Everyday Melanin Magazine Feat. Taneshia Nash Laird, Danny Simmons, Felicia Woods and many more.

IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY "IN" POWER TO EMPOWER Taneshia Nash Laird is The Boss!

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DANNY SIMMONS Reintroducing the Art

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Culture Back into Our Communities

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF They say to have the job you want, you have to create it. Never did I think I'd be the Editor in Chief of my very own magazine, but that just goes to show that anything can happen.

As a freelance Photographer, I have found that publications were a big thing. I have many friends and more that are doing such amazing things and I just wanted to recreate a platform for us all. Everyday Melanin Magazine will touch on many different worldly topics within the black communities, but making it relate to every lifestyle.

BOOKS GALLORE EMM's Books of Choice

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This will be a showcase for everyone working hard towards the common goal.

Everyday Melanin Magazine will be the Voice to those who may not have the words to say and the stage for those ready for the spotlight because here, we all deserve the chance to shine.

The Motto now is to never look back., venture out, experience and remember "if sky's the limit, soar higher!"

Sincerely, Ebony Johnson Editor In Chief

REGULARS Food

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Fashion

23

Beauty

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cover photo by Woodline Dorcin ig: @photosby_woodline

Who's the Boss???

INTERVIEW BY EBONY JOHNSON

Taneshia Nash Laird is!!! In 2018, I had the opportunity of interviewing such a power house. immediately, I knew before our conversation, we would work very closely with all that we had in common especially the betterment of our communities. Taneshia is an advocate of the art culture. She is the Chair of Danny Simmon's Rush Arts Philadelphia as well as President and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall In Newark, NJ. With such success, was only right to have a conversation with her.

Everyday Melanin Magazine: Hi Everybody! Editor in Chief, Ebony here and this evening, I have the opportunity to speak with Taneshia Nash Laird. I would like to thank you. Taneshia, please introduce yourself!

Taneshia Nash Laird: Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak to you today. Again my name is Taneshia Nash Laird and I am the chair of Rush Arts Philadelphia that's the whole reason for us having this conversation. Currently I was just appointed the president and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall in Newark New Jersey immediately before that I was the executive director of the Arts Council of Princeton and I'm also an entrepreneur. You know I love communities of color. I actually worked in the city of Trenton, New Jersey from 2005 to 2011. I worked for Mayor Palmer in Trenton and I was also the executive director of the Trenton Downtown Association. I loved everything that I saw about you online and I saw you were having an event in Trenton. I don't live there anymore but it's still very close to my heart. I live very far away right, And Congratulations! I said it privately, but I'm going to say it publicly so that everyone can hear me!

Congratulations on the Magazine!

"I ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE CITY OF TRENTON FROM 2005-2011"

EMM Thank you so much, I appreciate it! You mentioned

TNL YES! So, a lot of people looked at me like that. I’m

your previous position of being Executive Director of the

the first person of color to run that organization. I

Arts Council of Princeton. I wanted to ask you a little bit

cried, you know and agonized over it. This was people

about that. When you resigned back in August, was that a

that think that these things are “oh you’re going to

difficult time for you or how did you know you were

someplace to get the big title and its fancy.” Nah, I

ready? How did you know this was the time to do it?

cried, just like I cried when I left Trenton. (laughs) I’m a crier though!

TNL It was difficult. I'll be honest with you, there were two

EMM There is nothing wrong with being emotional or

hings. I didn't feel like I had done all I set out to do. But

just showing emotions.

f course I had this other opportunity that I was going for ou know, I actually resigned before they voted on me whic was a huge leap of faith. But also you know, earl

TNL I cried when I moved out of Trenton and it was the same sort of emotion. But you know what was so

er that year I had lunch with someone who was spea

awesome, I don't know if we were connected yet, but

ing at Princeton University and she's a national figu

what was awesome was that when I did resign there

e with the respect to the arts and I had mentioned to her

was so many people who reached out to me and said

hat I really want to go to a community of color again and

thank you for all the things that you did in such a short

eally my passion in community development and she was

amount of time in Princeton

ind of not really encouraging of it at the time, she’s enco raged now but she would say “No, you need to stay ther for the culture, you’re one of the few black women who

