The NBA’s regular-season awards do more than hand out trophies. They help define the season, spotlight the players who shaped it and, in some cases, mark the beginning of a new era.

With more honors scheduled to be announced throughout the week, this running tracker will be updated as each winner is revealed.

Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs

Keldon Johnson is the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, earning the award for a season in which he brought toughness, scoring and stability to San Antonio’s bench. On a Spurs team built around youth and growth, Johnson gave the rotation an experienced presence and dependable production.

His case was not only about points. Johnson helped set a tone with his physicality, rebounding, and willingness to do a little bit of everything, which the Spurs will need every bit of in this first round against Portland, with their defensive player of the year, Wemby, potentially out with a concussion.

Clutch Player of the Year: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the winner the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award, in what may be several year-end awards for the Canadian. The Thunder guard has built a reputation as one of the league’s steadiest late-game scorers, and this award puts that part of his game front and center.

Named for Jerry West, the award recognizes the player who delivers when the game gets tight. For Gilgeous-Alexander, it reflects the calm, controlled style that has made him a difficult match-up, especially in the closing moments of the game.

Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

France’s Victor Wembanyama is the NBA’s 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year, giving the Spurs star his first major regular-season award and another milestone in a career that is moving fast. At 22-years-old, he is the youngest player to win Defensive Player of the Year, and he is also the first unanimous winner in the award’s history.

This places Wembanyama, alongside some of the league’s best defenders, including Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, Marcus Smart, and many more. Gobert, Mutombo and Wallace are tied for the most DPOY wins with four each.

For Wembanyama, the win feels less like a surprise than a checkpoint on his NBA journey. This once in a lifetime talent, representing the next generation of the NBA and its international influence, has already become the kind of defender who erases the easy shot, cleans up mistakes, and makes teams rethink how they want to attack the paint. Now he has the award to prove it.

The NBA will announce additional awards throughout the week: Sportsmanship, and Most Improved. The MVP is typically announced mid-March.

After years of using traditional fish-smoking systems that were hazardous to physical health and environmentally depleting, Gen Zers in Manoka and Douala, Cameroon, sought change. The partnership between the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REACOF) and the Women Organizing for Change In Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) helped to drive a sustainability movement in Cameroon that is showing generational impact. 

“Right now, less than 1% of climate financing reaches women’s organizations at all levels. Yet, it is women who are at the forefront of climate solutions. Women are closest to the effects of climate change through their roles as the main community farmers, fish harvesters, and natural resources managers,” Dr. Jeannette Gurung, Founder and Executive Director of WOCAN, expressed in an interview with EBONY when speaking about the lack of female representation in the climate change arena. 

Despite the health implications that women face with climate change, there are many who push for economic change on a global scale who are not recognized or heard of. WOCAN is an international women-led nonprofit membership organization dedicated to establishing sustainable environments on a global scale while amplifying female leadership representation and equity within the landscape.

The organization created the W+ Standard, a framework that’s designed for organizations to evaluate their sustainability efforts with metrics that strategically outline how they empower women across areas such as leadership, income, and health, to name a few. 

“We have designed the W+ Standard to provide a way for individuals, companies, and investors to directly channel financial support to women’s groups and organizations engaged in project implementation, through the purchase of W+ credits. We believe that this provides an easy and transparent way for Gen Zers to show their support for person-to-person contributions that make real and measurable changes in women’s lives,” Dr. Gurung noted when explaining more about the training program. 

W+ Credits are offered by WOCAN and allow individuals, companies, or investors to financially support women’s organizations seeking to implement the W+ Standard in their projects. The purchase of W+ Credits helps global sustainability and female leadership efforts come to life by providing financial support, education, and empowerment to women. Outside of Cameroon, these credits have supported projects in India, Kenya, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, and Mexico. 

President and Founder of REACOF, Cecile B. Ndjebet, believed that protection was needed for women’s equality across parts of Africa as it pertained to advocacy for policies and practices for gender equality in environmentalism. After identifying men and women in Cameroon, as well as empowering their personal and economic development.

“The W+ project was the turning point of the great change we can observe today in Manoka, Mbenguè Dikoumè, Lonji, and in Campo beach as we developed two other initiatives based on lessons from Manoka women fish dryers,” Ndjebet said.

The partnership between WOCAN and REACOF birthed a new chapter for the organization through education, environmentally-friendly work alternatives, and compensation for their work that typically would go unnoticed. Their primary work activity of fish smoking initially included the use of mangrove wood, but has since shifted to metallic and clay models. This has helped eliminate previous issues including lack of temperature control, injury from burns, eye irritation, and respiratory issues. 

