Combining her pre-law degree with her love for acting and social activism, Jennifer Sears is a voice of passion and authenticity. Ever since her big break in Tyler Perry’s Madea Family Reunion (2006), Jennifer has continued to work with worked alongside some of the industry’s most astounding talent and production teams, with roles in the award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated film “Bessie” alongside Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique, The Best of Enemies starring Taraji P. Henson, VH1’s Daytime Divas alongside Tichina Arnold, Bounce’s Saints and Sinners and FOX’s Star, to name a few. We speak to Jennifer about her most recent role on OWN’s Greenleaf as it enters its fifth and final season. We also discuss how Jennifer is using her platform to raise awareness for causes that are close to her heart. She frequently works with the Atlanta Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and consistently works to share resources about Black Mental Health. Please read our interview with Jennifer Sears below.
Read More“Nowhere to call home, cause it’s burnt to the ground." This is how being an immigrant feels like these days, but this needs to change. We are more exposed than ever to different accents, people, and cultures. But when we hear an accent, this doesn’t have to bring up prejudices and stereotypes, instead, it should awaken a celebration of another group of people who can only widen our worlds. One inspiringly diverse group, between Romanian-American artist Drei Ros, African American artist RobYoung and Dominican artist Sharlene, have wanted to change the current response to an accent and immigrants by teaming up to create the “Excuse My Accent” Movement. This movement is about bringing people together to make a change for the better. They are using the platform for sharing cultural stories of inclusivity and showing their pride over their backgrounds by realizing that all people are in this together. The "Excuse My Accent" song is produced by The Donuts and MP808 (808 Mafia) with creative assistance by Grammy-nominated songwriter Kief Brown. It became an anthem for all the immigrants and minorities with its music video and delivers a message of truth, struggle, and hope. We talked with Drei Ros and RobYoung about the story behind Excuse My Accent, their experiences, and migration issues. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about celebrating our uniqueness and how to support the movement.
Read More“I didn’t realize there were female drivers. We just put a guy in a wig for a job.” This is the most common sentence that female stunt drivers hear when they are in the industry. Three accolade-studded female stunt drivers Olivia Summers, Dee Bryant, and Angela Meryl who have 60+ years of professional stunt driving experience in 500+ commercials and more than 300 films and TV shows launched the Association of Women Drivers (AWD) the first all-female driving team. They decided to challenge the male-dominated stunt industry and create their own platform.
Women are systematically excluded from the stunt industry and their skill sets are questioned by men. Thus, AWD speaks up against the unfair patriarchal structure of hiring practices and discriminations towards female drivers since male drivers constantly taking money out of a women’s pocket. They wanted to change the sexist and racist structure of the industry and encourage stunt driver casting that is more diverse. We talked with Olivia, Dee, and Angela about AWD, industry, wigging, and their experiences. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about AWD and the ladies behind it.
At 23 years old, Karissa Birthwritght is the owner of SaintVegann. What was once a platform for bringing awareness to veganism and living a healthy lifestyle, has grown to also offer hand-bleached merchandise. SaintVegann’s ongoing collection, SV Ups (SaintVegann Upcycling) are 100% upcycled and 50% of the proceeds are donated to Black Vision Collective. Since starting her business, Karissa has done 4 collections, collaborated with local and national companies, donated over $3000, and sold over 500 pieces. At a time when sustainability issues and climate change is the biggest threat to our Earth, SaintVegann is taking steps to bring awareness to a sustainable lifestyle. Check out our interview with the owner of SaintVegann.