EMM I know. That's amazing! I like that. It pretty much goes into this next question and it's more specific to

re running. The idea of a black woman running a mult

like your personal feels or again your emotion towards

-million dollar, nonprofit in a majority population comm

the arts. What is it that excites you so much about Art

nity, you know we're only like 4 % in Princeton.” I was

that puts you in the position that you're in today.

epresenting us! I'm going to tell you when I walked into a store in Princeton for instance shortly after I was appo

TNL I think that the arts and creativity is the catalyst to

nted, it was a black woman and she said she saw me i

opportunity. Think about hip hop and the benefits of

the paper. I said, yes. But she was born and raised in P

hip hop and folks able to make something, a multi-

inceton and when I tell you I left out that store I felt I was

billion dollar industry right now from something. Think

oing to cry. The lady added, “I just want to hug you, I’m

about you know when other people were creating what

o proud of you!”

once upon a time when African-American visual artists were considered folk artists, but not "real"fine artists

EMM That felt like a big accomplishment, right?

and now they are selling into millions of dollars. But it's not just about that, it’s also about the feeling that a child has or an adult when you create something.

Teaming up with Danny Simmons

DANNY SIMMONS, TANESHIA NASH LAIRD SHOT BY RONALD GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Those are the type of things that I get really excited

TNL I think that's changing and I'm interested in

about the ability to be able to facilitate that for people

hearing how Danny talked about that. Danny actually

and give them access to these tools is what excites me

played a significant role in that change of the

the most about the arts. And of course you know when

narrative. You know the artists who were chosen to do

they talk about economic development they talk about

the official portrait for President Obama and First Lady

soliciting artists to live in up and coming communities.

Michelle Obama at the National Gallery, one of them is

The arts create vitality in a community and energy in a

a Rush artist. I think both Kehinde Wiley and Amy

community, that's what drives me!

EMM I had a brief conversation with my uncle Timothy McRae prior to this call who is pretty well known in the Trenton community. He proposed this question for you as well as Danny Simmons. In what ways do you feel the urban community serves as a learning tool or knowledgeable factor in the arts today? Kids these days are not typically learning about art in the urban communities, they're learning about artists more like Michelangelo, Da Vinci or Van Gogh. Is urban art changing that narrative?

Sherald were artists that were supported by the organization. And again, the organization for which I chaired the Philadelphia efforts. So I think that narrative is changing because of people like Danny Simmons or because of people like Thelma Golden.

Thelma Golden is the director of the Studio Museum in Harlem and she is sort of the confidante of of President Obama and really helped guide him and Michelle Obama for who they would choose to do their official portrait. So I think that things are changing and it cannot be denied even on the musical side.

EMM It is influencing everyone, all ages all colors,

And the idea is how do we make it more inclusive? How

everyone!

do we make what we study have all of the range of community and be reflective of the community? And I

TNL Music, I think it's being recognized in the visual art

think get that the downside is the quote unquote

gallery as well. So I'm really excited to be involved in an

professionalization of the industry that has been

organization like and that and it was the whole reason

preventing people that look like us from being involved

for this fundraiser that is at the forefront of supporting

in curatorial work and all that because it requires a PhD

artists of color, curators of color, emerging artists,

and all that but also a benefit is creating more

people that are really doing things on the cutting edge

opportunities such as Rush art galleries. There

because you know twenty years ago, ten years ago you

emerging curators, emerging artists, emerging

all did not even hear of these artists at all.

performers can get engaged. That’s how I think things are going to continue to change.

TNL The way that I'm personally working for being intentional

EMM In closing, What would you say your objective is?

and making sure that our children know about these other artists and creators that we weren't finding

TNL So in terms of Rush, our goal was through this

out before, but that as a parent I make sure to expose

event which was to really establish our roots in

my children to. In addition to that, I have a another

Philadelphia. Rush has been working in New York for

leadership role. I'm the co-chair of the diversity, equity

upward to twenty-five years. I mean Danny came up

and inclusion committee that is part of Art Pride New Jersey.

NIESHA KENNEDY DANNY SIMMONS, TANESHIA NASH-LAIRD SHOT BY RONALD GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

with this and you know his brothers Russell and Joseph " Rev. Run" had already sort of burst out onto the

entertainment scene and were able to assist him and be

EMM But before you go, I believe you are a keynote

a collective and the family to fundraise. Now that he

speaker for an event tomorrow, can you tell us briefly

moved to Philadelphia and hint, hint, I’m trying to get

about that?

him to come to Trenton.

