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Netflix releases preserved collection of classic African-American Cinema

When thinking about silent cinema, the animated faces of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd or Rudolph Valentino may come to mind.

If you read this and didn’t recognize any of the names listed above, that’s okay because this piece isn’t interested in re-exposing readers to a typical or well-known cinematic canon. Rather, quite the opposite.

Instead, it’s interested in unveiling a rich history of African-American independent filmmaking. A history that dates back to the early 20th century.

Netflix has done its part in making this history known to others by re-releasing the Kino Lorber series, Pioneers of African-American Cinema.

The collection features more than 20 films from 1915-1946, made by groundbreaking African-American directors such as Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams.

While this list includes both silent and sound cinema, the dates of 1915-1946 also includes major historical events that shaped, informed and importantly, disrupted the development of black independent filmmaking as well as a thriving black press that was committed to making these films known to black communities.

Nonetheless, these black independent filmmakers transformed the ways in which blackness had been represented on screen. More specifically, their projects were a critical response to D.W. Griffith’s racist film Birth of a Nation (1915).

IMDB

Griffith’s film has been cited by film scholars as the ultimate model of classical Hollywood narrative film and a historical moment for which a formal language for cinema was born. His editing style was unprecedented and transformed the way audiences perceived time and space on and off screen.

To put differently, Griffith’s use of parallel editing, (a technique that consists of putting together two completely different sets of shots that occur in different locations), gave the illusion that the action was occurring simultaneously. It is an editing style that condenses time and space and we see this editing technique in films today. 

But Birth of a Nation’s famous chase sequence was also a cinematic serenade to the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith’s heroic and romanticized portrayal of the KKK had a formative influence in the white supremacist group’s resurrection in the aftermath of the film’s release.

The film is a historic referent not only in discussing the development of early Black cinema but more specifically, Birth of a Nation was instrumental in fabricating a mythology around black criminality and miscegenation.

In an effort to reclaim the image of African-Americans, that had been co-opted by productions’ such as Griffith’s, in 1916, The Lincoln Motion Picture was founded by two African-American brothers and was the first movie company organized by Black filmmakers.

Another prominent Black filmmaker was Spenser Williams. Before landing his role on The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show, Williams produced and directed low-budget films that consisted of an all-Black cast.

All of the films were made through William’s production company, Amnegro and distribution company, Sack Amusement Enterprises. His films, The Blood of Jesus (1941), Brother Martin, Servant of Jesus (1942), and Go Down Death (1944), evidently, explored religious themes but also black life in the rural south.

IMDB

In 1918, author and independent filmmaker Oscar Micheaux founded Micheaux Film Corporation.

Micheaux’s silent films often fell into the genre of melodrama. The narratives were largely oriented around black Americans efforts of social and economic advancement, in which characters would attempt to establish their own businesses, schools and other institutions.

Micheaux’s films explored class issues within the Black community, colorism as well as the benefits and perils that came with black migration within the U.S. In fact, Micheaux personally imagined the midwest as a geography that would offer respite for Black Americans to escape the social terror of the South, and the vices of the urban North.

In addition, Micheaux promoted education as the primary means of social and economic mobility and he denounced religion and the Church as a pacifying force to Black Americans.

Clearly, his films were highly political. The daring content of Micheaux’s work made his films susceptible to sensory boards. Though his films were repeatedly banned, Micheaux used this prohibition as a marketing tool to incite audiences to see his films.

His film Within Our Gates (1924) was a pointed critique of Griffith’s Birth of a Nation. A critique that is emphatically depicted when Micheaux intercuts a scene of a lynching of a Black family with another scene that depicts the attempted rape of a Black woman by a white man.

Given that lynching was a technology of white supremacy inflicted on black men for looking at a white woman, the sequence is a powerful subversion by showing the white man as a site of danger.

At the same time, the cross-cutting between these two scenes presents how miscegenation isn’t a simple threat to white hetero-masculinity, rather, it is an economic threat as it has the potential to destabilize the power arrangements and social structures founded and fortified on the notion of white supremacy.

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The narrative, visual and political concerns of early Black cinema were pivotal for its time. Yet, with a limited budget and limited funds for producing films, these filmmakers struggled to compete with the advent of synchronized sound and the rise of the major studios who eventually had an oligopoly over the film market. 

Cinema is a little over a century old. In this sense, it is a relatively young art form, though as movie-goers, we don’t tend to see it as so.

Importantly, cinema is also a technological art form and it is due to rapid advances and developments in technology, that many of us perceive silent cinema and early sound cinema as dated and so foreign to our modern eyes from what we are used to now, that to watch such films would be a giant leap back in time.

But making this leap backward is important because without it, we wouldn’t have discovered the movie posters, the advertisements from the black press who were committed to making sure there was a black audience to receive these films.

We wouldn’t have known what early black films had to say about being Black in America. Without returning to the past, we wouldn’t have known that groups were actively protesting Birth of a Nation and its abhorrent depiction of blackness.

