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https://www.blackenterprise.com/hgtv-kyra-epps-chicago-habitat-for-humanity/
Chicago native and award-winning HGTV producer Kyra Epps is returning to her hometown to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity Chicago on a new building project.
Following the success of Buying Back The Block, which saw Kyra and her husband, comedian/actor Mike Epps, work together to rebuild Mike’s childhood community in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kyra is back to build homes and lead workshops in partnership with ReStore Chicago. Her collaboration with Mike to rebuild his hometown inspired Kyra to do the same for her city. Now, she’s on a mission to empower fellow Chicagoans to achieve homeownership and build lasting family legacies.
“No matter how far you go or how successful you become, there’s always a need for a home base,” Kyra tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“Your home base is your foundation and your truth. So, when I reflect on my life and what I want for future generations, I realize it was time for me to come back home and plant that seed for homeownership.”
Driven by a deep commitment to giving back to her community and a strong belief that everyone deserves a beautiful home that boosts their self-esteem, Kyra is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Chicago. She hopes to use her platform to engage the community and teach people how to design their homes, fostering a sense of pride and ownership.
“I’ve officially joined Habitat for Humanity Chicago as their Community Impact Partner, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together,” Kyra says.
“My goals are twofold: first, to educate people about homeownership so they can return to their communities and help break down the barriers that often hold them back,” she adds. “Second, I felt it was crucial for women like me to be visible in these roles, driving change in our own neighborhoods. As a Black woman, I know how important it is to be part of that transformation, and I’m committed to making a difference in my community.”
Kyra and Mike’s time hosting Buying Up The Block became one of the most-streamed home renovation shows, but its success went beyond TV ratings. It resonated deeply with the Epps, highlighting the meaningful impact they could have as public figures in their hometowns.
“Mike and I really get the importance of family and legacy,” she shares. “He invested in his grandma’s house from the 1960s because keeping it in the family was so meaningful to him.”
“After the HGTV show aired, we realized our impact went beyond just us,” she adds. “People started feeling inspired to return to their childhood homes and pour love back into the communities that raised them. Honestly, that inspired me, too—I wanted my kids to see the light from my side of the family.”
Kyra also recalled another motivation.
“My family lost our family home in Chicago for generations, like so many families in Chicago are displaced. That’s when I knew it was time for me to return to my home, to the city that made me who I am, and bring that same love and attention,” she says.
The HGTV star and home designer is reeling over the purchase of her first property on the West Side of Chicago.
“I’m really excited about it!” she says.
On October 12 in Chicago, Kyra will join other women at Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build event to construct a home alongside Habitat for Humanity. Those interested in donating to Team Kyra for Women Build can click here.
RELATED CONTENT: Mike Epps Is ‘Buying Back The Block’ In Indiana For HGTV Show
HGTV’s Kyra Epps Returns To Chicago To Partner With Habitat for Humanity As Community Impact Partner
Chicago native and award-winning HGTV producer Kyra Epps is returning to her hometown to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity Chicago on a new building project.
Following the success of Buying Back The Block, which saw Kyra and her husband, comedian/actor Mike Epps, work together to rebuild Mike’s childhood community in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kyra is back to build homes and lead workshops in partnership with ReStore Chicago. Her collaboration with Mike to rebuild his hometown inspired Kyra to do the same for her city. Now, she’s on a mission to empower fellow Chicagoans to achieve homeownership and build lasting family legacies.
“No matter how far you go or how successful you become, there’s always a need for a home base,” Kyra tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“Your home base is your foundation and your truth. So, when I reflect on my life and what I want for future generations, I realize it was time for me to come back home and plant that seed for homeownership.”
Driven by a deep commitment to giving back to her community and a strong belief that everyone deserves a beautiful home that boosts their self-esteem, Kyra is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Chicago. She hopes to use her platform to engage the community and teach people how to design their homes, fostering a sense of pride and ownership.
“I’ve officially joined Habitat for Humanity Chicago as their Community Impact Partner, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together,” Kyra says.