TNL I am! I am Keynote speaker of the Sister to Sister EMM (laughs) And by the way let me tell you that is

event at Mercer County Community College on the

some of my questions I have for him and how to get

Kerney Campus alongside my 12 yr old daughter. You

him to come this way!

want me? Sure! I'm a fan. Yeah, it's being put on at the Kerney Campus of Mercer County College. I'm excited

TNL. I actually tried to get him to live there. But, we do

about that. And I am also Keynote speaker December

want to figure out a way to get him to do some art in

1st, for the New Jersey Black Business Awards which I

Trenton. And the goal though is to really establish a

predict you will be winning in the very near future. So

root in Philadelphia, a good art programming. We do

anything I can do to pour back into the community that

have programming for kids to attend on Saturday. We

supports me is what I love to do.

now have programming for seniors. We have a performing arts program for children actors. And we

EMM Many blessings to you and good luck tomorrow for

have partnerships which I’m sure Danny will go more

you and your daughter. Continue to shine your positive

into that. But I think everybody was just excited at Art

light.

for Life Philly of course he had his nieces and Jo Jo who assisted. And I'm trying to get Diggy for the next one.

TNL-Thank you for having me.

Really kind of get our programming and keep it going you know doing it sort of very grassroots. Danny invested a lot of his own money into it. I don’t know if

*Since this interview Taneshia was made national president of the board of directors for Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the parent organization to Rush Arts Philadelphia.

he wants me to tell people how much but it had a lot of zeros (laughs) but all for a good cause. But we want to continue not to just deliver to the community but also to use that gallery to revitalize it.

EMM I'm more than excited for this whole movement because the all forms of art are coming back into our communities and with a vengeance. It’s been a long time coming as we are being forced to see what it is our children and adults are trying to verbally say through a visual aspect. I think this is really promising. I want to say thank you for being an advocate and pushing the agenda. I'm just as excited and I'm going to make sure that with this magazine I try to keep everybody as much in the loop as possible so I know you and I will be in touch more as I already stated because I feel like I've known you forever and I just want to say thank you again for a really humbling experience and conversation with Everyday Melanin Magazine

DANNY SIMMONS, TANESHIA NASH LAIRD AND LENNY BAZEMORE SHOT BY RONALD GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Cover Image as well as spread images taken by Newark, NJ photographer, Woodline Dorcin Follow Taneshia Nash Laird on Instagram @taneshianashlaird

BRINGING THE ART CULTURE BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITIES

with

DANNY SIMMONS

FROM PHILLY BACK TO TRENTON INTERVIEW BY EBONY JOHNSON EVENT COVERAGE BY KRISTIN LITTLE

When you hear the last name Simmons, what comes to mind? Is it music, poetry, ART?!?! Without a doubt that name rings bells, but make no mistake, Danny Simmons is more than what meets the eye. He is not just known for being oldest to brothers Russell and Joseph (RevRun) Simmons, He is a renowned artist who has been in the game longer than you can imagine curating platforms for our youth in the urban communities of NY and Philadelphia.

EMM I really want to thank you, , because this is an amazing opportunity that you are giving to the magazine.

I’d love for you to just give a brief description of who you are and what you do, for everybody that will be reading.

SIMMONS Well, I guess at the core, I’m an artist. If anybody says define yourself in one word, that would be it. that I’m an artist which comprises being a writer then from there everything that I do pretty much comes out of that, those roots. In the process of being an artist, many years ago, I noticed that there weren’t a whole lot of opportunities for artists of color. I was a social worker at the time too and I thought what could I do to change that?