Historians and film scholars have painstakingly pieced together a counter-history, exposing not only the existence of Black independent filmmakers but an enthusiastic Black audience, a creation of a public sphere and politicized public space where black people could congregate, create a community and a place of respite against the threat of daily violence that pervaded their lives.

By spotlighting the oeuvre of these Black independent filmmakers we see their films as not simply a means of artistic expression. These films were an intervention. A reclaiming of their image. A reclaiming of their identity.

Peep the 6 films selected by this year’s Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund

It’s hard for documentary filmmakers, let alone female documentary filmmakers to get funding for projects. For 11 years the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, however, has sought to change this narrative.

With the support of the Oath Foundation, the grantees of the fund will receive production and post-production finances, in addition to year-round guidance from the Tribeca Film Institute.

The Oath Foundation selects two projects to distribute, in the hope that with maximum reach, these projects will catalyze social change. Here is the list of the 2018 grant recipients.

Rachel Lears

Based in Brooklyn, Rachel Lears is a filmmaker, writer and musician.

She holds a PhD in cultural anthropology, an MA in ethnomusicology and a Graduate Certificate in Culture and Media from New York University, and a BA in music from Yale University. In between projects, Lears works as a cinematographer, director/ producer, and consultant.

Her first feature, Birds of Passage, offers an intimate look of the Uruguayan music culture by following the lives of two Uruguayan songwriters, Ernesto and Yisela.

Lear’s other documentary, The Hand That Feeds centers around the struggle and resistance of a group of undocumented immigrant food service workers who rise up to demand better working conditions and wages at a New York restaurant chain-owned
by powerful investors.

Film: Knock Down The House

Lear’s latest documentary, Knock Down the House follows the stories of four insurgent first-time women candidates running for Congress.

Challenging their respective incumbents, as well as a political system riddled with corporate corruption, each of these women take matters into their own hands, starting political campaigns with a vehement resolve to create fundamental change.


Hnin Ei Hlaing (Snow)

Snow studied at the Yangon Film School in Myanmar and the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

She works as a director, producer, editor and sound recordist.

Midwives

Film: Midwives

Against the political backdrop of Muslim persecution and the ethnic divide in Myanmar, Snow’s powerful documentary centers on the lives of two midwives, one Buddhist and one Muslim who work together in a makeshift medical clinic.


Marialuisa Ernst

Marialuisa Ernst is an award-winning South-American filmmaker and performance artist based in Brooklyn, New York.

After earning a BA in film at the University of Bolivia, Ernst went on to train as an interdisciplinary artist at the University of Arts, Sciences and Communications in Santiago, Chile.

Over the course of her 20-year long career, Ernst has exhibited her work at over 30 international film festivals.

A Place of Absence

Film: A Place of Absence

A Place of Absence combines a variety of documentary styles from cinema vérité, personal essay, as well as moments of lyrical performance.

The narrative follows a  group of Central-American women who undertake an epic bus journey throughout Mexico in search for their children who have disappeared on their journey’s to the U.S.

As the film unfolds, Ernst draws parallels with her own family’s experience with her uncle’s disappearance under Argentina’s military dictatorship (1976 – 1983).


Jennifer Redfearn

Jennifer Redfearn is an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker.

Her film Sun Come Up that portrayed the displacement of a small island community as a result of rising sea levels. It was screened in theaters across the U.S., including the IFC Center in New York and the Sundance Cinema in West Hollywood.

In addition, Redfearn has directed and produced television documentaries for PBS, CNN, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and the BBC.

Reentry

Film: Reentry (Working Title)

The state of Ohio, like many states across the U.S., is combatting the opioid crisis and high incarceration rates for women.

Redfearn’s latest documentary follows the stories of three women as they prepare to leave prison, attempt to rebuild their lives and return to their local communities after serving time for drug-related charges.


Cecilia Aldarondo

Cecilia Aldarondo is a New York-based filmmaker and critic, who holds an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths College, and a PhD in Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society from the University of Minnesota. She is Assistant Professor of Film at Skidmore College.

Cecilia Aldarondo’s feature documentary, Memories of a Penitent, is a riveting family drama riddled with secrets and mystery surrounding the death of the filmmaker’s uncle. The documentary debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.

Film: Untitled Puerto Rico Documentary

Her latest feature documentary explores life in the aftermath of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico.


Deirdre Fishel

Fishel is a producer/director of documentaries and dramas that have premiered in competition at Sundance, SXSW, AFI, and Full Frame and been broadcast in 35 countries worldwide.

For 25 years, Fishel has been writing and directing dramas and documentaries that align with her mission to create work that challenges mainstream stereotypes and offer realistic, complex, and nuanced stories that center around the lives of women.

Her most recent documentary CARE, which looks at the poignant but hidden world of home elder care. In 2000, Fishel founded the production company, Minds Eye Productions. Fishel is the Director of the BFA program in Film/Video at City College.

