Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919)  Born Sarah Breedlove, she created a line of beauty products for African-American women, eventually employing almost 3,000 women and becoming, it is believed, the first black woman millionaire in the United States. Entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on a cotton plantation to former slaves in Delta, Louisiana. She was an orphan by age seven and worked in cotton fields with her older sister to survive. In her early life, he supported her family by washing laundry and she used her earning as a laundress to pay for her daughter’s education at Knoxville College. In 1889, Walker moved to St. Louis to look for better work. She became a saleswoman for a black hair-care entrepreneur named Annie Turnbo Malone who employed black women to sell her products door-to-door. After experiencing severe hair loss herself, Walker experimented with her own hair formulas. When she perfected a formula she called “Wonderful Hair Grower,” she decided to try her luck at creating her own business. In 1905, she moved to Denver. She renamed herself “Madame C.J. Walker,” and used her third husband, Charles Joseph Walker’s advertising expertise to build a mail-order business. After divorcing her husband, Walker relocated to Indianapolis in 1910. After years of hard work, she had established a factory, training schools, and a national network of licensed sales agents selling her product. Her company would become known as the Walker Company. It was composed of 20,000 men and women agents in the U.S., Central America, and the Caribbean. The total sales of her company during the final year of her life reached over $500,000, and with the value of her personal assets, she had accumulated a worth of over one million dollars. In addition to running a lucrative business, Walker was a noted philanthropist. She made donations to the YMCA and worked with the NAACP as well as donated money to many causes such as the anti-lynching movement. She became a strong advocate of Black women’s economic independence and her personal business philosophy stressed economic independence for all women. She used her wealth and status to work toward political and social rights for African Americans and women. Source: National Women's History Museum
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 Fall is upon us and the air is dry. There is nothing worse than dry flaky skin, no matter what part of the body. Ladies please do not allow your self to be in violation for having bad winter skin! To help you out I have listed a few reminders / tips to help battle the cold air.
Tip #1 Moisturize and hydrate your skin like crazy. Try sleeping with a humidifier, fill it with water and plug it in before bed. Adding moisture to the air while you sleep will help skin to look more dewy in the morning. If all of a sudden your moisturizer — which normally works great — isn’t keeping your skin supple and hydrated, try applying a serum underneath for a little glow boost. Experiment with body butters or oil. The non-facial skin often gets neglected, when it should be cared for just as much as your face. Tip # 2 Exfoliate and mask on a weekly basis. Try a granulated scrub or light peel to remove the dead skin cells from your face and body. Follow up with a mask. If your typical go-to is an oil-absorbing mask, you might want to put that away for the next few months and switch to a gel- or cream-based hydrating mask. Tip # 3 Get A Facial. This is the perfect jump-starter to better skin, especially if you haven't had one in a while. A good thorough facial rapidly sheds the dead skin from your face and helps get your glow going once again. Don’t have time (or money) for a professional facial? Try an at-home facial! Tip # 4 Get the blood flowing to the face. Sometimes, some good, old-fashioned exercise can make all the difference in getting your skin to a better place. In this case, yoga is ideal as the goal here is to detox, meditate and get circulation and blood flow to the face. The rosy flush that results from an hour of yoga usually ushers in a glow right behind it. Bonus Tip: Sugar and EVOO is a great DIY scrub to exfoliate your dry skin. By Y.Smitty  View Woman had the opportunity to participate in the Annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome along with the Browning Learning Academy (www.blainc.org). I admitted that I did not know much about the chromosomal condition. They provided literature about the condition and I wanted to make to provide our readers with some of this information. Knowledge is power and if we have useful information we want to make sure we all have that information. After all, women empower one another, right?
