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Gerber has crowned Akil McLeod Jr. as the company’s 2024 baby. The one-year-old, nicknamed Sonny, won with his embodiment of Black boy joy.

Gerber selected McLeod out of the thousands of littles submitted to its 14th annual photo search. McLeod Jr.’s mother, Dominique, surprised their young family by applying without anyone knowing. The Phoenix-based family spoke with Today about the announcement and their shock at winning.

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“What are the chances, right?” said Dominque, who considered the odds as relatively low. “I didn’t even think about it until we received the email, and I was like, I should probably tell Akil.”

Akil, the senior McLeod, explained to the morning show that his kids are part of “something way bigger.” Sonny becoming the new face of Gerber is the first step of the family of four’s bright journey.

“Everyone thinks their kids are special, but this is different,” he said. “I was telling them the other day, I feel like I’m here to just be their dad and guide them along the way. But they’re here for something way bigger than I could ever imagine for both of them. They have something about them and they unleash something in us.”

Sonny will take part in Gerber’s social media and marketing campaigns with his new title. Moreover, his family will receive $25,000 in cash as well as Gerber products and clothing for the next year. Gerber will also donate $5,000 to M.A.N.C.A.V.E., a community fatherhood program in Phoenix that connects and uplifts dads of all backgrounds in the area. Akil Sr. is an active member of the organization.

As for her baby’s apt nickname, Dominique knew he would be a beacon of sunshine and brighter days.

The stay-at-home mother of two explained, “One day, we were laying in bed, and I was pregnant with him. And I was just like, ‘I need a nickname for him because it’s going to get confusing with two Akils.’ So the sun just perfectly came through a little peek of the window and on my belly, and I was like, ‘Oh, Sonny,’ and we both were like, ‘Yep, that’s it.’ And we called him Sonny.”

As tension soars high in House of the Dragon among the Greens and the Blacks with a war imminent, both factions will be looking to reinforce their troops before facing each other on the battlefield.

Season 2, episode 2, “Rhaenyra the Cruel,” was filled with instances of both groups discussing which houses they can rope in and consider allies, sending ravens in hopes of outnumbering their rivals in terms of support. Speaking of allies, the second episode featured a character that was seen for the first time in the series and will likely go on to have a major influence in the Targaryen conflict.

The post ‘House of the Dragon’ Just Introduced One of the Most Polarizing Characters From the Books appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Julian Randall By Julian Randall ·Updated June 26, 2024

Upon moving to England, I hadn’t really thought about my Black identity beyond the American context.  As I embarked on this new journey, it was important to me to make sure I owned clothes designed by Black British designers when I arrived. On the flight to Manchester, my new home, I wore a design by Nicholas Daley, who is of Scottish and Jamaican descent.  The blue pleated track pants made of cotton twill with a jacquard trim along the side seams were a gift to myself for being accepted into my Ph.D. program. 

Relocating to a new country for a three-plus-year stay made me think about my identity and how I fit into the world. I was curious about the experiences of Black people in the U.K. and what it means to be Black and British. While the popular tourist attractions are interesting, I was more curious about the everyday life of Black people in the country. Leaving my Julian Randall

It’s all true, but I’ve never believed that our relationship with fashion has always been vexed. Social realities do shape consumption and dress; “Shopping While Black” wouldn’t exist if it didn’t. But fashion,decoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/julian.jpeg" alt="What Living Abroad Is Teaching Me About Clothes" width="400" height="493" />Snaxshot

Two months after I settled in my Manchester flat, I attended the Africa Fashion Conference at the Victoria & Albert Museum, which accompanied the exhibition. It was one of the most nourishing and intellectually invigorating events I’d ever attended. Present were curators, artists, and scholars, some of whom dabbled in all three, and the majority were Black. Fashion designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture articulated the nature of bespoke tailoring in Africa and its deep embeddedness within Nigeran culture. This was the first time I’d heard someone give an account of Black luxury without all the weight. And to see African makers’ garments in the show, displayed with the same gripping, visual astuteness as the more decorative ones, was particularly illuminating for me. (It turns out Black folks can enjoy neutrals, and it doesn’t have to mean we’re sad or assimilating or whatever!) In between presentations, a side chat with Theo Tyson, Penny Vinik Curator of Fashion Arts at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, led to musings over Dapper Dan’s street theory of cultural translation. It turns out our affinity for logos might also reflect our preferred aesthetic expression. 