“My goals are twofold: first, to educate people about homeownership so they can return to their communities and help break down the barriers that often hold them back,” she adds. “Second, I felt it was crucial for women like me to be visible in these roles, driving change in our own neighborhoods. As a Black woman, I know how important it is to be part of that transformation, and I’m committed to making a difference in my community.”
Kyra and Mike’s time hosting Buying Up The Block became one of the most-streamed home renovation shows, but its success went beyond TV ratings. It resonated deeply with the Epps, highlighting the meaningful impact they could have as public figures in their hometowns.
“Mike and I really get the importance of family and legacy,” she shares. “He invested in his grandma’s house from the 1960s because keeping it in the family was so meaningful to him.”
“After the HGTV show aired, we realized our impact went beyond just us,” she adds. “People started feeling inspired to return to their childhood homes and pour love back into the communities that raised them. Honestly, that inspired me, too—I wanted my kids to see the light from my side of the family.”
Kyra also recalled another motivation.
“My family lost our family home in Chicago for generations, like so many families in Chicago are displaced. That’s when I knew it was time for me to return to my home, to the city that made me who I am, and bring that same love and attention,” she says.
The HGTV star and home designer is reeling over the purchase of her first property on the West Side of Chicago.
“I’m really excited about it!” she says.
On October 12 in Chicago, Kyra will join other women at Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build event to construct a home alongside Habitat for Humanity. Those interested in donating to Team Kyra for Women Build can click here.
RELATED CONTENT: Mike Epps Is ‘Buying Back The Block’ In Indiana For HGTV Show
Early voting is starting across the nation, and that means we have another Paint The Polls Black Town Hall.
Learn how you can make a plan to vote early and use your power at the ballot box. Showing up for each other at the polls this year is crucial. Let’s use our power to fight for each other.
TOPICS: Donald Trump election kamala harris Paint The Polls Black Politics voteThe post WATCH: Paint The Polls Black Town Hall — Early Voting appeared first on Essence.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret
Last night, the Victoria’s Secret returned with their first fashion show since 2018. In other words, New York turned into a lingerie-clad supermodel spectacle.
From Tyra Banks’s surprise appearance to Joan Smalls, Imaan Hammam and Jasmine Tookes, the catwalk served as a comeback for their scandal-driven six-year hiatus—all unveiled in front of a celebrity->Cardi B channeled Old Hollywood curls, much likeCoco Jones, with contacts and an otherwise lightweight makeup look.
While rapper Ice Spice turned from ginger to jet black, La La Anthony, Tyla, and Teyana Taylor all matchedsrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-2177920126-scaled.jpg" alt="Top Beauty Moments From The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show" width="400" height="599" />Tyra Banks on the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 15, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Masato Onoda/WWD via Getty Images) Queen Latifah and Eboni Nichols 
Queen Latifah and Eboni Nichols at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 15, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images) Law Roach 
Law Roach at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 15, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images) Joan Smalls 
Joan Smalls on the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 15, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Masato Onoda/WWD via Getty Images) Paloma Elsesser 
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Paloma Elsesser walks the runway during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 at Duggal Greenhouse on October 15, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic) Anok Yai 
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Anok Yai walks the runway during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 at Duggal Greenhouse on October 15, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic) Coco Jones 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Coco Jones attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) Cardi B 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: (L-R) Cardi B and Coco Jones attend the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) Teyana Taylor 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Teyana Taylor attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 After Party at Crane Club Restaurant on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) La La Anthony 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: La La Anthony attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) Jodie Turner-Smith 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Jodie Turner-Smith attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) Tyla 
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Tyla attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 at Duggal Greenhouse on October 15, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) Imaan Hammam 
Imaan Hammam on the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 15, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Masato Onoda/WWD via Getty Images) Angel Reese and Kysre Gondrezick 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: (L-R) Angel Reese and Kysre Gondrezick attend the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) Isan Elba 
Isan Elba at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 15, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images) Ice Spice 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Ice Spice attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret) Jackie Aina 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Jackie Aina attends the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on October 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret)TOPICS: best red carpet beauty celebrity beauty runway beauty Victoria’s Secret
The post Top Beauty Moments From The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show appeared first on Essence.
