help you deserve.
If you are interested in learning more, we found that the following were all helpful in understanding what could happen and how it impacts the Black women community specifically.
We also have a full weekly newsletter curated for you today, filled with information and celebration of the top highlights from this week, but we also understand that it may be tough to read any further.
Take care of yourself this weekend, take action where you can, and as always, #staynotedd!
#NoteddNews
You asked, and we promise we will deliver! We will have replays for last week’s Week of Well-Being. Be on the lookout for the official announcement with links and more early next week. In the meantime, thank you for joining us for an incredible week of education, information, and a moment in time for us to discuss ways to build more self-care and me-time into our daily routines.
Earlier this week, we released a survey to further understand how the first quarter treated you. We want to use this moment to check-in and see how the first three months of the year went for you — personally and professionally. More importantly, we always want to know how we can best support you in Q2 and throughout the rest of the year. Click below to take our survey and let us know how you’re really doing. ❤️
The Met Gala theme and creativity and innovation behind the fashion always interest us, but Black history and culture (and Black love) stole the show for us this year. Where do we even begin? Cynthia Erivo’s white headwrap represented Black women’s history in Louisiana, where it was the law that they had to cover their hair. Radha Blank honored “women practitioners of ancestral arts from Africa.” Gabrielle Union’s red crystal flower on her dress represented the blood of the Black and Brown people who built this country. Overall, many used the night to highlight “the marginalized groups who built — but did not profit from — America’s Gilded Age.” Even more, history was made with a statue of Rihanna’s May 2022 Vogue cover, and love was in the air and on the red carpet with former NY State Assembly candidate Bobby Digi Olisa’s proposal to the commissioner of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo. And she said yes!
Over 350 companies, including Airbnb, Etsy, theSkimm, and Pinterest have come out in support of national paid family and medical leave. More work still needs to be done in this fight for paid family and medical leave. Now, some European companies are adopting menstrual leave policies, allowing employees to take as much time as needed whenever period pains occur. However, many women fear that it’ll create more stigma and discrimination in the workplace. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
The founder of Sober Black Girls Club, Khadi Oluwatoyin, recalls her experience with alcohol addiction and not seeing other Black people in her recovery group or through readily available resources online and on social media. She realized the lack of addiction support systems for Black women and decided to create Sober Black Girls Club. Learn more about Oluwatoyin’s story and how Sober Black Girls Club provides love, support, and resources to Black women living or considering “beautiful sober lives.”
With history repeating itself with the likelihood of two women being on the ballot in the Ohio Governor’s race, newly released research found that “women still face gender bias when they run against another woman for office.” According to the Center for American Women and Politics, eight incumbent women governors are seeking reelection and 23 women are running for open seats in eight states. Here’s a list of when each state will be voting this year!
Who else has experienced finding a good hairstylist or dealt with a stylist who, unfortunately, wasn’t skilled to do your beautiful crown of hair? After surveying 1,000 Black women, TRESemmé discovered that 86% of Black women have difficulties finding a professional stylist. Additionally, many shared their experiences encountering unskilled stylists and blatant hair discrimination in the salon chair. Thus, TRESemmé launched a new training program to train over 1,000 stylists in treating, cutting, and styling textured hair by the end of 2022. Texture advocate and educator Diana Da Costa and celebrity hairstylists Lacy Redway and Nai’vasha were all pivotal in shaping the program.
It was shocking to hear that a majority women of color team was let go from Netflix’s fandom site, Tudum. Tudum is still up and running and led by multiple teams. However, the culture and trend team, which was led by a team of Black, Latinx, and Asian women journalists with incredible accomplishments and contributions to major publications and media, was let go. Learning how the company heavily recruited these women with selling points of editorial independence and higher pay, and many uprooted their lives just to be let go without much warning is painful to read and disheartening to see the ongoing disparities Black women face in media continues.
Earlier this week was Equal Pay Day for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women. The National Women’s Law Center released their findings that AANHPI women will lose $1 million in earnings due to the wage gap, contributing to their rise in job loss, food insecurity, and general concern and uncertainty with their health and safety.
Huge congratulations to the Queen! Queen Latifah is the co-founder of Blue Sugar Corporation with big plans to revitalize housing and add space for non-profit organizations in her hometown: Newark, New Jersey. Learn more above!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
For our #NoteddTribe members in LA, our tribe member and the incredible voice behind Sunday Forever, Abeni is teaming up with Inflorescence and HerHealing for an event to celebrate mothers, connect with your divine feminine, and experience relaxation tomorrow! Join this celebration and indulge in a day of wellness with a sound bath led by Tiffany Leonardo and connect with a new community of women! RSVP for the event below, and let’s support our tribe members!
In honor of Mother’s Day, we are donating to #FreeBlackMamas national bailout to help the National Bail Out Collective free as many Black mamas and caregivers as possible to spend Mother’s Day with their families. The collective also works with groups across the country to support ongoing bail reform efforts and create resources for organizers and advocates interested in ending pretrial detention. Help our Black Mamas spend time with their loved ones in the places and spaces where they belong!
This month is all about beauty and staying on top of the latest trends in haircare, skincare, makeup, and all beauty arenas. We’ve been recently intrigued by the “Glazed Donut Skin” trend. This trend is all about glowy, vibrant, youthful-like skin. 21Ninety hand-selected these seven must-have products that you can add to your beauty routine this Spring.
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