Posts tagged community
Grant Hall On His Grown-ish Debut and Giving Back

Up-and-coming actor, Grant Hall, talks about his breakout role as Kyle on the latest seasons of Grown-ish and the one theatre appreciation class that opened his eyes to the world of acting. With several new projects coming out later this year, Grant shares his excitement for what is to come. In addition to his many talents, Grant contributes back to society through his philanthropic work with organizations like Feeding America and the Cancer Research Institute. Keep reading to learn more about his experiences on set, hopes for the future, and advice for anyone pursuing their passion.

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Mario Torero - Illuminating Communities With Artivism

The fight against injustices continues to this day, and Mario Torero, the artist who expresses moving messages through his work, continues to disseminate his beliefs through a movement known as Artivism. As a muralist, he embraces and explores a community's history, uses the knowledge, and combines both traditional and current customs to produce colorful murals that may be found in numerous neighborhoods across America. He continues to demonstrate to the world the influence and power of art on those who witness it. Read on to learn more about Mario Torero!

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Elliot Frances Flynn - Making an Impact on the Film Industry

Elliot Frances Flynn is an actress, an artist, and a passionate advocate for storytelling. With her feature film debut in 2021 and her work with Collective Focus, Flynn has established herself as a multifaceted artist and a voice for positive change. She’s an inspiration to aspiring artists and a role model for young women. Her breakout performance in the film earned her praise from critics and fans alike. She is also set to appear in two feature films coming soon to theaters — “Linoleum” and “Confession.” But Flynn’s work goes beyond acting. She’s an artist, a philanthropist, and a passionate advocate for storytelling. Flynn is a founding member of Collective Focus, a donation-run artist collective operating a Resource Hub in Bushwick, NY. The Collective Focus Resource Hub provides space for artist-driven projects, workshops, and events that help foster collaboration, foster creativity, and create positive change. Continue reading as we explore the journey that has led Flynn to the forefront of the acting world and her work off-screen.

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Behind the Lens - Documenting With Raphael Sbarge

You may know Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket from Once Upon a Time, but his role as a conscience has expanded over the years as he has added directing to his skill set. Now it can be said he is “creating content with a conscience.” He has directed several films, short stories, and, most recently, documentaries — with an ever increasing drive to spread awareness of social and environmental issues within several different communities. Jejune got a chance to talk to him about his Emmy nomination, new film Only in Theaters, and his latest mini-series 10 Days In Watts, among other topics. Please read on!

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Mereki - The Indie-Pop Princess For Positive Change

Mereki, the Australian/English Indie-Pop princess, is spreading kindness one song at a time, literally. Mereki created Merekis Clubhouse in 2016 as a platform for creativity and a space for up-and-coming female artists. The Clubhouse motto “Be Kind” grew into a nonprofit of its own and now hosts annual benefit concerts that help raise money for charities. Music still drives the source of inspiration for Mereki with her most recent single “Presence” which dropped in December. Jejune got the chance to talk to Mereki about her work inside and outside of the studio.

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How Songwriting Saves The World

Songwriting Saves the World is a podcast started by Sasha Bellentine and Annick Blaize in April of 2020. Their inspiration behind the podcast was to create a community of writers and musicians that was both largely female and queer. You can listen to Songwriting Saves the World on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and more. They also promote a diverse range of artists on their podcast and social media accounts to support female and queer artists in the music industry. This past holiday season the podcast featured representatives from I Support the Girls and Affirmations. I Support the Girls is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and collecting resources for homeless and impoverished women. Affirmations is an LGBTQ nonprofit centered in Michigan that provides resources for the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan and beyond. With this collaboration, the co-hosts wished to show ways to help women and LGBTQ outside of the music industry as well. Read on to learn more about the co-hosts, their philanthropy, and how songwriting truly does save the world.

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How The Horror Genre is Growing on Tristian Eggerling

Tristian Eggerling is a young actor based out of Los Angeles, California. You may recognize him from his most recent film, Halloween Kills, where he starred opposite of Jamie Lee Curtis. In his interview with Jejune Magazine Eggerling describes what it was like working on a horror movie, the lessons he took from set, and how this experience made him a horror fan. A man of many talents, Eggerling also opens up about his parkour training and how he is giving back to the community through Caterina’s Club, a non-profit organization that works to feed, house, and educate at risk youth. For those looking to help out in their own community, he encourages others to find what they are best at and look for ways to share it with someone less fortunate. Read more on our interview below!