And it occurred to me that if I was going to, change it, that I needed to provide some sort of opportunities and it was very simple for me, really all that was needed were a couple of bottles of wine and an invitation. *laughs* That’s really where it started. The first wall I found was at Russell’s office way before Def Jam when he just had Rush Productions which was a management company downtown and I gathered together two other artists and myself and we put on an art show and it just grew from there and was successful. I think I sold one piece are because the other guy sold one of his sculptures, but you know that wasn’t the reason for its success. So many people came to enjoy the arts. The idea hit me that one of the reasons a lot of people came was because of where it was. we brought in different

different people that people went to art shows. We brought in young people, you bought it you know all types of people who were interested in culture, hip hop culture, we basically named the organization after ne of Russell's companies for Rush Productions. So I said, well this is going to be "Rush Arts". From there, I've partnered with a guy who was opening a gallery downtown Manhattan and we did art shows based on culture. The first show we featured clothing including Phat Pharm, Cross Colours and others. I threw a fashion show for all of the hip hop brands. The next weekend was spoken word and all of the poets came out. This was during Black History Month. And all the mixing of

All the fine girls came, then the dudes came and when the dudes came the girls came. They’d come, hang out, party, see fashion, listen to poetry, and then it became a seed. This took place in the early 90’s and the scene started building and building.

The next big art show was The Fugees to perform because they were the new hip hop group. That was like two years after the first show. We had thousands of people coming to hang out at this party with about onehundred artists. We had rented this huge 10,000 feet loft.

At one end The Fugees were performing and on the other end a jazz band performed. And so we started building a scene but the core of it was visual arts. I knew instinctively that we had to make art hip. Now I have a lot of young people around me, particularly my cousin Derrick Adams, who is now one of the top artists in the country. He ran Rush Arts for 13 yrs. I directed it, but Derrick handled the artists. All the top artists of today where his contemporaries, like Kehinde Wiley, all started at The Rush Gallery in Chelsea. Twenty-five years ago, Run DMC performed for the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. We turned Rush Arts it into a nonprofit and raised $250,000 from that performance. We then opened a gallery in Chelsea, we were only black gallery then in the beginning of the new art world downtown Manhattan and we just kept going. Twenty-three years later, we expanded and moved to Philadelphia. We had one in Brooklyn and Manhattan already. I bought an old Bank in Logan and opened a gallery. I picked that neighborhood because I am a firm believer that art should be in communities and available to people who don't necessarily get in any other way.

EMM No, no, you're fine. You're fine. It's funny you're almost answering all the questions I had, but that's great.

You mentioned expanding from New York to Philly do you hope to expand this even further outside of those two cities? Here's the thing, I'm from Trenton, New Jersey.

So I mean, I'm looking to see if you're going to even come along this side of town maybe and do an event or anything. Is that something that you may see in the future?

SIMMONS I would love to do events there, but I don’t know if I would open another one in Jersey, I would probably go someplace further like Baltimore or Detroit cause the people from Jersey are already coming here. I want to expand to a couple other cities, but I really want to be a model for other new people to do exactly what I'm doing, to find space in under served communities. Art Galleries help with community development and also

with the artist. So I mean you get two things done at once, You open the gallery and other things started happening in that neighborhood. You have to be careful of gentrification but you start having different people moving into that neighborhood and usually it’s black artists that go first. So hopefully in Logan we will be able to spark some regeneration of that neighborhood. It will be a great neighborhood with great housing and great people. An art gallery would only help to generate more attention for that neighborhood and for prosper more.

EMM What can you say the changes has been from your organization to the youth in the city? What changes have you seen so far? Growing me visual art not in the form of dance has not really been introduced as it is now. With your organization being in Philly, how has it really changed the youth?

SIMMONS When I came here I felt like there was a lot of things going on that I could build on. I don't think that I'm a catalyst of anything. I just think I’m somebody else adding to what was already going on. Perhaps the notoriety that I bring with it coming from New York and reestablishing the gallery as well as having famous siblings, nephews, and nieces might give it a little more bump. But there were things going on. My boy Raphael Tiberino and his family they have a new gallery in West Philly. There's always been a lot of arts activity. I'm just adding to it.

EMM What do you foresee in 2020?

SIMMONS In 2020, I really want to try to expand just what I’m doing and really concentrate on building up the gallery up. I don't think anything special going to go on. I just think we've got a concentrate on becoming deeper into that community by reaching more kids, more artists. I think change comes slowly and I don't think anything's going to explode to be different than what I'd been doing for year and a half. But I do think we are going to have bigger and better shows. We will target more people and use social media more to find artists. I think this fundraiser was an amazing thing because it allowed a lot of people to know that we are there. I mean we have like so many media impressions like, “Oh, I heard about this, I heard that,” And so that's wonderful. I think that we might get some more donors. I think, we’ll get a lot of attention from the city itself and people because this was a big success and now people want to know how they can be.

