The Black Panther Party was a force to be reckoned with during an era in American history where African-Americans fought to prevent their own subjugation.

During the 1960s and 1970s the Black Panther Party functioned as an organized front, ready and willing to militantly combat violence against black people. Their contributions to the development of a more liberated environment for African-Americans within a racist American society is immeasurable. Their importance to the process of building the societal structure that we now know is undeniable. As we celebrate another Black History Month, Hello Beautiful honors the influence that the Black Panther party has had in the Civil Rights historical canon.

How To Recreate Coretta Scott King’s Classic Look

As we remember their historical importance, and look back upon the Panther experience, we especially honor the strong, bold, powerful image of the Panther woman. The women of the organization were in many ways the coal that kept the engine running. They served an imperative purpose, and helped to propel the Panther message, but they always did so with style. The Panther women’s distinctive style holds its own place in our memories.

In honor of the characteristic urban military look that the Blck Panthers are not famous for, we’re giving you a look back at some vintage panther photos.

If you are interested in recreating the Panther look, we’ve got you covered! Take a look at some of our Panther inspired looks with a modern twist. Check out the originators of “All Black Everything” in our gallery, and dont forget to equip your self with a good pair of these:

2010’s Woman To Watch: Janelle Monae

VIA:  SmokeyRobinson.Com

The dictionary defines the popular term “comfort food” as “food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal.” It has been known to have a buffering effect as it soothes the soul and spurs memories of more “comforting” times. If that concept holds up in the kitchen, then it makes perfect sense that it should hold true in the living room with its aural equivalent. While it’s already a known fact that popular songs often connect with listeners in a highly personal way, often recalled alongside life’s more personal moments, only a few distinctive voices in popular music can achieve that same effect with instantaneous familiarity. With his eternally smooth and instantly recognizable falsetto alone – without the strings, bass, guitar or drums – legendary singer/songwriter/producer SMOKEY ROBINSON’s honey-coated voice absolutely is the audio equivalent of comfort food…comfort food for the soul…with soul. In following with the aforementioned definition, the Motown legend’s forthcoming ROBSO Records CD, Time Flies When You’re Having Fun has certainly been “prepared in a traditional style,” while that oh-so-familiar, highly identifiable crooning has an indisputable “nostalgic or sentimental appeal.”

Indeed, the “traditional” element of Time Flies When You’re Having Fun had already been determined while Robinson was recording his last CD, 2006’s pop/jazz standards collection Timeless Love. Just as that particular project had been recorded live in the studio with musicians – the first time he had recorded a full LP that way in years – Smokey knew he wanted to record his newly-written contemporary R&B songs in the very same fashion. In fact, he was so inspired by recording the “old school way” that the recording schedule for both projects actually overlapped. “I was having such a ball making that project (Timeless Love),” he explains. “I hadn’t intended on doing them simultaneously because I knew that Timeless Love was the one I was going to come out with. But things were going so well with that project that I said, ‘I’m gonna start putting in some of the original material I’d written for my new CD (Time Flies When You’re Having Fun) and record it this way too.’ I knew I was going to do these particular songs, but I didn’t realize I was going to wind up recording them live like I did with Timeless Love. So I did and we had a ball.” Though he’s the first to acknowledge and appreciate the technologically advanced way that recording for most releases are done today, like the cleaner sound and creative lee-way afforded by ProTools, Robinson was steadfast in his penchant for live instrumentation for this CD. “I think that you still don’t get that feeling that you used to get in the old days when everybody was in the studio together,” says Robinson, whose early Motown classics were recorded in this fashion. “That way was like doing a concert, because everybody was feeding off of each other. It’s just that live vibe.”

Click here to read more on Smokey Robinson…

Check out “Ebony Eyes” by Smokey Robinson and Rick James:

VIA:  AltheaGibson.Com

Born August 25, 1927 in Silver, SC, A right-hander, grew up in Harlem. Her family was poor, but she was fortunate in coming to the attention of Dr. Walter Johnson,
a Lynchburg VA physician who was active in the black tennis community. He became her patron as he would later for Arthur Ashe, the black champion at Forest Hills (1968) and Wimbledon (1975). Through Dr. Johnson, Gibson received better instruction and competition, and contacts were set up with the USTA to inject her into the recognized tennis scene.

A trailblazing athlete who become the first African American to win championships at Grand Slam tournaments such as Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Doubles and the United States Open in the late 1950s. Gibson had a scintillating amateur career in spite of segregated offerings earlier in the decade.

She won 56 singles and doubles titles during her amateur career in the 1950s before gaining international and national acclaim for her athletic prowess on the professional level in tennis.

Gibson won 11 major titles in the late 1950s, including singles titles at the French Open (1956), Wimbledon (1957, 1958) and the U. S. Open (1957, 1958), as well as three straight doubles crowns at the French Open (1956, 1957, 1958).

