Kerry Washington is a political force on and off the screen!

 

via lamag.com

   
     On and off the screen, Kerry Washington has taken Hollywood and politics by storm!  Most famous for portraying the brilliant Olivia Pope in Scandal on ABC, Washington is something of a real-world "Livvie" herself.  She was born and raised in the Bronx, and her intelligence lead her to George Washington University in D.C., where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, the highest academic honor.  On screen, she uses her brain as Ms. Pope, the political "fixer," a lawyer and consultant who runs her own company cleaning up politician's messes in Washington D.C.  Check her out when Scandal returns on Thursday, Feb. 27!
    Washington is also known for her support of President Obama.  She worked as a volunteer on his reelection campaign, focusing on mobilizing youth to engage politically.  She gave a passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention, and also starred in an ad alongside celebs Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria that accused nominee Mitt Romney for not paying attention to women's issues.  This leading lady is a force to be reckoned with, on and off the screen!

More trivia! 

Kerry Washington:

1) was also accepted to Ivy League schools Dartmouth College and Yale University, but declined.

2) is of Jamaican descent (her mom's side!)

3) attended private girls' high school in NYC, the Spence School.

4) is married to Nnamdi Asomugha, an NFL cornerback.

5) is expecting her first child with Asomugha in the spring!

via IMDB

Amidst Award Season, We Can't Forget SELF's "Women Doing Good" Honorees

for the women who don't just look good, but DO good

By: Nicole

via

Between the Grammy's and the Golden Globes, it's easy to get sucked into the glamour of Hollywood. And that's okay. Enjoy the fashion reviews, the "who wore what" columns, and baby bump speculations. But when you're tired of the same old stuff, don't forget there are other awards being given out there in the world.

Back in September, SELF magazine held their 6th annual "Women Doing Good" banquet to honor those women who embrace their celebrity power and use it to help others. 2013's honorees ranged across the board in areas of health, humanitarian interest, education, and female empowerment. 

However, the big name of the year is that of "The Educator," known to the world as SHAKIRA.

I thought Shakira was a singer? 
While the majority of Americans know Shakira as a singer and dancer, her home country's youth know her as a warm person who fights to improve education. Born and raised in Colombia, Shakira has built schools and campaigned to change education policies so that more children have access to schooling. To date, she has opened six schools in the poorest areas of Colombia where up to 1/3 of the population is deemed to be below the poverty line. The seventh is currently being built in Cartagena.

Why does she do all of this? 
After growing up in one of the poorest areas of Colombia, she realized how much needed to be done. When Shakira became successful, she vowed to help those who couldn't help themselves.

As she has said:
" Investing in education is the most efficient tool to fight violence. Investing in our kids really is our only hope. They're our world's greatest resource. Not oil, not gas. It's the children of the world."

What are her causes? 
After releasing her third album at age 18, she began the Pies Descalzos Foundation in Colombia, opening a US counterpart named The Barefoot Foundation just a few years later. She currently serves on President Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador!

Did you know about Shakira's foundations? Or can you think of another Celebrity that has done work to help the poor? Let us know in the comments section! 


Full story at: SELF MAGAZINE

The Obama girls are growing up! “The First Daughters” take charge andset the agenda for their teenage years, including career & fashionchoices!

Spotlight on 12 year-old Style-Icon Sasha Obama and 

 15 year-old Student-Athlete Malia Obama

Sasha Obama via  Daily Mail UK            Malia Obama via Essence

      Sasha Obama, has been dubbed a “budding style-icon"  by the media after many of the alternative and unique clothing items she’s worn in public immediately sell out after a photo of her hits the web, such as the green “dancing Pandas” sweater from Urban Outfitters pictured above. Sasha drew accolades for her outfit to the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Pardoning this past November, where she paired a green knit sweater featuring cute dancing pandas from Urban Outfitters with red skinny jeans, a purple scarf,  punk-rock 90s-inspired Dr Martens boots and polished the look off with an elegant navy coat.   

Sasha is pushing the boundaries on what is considered “elite” fashion and making quite the impact in her affordable and alternative fashion sense.   The now infamous $18 “unicorn motif sweater” from ASOS, pictured below, forced the company to reissue the sweater after being floaded with “requests from shoppers keen to replicate the youngster’s look,” according to The Daily Mail UK. Sasha’s style has drawn a large response from the fashion community on Twitter and the blogosphere. 

via Daily Mail UK

     Malia Obama is now 15 years old, a tennis star and excellent student at her prestigious high school. Malia, described as “lawyerly,” by her father to People Magazine seems to be leading the way to bright future as she excels academically and on the tennis court while balancing preparing to apply to college. The President did admit that she has even begun to date but joked that if anything goes wrong, “[he] has men with guns following them around all the time," according to Time. 

     It’s clear that the Obama daughters are setting the agenda for the future and leading the way in keeping their parents in the loop.  President Obama admitted that he and Michelle listen to their daughters when it comes to knowing what’s new and progressive, including introducing her father to alternative social media sites such as, Instagram and Vine. 

       “They have tons of opinions,” Michelle Obama told People. “And it’s a joy to hear them think out loud about life. They’re growing into really interesting individuals.”

Do you like Sasha’s style? Would you rock the unicorn or Panda sweater?
Comment below!
xo Steph You

 

One Reason Why You Should be the First Lady:

GIF via Sports Illustrated

When else can you dunk a basketball in front of a portrait of George Washington in the White House while interrupting an interview between the Miami Heat and NOT get into trouble?

Happy 50th to Michelle Obama!

 

(via eurweb.com) 

Happy 50th birthday to the brilliant and hilarious First Lady!  A Princeton and Harvard Law grad, she has advocated for LGBT rights, lead the "Let's Move" initiative to combat obesity, promoted arts education, and supported and advocated on behalf of military families.  A role model to women everywhere, she is confident and poised, but never misses an opportunity to bust a move. (Evolution of Mom Dancing w/ Michelle Obama & Jimmy Fallon) (Michelle Obama dances 'The Dougie') (Michelle Obama dances with Ellen DeGeneres)
Happy birthday to this leading lady!  Now, if only Beyonce would sing at my birthday party...