EMM Besides giving donations, how can others contribute or collaborate with Rush Arts Philly?

SIMMONS People could recommend artists. They can send their children to the classes. We want to expand our enrollment for the art classes that we have for the kids. Dylan was a Philly actor who hosts an acting class Wednesday nights, we're opening up a dance class. So I really want to have more children involved and not just kids from Logan, of course we want kids from Logan.

We want kids from across the city. We have a class for the older residents. We have volunteer opportunities and would like to also give students an opportunity to put this on their resume as an intern. We are still coming down from this fundraiser which has turned out very well for us and we are very happy.

EMM Blessings to you for that. Now I do know that all of this information can be found on your website and I will be sure I to put that information out there for people who may have further questions. We in Trenton host what is called Art all Night and “Art all Day, and they last for hours into the next day. I mentioned before about collaborating and everything, maybe there's a way where even these artists that are over here can somehow move their way down to Philly to work closely with you?!?

SIMMONS We're not going just trying to get Philly on, we want cities from all over. From in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Delaware, from DC to NY we would like to get artists from there. I was scheduled to curators show last year in Trenton but the city cancelled it.

EMM This is what the magazine is for is to push an agenda. It's to push that there is so much dopeness

going on. Like you, we are looking to expand this magazine as well to different areas outside of Trenton by highlighting the talent that is already here. I feel that is very important. It will take time, but it will get done.

You've got a guy in Trenton whose been doing the arts for a very long time and his name is Larry Hilton. He’s one of my mentors. He’s a great guy? He's a great resource. He's been around pushing the arts for many, many decades. He's one of my heroes. He’s one of my art heroes.

EMM Absolutely! But I won't take too much of your time up.

Danny, I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me and I hope to have more conversations very soon.

Please be sure to check out www.rushphilanthropic.org for more information on upcoming events.

CRYSTAL WILLIAMS

BOOKS GALLORE Photographs by BK Images and Media

Crystal Williams is a devoted wife and mother who is also an author, inspirational speaker, life coach, and owner of The Chrystelle Series, LLC. She began writing in November 2017 and published her first two books in December 2017. Crystal is the director of The Chrystelle Series Book Club located in Bristol, PA, and she recently made a guest appearance on The Javii and Zinya Show, Let’s Talk About It! which is one of the hottest talk shows on WBGR Network internet radio and live broad streaming. Crystal will be featured in the Summer 2019 issue of Everyday Melanin Magazine, an organization designed to give men, women and children a platform for their voices to be heard, as well as focus on daily lifestyles and how to manage life on a spiritual, mental and physical level. In her leisure time, Crystal loves to spend time with her family, attend church and visit new restaurants; she is currently in the process of producing a theatrical play for her book series.

You can connect with Crystal at www.crystalwilliams.com, email thechrystelleseries@yahoo.com Facebook @thechrystelleseries Instagram the_chrystelle_series_author twitter @thechrysseries

The Chrystelle Series delves into the life of a girl who loves God, but after a while feels He is no longer enough. She soon falls in love with a guy who’s all wrong for her because she can’t seem to resist the temptation. It doesn’t take long before things go downhill in their relationship, now her perspective about life has a whole new meaning.

She feels no hope or relief from the emotional roller coaster she’s stuck on, and continues to endure the lying, cheating and abuse from the person she once knew loved her. Later, she realizes that leaving God was the biggest mistake of her life; and searching for anything other than Him turned into years of heartache and misery.

VEGANISM IS IT JUST A PHASE?

Interview By Daniel Johnson with Felicia Woods

PHOTO BY IG @NJBORNEÂ

Felicia's Vegan Journey!

Felicia Woods, also known as Vegan's Dream is CEO of company that curates events called Vegan's Dreams Festivals which allows people to experience the food, the culture as well as gain information about the Vegan life and veganism as a whole. she has been Vegan for about a year now and there's no turning back. she says after research and learning about veganism, there's no way that she could regress and go back to traditional, so Felicia just wants to share her experience and journey with everyone!

"I have been Vegan for about a year now and there's no turning back for me."