Check out this tribute to Althea Gibson:

Watch Althea win @ Forest Hills 1957:

Washington, D.C., native Taraji P. Henson didn’t always know that her smoldering charisma and beautiful face would make her a professional actress.

On the contrary, she originally studied electrical engineering when she enrolled at North Carolina Agric & Tech. She later transferred to Howard University, where she attended classes while working as a secretary at the Pentagon, and as a singer and dancer aboard a cruise ship. She eventually changed her academic focus to theater and graduated in 1995.

Henson’s career began with appearances on Homicide: Life on the Street and ER, but it really took off when she was cast in a major supporting role in 2001′s Baby_Boyand 2004′s Hustle_&_Flow, in which she also showcased her vocal talents, singing on the track “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” for the movie’s soundtrack, which took home the Best Song Oscar that year. Henson later moved on to take major roles in Smokin’_Aces and Talk to Me. Henson made the most of her work as the mother of the backward-aging man in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and her performance garnered Best Supporting Actress nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy.

VIA:  YAHOO MOVIES.COM:

Denzel Washington burst onto the big screen with an Oscar and Golden Globe-winning role in the Civil War epic “Glory” (1989). But over the following decade, the matinee-idol handsome actor became the first of his generation’s African-American movie stars to land squarely on Hollywood’s A-list – as likely to be tapped to play a heroic lead as any white actor would have been a shoe-in for only a decade prior.

Likened to Sidney Poitier for his ability to appeal to a multiracial audience, Washington’s grounding force was a critical and audience favorite in historical dramas like “Cry Freedom” (1987), “Malcolm X” (1992) and “American Gangster” (2007), as well in more action-driven dramas such as “The Pelican Brief” (1993), “Remember the Titans” (2000) and “Training Day” (2001). Rising above the “black actor” moniker, Washington not only held a firm position as one of Hollywood’s top dramatic leads well into the new millennium, he also earned industry respect for his filmmaking efforts – directing and producing both “Antwone Fisher” (2002) and “The Great Debaters” (2007).

Washington has been awarded three Golden Globe awards and two Academy Awards for his work. He is notable as the second African Americanman (afterSidney Poitier) to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, which he received for his role in the 2001 film Training Day.

Are you a true Denzel fan?  Take the Denzel Washington trivia quiz below and test how you rate.

1) On with 1980′s television drama was Denzel Washington a regular?

a) E.R.
b) St. Elsewhere
c) Chicago Hope

2) One of Denzel Washington’s early movies was the comedy Carbon Copy but he’s only made three comedies in his long career. The second was The Preacher’s Wife, what was the third?

a) Heart Condition
b) The Mighty Quinn
c) Mo’ Better Blues

3) Denzel Washington’s character was paralyzed in which movie?

a) Virtuosity
b) The Bone Collector
c) Ricochet

4) Denzel Washington won an Academy Award for which movie?

a) The Hurricane
b) Malcolm X
c) Training Day

5) American Gangster wasn’t the only movie Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe appeared in together – what was the first?

a) Virtuosity
b) Fallen
c) Devil in a Blue Dress

6) What was Denzel Washington’s first feature film?

a) A Soldier’s Story
b) Carbon Copy
c) Cry Freedom

7) Denzel was in a movie version of which William Shakespeare play?

a) Hamlet
b) Much Ado About Nothing
c) Othello

Answers:  1) b;  2) b;  3) b; 4) c; 5) a; 6) a; 7) b

Denzel Washington responds to the debate over why some of his roles haven’t been honored by the Academy. Check local listings for airdates of Tavis Smiley on PBS.

VIA: SpeakOutNow.Org

Through her activism and her scholarship over the last decades, Angela Davis has been deeply involved in our nation’s quest for social justice. Her work as an educator – both at the university level and in the larger public sphere – has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender equality.

Professor Davis’ teaching career has taken her to San Francisco State University, Mills College, and UC Berkeley. She has also taught at UCLA, Vassar, the Claremont Colleges, and Stanford University. She has spent the last fifteen years at the University of California Santa Cruz where she is Professor of History of Consciousness, an interdisciplinary Ph.D program, and Professor of Feminist Studies.

Angela Davis is the author of eight books and has lectured throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. In recent years a persistent theme of her work has been the range of social problems associated with incarceration and the generalized criminalization of those communities that are most affected by poverty and racial discrimination. She draws upon her own experiences in the early seventies as a person who spent eighteen months in jail and on trial, after being placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List.” She has also conducted extensive research on numerous issues related to race, gender and imprisonment. Her most recent books are Abolition Democracy and Are Prisons Obsolete? She is now completing a book on Prisons and American History.