The W+ Standard allowed for 60 women to be directly trained with 80 additional women receiving a transfer of knowledge. Outside of significantly reducing mangrove wood use, these women also saw a 125% increase in their revenue after using the organization’s Income & Assets domain. As a result of implementing the training, they reduced wood consumption by 36% and the smoking time for fish-smoking systems by 18%, according to Dr.Gurung.

In turn, this improved the market value and quality of the fish, along with the sustainability and health impact of those using the machinery. Women in the area are now recognized as leaders in their community, providing restorative practices and shifting gender normalities in environmental leadership.

Now that they have quantifiable results of their sustainable efforts from the training, they can receive more support from grant makers and purchasers of W+ credits, which will allow them to enhance their efforts on a larger scale while championing women’s empowerment within the forests and mangroves of Cameroon. 

While there are many platforms, organizations, and individuals that are supporting their counterparts in the fight for sustainability, Dr. Gurung recommends for those looking to support to take a closer look at who is truly taking care of the planet— women. Moreover, the importance of ecosystems that play a large role in climate protection to get a better understanding of how they lead these efforts in their own communities.

“By learning about and engaging with initiatives that measure and reward women’s environmental labor, such as the W+ Standard, they can help shift old models of aid toward genuine empowerment. Supporting these women means uplifting new leaders—many of whom have been underpaid or unpaid for their essential work sustaining our shared planet,” Dr. Gurung explained when speaking to what those in the United States, specifically Gen Z, can do to support their counterparts in coastal areas in the fight for environmental gender equality and sustainability.

The rain had been teasing us all night. 

Not enough to interrupt the World Baseball Classic (WBC) game hosted at San Juan’s Hiram Bithron Stadium, but just enough to make itself known. As the crowd settles into their seats, they treat the weather the same way they treat the tension of the game — as just part of the experience. 

By the time we came to the seventh inning stretch, the sky stopped being polite. What started as a drizzle turned into a full downpour, causing many to run for cover. Still, the majority of the fans stayed in their seats. Soaked, smiling, singing loudly along to Rihanna’s “Umbrella” as it reverberated through the stadium speakers.

It was in this instant that Puerto Rico made sense to me. Not because rain delays are unique to San Juan, or because baseball crowds elsewhere don’t know how to have fun. But because there was something in the refusal to leave, in the singing, laughter, the decision to stay present when life gets messy.

This felt like a more honest entry into the spirit of the island than any brochure-friendly description ever could. 

When it comes to the relationship status between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, “it’s complicated” feels like the most honest answer.

In the wake of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, and the familiar debate over what an “American” performer should sound like, I found myself thinking about how La Isla of Puerto Rico has long occupied a strange space in the American imagination. 

Still, maybe holding on to that individual cultural identity is what makes Puerto Rico so distinct. And as a guest here, it can feel like an escape out of the country without ever leaving it.  

In many ways, it’s a traveler’s dream destination, as it is one of the few places under the American flag that still feels like an international getaway without ever having to reach for your passport. 

And then there’s baseball. 

At the WBC, the game doesn’t feel like background noise or mandatory nostalgia. It feels urgent, loud and alive. Latin music spills through the speakers. Fans are on their feet before the first pitch. The stadium moves like a block party filled with gente who didn’t just come to watch a game and have the obligatory hotdog and beer. They’re here because the outcome of the game demands their presence.

The tension of the Panama vs. Puerto Rico game unfolded slowly. The bats for the host country didn’t come alive until much later in the game. Yet, la muchedumbre refuses to sit.

Every pitch carries more weight than the last. A near-miss here, a hard-hit ball there, and moments drawing “ay bendito” from somewhere in the stands are quickly replaced by laughter, by hope, by belief in the next pitch. 

It’s an understatement to say that Puerto Rico loves baseball. Not to say that the United States doesn’t. But the relationship between the island, the sport, and the country is harder to pin down, because baseball shows up differently in each place. 

On the mainland, the game in recent years has started to feel like a memory. Like an ex you swore you’ve moved on from until something like “our song” reminds you why you loved them in the first place. However, in Puerto Rico, it feels like something else. 

A kind of language spoken fluently, without translation, con tu jeva that you never left. 

You can trace it through names that carry more than stats. Roberto Clemente, possibly the island’s most beloved son, and Hall of Famers like Edgar Martínez and Carlos Beltrán. More than 270 (some sources say 400) Puerto Rican players have made it to the Major Leagues.

Considering the size of the island and the global impact of baseball, that feels less like a coincidence and more like esta brutal. But you don’t need numbers to understand this obsession with baseball. It’s woven through every touchpoint of San Juan. 

The city unfolds in color: historic facades, blue cobblestone streets, and romantic balconies leaning into narrow roads. The music travels here: around corners, through open doors, and turns into un rimto in your body.

Especially after partaking in el sabor del trópico, courtesy of Hotel Rumbao. 