Everyday Melanin Magazine  Thank you for taking the time out to chat! Now tell us, what was it that made you become a Vegan?

Felicia I suffered for years from severe migraines. I was taking medicines, visiting doctors, specialists and nothing was helping.

Everything was a temporary fix. So pretty much I was doing research and seeing what caused migraines where it comes from. So of course, you know, the general stress and daily activity came up, but then I started noticing food trends coming up and one of them were dairy. So, I was like, okay, I do eat a lot of ice cream, milk and things of that nature, cheese.So I started gradually taking away cheese, milk all my usual dairy products. And then one day I went to my hairdresser and she's a Vegan and she pretty much was schooling me giving me all types of information on where migraines are deprived from and she broke it down for me.

After I left her I did even more research and sure

without even thinking about the factor of dieting and

enough, it all led back to what we eat. After I pretty

losing weight.They will say, okay, I'm doing this

much eliminated dairy and animal products off together

because I am going to be the healthiest person that I

from my diet I don't know, everything got better. My

can possibly be. So I stress research and I tell them, it's

migraines went away. I haven't taken medicine for

not a diet, it's a lifestyle!

headaches or migraines. Since I’ve been a Vegan. So I mean it definitely changed my life tremendously.

EMM Right. I think where a lot of people have an issue is just making that transition especially if they're very

EMM Was it difficult to go straight from obviously like

active in their life by working out on a daily basis, I

eating the meats and the dairies to going to straight into

think they have an issue with just understanding

becoming a Vegan? I know some people go from

exactly where the protein would be coming from.

obviously eating the meat and everything and they

Because obviously, they're eating steak for protein, or

become a vegetarian then they go vegan.

different foods such as eggs, chicken and more. How do you convince people that there's other foods out there

Felicia Yes, exactly! That is usually the traditional way to

that include beans, broccoli, and mushrooms?

do it. You know, taking a step, knowing me, I knew like if I go from traditional to vegetarian or pescatarian and

Felicia Yes! So once again we go back to the research.

then a Vegan, I will keep regressing back. So, I just

I tell them that of course meat is the number one way

decided to just go straight forward and go all in. That

to get your proteins. But there are natural ways. Look

was just a personal decision that I needed for myself. A

at what animals eat. Animals like cows or chickens,

lot of people do, you know, take the steps to lead up to

they eat seeds and grass and things of that nature, they

veganism. But for me, I was just so determined to get rid

don't eat other meat. So you're, cutting out the middle

of my headache and migraines that I just said, you know

person and going straight to the source, which

what, I'm all in and I'm just gonna to do what I need to do

are your beans and seeds. It boils down to doing the

to be better for myself.

research and truly understanding how to balance out your meal. Like you said, you have all types of seeds

EMM Right! When speaking to people, how do you get

and lagoons that will supplement for the protein that

them to understand that being a Vegan is not a diet, it's a

you get from your meat and if not better,

lifestyle? Like they are looking at it as a Keto diet or one of these other new diets that's out. How do you explain

EMM A message I will convey because I am not a vegan

to them that it's a full lifestyle change, because that's

is you don't get the same sluggishness as you would if

what you're doing you're completely changing your life.

you were to have a non-vegan meal and you're just as full. I've eaten many different vegan meals and one

Felicia Yes, I completely agree. So usually when I talk to

place in Pennington that's called Emily's right on Main

people, I encourage them to do research. Through my

Street. I'll go there for lunch sometimes and just by

personal media and when I'm face to face with people, I

having a Vegan meal, I don't really catch the Itis and am

usually always stress the importance of research.

still able to function. I feel like I actually have more

Because veganism is not a diet It is a lifestyle, it is

energy. If anything from just that one meal.

important for people to understand the reasonsbehind why we don't eat any animal products, the effects of

Felicia Yes. I completely agree with you. And it's

animal products and why it is not good for our body so

because it doesn't have all the unhealthy fat content

that they can know yeah, you're going tolose a few

that traditional meat has. So your body is actually

pounds but understand why you're losing those pounds.

absorbing all of the nutrients and it's working it in the

Understand what animal products are doing to your body

proper way, you know? It's literally breaking it down.

specifically so that you wouldn’t want to run to go back

Your body is breaking down all the healthy fat, all

to traditional eating. I encourage people to research and

the healthy effects from your beans and everything else

once you research, it's almost like once you know better,

that you're eating and it's putting it to use. Whereas

you do better. You know that saying? I think that's what

with like your traditional meats it’s literally just sitting

it is more so. Once people understand the effects of

on your stomach.

animal products, they will want better for themselves

EMM Right! Because you're body is trying to digest it.

