75 CENTS
Omaha Star
The
Proudly Serving Our Community for Over 80 Years
Dedicated to the Service of the People that NO Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion and that Evil Shall Not Go Unopposed
Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 83 - No. 20 Omaha, Nebraska
Friday, October 1, 2021
75 cents
The “medium is the message” at the 2021 Met Gala
Little Judah is sleep. He is tired from the mean words people say about him. Sleeping makes him forget. Then one day, Judah wakes up and learns that he is a smart, kind, and lovable prince with a bright future ahead. Having worked in various positions in education for the past 10 years, I came to believe that change comes when you touch the hearts and minds of the next generation, or the children. So many of the negatives that plague our community result from children (and adults) not having a firm identity, which comes from the lack of strong, family support or a loving community that values the lives of our young people. Judah Wakes Up addresses the need for children to be affirmed and acknowledged in relation to the complex world in which we live. When children feel that they have a special purpose and a place in this world, they view life through a different lens. Instead of demonstrating negative behaviors, they become active contributors to their families, schools, communities and beyond.
Publisher’s Pen By Terri D. Sanders
COVID-19 and all the cousins are again taking center stage in our lives. Have you had your vaccination? What about the booster? Have the children had a vaccination? Are you wearing your mask? Events have again been cancelled. Winter is coming and we will be inside in close quarters. If you are vaccinated, then you will not have to stand alone, IJS. Have you sent your copy needs to Dotcom Studios the Omaha Star Print Center? (printing@ omahastarinc.com). Mid October, be on the lookout for notecards and Holiday cards by the Omaha Star. We will also have themed calendars for sale. The Omaha Star is making news in economic development in our community. Have you published a book? We would love to have you featured in the paper. Omaha has native authors that we should know about. Send us a photo of your book cover and a 500 word or less article to publisher@omahastarinc.com. In 2022 we will be publishing weekly, so every Friday you will receive an Omaha Star full of community news. Get your subscription TODAY at 2021 prices ($40), because in 2022 our subscriptions will be $50.00. Call our offices at 402-346-4041 and place your subscription order. Our community is on the move. New businesses are popping up everywhere. Businesses are under development and buildings are being renovated. The block is coming back. I remember when North 24th Street was a street busy with shops, stores, restaurants and things to do. Neighborhood revitalization is at work. Do you have an idea for a business? If you start a business you are a founder. There are resources available to assist you with bringing your ideas to the marketplace. Everyone is not a corporate mogul, some are self-made moguls, why not you? See you on October 15th…
Omaha Printing Center Hours Mon - Fri 9am-5pm. Saturday 9am-2pm printing@omahastarinc.com
By Amari Leigh Fashion and activism joined forces on September 13th at the 2021 Met Gala, highlighting how social commentary never goes out of style. This exclusive fundraiser event, which was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is universally re-garded as one of the most important nights in the fashion industry, attracting A-list celebrities and members of the upper echelon who masquerade in theme. This year, the elite crowd on Fifth Avenue dressed in honor of “American Independence.” And while the red carpet saw the usual suspects, dressed in various nods to American designers, excessive denim, and an inordinate amount of red, white and blue, there were a few guests who pushed fashion boundaries. Gabrielle Union, actress, best-selling author and Omaha native, wore a custom white Iris Van Herpen gown that spoke to the importance of “what’s needed in America, what’s needed in fashion.” In an interview with W magazine about her change-themed gown, Union shared, “Some see different colors, some see different shapes, but it changes and that’s what it’s supposed to be […] You should be able to have an opinion on it that doesn’t match anyone else’s because it’s about the evolution of what’s happening in America.” Union explained to W magazine that she was initially shocked when Van Herpen reached out and invited her to collaborate last April after the gala was publicly announced as “Brown girls” are often thought of “towards the end.” What followed? An optical illusion dress, constructed of over 10,000 cut spheres layered on top of one another on a spectrum of “translucent white liquid fabric” and “fine silver reflective outline,” which took over 1,400 hours to complete. Union was not the only attendee of color to receive attention online. Pop superstar and former co-chair of the event, Rihanna, highlighted an important social justice issue in a black oversized Balenciaga coat and hat from Stephen Jones Millinery. Rihanna shared with Essence, “…I wanted a look that seemed very powerful, yet feminine, yet like a Black hoodie, which is usually the thing that we are incriminated by as Black people.” Her bold look was also complimented by diamonds featured in Sotheby’s Black and Brilliant exhibit, which promoted Black jewelry de-signers. Also in attendance —United States Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose attire drew sharp criticism across social media platforms and news outlets, proving that fashion can be just as, if not more so, polarizing than politics. Ocasio-Cortez’s white jacket dress, etched with the slogan “Tax the Rich” in red embroidery, was custom made for the event by Aurora James, the buzzworthy founder behind the trendy brand Brother Vellies. At this year’s event, James was one of the only Black female designers showcased on the carpet and has openly discussed the egregious issue of representation in the industry. Like Ocasio-Cortez, James is no stranger to making her opinions known. The Canada native recently made waves outside of fashion for her 15 Percent Pledge—one of the fastest growing nonprofits in the country. As James ex-plained in a recent interview with CNN, “economic equality and economic justice were sort of top of mind” for both women. In the pop culture landscape, the Met Gala stands as a symbol of opulence and elitism, with designers and corporate sponsors paying tens of thousands of dollars for an individual ticket and hundreds of thousands of dollars for a table. While many online, both conservatives and progressives, found hypocrisy in a democratic socialist rubbing elbows with the world’s rich and famous, Ocasio-Cortez maintained on her Instagram that “the medium is the message.” For the born and bred New Yorker-turned-politician, the Met has long been a symbolic institution that “belongs to the people” and the hypervisibility of the gala served as a platform for her message about “growing that table and bringing more people into that conversation.”
Send all articles to: publisher@ omahastarinc.com
Rasaan Wyzard/W Magazine
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Jun Lu/Vogue
Next Issue:
October 15, 2021 Information submission October 8, 2021