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Editorial - Learning From Isabella Gomez

Isabella Gomez is the star of the new HBO Max comedy series “Head of the Class,” where she plays a young high school teacher looking to shake up the classroom. Gomez is not new to sitcoms, you may also recognize her as Elena Álvarez in the award winning comedy series “One Day at a Time.” At the heart of each show you can find an underlying theme of community and family support, which Gomez believes in wholeheartedly. She is also really attracted to what representation in the media can do for both individuals and whole communities, which can be seen in her two roles. On the charity front, Gomez is involved with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wild Elements Foundation. Through her partnership with Wild Elements, she was matched with innovator, Rosamira Guillen, who is the executive director at Proyecto Tití in Colombia. Under her leadership, Gomez is fully fully educated on her work in order to bring that information and opportunities to her followers. Read on to learn more about Isabella Gomez, her roles in “Head of the Class” and “One Day at a Time,” upcoming projects, and her charity work.

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'What She Said': Amy Northup And The Unheard Voice

Amy Northup is an actor, director, Intimacy Coordinator, and a trained victims advocate with the Crime Victims Treatment Center. Amy has dedicated her career to advocating for sexual assault victims, which led to her recent directorial debut in the film ‘What She Said.’ This film follows Sam, a sexual assault survivor, as she deals with the trauma of the assault and the process of convicting her attacker. Sam has a strong community of friends and family who want to help her heal from this experience, but she ultimately feels frustrated with herself and others as she tries to build back her autonomy. In this interview, Amy eloquently answers all of our questions regarding the film, the production process, and how she is advocating for sexual assault victims in all aspects of her career.

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Welcome 2022 With Greener New Year's Resolutions

Believe it or not, it is already time to ring in a new year! In this feature, we present to you a list of ten greener new year resolutions that you can implement in your own life in 2022. Going into our junior year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to take care of ourselves and our environment. Learn how to effectively recycle leftover food and single use plastics with tips on composting and how to recycle right. Additionally, find ways to reduce your carbon and food footprint with an online calculator from The Nature Conservancy. Ultimately, within this list, you can expect a variety of greener solutions with our own recommendations of resources and eco-friendly products to set you up for a year of success.

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Scarlett Lewis is Teaching Us All to Choose Love

On December 14th, 2012, Scarlett Lewis tragically lost her six-year old son, Jesse, in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This was one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, as the community lost Jesse, 19 of his first-grade classmates, and six educators. In the wake of tragedy, Scarlett Lewis established the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, which advocates for social-emotional character development to teach both children and adults how to live a Choose Love lifestyle and empower them emotionally, mentally, personally, and socially. Today, the program reaches all 50 states and over 100 countries, serving over 2 million children. In Scarlett’s interview with Jejune Magazine, she explains the Choose Love Formula, how we all can implement the formula in our daily lives, and the most important steps we must address in order to abolish school shootings. Read on to learn more about how Scarlett is teaching all of us to Choose Love!

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Fighting Fine Lines and Wrinkles Through Vegan Skincare

Let’s be real, all of us have mentally aged ten years throughout the past year and a half. With all the stress of the ongoing pandemic and the holidays on the horizon, Jejune understands that you need a skincare regime that is just as active as you are. That is why we have compiled a list of skincare brands with products meant to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Though this list is tailored towards anti-aging skincare products, in most of the brands listed below you can shop through a variety of products for various skin types and concerns. Most importantly, each brand included in this list is vegan and cruelty-free. We have also included how some of these skincare brands are giving back to their communities and initiatives they are particularly passionate about. Check out Jejune’s full list of vegan skincare brands below!

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No Days Off with Akeem Mair

Akeem Mair, actor and activist from Pasadena, California, has big dreams and a big personality to match. In his interview with Jejune Magazine, Akeem explains the chance instance that inspired him to become an actor, the dedication he has to his profession, and his own ten year plan. Never one to take an off day, Akeem keeps a list of goals and action points to work on throughout the day. His new film, It’s On You, will also be finished later this year. Being a black man in the film industry has never been easy, but Akeem looks to the greats like Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier to provide representation and inspiration. Additionally, Akeem gets into his charity work as a community leader with the Mysankofi Live experience and his lifelong volunteer work with the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. Read on to learn more about the man himself and his developed sense of community created through his work.

