When I dare to be powerful
VOL 41 - THURSDAY, MAY 20
How are y'all doing, #NoteddTribe! We are glad to be back with you this week after taking some R&R time for ourselves.
We can't wait to see you TONIGHT on IG Live as we chat with Tyra Laster, founder and CEO of Silk & Root, for this month's Tribe Talk. Join us at 7:30 PM EST as Tyra shares her journey balancing Corporate America and entrepreneurship. She'll also share with us how she keeps those edges laid.
Check out what we notedd for you this week, and as always, #staynotedd!
We Recognize AAPI Month
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a law designating May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. But yet, many report that the US Asian American history remains unknown. Additionally, a new study this month reveals that 80% of Asian Americans feel regularly discriminated against. It's unfortunate that it took the senseless violence in Atlanta to shed light and awareness on the increased hate crimes impacting the Asian American community, particularly killing Asian American women.
As the COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act moves from Congress to the White House to help combat the anti-Asian hate crimes, we hope these resources will also help us learn more about this important history and how we can support #StopAsianHate.
Today marks the first-ever Mental Health Action Day, an important day to drive awareness and encourage action for ourselves, our loved ones, and our community regarding our mental health. Here's a list of ways you can take action today.
Dr. Jewel Bronaugh became the first Black Woman Deputy Secretary of the USDA earlier this week. Her leadership will impact how the department addresses the country's agricultural, nutritional, and infrastructure needs.
Black authors are on the rise as the publishing industry reacts to current events and allows more writers to have a platform to share their stories.
The Tony-winning and Emmy-nominated actor Phylicia Rashad has been appointed dean of Howard University's newly reestablished college of fine arts. Please take a look at Dean Rashad's extensive resume that surpasses her incredible acting career.
The "I Am Vanessa Guillen Act" was reintroduced last week. A bill named after Army specialist Vanessa Guillen, who was “allegedly” murdered at the Fort Hood Army base last year, would move sexual harassment prosecution decisions outside the chain of command to an Office of the Chief Prosecutor within each military service. Additionally, it would create a confidential reporting process integrated with the Department of Defense's Catch a Serial Offender database.
What’s the latest with the Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade?
In a nutshell, the Supreme Could has agreed to consider a case during the upcoming Fall term that many are reporting "could ban pre-viability abortions and declare a woman's right to an abortion as no longer protected by the constitution." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, pre-viable is when a fetus is "not considered sufficiently developed to survive outside the uterus."
The considered case is a controversial Mississippi law, or what is also known as the Gestational Age Act, that banned most abortions after 15 weeks. The history behind the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban dates back to 2018 when then-Republican Governor Phil Bryant signed a law to "make exceptions only for medical emergencies or cases where there is a 'severe fetal abnormality’ but not for instances of rape or incest." A Mississippi federal judge struck down the law in November 2018, and the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in December 2019.
Fast Forward to today, this case could present a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide before viability, which can occur at around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
As we wait to learn more, Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson shared in a recent issue of the Newsette what we can do to help protect our rights.
Don't just tweet. Learn about things like Title 10, the lifting bans on medication abortion, and the abortion restrictions at your state's level. There are already 500+ restrictions, so wherever you are, there are probably a set of really harmful bans. In many of those same states, they're also enacting a lot of voter suppression and voter restriction laws. And frankly, they're intended to capture a lot of your readers—young women, working women. It's important to understand what the state of affairs is. Right now, some states will decide when and how you'll become a parent. That's wrong.
Black Women Strike Again
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of Kristen Clarke. As a result, she could be confirmed as the first woman and first Black woman to formally lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division since its creation in 1957.
What's most significant about this advancement is that days before, a virtual day of action was held to show support for Clarke. This effort was created, led, and completed by Black women leaders and organizations and their allies to urge the public to call their senators and support Clarke's confirmation.
A 90-minute call was also a part of the day where the following representatives participated: all four Black Greek letter sororities; civil rights groups such as the NAACP, National Urban League, National Action Network; and civic and service organizations, including the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, The Links, Inc., Jack and Jill, and faith and labor groups, among others.
An incredibly proud moment for the organizations involved and all Black women and allies who helped rally this support.
As we wait to learn more on Clarke's confirmation, check out this op-ed from the former assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, who shares that appointing Clarke is a "no brainer" and how her experience is needed for the Justice Department.
As you know, we're focused on all things beauty this month. So check out these mentions, including the haircare transformer created by our special guest who will join us for tonight's Tribe Talk, along with a couple of AAPI beauty brands and influencers mentioned on our IG.
Providing haircare essentials with love & detail, Silk & Root is all about fixing the problem. Their product is for Black women with various needs and limited time. Of course, you've got to check out their all-star: a travel-sized product that you can just grab, apply, and go to lay those edges down.
As Tyra shares on the website, "Long story short, we were over it — so we did something about it."
You'll get to hear the story firsthand from Tyra on our Instagram (@Notedd). Don't forget to join us TONIGHT at 7:30 PM EST.
To continue honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are excited to share this article of AAPI pros in the beauty industry. Check out the complete list to follow their looks and take some beauty tips from these gems.
Priyanka Ganjoo saw the lack of representation of South Asian beauty in the industry and decided to create her own South Asian beauty brand. She created Kulfi Beauty to celebrate her culture and its beauty. Kulfi Beauty takes out the guesswork by developing and testing products with people like us in mind: our skin tones, undertones, and skin concerns.
Additionally, she saw the intersectionality between mental health and beauty. She created Kulfi Bites as a blog for people to celebrate self-expression. She shares that "the more we spoke to people in our community, we realised that so many of us grew up not feeling beautiful." They also donate to mental health organizations that serve the unique challenges faced by our communities.
Stay Informed, Stay Connected, Stay Notedd ✌🏾
1. Please share your thoughts on what you enjoyed and how we can improve here at Notedd.
2. Share with your friends who want to stay in the know and join the #NoteddTribe community.
3. Content ideas? Launching a product or service? Major accomplishments to share with the group? Reach out to us and we'll add it to our next issue.
Copyright © *|2021|* *|Notedd|*, All rights reserved.