Keisha P. Crabtree

Woman leaves job after senior leader’s harsh comments: ‘Words hurt’

By Keisha P. Crabtree 2 weeks ago

Jessica-Joan Richards, a 28-year-old marketing manager working in recruitment, logged in to her LinkedIn account in early July to upload something she never thought she would share on the professional networking platform — her profile picture.

In a now-viral post, Richards, who was born in the Philippines before moving to the U.K. with her family when she was 7, explained that following an alleged body-shaming incident at a previous place of employment, she decided to delete her LinkedIn photo, in fear that her weight may ward off other professional opportunities.

“I had a previous senior leader say that I was too fat for my job & that I needed to lose weight,” Richards wrote. “Whether true or not, this statement really affected me, so much so that I stopped allowing my photo to be taken, personally & professionally. Removed my picture from LI for fear that people wouldn’t

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Unraveling Fashion, Beauty, and Trauma in I May Destroy You

By Keisha P. Crabtree 2 weeks ago

Beautiful art can arise from the ugliest circumstances. No matter the medium, creators have channeled their trauma into healing through music, dance, poetry, painting, and, of course, film and television. Thundering into the collective consciousness of our current stay-at-home culture is the HBO series I May Destroy You, which multiple critics have described as a theoretical “traumedy,” a subgenre reflective of our time. 

Actor, writer, director, and now executive producer Michaela Coel created the BBC-produced series following her assault after her drink was spiked in a bar. Coel’s protagonist, Arabella, wrestles with the emotional trauma of processing sexual assault through the 12-episode series, which debuted early last month on HBO. Following the model set by recent prestige streaming series including Little Fires Everywhere and Normal People, episodes roll out one at a time. While binge-watching might be our new normal, trust me: You’re going to want to sit

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How Black-Owned Beauty Retailers Are Shaking Up the Beauty Industry

By Keisha P. Crabtree 2 weeks ago

Click here to read the full article.

As consumers become increasingly conscious of their purchasing power, some are placing greater emphasis on buying from Black-owned businesses.

In June, social media users began circulating lists of dozens — and in some cases, hundreds — of Black-owned beauty brands in the wake of the George Floyd protests. The lists signified a desire from supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement to align their spending habits with their core values. Less common, though, than the widely shared lists of Black-owned beauty brands were posts raising awareness of Black-owned beauty retailers.

The past few years have given rise to a number of beauty retailers nationwide that are self-funded and owned by Black women. WWD Beauty Inc spoke to six Black-owned beauty retailers — five of which have not yet taken on investment — about their business models and causes for launch. Despite each unique

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Woman who woke up from surgery with hair braided by doctor makes the case for more Black physicians: ‘It can save lives’

By Keisha P. Crabtree 2 weeks ago

Video reporting by Jacquie Cosgrove

When India Marshall woke up from a skull operation last month, she noticed something odd as she removed her bandages: her hair was braided differently than it had been pre-surgery. She assumed it was the handiwork of a kind Black nurse, but later, to her surprise, found out that they were actually done by the surgeon, a Black man who happens to be the father of three girls.

Her Twitter post about the revelation, which noted, “I almost cried,” went viral, bringing more than 586,000 likes and prompting a powerful discussion about the need for more Black doctors.

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