Women in Blue

Film: Women in Blue

In the wake of a high-profile police shooting of a white woman, the female police chief of the Minneapolis Police Department is forced to resign.

Unable to carry on her reformist agenda, three women police officers continue to carry out the former chief’s mission and the fight to transform the MPD and restore community trust.

Exploring the relationship between power, gender, and violence in an urban police department, Fishel’s documentary offers a rare look at a police department through the eyes of women.

Why people are bugging out over Serena Williams’ new GQ cover

With 23 Grand Slam singles titles and no sign of slowing down, Serena Williams is truly the GOAT. Yet, William’s remarkable sporting accomplishments continue to be undermined as her professional tennis career cannot be disentangled from her identity as a black woman –especially when competing in an elitist and historically white sport.

The release of GQ magazine’s 2018 Men Of the Year edition recently raised eyebrows as the magazine included the tennis superstar as part of its list. Not only did her inclusion as the only female amongst a male list of public figures garner criticism but her cover image has produced a heated debate.

The magazine’s choice to use scare quotes around the word “woman” in reference to Williams has been perceived by some fans and cultural critics as pejorative.

Others insist that people are reading to much into the punctuation’s meaning and have pointed out that the cover was a collaboration with William’s on-court clothing designer Virgil Abloh who frequently uses scare quotes across his body of work.

Nonetheless, this isn’t the first time the media’s treatment of William’s image has been riddled with controversy and representational issues.

Her catsuit at the French Open provoked criticism from the French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli who expressed in an interview that he viewed the outfit was “disrespectful to the game” and that the catsuit went “too far.”

Plus, when the tennis champion lost the U.S. Open women’s final against Naomi Osaka following a heated dispute with umpire Carlos Ramos, an Australian newspaper published a monstrous and demonized caricature of Williams that drew on racist tropes.

Each of these instances demonstrates that Williams’s physical appearance, on-court fashion, demeanor, and temperament are always under high scrutiny. More pointedly, these occurrences are emblematic of the way in which Black sportswomen’s womanhood and femininity are incessantly challenged and questioned.

When viewed in the context of the media’s coverage of Serena Williams, the GQ cover is ultimately insensitive to the fact that the tennis star, across the span of her career, has continually combatted racism and sexism.

Just Being Honest Serena Williams GIF by Mashable - Find & Share on GIPHY

It is no secret that the world of sport is considered a male domain. And while many are aware that gender discrimination and sexism are characteristic of sports coverage and the representation of women athletes, there is a notable absence in assessing the way in which this type of gender discrimination is also racialized.

The media’s preoccupation on William’s body and the propagation of her ‘muscular physique’ are employed as a way to ‘other’ African-American female athletes from white female athletes. As a result, this discourse reinforces a historic binary between Black women and white women.

The point is, is that Williams should be allowed to wear an empowering “Wakanda-like” catsuit that is indicative of her awe-inspiring athletic capacity.

Her three-decade-long career exemplifies her commitment to breaking down institutional barriers for Black women and ultimately shows how Williams is an important role model for Black women and young girls to believe in themselves and continue to “aim higher.”

 

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Make this week greater than your last ✨

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How The Sisters Project is changing representations of Muslim Women

Brazenly exhibited through the broad stroke of bigotry of President 45’s Muslim Ban last year, the political climate post 9/11 continues to complicate the lives of Muslim people.

Islamophobia, however, is not only evident in such dehumanizing policies but is also rendered through Western media representations of Muslim people.

 

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“Our proudest accomplishment is finally getting the girls in our village [in Pakistan] to go to high school in 2015 after working with them over the course of 5 years. This was the first time we set out to make a difference, and whatever small impact we may have had on their decision, we felt like we accomplished that, making that very special to us.” ▫️ Maryam and Nivaal are 17-year-old twin activists, journalists, and high schoolers. They are making a name for themselves as social justice advocates working with many organizations, most recently the MalalaFund, the UN Foundation’s Girl Up Campaign, and Disney’s Dream Big Princess Project as filmmakers. They are also building a youth activism program that aims to inspire and engage youth around the world to join their efforts in making a difference. They have recruited young folks from Mexico, England, Pakistan, India, the US, and more to contribute to their media platform, The World with MNR. The one thing they know for sure is that “it will take a lot of hard work to create a world in which all girls have access to education and the environment is sustainable, but we won’t stop until we have achieved these goals of ours for the world.” Their favourite quality about themselves is that they are both so passionate and dedicated. Maryam and Nivaal told me what’s most important to them is “our parents, they are our heroes and role models. Their perseverance, their experience and their lifestyle are so inspiring for both of us. Also, they have done so much for us and without their support we would not be able to achieve what we have in our lives.” They told me they would like to be perceived as “girls with a passion to make a difference in the world and who will stop at nothing to stand up for the causes they care about.” ▫️ #thesistersprojectgoesacrosscanada

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Whether in film or television, both Islam and Muslim people are represented as culturally backward, unable to be integrated into the modern era due to these supposed cultural differences, and ultimately are discursively positioned in opposition to the West.