I enjoy people-watching at airports, where I’ve noticed an interesting trend. Many travelers don’t worry too much about their appearance, especially for early-morning flights. However, I’ve observed that many Black people still put effort into their airport outfits. As I helped my mom pick out her airport attire recently, I realized that this attitude might still be lingering within our community, and I hope it is. When I see Black travelers going through security and taking off their shoes, belts, and jewelry, I can’t help but notice their influence on Western fashion, particularly with streetwear. There’s a cool, casual vibe to theirrel="tag">men’s fashion

The post What Living Abroad Is Teaching Me About Clothes appeared first on Essence.

Okay, so Max isn’t dead, exactly. But HBO has returned from its Max-imposed exile. After unceremoniously removing the iconic three letters from its streamer’s name and turning HBO Max into just Max, Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing the HBO brand back into play. We assume that the company has rightfully assessed that the brand identity associated with HBO will help sell its products. Of course, many could have shared that insight before HBO was cut from the operation. But we’re glad it’s back now.

A new report from Variety reveals that according to HBO and Max content CEO Casey Bloys, there will now be a delineation between “Max Shows” and “HBO Shows,” and unsurprisingly, most of Max’s upcoming IP projects will be termed “HBO shows.” The publication notes this includes the It prequel, Welcome to Derry, the Green Lantern DC series, Lanterns, and the upcoming Harry Potter project will all fall under the banner of “HBO Show.” This is an interesting shift considering the company’s considerable efforts to get everyone to accept the Max brand.

Bloys shares, “We felt like we had to delineate between an HBO show and a Max show. The idea of using Warner Bros. IP as a delineation for Max felt right. At least that gives you a clear lane. But as we started producing those shows, we were using the same methods, the same kind of thinking, as how we would approach HBO shows. In a lot of cases, the same talent that has worked on HBO shows.” And further comments, “What we ended up with is shows at this scope and scale that look great, and great narratives and talent we’ve worked with. The idea of the delineation kind of started to feel unnecessary. Like, why are we doing this? Let’s just call them what they are: HBO shows.”

“Why are you doing this?” is definitely a question many people asked during the initial shift from HBO to Max. But we guess, better late than never. The “HBO Shows” label will officially come into play during 2025. While we can clearly define an “HBO Show,” there’s no exact word yet of what a “Max Show” is if it’s not basically all the projects we were expecting from Max. It seems there is some sort of financial delineation at play, but little else is mentioned with clarity. However, for now, The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy remain under the Max branding as they will release in 2024.

Bloys does seem regretful of this truth, sharing, “We will start in 2025, although ‘The Penguin’ would be an obvious fit as an HBO Original. Unfortunately, the process of licensing it internationally has already started.”

Additionally of note, any series branded as “HBO shows” will now run on linear network TV in addition to streaming on Max. That will likely mean a larger volume of programming in 2025. It sounds like Thursdays and Sundays will be original series nights for the HBO channel.

Bloys sums it up by saying, “For a show that feels big and cinematic, they already are going to make the assumption that it feels like an HBO show… This is just leaning into that.” That’s true, but it begs the question, why did anyone lean out of it in the first place? It will also be interesting to see what this reversion back to HBO will mean for Max as a streamer. Might we even dare to suggest it could one day be called… HBO Max.

The post Long Live HBO! The HBO Brand Returns From Its Max-Imposed Exile appeared first on Nerdist.