It shows up at the table, at restaurants like Cocina al Fondo, where Puerto Rican cuisine is reimagined without losing its roots. Chef Natalia Vallejo, winner of the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef, embraces the kind of cooking that reminds you of meals prepared by someone’s abuela, where the recipe and decor were less about precision and more about memory.

And then, just as quickly, the island offers something quieter. A stretch of white sand in Icacos. A secret hideaway where everything slows just enough for you to realize how much you’ve been moving. 

Because Puerto Rico itself exists in that same in-between space. American, but not fully its own. Independent in spirit but still tethered in practice.

An island shaped by Spanish colonization, African ancestry, and Indigenous Taíno roots, and all of it is still present in its culture and its people. Still, there’s a quiet question that lives underneath it all: what Puerto Rico is, what its owed, and what it might become.

Statehood. Independence. Something in between.

It’s not always spoken, but it’s always there. And yet somehow, baseball brings us back to all of that. 

The field, the players, the stage is a release — a declaration. A way for Puerto Rico to be seen on its own terms, even when the relationship to the country watching them is still unresolved. A kind of orgullo that doesn’t need translation.
 
Because for a few innings, under the lights in San Juan, baseball doesn’t feel like America’s pastime. It feels like it belongs to Puerto Rico. 

Black professionals and specifically women are more susceptible to higher levels of stress due to systemic racism, workplace politics, and various life factors, leading them to experience detrimental effects mentally and physically, leading to “weathering” accelerated physiological aging and cumulative health deterioration, as well as higher rates of hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and more. 

However, some high-performing Black women professionals are keenly aware of the debilitating effects of chronic stress and are actively choosing to protect their mental health and peace, and are actively redefining what balance looks like in today’s always-on culture.

Chantal Rochelle, Talent & Influencer Partnerships Consultant at Hulu and owner of Realm Media LLC, has a hectic schedule as an entrepreneur and actively contributes to one of the world’s largest streaming media companies. How she stays sane and peaceful is solely attributed to her strong boundaries and time management. “I’m very on top of my time management, my schedule, and my calendar. I do not play when it comes to not being available after a certain time, but each day is different. Every day stretches me to grow and to kind of stretch this muscle when it comes to ideation, when it comes to creativity, every day is different, and that’s what makes me happy and thrive as a creative,” she told EBONY.  

From working on major television titles like The Testaments to ideating a Pride Month campaign, Rochelle strives to ensure she’s in a good headspace to curate her best work. “What’s important is the type of work I say yes to. I’ve turned down brand opportunities. I’ve turned down things because they weren’t conducive to my time management or my well-being. I was asked to do a major production recently, and I declined because it wouldn’t have given me time to rest. I’m now asking myself whether certain projects are worth my sanity and well-being,” she said.   

While actively setting health boundaries for yourself in the work setting is ideal, many Black women often struggle with doing so. Rochelle suggests making your expectations about the project or work schedule known up front. “I let it be known what my expectations are and ask clients what their expectations are of me when it comes to the work we’re doing. I also have a strict no-contact policy after 5 pm for work. I set that precedent for onboarding. I put it in my capabilities deck, I put it on my onboarding kickoff calls, and uphold it,” she said.  

As someone who’s experienced burnout before, Rochelle knows the signs of when it rears its ugly head. In her 20s, while working in New York City, she fainted on the subway train. Although she had noticed symptoms leading up to what I was feeling, getting headaches, having numbness in her fingers, she ignored them for two to three months. After passing out, she popped an aspirin and went to work. 

“Burnout for me shows up as distance. I’m still getting things done, still performing at a high level, but I feel disconnected from myself. The things that used to energize me start to feel heavy; even small tasks take me longer than they should. It’s almost like my spirit is asking me to slow down, but my life hasn’t caught up to that yet, and so that’s how I really monitor what I’m able to do and what my output will look like,” she shared.  

Rochelle continued, “Burnout becomes almost inevitable when you don’t create space to just be without needing to prove anything. I didn’t want to be seen as unworthy. I was trying to climb the career ladder, but I wasn’t putting myself first. I was putting my job first. So for me, healing wasn’t one big moment; it was a series of small choices. Like choosing rest without guilt, saying no to things, and being honest about what I actually had capacity for, and also reconnecting with things that had nothing to do with productivity feels joyful.” 

Now, she makes it a practice to pay close attention to her body, which helps her stay present and aware of any signs of burnout creeping in.  

Lauren Paige Woulard, founder and communications strategist of LPC Consulting, decided to take a step back and reflect on how she wanted her life to feel after her layoff from Paramount in June 2025, which led her to actionable self-care when she was exhausted.

