Actress Jasika Nicole first believed she could be queer when she was a teenager, but the Scandal alum was hesitant on how to move forward because she'd never seen a Black woman in that space before.

Speaking to Blavity's Kenny Williams Jr., Nicole allowed herself to wholeheartedly acknowledge her queerness after moving to New York.

“It felt like it was a long time coming but at the same time, once it happened, it was like how can I ever go back?” the 41-year-old said. “Once you get a little taste of how good your life can be, it’s really hard to try and step backwards. Happiness is for everybody, everybody deserves to find it."

What makes Blackness so beautiful is its ability to seamlessly intersect with other identities. Rather than identifying contrasts, Nicole argues that celebrating diversity is a more effective method.

"I think it's really important to celebrate all the ways that we come together to create community and the ways that make us different than the other people that are around us," she said. "I love being in queer spaces but when they're all white, it can feel a little bit isolating."

Singer, businesswoman and philanthropist Ciara is lending her services in the name of cancer awareness. In June, she launched the #CervingConfidence campaign to encourage more Black and Brown women to receive regular health screenings.

"There's nothing better than being totally dialed in with your total wellness," she said to Blavity in June. "Just being really dialed in and knowing where you are is amazing. And it gives you that ultimate confidence. If God forbid, you discover something wrong, you're giving yourself an opportunity to fix it."

Because nearly 2,000 Black women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, the mother of three advises ladies on her #CervingConfidence website to begin regular examinations at age 21.

"When I learned about the disparity for Black women and Brown women as it related to cervical cancer, I felt that this was a great opportunity to really jump in and amplify the message," she added. "I learned that Black women are two times more likely to die from cervical cancer. When you learn information like that, you can't help but want to find ways to help."

Professor and founder of the 1619 Project Nikole Hannah-Jones made headlines in July when she rejected the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill's tenured faculty member offer in favor of historically Black institution Howard University. 

Stepping into her new role as founder of The Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard, Hannah-Jones believes that "journalism is the firewall for our democracy," but argues today's reporters could do better in covering and engaging in the infringement on democracy occurring in the United States.

"So many journalists come from communities where they don’t believe that democracy is being threatened, because that’s never been their experience," she explained, "or they really have a fundamental belief that American institutions will hold, that they will self-correct."

The Notre Dame alum even went on to say society's struggle to address critical race theory will lead to unfavorable ramifications.

“We’re not in an unprecedented moment at all. In fact, we’re in a very predictable moment because we’ve seen these patterns historically. I think we’re in a very dangerous moment."

Through her efforts at Howard, Hannah-Jones will prepare Black students with lifelong skills to make sensitive and necessary topics digestible for the greater population.

Social media connoisseur and on-camera journalist Kalen Allen's rise to media greatness is a marvel to witness. In just a few years, the Kansas City, Kansas native went from commenting on questionable cooking videos from the comfort of his bed to interviewing the likes of Kelly Rowland as a fill-in host for Ellen Degeneres' namesake program.

When Allen began speaking out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, he lost a number of followers. Speaking with Blavity, the 25-year-old shed light on why he not only decided to be vocal about racism, but also why it's important to retain your principles in a society focused on obedience.

"I will also ride and be loyal to Black people. At the end of the day, when I need that support and loyalty, that's where it's going to come from. I am not delusional to think that just because I got a little fame and fortune that other audiences won't turn their backs on me."

"We all know how race works within Hollywood. There's already so few of us existing, especially those of us who are Black and gay. So, I always want people to understand that I am Black first and I am not willing to sell that out or manipulate myself for your comfort all because you don't want to talk about who I am as a whole entire being."

Feminist author Dr. Moya Bailey is responsible for coining the term 'misogynoir," a term used to call out the blatant disrespect and contempt against Black women.  

In a conversation with Blavity's Danielle Maya Banks, Bailey broke down what misogynoir transformed looks like.

"If you can name it, you can address it. Misogynoir is such a depressing topic, it's not something I wanted to leave just hanging in all the problems that are there. I wanted to talk about how people are moving toward a solution. That's what I think about the word 'transformation.' It reminds me and is definitely evoked through my own instance in transformative justice, reading the works of others who are really trying to get us to think beyond the system we exist in now and think about what transformation looks like. And also calling on our radical imaginations."

Kofi Siriboe rose to fame and topped millions of celebrity crushes list thanks to his work on drama series Queen Sugar and 2017 film Girls Trip. The 27-year-old is now dipping his toes in entrepreneurship with the formation of We're Not Kids Anymore. Speaking with Blavity, the Los Angeles native shared the most difficult part of being a businessman.

"Being an entrepreneur is one thing. But being an independent entrepreneur basically means self-sufficient, self-funded, being able to manage your money, manage your emotions and still get the bag without selling out."

Being productive and expressive are things not normally taught in the real world, Siriboe says. With We're Not Kids Anymore and future projects he completes, the Los Angeles native is out to change that narrative once and for all.

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