The discourse on Islam, however, figures differently in Europe and in the United States as a result of different church-state relations. In the United States, the discourse on Islam is framed by citing a difference between Islam and Christian-Judeo values.

 

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“The best part of riding my motorcycle is when I take off my helmet and people are shocked to see my hijab underneath. It makes me laugh because no one expects hijabis to do something like this. That’s why I want people’s perception of girls who wear hijab to change.” ▫️ Fatima is 16 and a second year Bachelor of Science student at Dalhousie University (Halifax.) Her proudest achievement is finishing her first year of university at just 15 years old and having done well academically. That achievement didn’t come without its challenges. Fatima told me entering university at such a young age was also the most challenging moment in her life because everyone doubted her abilities and thought her being there was a joke. She let me know that people’s doubts in her just makes her work harder and better, which in turn has made her more confident in herself. Besides riding the motorcycle which is something her and her mom love to do, Fatima loves to read and her favourite place to find herself is in a book. When I asked Fatima how she would like to be perceived she told me, “as a proud, hard working, and responsible Muslim woman who loves helping out people in need in anyway she can.” ▫️ #thesistersprojectgoesacrosscanada

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In contrast, European nations like Germany and France advance the idea of secularism as a means of critiquing Islam and life for Muslims in nations under Islamic rule.

Nonetheless, both Western regions essentialize Muslim people as violent, intolerant and antagonistic to other religions and cultures.

It’s an ideological position upheld across the political spectrum, in which both the left and right, claim that Islam presents as a serious threat to the Western way of life and liberal democracy.

 

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“For me, a storyteller is someone who’s curious about other people and their inner and outer journeys. This is why I love listening and interacting with the people around me.” ▫️ Aya is 23 and a CBC journalist focusing on community stories residing in Halifax, NS. Writing has always been influential in Aya’s life. She told me, “My mom was someone who deeply respected and admired the journalism profession. I remember her saying that good stories can have a strong impact. All of that captivated me, especially as a young girl who found it very hard to fit in at school. I didn’t feel like what I said or wrote mattered, so the idea that I can be part of a platform that values my voice and the voices of others appeals to me.” One of her proudest achievements is when she won first place in a short story competition because “I didn’t expect it at all and I was literally jumping up and down from the excitement.” Aya’s favourite quality about herself is that she loves to uplift others. She continued, “What inspires me the most is the people I meet and talk to for stories when I’m at work. I can say that so far I’ve met with diverse business owners, artists, mothers, refugees, students, community leaders, and many more. And these people have shared their expertise, intimate stories of hardship, hopes for the future or their achievements with me. I’ve learned so much from them and I still am. Listening to them has really opened my heart and mind.” Aya’s biggest hope is “to see more diversity in newsrooms across Canada. To see more people of colour, LGBT folk, and people with disabilities as journalists working in television, radio, and web.” ▫️ #thesistersprojectgoesacrosscanada

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It is a worldview that has to an extent even been absorbed by the feminist movement, in which Western feminists adopt a level of paternalism when it comes to discussing the lives of Muslim women.

Muslim women are repeatedly represented as victims, submissive and powerless and are thus figured in Western thinking as always in need of saving from their patriarchal religious oppressors.

The Sisters Project

In response to Muslim women’s identities and experiences being perpetually co-opted in media representations, Egyptian-Canadian artist Alia Youssef created and founded The Sisters Project; a photo series that aims to challenge negative stereotypes of Muslim women and demystify the narratives of their everyday lives.

Youssef employs portraiture and storytelling as a mode to spotlight and celebrate the underrepresented stories and experiences of Muslim women across Canada.

Since beginning the project a year and a half ago, Youssef has encountered Muslim women who are engineers, scientists, artists, Ph.D. researchers, doctors, and more. The Sisters Project shows the diversity of fields and professions Muslim women participate in.

 

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“I always wanted to be a doctor to help people and to do things with my hands.” ▫️ Sura is 41, a dentist, a part-time instructor at the faculty of dentistry at Dalhousie University, and a philanthropist working in Halifax, NS. Besides spending time with her four children, husband, friends, and riding her motorcycle, Sura is very passionate about helping people and volunteering. She provides support to young refugees and immigrants to go to dental school, as she wants to ease their experiences of adjusting to a new country and help them with the financial burden of going to the expensive program. Her proudest achievement is in fact her own education, as her parents immigrated to Canada for her schooling. She also is proud that she helps people as “everyone is fighting his/her own battle and a little thing goes a long way.” When I asked Sura what her own favourite qualities are she listed, “perfectionist, honest, fair, good hearted, and hard working.” Sura’s biggest challenge is dealing with people who don’t appreciate her “dedication, honesty, and hard work.” She continued, “Because I know that whatever I do I do it from my heart and I give it 110%. I know that I do it so that I can sleep at night and know that I did my best.” ▫️ #thesistersprojectgoesacrosscanada

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The project highlights the important work Muslim women do in their local community and wider society. In doing so, these challenge dominant representations in film and TV of Muslim women as devoid of agency, voiceless and submissive to their dominating male counterparts.