“When you’re in a role where you’re building other people’s brands and initiatives, and you’re always behind the scenes, you get used to being in a role where you’re constantly doing for other people. The exit from Paramount allowed me to really sit with myself and figure out what I wanted. I dove headfirst into health and wellness. Because people always say, ‘When you look good, you really do feel good.’ I used the layoff as an opportunity to take care of myself in totality: my health, fitness, and wellness,” she said.  

Woulard has also found solace in content creation, believing it’s a way to bolster her joy while allowing her audiences to connect with a side of her they haven’t seen before. “I’m so used to people knowing me for this part of my life, but I wanted to open up a bit and show people other parts of myself that I’m discovering or rediscovering. I also felt like my journey and story could influence or help someone during a difficult transition without being ashamed of it. Now I use content creation as a form of healing and self-care,” she shared. “People think self-care, too, has to be a really expensive thing, but it actually is about doing whatever is important to you and pouring into yourself.”  

Here are some helpful additional tips on managing stress from Dr. Akua K. Boateng, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist and founder of Ambition Well (an emotional wellness firm).  

Take a Sabbatical

“I am a firm believer in the 7-7-7 rule around deep rest. Every 7 days, take a day; every 7 weeks, take a weekend; and every 7 months, take a week. These micro-sabbaticals offer regulated, scheduled time for rest, recovery, and restoration.” 

Pre-Burnout Analysis 

“Take a deep dive each quarter to assess how you are doing mentally and emotionally. Block out a lunch every quarter to evaluate your largest energy drain, what is restorative, and what better boundaries would look like. ” 

Self Compassion 

“We are our own toughest critics. Unfortunately, regulation and critique have difficulty coexisting. Give yourself credit at the end of your day for the things accomplished, create a loving self-care day in gratitude, and—with a gentle hand on your heart—remind yourself, “You are doing amazing, love.” 

Express Yourself

“A powerful way to manage stress is to express it. Call a friend, write in your journal, talk to yourself, dance, cry, and release the energy from your body. Suppression fuels disorder.” 

Mental Load Inventory

“It’s the load everyone is talking about. Mental load can be exacerbated by overcommitment. Stress commonly signals that your system is overloaded. Insomnia, digestive issues, anxiety, brain fog, etc. In these moments, it’s important to take stock of how much you are holding. Take a moment to ask yourself: What signal is my body sending me? In what brave ways will I choose to respond?” 

Front-Load Recovery

“When showing up as excellent isn’t a choice, you need intentional time before and after projects for care. Plan a massage, getaway, or even community time ahead of taxing weeks or projects. Book a therapy session, a silent 2-day retreat, or a fun day after completing a task. It will remind you that you are worthy of care.” 

Burnout Prevention Starts with the Body 

“Before burnout happens, your body will send warning signs. Fatigue, irritability, short fuse, gut issues, etc. Find a naturopath to walk you through holistic repair.” 

“I’ll kill you, my kids and myself.”

A sinister threat 31-year-old Army veteran Shamar Elkins said to his then fiancé Shaneiqua Pugh in Shreveport, La.

On April 19, Elkins fatally shot eight children ages three to 11 in what authorities identified as a domestic incident; seven were his own. Elkins also shot two adult women, including the children’s mother, Pugh, who survived with injuries before he was unalived by police after fleeing the scene. According to reports, Pugh and the other victim whose name remains undisclosed, were specifically targeted as an act of retaliation following her decision to end the relationship.

The shocking tragedy is the most deadly of recent reported cases of gun violence targeting Black women. From coast to coast, there’s an unprecedented rise of Black women fatally shot by men they loved.

Let’s call it what it is: femicide—the intentional killing of women or girls at the hands of men who are often intimate partners.

This is Not a Coincidence. This is a Crisis.

Men killing Black women is one of the single most urgent issues menacing Black America today. Between 2011 and 2024, the number of Black women killed by men with a firearm increased by nearly 30 percent, according to the Violence Policy Center.

Black women are 14 percent of the U.S. population, yet make up over 30 percent of women killed by men. Ninety percent of Black women knew their killer, and in most cases, Black women are killed by Black men. Nearly 80 percent of these murders involve gun violence.

This month alone there’s been an alarming number of female victims. On April 1, Florida police found Coral Springs’ Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, dead after a welfare check to the home she shared with husband Stephen Bowen. Metayer Bowen was discovered on the couple’s bed, wrapped in blankets and garbage bags, with three gunshots fired into her body. Bowen sits in a Broward County jail awaiting trial. He has been charged with premeditated murder.

In Virginia, a Fairfax County judge ordered the state’s former Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax out of his family home by the end of April. Fairfax received the order ahead of a divorce filed by his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, in summer 2025. Weeks later, the former politician shot Dr. Fairfax multiple times in the basement of their D.C. suburban home, ruthlessly snatching away the dentist’s life. He took his own life in the former couple’s bedroom, orphaning their two teenage children.