X-Men ’97 reintroduced the audience to plenty of great stuff, like a fantastic animation style, the original voice cast, the classic team dynamics, the social and political commentary, and yes, the iconic theme song many of us occasionally hum while working. However, the X-Men universe is vast, and the show did leave plenty of things to be desired. Sadly, we can’t discuss them all and their potential fit within the new series, as the list is way too long even to go over. Instead, we’re here to discuss the Savage Land and its possible role in Season 2 of X-Men ’97.
When X-Men ’97 was initially announced, many die-hard fans of the show who remember it as a Saturday morning cartoon were hit by nostalgia, and many revisited the 1992 original series, X-Men: The Animated Series. In fact, the announcement resonated with Marvel and MCU audiences so much that it attracted new audiences to X-Men, which is why the successor series was so successful, at least in part. Well, many fans of TAS probably remember that Season 2 of the series had a parallel narrative in which the mutants deal with Professor X’s absence.
The other side of that parallel featured Magneto and Professor X lost in the Savage Land, with the Professor being able to walk again, but he and Magneto aren’t able to use their mutant powers due to a disruptor device planted by Mister Sinister. For those who aren’t familiar with the in-depth lore of X-Men, the Savage Land is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica that has appeared in many story arcs in Uncanny X-Men and other related works. It was created by the Nuwali, an extremely intelligent alien race, at the behest of the Beyonders, who sought to observe the process of evolution under controlled conditions.
To achieve the Beyonders’ request, the Nuwali set up a number of game preserves on several planets, including Earth, during the Triassic period. They chose a valley in Antarctica surrounded by active volcanos and implemented several technological solutions that would maintain the tropical climate, before introducing all sorts of planet-native life forms to the area, such as dinosaurs and early mammals — including the ancestors of Homo Sapiens, the Man-Apes. The Beyonders eventually grew bored with their little experiment after some 200 million years, causing the Nuwali to stop maintaining the “game preserves.”
However, the climate-maintaining technology was left running, causing many species that would have otherwise become extinct to continue to thrive within the Savage Land. We won’t dive into the rich history of the Savage Land that has been told throughout various Marvel Comics; as you might expect, it also features a thrilling mix of prehistoric creatures and hidden civilizations, with unique characters such as Ka-Zar and Sauron (no, not the Dark Lord from Lord of the Rings). Now, imagine such a rich and adventurous backdrop and how well it contrasts with the typical mutant storylines.
This could be another hit for X-Men ’97 purely because the full extent of the untamed and unpredictable side of the Savage Land hasn’t been explored in previous adaptations of the source material. Since its introduction in the X-Men comics in 1965—after appearing in 1941’s Marvel Mystery Comics #10, the Savage Land was the setting for numerous fantastic narratives involving X-Men and other comic book heroes, including the New Avengers, Spider-Man, and it served as home for Kraven the Hunter and a number of humanoid species.
The prehistoric setting filled with dinosaurs, exotic creatures, and unique environments provide a fresh backdrop for new adventures and conflicts within X-Men ’97. It could also introduce new characters to the animated series, like Ka-Zar and Shanna the She-Devil, which would expand the roster of both heroes and villains and provide the opportunity for future storytelling expansions.
Not only that, but introducing the Savage Lands could also drive character development, as both our heroes are drained of their mutant powers, forcing them to rely on their intellect and physical abilities for survival. And, as previously mentioned, the Savage Land is a familiar and beloved location from the comics, so bringing it back in X-Men ’97 would evoke nostalgia in die-hard fans of the franchise while still maintaining continuity with the original series.
The introduction of the Savage Land isn’t outside the realm of possibilities, considering that the X-Men are now trapped in time; Cyclops and Jean have traveled some 2,000 years into the future, while Rogue, Magneto, Xavier, and Nightcrawler are transported to Ancient Egypt in 3,000 B.C. where they just met a young version of Apocalypse. With all the time travel, the change of scenery involved in the upcoming season, and the impending limited-run comic centered on Rogue’s adventures in the Savage Lands, there’s really no reason not to include the prehistoric location in X-Men ’97.
The post Here’s Why Savage Land Featuring in X-Men ’97 Will Be a Treat appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.