In speaking to CBC News, Youseff notes how the project has reaffirmed to her that there are so many ways in which Muslim women express and interpret their faith and live their lives.

There are women who choose to wear a hijab and others who don’t. There are Muslim women who are queer and some who identify as heterosexual.

The Sisters Project returns autonomy back to Muslim women to tell their story and foregrounds that Muslim women are not a monolithic group, for there is not just one way to be a Muslim woman.

The Phluid Project is changing retail as the world’s first gender-free store

When entering a clothing store its common to see signs that read “womenswear” and “menswear,” or ride an escalator up and down to go to the designated floor. With fitting rooms and sections of the store specified by gender, retail stores are undoubtedly, highly gendered spaces.

In other words, the way we physically move through the space is dictated by how it is arranged and where the signs or perhaps, coordinates, of “womenswear,” and “menswear,” are located in the store.

But this arrangement and these very signs, complicate and instrumentally impact the shopping experience for trans, non-binary and gender-nonconforming people.

With the ability to occupy public spaces already limited for trans and gender nonconforming people and LGBTQIA rights increasingly under threat with the current administration, it is crucial to offer spaces where people are loved and accepted for who they are and how they choose to identify.

Early this year, 684 Broadway, Manhattan became the world’s first gender-free clothing store. It’s a retail space called The Phluid Project.

Yet, like most queer spaces, The Phluid Project is steeped in the notion of community. Not to mention, there is a coffee shop with Wifi inside too!

 

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Clothing to cosmetics, art, ideas, and activism – our store is ready to be explored 🎈🦋👓

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Given that society is invested in arranging sexual difference and reinforcing the gender binary, the idea of building community was central to the founder and CEO of The Phluid Project, Rob Smith.

Before opening the store, Smith’s life was almost Bruce Wayne-like. His life was split in two; working in the corporate world by day and working for non-profits by night.

But Smith made the decision to also break down this binary, quitting his job and daringly putting his life savings into founding the store.

In speaking to Now This, Smith foregrounded how young people are beginning to see the constraints of these boundaries around identity.

“When I say The Phluid Project is the store of the future, it’s not because of technology, it’s done because of human connection. And it is done because young people are rejecting these binary constraints that we have created for them.”

Indeed, when you read the testimonial page on store’s website, it becomes clear that The Phluid Project is a particularly important store for parents raising kids that self-identify as gender queer, trans and gender-nonconforming since every retail space relegates their clothing choice between the binary of man and woman.

With prices ranging from $35-$150, affordability is a key feature of the store. Smith was committed to ensuring that the store holds gender-free items that are affordable and thereby accessible to an array of people. There is also a lot of meaning behind the name of the retail space.

‘Phluid’ is a term that operates on two registers. It refers to the identity of being gender fluid. But evidently, the spelling of ‘fluid’ is different. The ‘F’ is replaced by “ph” a scientific term and metric of balance, that Smith himself noted stands for “the balance between your masculinity and femininity.”

Given that the fashion industry, perhaps more than any other cultural force, governs, shapes, and normalizes the gender binary, Smith’s intervention in the retail market is important.

The Phluid Project is more than a store or brand. It is also a space in which the norms of gender and sexuality are challenged and resignified. It empowers gender non-conforming people to enter a space free of discrimination and the fear that their appearance or gender presentation will be judged.

With the Phluid Project embedded in the notion of community, the retail and community space underlines the need to create more inclusive sites for consumers.

Ultimately though, The Phluid Project is a welcoming, safe and creative outlet for people to explore and affirm their preferred gender expression.

Need motivation? Peep the first jobs of these 12 super successful people

Before dominating movie box-offices, creating our favorite tracks, becoming superstar athletes, business magnates or even be elected President of the United States, everyone and I mean everyone, started somewhere.

Whether taking your order at McDonald’s, scooping ice cream over the summer, or selling garbage bags door-to-door, this list of the first jobs of 12 super successful people offers much-needed motivation as well as the proof that you are not alone in your daily grind.

Barack Obama

With his middle-class upbringing instilling the values of hard work and education, Barack Obama’s educational and professional career is evidence that he put these values into practice.

Garnering scholarships for his undergraduate studies, Obama later went on to attend Harvard Law School, becoming the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.

Serving as a Democratic senator for Illinois, Obama went on to become the first African-American to be elected President of the United States in 2008 and become one of the most respected global leaders on the political stage.


Cardi B

Cardi B has been very vocal about her past and her journey into becoming a formidable rap superstar. After working as a cashier at Amish Market, Cardi B was an exotic dancer for five years before her career took off.

Nonetheless, Cardi B repeatedly draws attention to her past in both her music and interviews as a way to break down the stigma around strippers and call out the slut-shaming culture.