Pastor Tammy McCollum, 58, recited the opening line of Psalm 34 on Easter Sunday at the Well Worship Center in Statesville, North Carolina. The next evening, the pastor was shot and killed by her husband, Eddie McCollum, 61. He frantically called 911 himself, confessing to fatally shooting the pastor during an argument. “I killed my wife,” the husband told the dispatcher. “I’m done.”

While not a confirmed case of femicide, suspicion swells around the death of influencer Ashly Robinson.

Early this month, the model, known on social platforms as Ashlee Jenae, traveled to Zanzibar for her 31st birthday with her boyfriend, Joe McCann. Days after the content creator shared photos of McCann’s elaborate marriage proposal with her followers on Instagram and TikTok, local police reported Robinson was found unconscious in her hotel room after the couple had an acrimonious argument. Zanzibar police reported Robinson took her life. But Robinson’s family and scores of voices from Threads to TikTok aren’t buying it.

“Nothing about this loss feels real,” a statement by the Robinson family read. “One moment, she was celebrating love and life in truly Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone.” Zanzibar authorities seized McCann’s passport and are holding him for questioning. But not as a suspect, as a witness.

Black Men’s Protection & Deflection

Commentators and social media users are expressing outrage at tone-deaf and poorly timed RIP posts eulogizing Fairfax’s political memory, instead of condemning his unconscionably murderous behavior.

Discourse centering Fairfax’s potential mental health challenges—which are speculative and not confirmed—as a deflective reflex is comparable to how mass media treat perpetrators of mass school shootings. The focus on the shooter’s mental health, instead of the impact on victims and their families, reflect the privileged position of young white men and the practice to protect them. After all, it’s largely white people who must end racial bias. And surely, it will take Black men to end femicide.

The fixation on who Black women loved, instead of how they died, is another social media phenom of deliberate deflection. The rhetoric, primarily from Black men, posthumously trolls Ashly Robinson for being in a romantic relationship with a white man. “So a white man dated her killed her but you want Black men to care” one user wrote on Threads, mirroring an avalanche of bot-driven, face-less posts around Robinson’s untimely death.

These are grossly misleading takes, not informed by data around femicide, and largely ignore the overwhelming majority of Black women who are race-loyal to Black men.

“What we do know is that Black women are most often harmed by someone they know, typically an intimate partner,” says Karma Cottman, founder of Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. “There is a very real tension between protecting Black people from harmful systems and naming harm happening within our own communities.”

More Women, More Tragedies

In recent cases unreported by major news outlets, at least three additional Black women were tragically shot and killed by men they loved.

Qualeshia “Saditty” Barnes, a pregnant 36-year-old, Detroit-born rapper and mother of five, was fatally shot early April in Atlanta. Family members say she was killed by the father of her unborn child, who reportedly did not want her to continue the pregnancy.

On April 13, Victoria Alexander, a 38-year-old nurse and mother of two, was fatally shot in what authorities described as a premeditated attack by her estranged husband at her workplace in New Jersey. Like Fairfax, he later died by suicide.

Femicide is not limited to intimate partner violence. Assailants can be close male relatives.

On April 15, Barbara Deer, a 51-year-old widow of Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer, was found fatally shot in her Chicago home. Authorities say her son was responsible in what has been reported as a murder-suicide.

How to Safely Intervene

Femicide not only impacts potential victims, the crisis significantly effects people around potential victims, who often lack guidance on how to offer support. As evidenced by the tragedy in Shreveport, women in community with potential victims can also be exposed to harm.

To intervene effectively, experts recommend supporters shift from fixing to empowering.  Research from the National Domestic Violence Hotline confirms that given domestic abuse is centered on power and control, the most helpful response is one that restores autonomy.

Effective intervention begins with non-judgmental validation and “I” statements to dismantle isolation, as in, “I believe you’re not safe.” The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence identifies empathetic listening as a survivor’s primary lifeline. According to the center’s research, supporters must prioritize quiet safety planning, securing documents and establishing code words, over pressuring potential victims for a quick exit.

“One of the most dangerous times is when a woman is trying to leave the relationship,” says Cottman of Ujima. Intervening on potential victims should be paired with low-profile, tangible support, such as babysitting or holding emergency cash, to ensure a safe path to resources if and when they’re ready.

There are early, identifiable signs, which Cottman outlines: “Pay attention to patterns of control. Look out for isolation, extreme jealousy, monitoring, financial control, intimidation, and threats.”

She says negative experiences on victims and the larger community can have a chilling effect when reporting. “These combined issues often lead to silence and underreporting,” she adds.

