They wanted an early Sunday morning workout. Just the two of them so that they would not be bothered. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to practice their dance and not be distracted by onlookers and I thought it was the perfect chance to get the two of them together for the shoot we’d talked about doing. They had never danced or shot together before and we were all a little unsure about what we would create. But, you know, that is the exploration…that is the adventure. They stepped into the dance studio. Stretched and loosened up. Connected. And proceeded to create. Both of these beautiful...

By Scottie Lowe I AM my hair.  I am my naps.  I am my African wooly hair.  I am every African woman who was beaten and told that she had to cover her hair or lose her life.  I AM every slave woman who loved her nappy hair and who had to see white women and mulatto slaves get preferential treatment for having straight hair.  I will NEVER as long as I live let straight hair define my beauty. If you ever watch that show “Yo Mama” on MTV, every show, they crack on someone for having nappy hair and everyone in the audience rolls with laughter.  Anyone who finds nappy headed momma...

by Maxwell Reddick My wife is a very intelligent, very well-educated person with impeccable, refined taste. Usually she acts as my cultural compass in matters such as the proper televisions shows and movies to watch. Left to my own devices, I would watch a bunch of corny b-movies and old blaxploitation flicks. I’m well-rounded that way. So, that is why I find it so curious that she actually watches and enjoys the Real House Wives of Atlanta. Before this season, the only television she watched was the Sunday night HBO line-up which was cool because I enjoyed that too, but this whole stop everything...

Overcast clouds were the forecast, and it was unexpected. As luck would have it, the weather for the week prior to shoot day had been nothing but sunshine. We had this great idea for a shoot but it required a strong burst of natural sunlight, similar to the day before, and the days before that and so on… Anyway, we decided to make the best of it. We shot outside, taking advantage of the even sunlighting you can get when the sun hides behind the clouds. We wanted to use the lush untamed backyard to this Carribean-themed jukejoint when it happened. God smiled on us that day. The clouds parted,allowing...

Hershey is an EarthSista on the move. Young, vibrant, and natural, this beautiful flower is a med student with a serious passion for dance and theater. Her affinity for perfomance grew out of her love for fashion and glamour. Today, she still dreams of owning a her own fashion boutique as well as a performance studio. This woman is doing everything she can to have it all. It is no doubt that with her ambition and energy, Hershey will be successful in whatever she decides to do. Although she is quite busy, Hershey loves her family and makes time whenever she can. Hershey also wants you all to know...

By Tamara Madden It seems like everything is causing cancer these days–from the air we breath, the processed foods that we eat, the toxins that we inhale and the products that we put on our skin.  All of these aid in the deterioration of our bodies. Did you know that your skin is the largest organ that you have? Most people don’t think of it that way, of course, but our skin is obviously necessary for protecting other parts of our body. Everything that you put on your skin gets absorbed by your skin. Many of those things contain lots of chemicals that are completely unnatural and can...