Read MoreLiving in the midst of COVID in the US, particularly in NYC, has us terrified and controlled, but there is life outside these walls. I recently traveled to a pole camp in Antalya, Turkey, and it opened my eyes. About two months ago, as I sat locked inside my Brooklyn home, I optimistically signed up for a pole dancing camp in Turkey. I kinda assumed that it wouldn’t happen, since most countries were refusing to let Americans in at the time. But in what I can only assume was an act of god, Turkey opened its doors to us with no quarantine! So off I went…
Read MoreJessy Schram lives a busy life. You may know her from her starring lead roles in Hallmark films such as A Royal New Year’s Eve, The Birthday Wish, Road to Christmas, and Harvest Moon; or perhaps you have seen her in Season Five of NBC’s Chicago Med, where Jessy plays a complex OB-GYN surgeon, Dr. Hannah Asher. The star has a passion for music that she was able to share with viewers in her most recent Hallmark Channel Movie, Country at Heart. Jessy loves entertaining and storytelling, and we were also able to discuss another thing that is close to her heart: helping those in need. Jessy has a demonstrated history of working with philanthropies like Corazon De Vida and Red Eye to help people of all ages secure basic human needs. Her work with the homeless population in L.A. with Dineoneonone is her most recent way of helping her community, as her team works together to distribute plant-based meals during COVID-19. How does one balance a career with philanthropic work, as well as stay positive during COVID-19? Read our interview below for Jessy’s insights.
Read MoreAt a time when many young people in the film industry don't want to be aware of what they are doing, it is refreshing to seeing some talented and conscious actresses. The 24-years old Netflix star Bianca Bosch, known for her role in The Kissing Booth Trilogy, isn’t just another OMG girl or teen movie star. When she isn't acting she can be found locally feeding the homeless in South Africa, starting her own lighting business, and learning Reiki. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Bianca.
Read MoreJejune recently spoke with actor and ambassador Jacob Hopkins about his role as Chad Kremp on the hilariously funny ABC sitcom, The Goldbergs. Jacob has been acting his entire life, appearing in shows like How I Met Your Mother and True Blood. In addition to traditional acting, Jacob has been the voice actor in many fun animated shows. The Dragons: Rescue Riders and The Amazing World of Gumball star talked about his new feature film, Carolina’s Calling, his ongoing involvement in the Jonathan Foundation, and his passion to help kids, with learning disabilities and special needs. Please continue reading to learn more about this extremely talented young actor!
Read MoreThe ability to help others in times of personal crisis or intense grief is a valuable and deeply human skillset, and it’s one that Amy White has turned into her career. As an intuitive medium, Amy uses her innate gifts of interpreting energies and reaching out into the unseen to help others through their lowest points and to find peace in the midst of loss. Her family’s journey with her son’s suicide attempt prompted Amy to write her new book, Closer to Paradise: A Mother's Journey through Crisis and Healing, which sheds light on navigating mental health crises to help others who are going through similar trauma. Amy shares her outlook on how modern mediums can help others not only to survive but to thrive, in times of crisis. Read our interview with Amy to find out more about how she has opened herself up to the Universe on her path to mediumship and how she has used her gifts to help others along the way.
Read MoreJejune is super excited to announce that we are partnering up with Head Count to help get the word out for voter registration! Today, September 22nd, is National Voter Registration Day. This means we don’t have a lot of time to register to vote ((normally there would be about two weeks left to register in most states)). So, let’s all sign up today! If you are not signed up already, please follow the link here. If you are already signed up, get all your friends to do it!
Read MoreIn an era of working from home, the legacy of the women’s power suit lives on at New York Fashion Week as designers showcase their Spring 2021 Collections. Trending on several runways, live and virtual, whimsical suits are bringing play and hope to the future of the fashion industry.
Read MoreUsing romance as her muse, Claire London has released her single, “Young,” a track that accounts the ups and downs of her journey towards uncovering true love. Claire, now a mix of Neo-Soul-Pop, takes a subtle shift from the sonics of her discography since her debut album “Like A Machine” in 2011, filled with distorted bass lines and bluesy pop/rock. The once hailed as a dark pop princess has settled down, yet remains sharper than ever.
Her move from NYC to LA in 2016 could be considered a life altering fateful moment where she met her husband, developed a love for the outdoors, and co-founded a music community designed to empower women in the music industry called Female Frequency. Female Frequency’s goal is for every component of their music-making to be done by women, from start to finish, including all writing, instrumentation, arrangement, performance, production, engineering, mixing, mastering, marketing and creation of visual media. Please read our exclusive interview to learn more about Claire London.