If you’re experiencing domestic violence, you are not alone. Call 1-844-77-UJIMA now.

Geneva S. Thomas is a media executive, culture critic, and author of the forthcoming book “Supervillain,” the history of Black women in American reality television and newsletter “Inside the Culture.“

Shopping for pre-owned luxury handbags represents a sustainable choice that aligns with environmentally friendly practices and promotes a more ethical fashion industry. This shopping approach helps extend the lifecycle of high-quality products, ensuring that the considerable resources and labor invested in their creation are utilized for the longest possible time. Here’s how choosing second-hand contributes to sustainability.

The fashion industry is one of the major contributors to global waste, with a significant portion of its output ending up in landfills. Consumers play a crucial role in curbing this trend by opting to purchase second-hand luxury bags. This choice reduces the demand for new products, thus minimizing the waste generated during production and helping conserve materials that are already in use.

Supporting the pre-owned market contributes to a decrease in the manufacturing of new items, conserving resources such as water, energy and raw materials required in the production process. This lessens the waste and diminishes the environmental impact associated with resource extraction and processing.

Purchasing pre-owned luxury bags also helps in lowering the carbon footprint. Since the production and distribution of new luxury items are energy-intensive and involve long supply chains, reducing the demand for new products cuts down on carbon emissions. By investing in durable, timeless luxury items, consumers promote the concept of slow fashion.

This shift from the fast fashion cycle of buying and discarding encourages a sustainable, quality-focused consumption pattern. The pre-owned market plays a vital role in the circular economy, promoting the reuse and recycling of goods, which supports ethical consumption by not directly contributing to brands that may overlook sustainable practices.

Shopping for second-hand luxury handbags is not merely a nod to style but a profound step towards sustainable and ethical fashion practices, benefitting both the environment and society.

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Jermaine Jackson and his partner, Maday Velazquez, were front and center at Lionsgate’s Michael premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 20. The proud parents were there to support his son Jafaar Jackson, who stars in the titular role of his uncle, Michael Jackson.

Jackson and Velazquez, who is 40 years his junior, began dating shortly after his 2016 divorce from Halima Rashid, and announced their engagement in 2018. Though no official announcement of their marriage has been publicly shared, she has been referred to as his wife in public settings.

Even though Jackson was part of one of the most influential music groups of all time, the most important title in the singer-songwriter and producer’s impressive life may be “dad,” which he embraced in 1977 when he welcomed his firstborn with then-wife Hazel Gordy. 

Now that he has seven children of his own, the star has supported all of them when it comes to their superstar dreams—both in the family business and carving their own paths. Here’s a look into his large offspring, and the ones that are carrying the family name into the future of the entertainment industry. 

Jermaine II, 49

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A post shared by Celebrating The First Family of Music (@thejacksons70s80s)

Jermaine’s firstborn son grew up surrounded by role models of music industry success; his mother, Hazel Gordy, was deep in the entertainment industry as the daughter of legendary Motown founder Berry Gordy. You’ve seen him in 1992’s The Jacksons: An American Dream, where he took on the role of his father as a teenage actor. The father-son pair have remained close partners since then, including collaborating on the audiobook version of Jermaine Sr.’s You Are Not Alone: Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes. 

Autumn, 47

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A post shared by Autumn Jackson (@autumn_joi_jackson)

Jermaine became a girl dad for the first—and only—time in 1978 when he and Gordy welcomed daughter Autumn into the Jackson family fold. Despite shying away from the spotlight as an adult, she’s still making waves in the family industry behind the scenes. The tech enthusiast revealed she is CEO for a music technology company she founded along with her husband in 2018. Luckily for fans hoping to catch a sneak peek into her world as industry royalty, Autumn posted sweet tributes to her mother and father in throwback pics back in 2020. 

Jeremy, 40

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While marriage trouble brewed between Jermaine and Gordy, the musician welcomed his son Jeremy in 1986 with creative agency founder Margaret Maldonado. Like other gifted members in the Jackson family, the music bug bit Jeremy at a young age. The musician learned to play the guitar and reportedly performed onstage with his father in a number of concerts in 2010. 

Jaimy, 39

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Born in 1987, the youngest of Jermaine’s children with Gordy followed in his sister’s path and built a comfortable life outside the demands and spotlight of the stage. While scouring the internet won’t reveal a lot of current info on Jaimy, the world caught a glimpse of him as a child when he appeared with his father and sister on the Byron Allen Show in the 1990s. 

Jourdynn, 37

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Jermaine and Maldonado had their last child together in 1989, welcoming son Jourdynn before the two Hollywood heavyweights went their separate ways. The photographer recently used his skills to support his younger brother, Jaafar, as he rehearsed for his role in the Michael biopic. In 2023, Jourdynn snapped behind-the-scenes photos of the actor in his role. 

