Once again racism rears its ugly head when it comes to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their kids — What’s in a name? Apparently a lot when it comes to royal babies. After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, announced they were pregnant with a girl during that infamous Oprah interview, speculation began over both the name and the due date. Earlier this week, royal watchers received…

Allegations of bullying levied at Markle remind us that our character will be attacked by folks uncomfortable with our existence — I’ll never forget the time a former manager, an older White woman, remarked how I wasn’t my usual “peppy self” and hadn’t been smiling as much. Now mind you, this was shortly after the 2016 presidential election, so there wasn’t exactly much to smile about. It didn’t take long (16…

The singer-actress reflects on its fandom for the 20th anniversary — Vanessa Williams knows how to play a diva. Before she starred as the formidable Wilhelmina Slater in Ugly Betty, the award-winning singer and actress brought international pop sensation Ebony Scrooge to life in the made-for-TV movie, A Diva’s Christmas Carol. Based on the Charles Dickens holiday classic, A Diva’s Christmas…

Plus, how to muster up the tears if you’re a little too used to bottling up emotions — Back in July, Brooklyn-based novelist Andrea Bartz started to notice hives on her back and hip. She sought out medical help through telehealth appointments, but nothing seemed to alleviate the ailment. “I was getting more and more stressed out [about the hives], even though I knew stress might be contributing…

How the Feeling Wheel has helped me navigate my emotions during a pandemic — “How does that make you feel?” is probably the question most associated with therapy. It’s meant to help people connect with their feelings, but sometimes it can be hard to adequately express emotions. I should know — my therapist calls me out on this on a regular basis. …

What are epidemiologists, virologists, and doctors putting on their (and their families’) faces in day-to-day life? — As masks have become as critical to people’s daily routines as brushing their teeth and grabbing their keys — per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against Covid-19” — it’s also become clear that not all masks are created…

Debut author Kim Johnson’s new novel grapples with the criminal justice system and being Black in America — When Kim Johnson was writing This Is My America back in 2015, there’s no way she could have predicted her debut YA novel about racial justice and America’s judicial system would be so relevant. …

Home to more than 7,000 members worldwide, this at-home cycling group is all about sisterhood and accountability — In 2017, Courtney Snowden was pregnant with her younger son and thought she’d never see the inside of a gym again. …

America’s favorite auntie and social media influencer is shining her light in an otherwise bleak world — You wouldn’t necessarily know it by scrolling social media, but African Americans make up the largest demographic of vegans in the United States, at 8% of all African American adults, according to a Pew Research Center study. And while plant-based diets aren’t necessarily new to Black communities, their recent surge…