Brad Pitt

Before becoming a Hollywood heartthrob and one of the most famous movie stars, Brad Pitt could be found along Sunset Boulevard. But you wouldn’t be able to recognize him, because he would be sporting a chicken suit for the restaurant El Pollo Loco in an attempt to bring customers into the store.

Though he spent his early days hiding inside a chicken costume, his appearance and break-out role as a cowboy hitchhiker in the Hollywood classic Thelma & Louise was not only swoon-worthy but catapulted him to movie stardom.


Tom Brady

Though a god-like hero amongst Patriot fans, his good looks, and position as star quarterback, to an extent make Brady America’s ‘Golden Boy.’

While the title of ‘GOAT’ is always up for debate, the Patriots quarterback is undoubtedly talented and his underdog story in being the 199th overall pick of the 2000 NFL draft is evidence of the athletes’ hard work and transformation.


Kanye West

In his early days, the infamous and controversial rapper and hip-hop artist had undergone the struggles of working in retail — the long hours as well as encountering the dreaded and inevitable customer question, “can I speak to the manager?”

Nonetheless, this may have been the starting point for West’s passion for clothes that led the artist to make a name for himself in the fashion industry. The outspoken artist has come a long way as West continues to make groundbreaking music and wild headlines.


Mark Cuban

With an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion according to Forbes, Cuban is now one of the wealthiest people in America. The business magnate and investor earned his fortune in the 1990s, selling his streaming site Broadcast.com for $5.7 billion in stocks.

The owner of the Dallas Mavericks is also a weekly face on the reality TV series, Shark Tank; a show on ABC that offers a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs.


Marissa Mayer

Initially enrolled at Stanford University for Pre-med, Mayer’s career aspirations took a turn when she took a computer science class. By the time she graduated, Mayer had multiple jobs lined up in the world of IT.

Starting out her career at Google, Mayer was the tech company’s first female engineer and is credited for playing a major role in formulating Gmail and Google Maps. At the age of 37, she landed the title Yahoo’s CEO.


Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

Before becoming Dwayne ‘The Rock,’ Johnson was a college football champion with aspirations to play in the NFL. With his football career ending, Johnson translated his discipline and commitment to training into the world of WWE wrestling, becoming a global star.

He later made the transition into acting, (a career decision encouraged by his ex-wife/manager Dany Garcia), and has become Hollywood’s go-to male lead for blockbuster films. Johnson is now Hollywood’s highest paid actor.


Beyonce

Though she is currently serving her reign as ‘Queen B,’ prior to this, Beyonce was a part of the iconic R&B trio Destiny’s Child. Her incredible vocal range, dance moves, hit tracks and string of successful albums, culminate into the artist continuing to sell out stadium arena concerts all over the world.

With music that empowers women of color all over the world, her career is a testament to the fact that Beyonce is a global powerhouse.


Richard Branson

Though his bird breeding business at the age of 11 didn’t quite take off as he had hoped, it’s clear that Branson from a young age had an innovative mind.

The British tycoon, however, cites his naivety and lack of experience in business and entrepreneurship as allowing him the freedom to carve out a space for founding Virgin. He points to his lack of concern for rules as influential to his success and continues to adhere to this logic when advising aspiring young entrepreneurs. Branson is reportedly worth $5.1 billion.


Elon Musk

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, founder of The Boring Company, and co-founder of OpenAI and PayPal.

At the age of 47, Elon Musk is running four multibillion-dollar companies in four different fields as is indicative that one doesn’t have to be an expert in a given field,  instead, one can transfer their knowledge and skills to other projects.


Jeff Bezos

Worth more than 90 billion dollars, Jeff Bezos has officially become the richest man in the world. According to Forbes,  the Amazon executive is also the world’s most powerful CEO.

Though Amazon started out as a company only selling books, the company has expanded tremendously as an online retailer. While Bezos personally started out his working career by taking orders at McDonald’s, his company takes everyone’s order by selling everything you need from, all over the world.

High school seniors can get their laundry done just for applying to college

Applying to college is undoubtedly a scary time. There is the fear of rejection and the prospect of not getting into the college of one’s first choice.

More than this, some young people come from backgrounds or a set of circumstances that make the prospect of going to college and have access to a higher education even more daunting, difficult and challenging.

But that shouldn’t discourage young people across the U.S. from seeing college as a viable space to carve out a future for themselves nor should it hinder them from pursuing their dreams through education, in order to create a better life for themselves as well as for future generations to come.

 

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Happy #CelebrateFirstGen Day! #BetterMakeRoom 🎉🎓

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November is National College Application Month. To mark this occasion, Reach Higher has launched its “laundry” campaign in an effort to encourage high school seniors all over the country to make the commitment to apply to college.

Celebrities and public figures, such as Kelly Rowland, Ciara, Nick Cannon, Bailee Madison, and more, have joined a social media campaign to encourage students across the U.S. to take the pledge and apply to college.