Jaafar, 29

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At this point, Jafaar needs little introduction as the man starring as his uncle in the upcoming Michael film. The actor is the son of Jermaine’s second wife, Alejandra Oaziaza, and has been celebrated for his natural entertainment instincts, releasing the music video for his first single, “Got me Singing,” back in 2019. 

Jafaar has put in the work to build up his Hollywood profile, thanks to a little boost from his family ties. In 2017, Jafaar showcased his airy vocals on stage with Jermaine to perform “The Christmas Song.” Of course, fans will be able to hear more of that natural ability when he dons a sparkly glove to play his uncle MJ, a huge splash for his first movie role as a leading man. 

Jermajesty, 25

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Jermajesty has equally close ties to his extended family as brother Jafaar, having lived with his grandmother, Katherine Jackson, for a time as a child. 

In 2017, Jermajesty, whose is also the son of Alejandra Oaziaza, was also on stage to help his father and Jaafar ring in the holidays with a sweet family rendition of the Jackson 5 classic. He’s undoubtably been one of his brother’s biggest cheerleaders as the family jets around the world to celebrate the biopic’s rollout. 

Abu Bakr Khalifa Jackson

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There was plenty of glitz and glamour to keep our attention at the Michael red carpet in Berlin, but Jermaine’s latest addition to his brood, Abu Bakr Khalifa Jackson, stole the show. 

Not much is known about the toddler, having only now been revealed to the public years after the musician got engaged to Velázquez in 2018. But his infectious energy and showmanship while running around the red carpet in a blinged-out tuxedo let us know that the Jackson legacy is in good hands … and feet! 

When we hear “remote work,” we instantly think of the pandemic, a time when Zoom was booming and a digital shift empowered many to build the careers they wanted from their phones and laptops. Recently, co-founder of SKIMS and Good American, Emma Grede, was caught in the latest internet discourse after her comments on work-from-home productivity on “Baby, this is Keke Palmer.”

“What I think is that work from home culture is a career killer for women […] What is happening is that we talk about all of this upside of Zoom culture, but not all of the rigidity of it. No one in reality will tell you, but careers require proximity and visibility. You want a pay rise? You want the next promotion? You want the big corner office? Guess what? You need to be there,” Grede expressed in her interview with Palmer.

Many people pushed back on her remarks, claiming that since the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been the most career growth they’d experienced. According to a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study, 65% of HR professionals reported that their organization’s remote work policies positively impacted employee morale.

“I’m genuinely unsure why Emma Grede is the authority on what ambitious women can build from their laptops. Some of us have been doing it for years,” said digital creator Kedasha Kerr in a video response. On the other hand, some people agreed with Grede’s comments but were still left with questions. This also wouldn’t be the first time that Grede’s perspective has gotten called out by Black women recently after her comments on being a “3-hour-mom”. 

McKinsey and the nonprofit Lean In released their “Women in the Workplace” report late last year, which showed that work-from-home culture is limiting opportunities for upward mobility in the workplace. The study found that six in 10 women experienced frequent burnout, compared with half of men at the same level. Additionally, the stigmatizing of remote work for women has a low likelihood of sponsorship or promotion in the workplace.

Meanwhile, men don’t face the same repercussions. So, while Grede’s comments may have had some truth to them based on the data presented, the circumstances that Black women or women of other races may experience this issue vary based on industry and workplace culture. 

Allie Tsahey is one of the many Black women who have come forward on social media to speak up in response to Grede’s interview. Her latest social media post, in collaboration with her organization, Baddies in Tech, has sparked a new conversation within the pre-existing one. Tsahey’s video not only touched on the lack of accessibility to women of color in the workplace, but it shone a light on how the rules for Black women are different in the workplace and how much gatekeeping plays a role in getting bypassed for opportunities. 

“For many women, especially Black women, work-from-home is not just convenience from daily commutes, or being able to hit a pilates class on your lunch break, it’s literal protection from the bias, daily microaggressions, and heightened scrutiny most of us face in corporate America,” Tsahey told EBONY.

She continued on to explain that work-from-home culture has allowed people to take the necessary mental health breaks that they need to be successful, and avoid burnout or exhaustion to aid their mental health. In turn, this allowed some to show up in the workplace in a healthier way.

“The fact remains, career opportunities are absolutely driven by relationships, proximity to leadership, and informal networks, but remote or not, women and minorities have always been left out of the rooms and relationships that truly accelerate career growth. Now that we’re being called back into the office, the real issue isn’t in-person presence, it’s how that presence is being valued and rewarded, because if showing up was enough, women of color would rule the world,” she said.