EMM Before we go, will you be having any events in the future? Are you planning on doing any classes?

Felicia Exactly! It can't do anything with it. So like you said, it's just more so understanding the body and really

Felicia Yes. So I'm definitely excited. We are in the

understanding how it works for the body. I just feel the

process of planning the next event. Hopefully you can

way we eat is going to shape the world from disease, and

talk with her here. Everyone can look out for my

cancer it all comes back to what we eat. The more

Instagram for more information. We're going to

knowledge that we gain. the more is put out there

continue on with the Vegan street festivals and bring in

especially in the urban communities because we're not

different topics, each event and giving the best

really taught that in the urban community. Â Like we see

information that we can.

all the time, McDonald's and the corner store food and things here for us to not eat healthy. So it's always good to have people in my ear really driving proper eating because it literally shapes everything else.

For more information, please follow on instagram @a_v3gansdreams or email v3gansdream@gmail.com

BRIANNA

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PROM SCHOLAR

BUTTER-FLY AVE.

MOORE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

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first met Shahedah Williams during my sophomore year at Moore College of Art and Design (Philadelphia, PA). She was a Senior at the time and would work diligently on creating her Senior Collection. Although the Senior Fashion Studio was separate, my curiosity and hunger for knowledge in fashion did not allow that to stop me from crossing the threshold. Four years later, Shahedah Williams has become a force in the fashion community. She has launched her swimwear line, Butter-Fly Ave., and has started a non-profit, Prom Scholar. I had the opportunity to catch up with her for a quick interview.

EVERYDAY MELANIN MAGAZINE:Let’s start with what is Butter-Fly Ave. and what is your aesthetic?

SHAHEDAH WILLIAMS: Butter-Fly Ave. is a swimwear and resort brand based in Trenton, NJ. The brand focused on uplifting women through design and bringing awareness to the untold stories by people who feel forgotten. I draw my inspiration from my Caribbean heritage and my surrounding environment.

EMM: You mentioned, “your brand wants to bring awareness to the untold story of people who [may] feel forgotten”, was that the inspiration behind your last collection?

SHAHEDAH: Yes, I wanted to bring awareness to Sickle Cell Disease. My best friend, who suffers from this disease, was the first person to bring it to my attention. Over the years, I’ve watched her and her sister go through so much while still remaining strong and live their life as normal as possible. So this is the first of many collections that will shed light on adversities that others may be dealing with that may not be known to the naked eye.

I’m currently working on producing a short film about sickle cells and feature the stories of individuals that battle this disease.

EMM: Wow, that’s truly amazing and I look forward to seeing more from the Sickle Cell Warrior Swim Story. So, In addition to establishing Butter-Fly Ave., you’ve also created Prom Scholar. Tell us about that!

SHAHEDAH: Prom Scholar is a mentorship and scholarship to help high school students graduating and furthering their education.

Students that are selected are awarded various incentives, such as a custom made prom dress or tuxedo, professional makeup, and hair styling. We also raise money to help financially aid in the student’s first year of college. Applicants can apply via our website: www.promscholar.org EMM: How did the idea for Prom Scholar come about?

SHAHEDAH: I grew up in a single parent home and I was motivated to help other parents who want to give their children everything but struggle to do so. I knew that I was a great designer and I wanted to give that gift to those who needed it the most.

EMM: What events do you have during the year and what can the community do to help fund this non-profit?

SHAHEDAH: We host a Prom Pop-Up Shop with vendors. This is when we collect donated and gently used prom dress and suits for other students that we were unable to provide the prom scholarship to. Stay tuned for the date of our next event in 2020.

EMM: Finally, what has been your greatest moment thus far?

SHAHEDAH: There are so many great moments I can’t narrow it down to just one! But, I can say that when we pushed ourselves to sponsor 6 s tudents in the year 2018, I was so proud at how fast we’ve grown and the ability to increase in the number of students we were able to sponsor.