Click here to read more on Angela Davis…

Check out this video of Anglea speaking at UCLA:

Check out this video of Angela’s 1984 appearance on Buchanan/Braden debating Racism:

When celebrating Black History Month, people tend to look back, instead of forward. And we don’t blame them. After all, it’s in the title – “history,” meaning all things memorable about the past.

But here at HelloBeautiful, we’d really like to call attention to not only those who made a difference or broke the mold, but those we feel will in the near future. The next couple of ladies we plan on profiling in “10 Women To Watch For In 2010″ are on their way to having a big year, and maybe even a bigger career.

NNEKA

Nneka’s come a long way since performing as the opening act for Sean Paul. In fact, we can’t sense even a hint of empty lyrics about booty-shaking and windin’ up in her songs. There is a bit of reggae in the backdrop, though. Along with hip-hop, rock, soul, and Afro-beats, all working together to create one hell of an eargasm.

Singing mostly in English, with occasional riffs in her traditional Nigerian language of Igbo, Nneka delivers rich vocals and tons of emotion — all while looking tough as hell, but still approachable. Compare her to Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu if you must, but labeling her the leader of the 2010 pack won’t hurt either. And it wouldn’t go without reason.

She recently toured across the country, finishing up in Chicago on Valentine’s Day, in support of her first U.S. release, “Concrete Jungle,” which is actually a compilation of her first two critically acclaimed European albums. (Much of her music heard in the U.S. has already been released in Europe and Africa, where Nneka is already a star, so it’s time the rest of us caught up.)

“Concrete Jungle” showcases Nneka as unafraid of bearing witness to hypocrisy and social and political injustice (source).  The 2009 MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award winner says,

“Nigeria is a tough place to grow up. Tribal wars, oil company exploitation, corrupt political leaders … I never really thought about becoming somebody; it was more about waking up with no pressure in a peaceful surrounding. But growing up like that has made me who I am.”

Nneka’s music is raw and sensual, as evidenced on lead single “The Uncomfortable Truth” (an iTunes Single of the Week).

“The Uncomfortable Truth”

“She brings a sociopolitical awareness rarely heard these days,” says air personality Garth Trinidad, of noncommercial KCRW Los Angeles. Trinidad made Nneka a featured performer at his January 30 Grammy Brunch in L.A. “People are starving for what she brings.”

We know we are. And you will be, too.

Check out our other Women To Watch For HERE!

“Heartbeat”

VIA:  JudgeMathisTV.Com

The real-life story of Judge Mathis is heartwarming and inspirational.  Greg Mathis was a gang member who dropped out of school, was in and out of jail and then overcame these adversities to become the youngest judge in the history of the state of Michigan.

The inspiration for his own TV court show, the Judge’s personal story is also the subject of a book, “Inner City Miracle,” released by Ballantine/One World Books in October 2002.

When he is not on the bench, Mathis makes it a point to give back to the community and to those in need of guidance.  In May 2002, Mathis hosted his first Self-Empowerment Expo in Detroit, designed to encourage individuals to develop and achieve worthy goals, and prepare themselves for a more prosperous future.  The Expo has since become an annual event in Detroit and has now branched out to other cities.  The fifth annual Detroit Youth & Education Expo will take place August 19, 2006.  The Expo offers speakers, workshops and other resources that offer today’s youth a chance to better themselves.

Click here to read more on Judge Greg Mathis…

Check out this video of an episode of his syndicated TV Court show:

Judge Mathis speaks on his book “Street Judge”:

Street Judge: Judge Greg Mathis – The most amazing home videos are here

Judith Jamison is one of the most important cultural icons of our time.

If dance is really a form of expression, then Jamison’s work has expressed volumes about the African-American experience, in a unique and lasting way.

Judith Jamison is a classically trained dancer, who rose through the narrow ranks of the American dance society. Her masterful grasp on the ballet, tap, jazz and modern techniques granted her a much coveted position in the American Ballet Theatre in 1964. She honed her talent and flourished as a member of the prestigious ABT company, enabling her to gain a position in the Ailey company only a year later.

In 1965 Jamison joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and danced with the company for 15 years to great acclaim. It was in this capacity that Jamison found her niche as a performer. She demonstrated a profound talent, rivaled only by her unique understanding of the emotions exemplified by the Ailey choreography which features concepts central to the Afro-American experience. She thrived as a dancer and was mentored by Alvin Ailey himself.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Althea Gibson

In December of 1989, Jamison was appointed Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. If the seed for the most successful and acclaimed black-owned dance theater was planted by Alvin Ailey, then it was definitely nurtured to perfection under the watchful eyes of Judith Jamison. Some of the most memorable performances in the Ailey performance canon were choreographed and/or performed by Judith Jamison. She will forever be lauded for her powerful artistic influence in the Ailey company, as well as in the broader dance community.

Read more about Judith Jamison and her contributions to African-American culture here.

Watch some of Jamison’s legendary choreography below!

How To Recreate Coretta Scott King’s Classic Look