Similar to Baddies in Tech, other organizations such as Sports Equity Entertainment Network (SEEN) and Fortune & Forks are actively working to combat the lack of access that minorities and women of color experience in the lack of relationship capital that supports career growth.

Community support and sponsorship are the ways that people have been combating the issue of accessibility, primarily because the inequality that exists in corporate spaces and workforces is perpetuated at a greater magnitude than what can be fixed in an employee resource group (ERG).

Though the future of work remains uncertain as more layoffs happen, it’s safe to say that working from home isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Hair has always been a major way I, like many people, choose to express myself. However, it wasn’t until I became an actively dating adult that I realized my hair was unintentionally sending signals and attracting different people depending on how I wore it.

Bolder colors seemed to attract players, braids and curly styles drew more vibrant individuals, and straighter hairstyles brought in a mix of young and older professionals. At first, I wondered if this was simply a coincidence, but then I started hearing similar stories from other people. Which ultimately had me questioning: can something as surface-level as hair dictate your dating life?  

Well, Ashley L. Dalton, a level-up coach, believes it does. Dalton, who has built a following by helping women upgrade their lives and appearance, says the main question she gets is how to style their hair. “Hair is tied to our identity, and we are judged, if I’m being honest, based on our hair first,” Dalton told EBONY. “I do feel like a hairstyle can change how people view you…I think the energy you have behind a hairstyle, the way you carry that hairstyle—that plays a part too, for sure.”

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Last year, one of Dalton’s followers expressed that she was tired of attracting hotep/free-spirited men with her loc’d styled hair. Dalton suggested styling her locs differently, looking to Chloe and Halle Bailey for inspiration, or to opt for a shorter cut.

“Within five days, she cut her locs off into a pixie, and she said, ‘The world changed,’” Dalton said. “She received more options, and that’s not to say she didn’t look beautiful with the locs, but she noticed a drastic difference in who was approaching her and how she was being received in the world, not just by men, but by everyone.”

Similarly, professional hairstylist of 12 years, Shara Williams, says, one standout style that has improved her clients’ dating experiences is the flip-over curly look. “It tends to enhance a soft, feminine wifey aesthetic and gives off natural, effortless beauty,” Williams said. “Many clients love that it looks so natural that people can’t always tell whether it’s their real hair or not.”

For Williams, the best styles can be found at the root of natural and complementary to one’s features. This includes wearing natural colors, manageable lengths, and soft layers. Universally, she says wavy or curlier textures are more appealing at shorter lengths, adding that it’s less about the specific style and more about the overall presentation. “Keeping your hair well-maintained and styled makes a bigger difference than the actual look itself,” Williams told EBONY. She adds, “neglect, rather than style choice, is what can limit appeal.”

From an evolutionary psychological perspective, Dr. Wendi Williams says hair and how it grows are great indicators of vitality and well-being. In fact, a British Journal of Dermatology study shows that early humans used their hair to signal health, maturity, and status.

“Just like other elements of our physical health, beauty can be a reflection of our internal health and perhaps a shortcut for folks to make determinations about the health of an individual and whether or not they’d be someone to date and possibly marry,” she said.

Dr. Williams, who’s the president of the American Psychological Association, shares that she’s all for people experimenting and exploring different hairstyles for attention. However, she does caution people about relying solely on these methods to boost their self-esteem while dating.

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“The tricky part is how much of this do [you] attribute to who [you are] versus how someone’s engaging with [you] because of [what they’re] seeing,” Dr. Williams said. “Are they going to be someone who can talk to [you] when [you’re] wearing the tiny Afro or when [you’re] doing another hairstyle that they may or may not be attracted to,” she questions. “I think ultimately, a foundation of self and self-worth that is consistent, irrespective of your hairstyle, would be the goal.”

​Anwar White agrees. While the dating strategist of 16 years says hair is an important factor in dating—especially in the age of dating apps—being secure in who you are is truly the key to success. “There’s a saying: hard wig, soft life. That signals something, that signals ‘I play by my own rules. I don’t care what anybody else thinks,’ and I think part of that is attractive to these wealthier men, who also don’t play by anybody else’s rules.”

Over the years, White has found that non-Black men with long hair, buzzcuts, and even curly high tops are more likely to date Black women due to these sentiments. “These are things that represent, ‘I’m not conforming to what you want me to be, and because of that, I am going to live the life that I want to live without other people’s opinions,’” he said.

While we often say it’s just hair, it’s more than apparent that it really is not. Whether it’s curly, long, short, or blue—the overall takeaway is to make sure you feel like the best version of you in every scenario.

“What every Black woman knows is that feeling you get after you step out of the salon—you feel amazing about yourself, you are confident about how you look, and who you are as a woman—that is the thing that is going to drive the success in your dating life, not your hairstyle or color,” White said.