What is Down Syndrome? Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that one in 691 babies in the US are born with. It is a condition that is not reserved for any specific race, gender or economic levels. Common physical traits are of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature and upward slant to the eyes. People with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory & hearing problems, Alzheimer’s disease, childhood leukemia & thyroid conditions. That sounds hopeless to read a list of increased conditions but many of these conditions are now treatable. As a result most people with Down syndrome lead healthy lives. People with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is typically mild to moderate. Children learn to walk, sit, play and talk although later than other children without Down syndrome. What Causes Down Syndrome? Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair comes from your father, the other from your mother. Down syndrome results when abnormal cell division involving chromosome 21 occurs. These cell division abnormalities result in extra genetic material from chromosome 21, which is responsible for the characteristic features and developmental problems of Down syndrome. Any one of three genetic variations can cause Down syndrome: Trisomy 21. About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21 — the child has three copies of chromosome 21 (instead of the usual two copies) in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell. Mosaic Down syndrome. In this rare form of Down syndrome, children have some cells with an extra copy of chromosome 21. This mosaic of normal and abnormal cells is caused by abnormal cell division after fertilization. Translocation Down syndrome. Down syndrome can also occur when part of chromosome 21 becomes attached (translocated) onto another chromosome, before or at conception. These children have the usual two copies of chromosome 21, but they also have additional material from chromosome 21 attached to the translocated chromosome. How is Down Syndrome Diagnosed? Down syndrome is usually identified at birth by physical traits. Some babies may have Down syndrome features but not have Down syndrome so additional testing can be done. One test is called the karyotype chromosomal analysis. This test can be done by drawing blood and photograph the chromosomes within the cells. They group the them by size, number, and shape. Down syndrome is diagnosed by examining the karyotype and identifying an additional full or partial copy of chromosome 21. A similar genetic test called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can also confirm a diagnosis. Testing can also be performed before a baby is born through screening and diagnostic test. Screening test involve a blood test and ultrasound. Diagnostic testing is recommended if prenatal screening shows a high chance of the child being born with Down syndrome for a definitive diagnosis. Diagnostic test for Down syndrome are chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis. CVS is usually performed in the first trimester between 9 and 11 weeks, and amniocentesis is usually performed in the second trimester after 15 weeks gestation. Source: national down syndrome society  Maybe you feel stuck, with no hope of a promotion and no skill sets to find a better one. You're not alone, 57% of people are unhappy with their jobs! Many people feel this way because people feel underpaid and have no room for growth. Our society is so focused on whether or not something satisfies them, but they don't know how to find satisfaction in what they're doing. They see boredom presented as an acceptable reason to leave a job. So, guess what? Soon they complain about being bored at work! One thing leads to another, and the next thing you know, they are completely dissatisfied and miserable in their job. Yes, this employee who was once a hard worker and very happy at their job is now convinced he or she is in a "dead-end job."One career "expert" told Forbes magazine, "A dead-end job is one where you don't see any opportunity for growth, or where an everyday task seems like a burden instead of an achievement, or where there is no appreciation or acknowledgement for your work. "REALLY??? HELLO!!! Wake up!If you are waiting for the opportunity to grow to come knocking on your door, you've got a problem. If you don't see any opportunity for growth in your current position, then guess what… Your job is not the dead-end. YOU ARE! Key advice: prosper where you are planted!  The truth is, no matter what your job is, there is always room for growth. There is always the opportunity to improve. If you are bored in your job, don't go looking for another job! Look for new skills you can learn and new needs you can fill inside of your current company. If you feel like you are underpaid or under-appreciated, don't walk away! Look for ways to increase your value. You must prosper where you're planted. I know it's easy to think if you just had that perfect job or if you married that perfect person or if you had the perfect kids, you wouldn't have any of the problems you're facing right now. But the truth is, none of that stuff really matters. It wouldn't matter if you had the perfect job… If you are not looking for satisfaction, you will not be satisfied. So it all comes down to this: Find satisfaction in your work. When you work with excellence and diligence, and when you are invested into your company, you will find satisfaction. Source: DaniJohnson.com
Rosie The Riveter Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military. Rosie the Riveter is commonly used as a symbol of feminism and women's economic power. source: wikipedia For many single parents, dating relationships are simultaneously a source of energizing excitement and numerous questions. In the midst of the euphoria of new love, the questions of "How?" and "When?" to introduce children into the mix become some of the most pressing issues. When it comes to introducing your children to an individual who has become very important to you, consider the following factors:
Look at Your Relationship A lot of parents want to know, "When should I introduce my kids to the person I'm dating?" Peter Sheras, a clinical psychologist at the University of Virginia, and the author of I Can't Believe You Went Through My Stuff!: How to Give Your Teens the Privacy They Crave and the Guidance They Need, advises parents to look first toward the quality of the dating relationship before worrying about how or when to introduce children. "The commitment is the most important piece because, when there's commitment, that becomes obvious to the kids." Being honest with yourself and your partner is key. Not every dating relationship reaches the level of commitment that necessitates including the children. You may very well be enjoying a casual, lively social life with a person who is fun to be around, but with whom you simply don't envision a future. This is critical because once you introduce children, you leave them vulnerable to becoming attached. Frankly, doing so before you've even determined for yourself that this will be a long-term relationship is unfair to your children and could potentially be as painful for them as your initial separation or divorce from the other parent. Before you introduce children, you should:
 Yesterday I had the privilege to participate in the National 2014 Buddy Walk Program. Admittedly, I was not aware of the Buddy Walk or its purpose. I woke up Saturday morning looking for a reason to cancel. It was 5:00 A.M. dark and raining. For me to be attend I had to wake my 5 year old son up out of his sleep, load him in the car and drive two hours. I really fought hard to find a reason to no show the event but I got up. I grumbled all the way to coffee pot. I decided I made a commitment to someone so I needed to get moving. I arrived to East Texas on time and ready to walk, unfortunately weather would not let the large crowd be fabulous. The event was moved inside and there was not enough room to technically walk. I don’t think people had a problem with that under the circumstance but there was plenty of indoor activities. I must say I was truly glad I did not miss this event. There were people everywhere! The kids were present and entertained with all sorts of activities from face painting to huge bounce slides. Lunch was provided and vendors were there with support services, literature other informational booths. View Women had the opportunity to talk to families and play with children. One child I got the pleasure to hold and love on was Rayden. Rayden does not suffer from Down syndrome. He did not suffer from anything! Rayden is a child with Down syndrome and he was so full of life! I believe he was the happiest kid in the room. He was eager to dance and went from arm to arm passing that infectious smile. He was so playful and loving. He also had a huge team of crusaders to walk in support of Down syndrome. It was just amazing to see all the families and friends coming together for a cause that was near and dear to them. There was another little girl whose name I cannot remember but I do know she collected "Dimes for Downs" and she was able to raise over $500 in dimes! Excuse me while I gasp! I must also admit I do not know of anyone personally touched with the chromosomal condition and don’t know much about it. I am learning and researching it from my own experiences at this event. If you or anyone you know has Down syndrome and is in need of a support group in the East Texas Area I would recommend contacting The East Texas Down Syndrome Group. The website site is www.etdsg.org and the contact number is 903.757.3516. They are a non-profit organization and they are affiliated with the National Down Syndrome Congress (www.ndsccenter.org) another source of information for new and expectant parents. If you would like to know more about Down syndrome please tune in for the next blog post. By Y. Smitty  Oprah Winfrey“Queen of All Media”  Oprah is known to be the most influential woman in the world. Oprah is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi, raped at age nine and became pregnant at 14. She lost her son in pregnancy. An avid reader and great student, she landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. She was so good with her delivery, she soon got transferred to the daytime-talk-show arena. Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. After boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated. She did this by reinventing her show to focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality. She is often praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history and is currently North America's only black billionaire. In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard. Source: Wikipedia
 Natural hair is naturally dry. It is easy for straight hair to receive the natural oils produced from the scalp as it easily travels down the hair shaft. It’s more difficult for the natural oils to travel down the naturally curly, coily hair shaft. It is especially difficult to reach the ends of the hair which is the oldest part of our strands. With the cooler months approaching you might find your hair needs more moisture than in the warmer months.
I will share two simple tips to keep your natural hair moisturized. Moisturized hair is happy healthy hair. Tip # 1 Moisturize daily with a water based moisturizer. The BEST water based moisturizer is WATER. (How simple is that?) I keep a spray bottle with plain old fashion water. I lightly mist my natural hair every day with water. I mist it in the morning in the warmer months and at night in the colder months. Tip #2 After you moisturize your hair you want to seal your hair. Let me quickly explain term "seal" for the newly natural or for anyone who might not know what that term means. If you are adding moisture to your hair daily you will want to seal that moisture into your hair strands. Without a sealant the moisture you just added will naturally escape the hair shaft before it has a chance to nourish the hair. You can seal the shaft with products that are cream & butter based such as shea butter or oil based such as almond oil or castor oil. Bonus Tip If you have thicker hair, try a butter or cream to seal your moisture. On the other hand if you have thin soft hair, try oils. You may find butter to be too heavy for your hair. BY.Y SMITTY |