In exchange for making this commitment, these same celebrities and public figures have pledged to do students laundry for an entire semester.

Reach Higher is an initiative started by former First Lady Michelle Obama during her time at the White House.

The program looks to inspire every American student to complete their education past high school by attending a professional training program, a community college, or a traditional university.

Speaking on the campaign, Reach Higher’s executive director, Eric Waldo states,

“We want to see high school seniors all over the country make the commitment to apply to college. And we know that once they get to college, students will discover so much about themselves, their passions, and the world. They’ll take eye-opening classes and engage in campus activities.  And many students, if they are anything like me at that age, will learn to do to their laundry. We hope seniors will take the pledge and apply to college this fall.”

Disclaimer: Celebs will not be able to do anyone’s laundry, but they do care a lot about students’ education so please sign the pledge by clicking here: https://www.bettermakeroom.org/laundry/    

Disney is launching a new streaming service that could change the game

It is no secret that Netflix has been a monumental success. But as of next year, the streaming service will have to contend with another major streaming competitor, Disney — although I don’t know if “Disney and Chill” will have the same ring to it as its streaming predecessor, and if anything, it sounds kind of creepy.

Anyways, the point is, although there are already an array of streaming services for us to choose from — such as Hulu, Amazon, DC Universe, HBO Now, CBS All Access, and many more — the creation of a Disney streaming service could be a game changer.

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People know Disney as the distributor of some of our most beloved childhood films. Yet, some are unaware of just how many companies Disney actually owns. To put this whole announcement in perspective, in discussing the development of Disney’s streaming service in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Disney CEO, Bob Iger stated,

“It will have the entire output of the studio, animation, live action at Disney, including Pixar, Star Wars and all the Marvel films.”

Iger’s statement illuminates how most popular and beloved fan franchises are inextricably tied to and owned by Disney.

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With last year’s announcement of Disney terminating its distribution deal with Netflix, it is no surprise that the media conglomerate has decided to capitalize on the way we now consume media and enter into the market by creating its own streaming service.

With Marvel’s Cinematic Universe continuing to dominate the box office every year, there are no signs of audiences growing tired of the superhero franchise.

What we know so far is that Captain Marvel will be the first film to be released on Disney’s own streaming service. It is a highly anticipated film that will mark Oscar winner Brie Larson’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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To add, the streaming service will include major titles such as, Toy Story 4, Frozen 2 (just when we got the lyrics to “Let it Go” out of heads), the live action version of The Lion King with major stars attached, the Avengers 4 and finally, Star Wars: Episode IX.

Plus, already having ownership of Pixar and Lucasfilm, the development of the streaming service will instrumental shape future productions from these companies, leaving me personally to speculate that these franchises will eventually turn into a serial form.

Netflix will not have to immediately relinquish all of the Disney titles it distributes.

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Though Netflix recently canceled two of their Marvel series, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, it also just launched the third season of Daredevil, The Punisher and ordered a third season of Jessica Jones.

There hasn’t been an official announcement as to what Disney’s streaming service will cost for subscribers, but Disney’s CEO Iger stressed that the cost would be lower than Netflix’s monthly subscription fee.

In short, there will be some transition time for Netflix before it has to contend with The House of Mouse later next year.

Two major pieces of legislation low-key passed during last night’s Midterms

I’m sure many of us found ourselves last night glued to our television screens and incessantly checking our phones for updates on the election results.

While we eagerly watched political analysts collect and frantically synthesize the data as numbers streamed in, some major state legislation was also passed last night.


FLORIDA

The nation’s eyes were on the state of Florida last night for the much-anticipated governor race between the Democratic candidate, Mayor Andrew Gillum and the Republican candidate, Ron De Santis.

While progressives may despair at the results of Gillum losing the governor election, Floridians, however, did vote to pass Amendment 4 that will restore voting rights to 1.4 million people with previous felony convictions.

This is huge.

Florida has one of the nation’s strictest laws when it comes to incarceration and has one of the nation’s highest rates of felon disenfranchisement. While most states impose voting restrictions on felons, most of these laws bar people who are currently in prison or until the released felon finishes their parole time.

In contrast, Florida prohibits people from voting even after they’ve completed their sentences. Before this legislation, 1 in 10 adults who are of voting age, and almost one in four African American adults were prohibited from voting for life because of a previous felony conviction.

The restoring of these voting rights, however, exclude those convicted of murder and felony sex crimes.


CALIFORNIA

In California, San Francisco passed a $300 million dollar bill to address the city’s homelessness problem.

Approved by 60% of voters, the legislation of Proposition C will impose a tax on the city’s biggest employers, aka Silicon Valley, in order to address the homelessness that has become characteristic of the city.

With rent and the cost of living in the city sky-rocketing as a consequence of the city transforming into an international hub for IT companies, these factors have only exacerbated the city’s homelessness problem.