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Battling Mental Health Through Guitar and Song with Former Hero

Yorkshire singer/songwriter Former Hero is no stranger to suffering from mental health. In his debut album ‘footpaths,’ out now on all streaming platforms, the guitarist delves into heavy issues while pairing the lyrics with catchy and danceable tunes. In this interview with Jejune Magazine, Former Hero goes into depth about the impact growing up as a queer man in a sheltered part of the UK has had on both his life and music. Additionally, he explains how he is giving back to the LGBTQA+ community through the online festival MindOut UK, which will be livestreamed on September 25th, 2021. Read on to learn more about the details of this event and Former Hero himself!

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Going Back to School in (Responsible) Style

Back to school shopping can either be an exciting or not so exciting time for children. With the promise of school on the horizon, kids and parents alike are holding on to the last few days of summer. Get excited and check off your back to school list with Jejune’s guide for environmentally friendly fashion and school supplies!

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KG Crown Sings For Righteousness

Every day is a change for the better. KG Crown is the living proof to always embrace your own individuality and never stop fighting regardless of the challenges. Why do we say that? Because she fights against all odds to pursue her dream as a Pop singer even though she (including her family) was bullied by her peers, grown-ups, and even worse, mothers and teachers from her town. Her dedication to performing resulted in her quickly garnering over 155K+ followers and 500K+ views across her platforms. She recently released an anti-bullying anthem, Bad, standing up for herself and her loves one. KG Crown is truly admirable as she further uses her platform to bring awareness to bullying and inspires her followers to stand up for themselves. Read our interview below as KG Crown gets candid about her take on bullying and her sensational journey in pursuing her dreams.

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COVER - Pride House LA Is Here To Stay!

Happy Pride Month! June is, without a doubt, the most colorful and unapologetic time of the year. Pride amplifies the LGBTQIA + community’s voice and uplifts the message of “loud and proud” queerness. Why cant it be pride every month?

Speaking of amplifying voices, TikTok has become an important vehicle for the LGBTQIA + community to express themselves. Many gay, non-binary, and gender varying influencers have built meaningful platforms on TikTok; proving it remains a safe place for LGBTQIA + youth and allies.

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The 2021 New York Mayoral Race

The race for the office of Mayor of New York City, in the wake of the Trump presidency and the ongoing pandemic, is a litmus test for both the will for meaningful progress and the resiliency of old ideas. New York is a traditionally blue state, and its namesake city is the largest in the United States, with a population of over eight million people, of which three million of which are of foreign birth.

The primaries will be held on June 22nd, followed by an election on November 2nd. For the first time, the primaries will employ a ranked-choice system rather than the traditional plurality vote.

This article is intended to provide a thumbnail guide to the personalities and issues, with quick links to further information, along with some of our opinions.

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COVER: Adam Waheed - The King Of Comedy

If you don’t mind, I would like to tell you a little bit about Adam Waheed. This handsome Egyptian from New York City is a lot more than a pretty face. In fact, his good looks are almost an after thought in his comedy. He is known for playing innocent and playful roles where he is typically the ridiculous guy who leaves his ladies, friends, co-workers, or doctors completely flabbergasted. The shocking story behind Adam, and his massive social media following, is that he is a self-made man. He started out as wanting to be an actor, but there were just not enough roles for someone who looks like him. So, he took things into his own hands and started an empire of social media comedy. Cute, short skits that resemble videos one would see on sites like Funny or Die and CollegeHumor, with one small exception — Adam always casts a very diverse group of talent in all his videos. While the rest of the world is waking up to this, this is just natural for all of Adam’s skits. Adam’s skills don’t stop there. He has recently branched out to producing and acting in short films, like Tribes, and opening schools across the world for underprivileged kids. Adam certainly does it all. To learn more, please click here!

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Fighting Homelessness & Poverty with HOPE

During one of the largest economic crises our country has ever seen, when cities are forcing landlords not to evict tenants who can’t pay, thousands have lost their jobs, and the number of homeless has yet to be calculated, there is hope. There is hope in Tiny Homes. Hope of the Valley’s Tiny Homes Villages is one of the most beautiful initiatives I have heard about so far in 2021. In one of the cities in the US that has the worst numbers of homelessness, Los Angeles, this organization is just stating the fight, and they are doing it in style. They have set up a transitional micro-village, where people wanting to pull themselves off the streets are given the resources to do so. Hope of the Valley has no only done this smartly, but also sensitively for the people who are moving in. They make sure they are safe, clean, feed, and even have a dog park for those with pets. I’m so excited to share with you our exclusive interview with the CEO of Hope of the Valley, Ken Craft.

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