Born under the desire to find the perfect red lip color for black women, Kristin McIntyre created the vegan and cruelty free beauty brand (or according to her “beauty band”) Rufescent Lips. Rufescent — tinged with red, focuses on one thing, rich red lips, and Kristin’s goal is for these lips to empower other black women to feel beautiful while bringing the revolution. To learn more about Kristin McIntyre and Rufescent Lips, please read our exclusive interview here.
Read MoreOne may think that most actors are born perfect for the stage, but it takes years of training and the right teams behind them. Bernard Hill, life coach and acting teacher, is just one of the many people who can make a career. He has worked with stars such as Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Al Pacino. When he is not teaching the next star, he is focuses on giving back, especially fighting against climate change. Please read our exclusive interview here to learn more about Bernard Hiller, as he helps us to stay creative during unusual times.
Read MoreIt is often thought that women are a minority within the video game industry — both as consumers and game developers. In 2019, 71 percent of responding game developers were men, while 24 percent were women. However, with self declared gamers, the stats differ drastically at almost equal percentages - 54% Male to 46% Female.
Gamer, model, designer, and streamer, Avori Henderson is one of the many women gaining traction in professional gaming. Avori is best known as s PUBG streamer and professional gamer. She gained notoriety as she began her streaming career on Twitch. Eventually, this led her to run the first ever all Female PUBG Tournament that was professionally broadcasted — a natural cascading of events due to her passion for female inclusion of gaming. Now, Avori streams on Facebook Gaming Live, to her 282,000+ followers. Please read our exclusive interview here to learn more about Alvori Henderson.
New York City has been in lockdown for 106 days. Yes, things are slowly starting to open up, but most of us are still being as careful as possible as COVID rages through the rest of our country. This editorial was shot during the peak of the New York City shelter in place order. Like many business, fashion was hit very hard. As designers were forced to close shops, they were still able to make masks, leaving masks the only new fashion available.
Read MoreMusician Minhee Jones is an international melting pot of harmonies. Originally from Los Angeles, the London based artist denotes early classical influences from the likes of Beethoven. Her identity as biracial, born Korean and Black, helped to bolster the complexities of her artistry.
Directly off her new EP, the single “6 Feet,” was an almost prophetic analysis of mindfulness — of course more relevant, and literal, now amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With lyrics like “we stay 6 feet apart to stay 6 feet above”, this song is essentially an anthem to what we are living through right now.
In addition to being a powerful musician, Minhee teamed up with Fender, Ford, and Co-op Food and broke three Guinness World Records by playing concerts in 51 cities in 7 days to raise money and awareness for Music Venue Trust. Minhee encapsulates a mix of soulful rebellion, perhaps an ode to her punk bass playing roots. As an instrumentalist, specializing in drums, bass, analog synths, piano and vintage harmonium, it is her prolific style and adventurous nature that enables her to march to the beat of her own drum. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Minhee Jones.
COVID Rapid Response Team (RRT) is a collective of independent community members, healthcare students, and clinicians supporting healthcare professionals and underserved areas. With the insurmountable pressure and stressors inflicting our healthcare workers, it is beneficial to see communities uniting for a common good. Please read our exclusive interview here with Carrie Chui and Sara Majewski to learn more about COVID RRT.
Read MoreWhenever news breaks of another black man falling victim to police brutality, part of me wants to despair at the futility of justice. I feel most people subconsciously share, at least partially, in my defeatist, encroaching on nihilistic, sentiment. A George Floyd will almost undoubtedly happen again and, as unproductive as these thoughts are, it is based in reality. It is a sempiternal threat that constitutes heightened prudence when interactions with police occur — civil or otherwise. Continually, we see black men (Charles Kinsey, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, etc.) face deadly or near deadly encounters with law enforcement.
Read MoreI’m angry. I’m not going to lie. I have hit that point in my grief. But I’m also happy to hear that the murmurs of unrest are starting to rise. People are moving past clutching their rolls of toilet paper as they hang on every word NY Governor Andrew Cuomo tells them. The panic and fear are starting to melt away as the sun is slowly finally starting to shine again on New York City. Yes, we are slowly starting to open up, and we can debate on how much longer that will take, I don’t have the answer to that. There is one thing I do know, there will be a lot less elderly to worry about during any additional waves in New York, thanks to our state government and Andrew Cuomo.
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