With major tech corporations and companies benefiting from San Fransico’s major tax breaks, it is only fair that these companies pay their dues and give back.

The 2018 midterm elections having appeared to have significantly superseded previous figures of voter turnouts.

Meanwhile, 6 million Americans are still unable to vote this year because of previous felony records. Yet, as incarceration is an issue that disproportionately affects people of color nationwide, the need for criminal justice and prison reform have been a part of the campaign of many candidates nation-wide.

Plus, while every homeless person has the right to vote, there are a lot of logistical barriers that prevent homeless people from being able to do so.

Most of the time, homeless people, especially those who live in rural locations can’t afford transportation to the county elections office or their local polling place.

The displacement of homeless people leaves them without a mailing address and often without a photo I.D. which proves to be an issue when it comes time to fill out a registration form.

Even if states do have less strict laws around photo I.D., this still proves to be an issue for first-time registering voters who are required to provide a drivers license, bank statements, I.D and other forms of residency. Evidently, this is a monumental challenge to homeless youth who make up 1.7 million of the nation’s population.

More than 100 women were elected to Congress at the Midterm elections

2018 has been dubbed by mainstream media as ‘The Year of the Woman.’

Whether you view such statements as just political hyperbole, nonetheless, there is no doubt that the Presidential election results of 2016 have prompted an upsurge in participation in the democratic system, activism, and grassroots organizing by women.

The results of last night’s midterm elections were a testament to such efforts paying off.

In a historic moment in U.S. politics, more than 100 women across the political spectrum were elected into Congress last night.

While a record number of women were elected to Congress, the historic night is a consequence of the unprecedented number of first-time and female candidates who ran for the mid-term elections this year.

To add, several first-time candidates flipped congressional seats that have been held by the GOP.

Here is a list of some stand out victories for women:

NEW YORK

 

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Own your power. . For so many, it’s radical to feel comfortable in your own skin – and to know that you are more than enough, just as you are. . One of my favorite quotes is from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” . So take up space. Speak up. Hold the door open and take others with you. Accept that you will be criticized no matter what – that is the price of fighting for change and innovation. I consider constructive criticism a blueprint for improvement and a medicine for ego. . Ultimately, the people who get down, stay focused in adversity, and do the thankless work of change are the ones who transform society. We can all be a part of that, if we so choose. We can all knock a door, register our cousin to vote, or educate ourselves on an issue we’re curious about. . We are all capable of awakening and commitment. And because of that, we can all be great. . 📸: @gigilaub

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After Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated New York Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in the primary election earlier this year, the Bronx native garnered a lot of media attention.

The 29-year-old  has continued to make headlines as Ocasio-Cortez (D) became the youngest woman to be elected to Congress.


IOWA

Cindy Axne won a House seat in Iowa defeating incumbent Republican Rep. David Young.


VIRGINIA

Former CIA analyst, Abigail Spanberger, defeated Tea Party Republican Dave Brat.


MICHIGAN

Democrat Rashida Tlaib is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Tlaib won Michigan’s 13th District, which includes part of the city of Detroit and its surrounding suburbs.


MINNESOTA

 

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Standing up with our @minnesotadfl ticket on the #VoteDFL bus tour stop in Cedar-Riverside!

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Ilhan Omar is one of two women to have been elected to Congress. She is a member of Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Omar’s story came to the US just over two decades ago as a refugee from Somali.


TENNESSEE

Republican Marsha Blackburn became the first female senator to represent Tennessee.


TEXAS

Voters in Texas elected the state’s first two Hispanic women to Congress.

Veronica Escobar won the seat in the congressional district near El Paso, while State Sen. Sylvia Garcia won the seat in a district near Houston.


NEW MEXICO

Other Democratic candidate Deb Haaland, is another Native American woman to be elected to Congress. Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.


KANSAS

Democrat Sharice Davids is one of two Native American women to have been elected to Congress. Davids is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

She also self-identifies as a lesbian, making her the first openly LGBT member of Congress to represent Kansas. Her background as a lawyer and her experience as a mixed martial arts fighter make her a true bad-ass candidate.


What the 2018 Results Mean for Congress

Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives but did not gain a majority over the Senate. The Democratic Party won six governorships but the Democratic challenges from Andrew Gillum (Florida), Stacey Abrams (Georgia), and Beto O’Rourke (Texas) ultimately fell short.

Though the “blue wave” didn’t formulate as Democrats had hoped, the results and achievements of the women I have listed above still give us a lot to be hopeful for.

Whether Trumpism or the #MeToo Movement are contributing factors in galvanizing women to run for office or be moved to political action on an unprecedented level, the fact of the matter is, women are organizing and women are mobilizing.

Or, maybe, just maybe, women are just sick and tired of having old, white, heterosexual and cisgendered men in control of their bodies and reproductive rights. There is an active and inspiring effort by women across the country who are committed to making a fundamental change to the state of the nation.

The results of last night are not only inspiring but offer some much-needed hope and optimism in a highly divisive and volatile political climate.