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https://www.essence.com/beauty/sephora-campaign-black-beauty-google-search-engines/

Photo Courtesy of Sephora By Emerald Elitou ·September 29, 2021 Updated

Let’s face it, Black Beauty is behind many of the trends, products, and styles we love. However, we rarely get the credit or recognition we deserve—especially online.

When you Google search Black Beauty, you are met with pages upon pages of search results, highlighting a black horse. Although the horse is both beautiful and mystical, the lack of diversity in the search results definitely warrants the question: Where are the images of Black women and men that showcase our beauty? Where is the wealth of information and stories about our many rich shades of melanin? We deserve better representation.

Starting today, Sephora is starting the initiative to change the way we see, discover, and learn about our beauty. As an extension of Sephora’s successful “Black Beauty is Beauty” campaign— which launched earlier this month— R/GA Media is embarking on a project to bring real Black Beauty to the top of the search results on Google.

Currently, when you search “K Beauty,” “French Beauty,” or “J Beauty” online, you will get images of people and products that represent these cultures, but when you search “Black Beauty,” you will get content about a fictional horse, which is strange especially since Black people spend a whopping $1.1 billion on beauty products annually. And that doesn’t even include the boatloads spent on weaves, extensions, etc.

To bring Black Beauty to the top of the algorithms, R/GA’s team devised a strategy to own the search experience on Google and YouTube in order to push our beauty content higher to the top and improve discoverability. The partnership is also calling on people to tag their content with #BlackBeauty to help bring real content to the top of search results.

“With this effort, we set out to change the search experience, and correct an overlooked error via a simple, but smart search hack,” said Ellie Bamford, SVP, Global Head of Media and Connections at R/GA. “Media has the ability to change people’s experiences, and this idea, in particular, will help shed bias and shine a light on the bias that does exist in the everyday search experience today. Because when you search for Black Beauty, you shouldn’t see a horse.”

Now that you are informed, what are you willing to do to help change the narrative? To learn more about The Black Beauty is Beauty campaign, visit Sephora.com

TOPICS:  black beauty Sephora

The post Sephora Initiates Campaign To Bring Black Beauty To The Top Of Google Search Engines appeared first on Essence.

https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2021/09/28/noc-interview-madchen-amick-previews-the-musical-and-whats-next-on-riverdale/

Mädchen Amick plays Alice Cooper on The CW’s hit series Riverdale. The show is based on the characters from the Archie Comics. New episodes of season five will continue airing on Wednesdays at 8PM ET and are available to stream next …

http://nerdywithchildren.com/best-science-fiction-books-for-kids/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-science-fiction-books-for-kids

Boldly go to strange new worlds with this list of the best science fiction books for kids.

One of the best parts of being a nerdy parent is sharing the geeky worlds you love with your kids. I still get a thrill when my kids name some obscure superhero they learned about from me. And I hold out hope that one of my kids will enjoy Star Trek as much as I do. 

But there’s another, deeper type of thrill when kids find their own nerdy worlds that they are passionate about. Sure, it might not be a type of fandom that you share (my kids all love anime and manga, art forms that I don’t enjoy at all), but those are theirs, and that passion can be inspiring. 

A great way to encourage kids to develop their love for science fiction is to introduce them to the world of books. Even for young, first-time readers, sci-fi books bring to readers all-new universes and adventures. Because readers use their imagination to bring to life the words on the page, your kids become co-creators, designing the characters and settings in their heads. 

There are, of course, hundreds of science fiction books for children published every year. And part of the fun for kids is going to the library or bookstore and finding their own discoveries. But for those looking for a start, here are some of the best sci-fi books of the recent few years. We’ve even broken them up by age, so you can launch your kids on reading adventures. With any luck, they’ll come back with some recommendations for you!

Looking for other ways to build a lifelong interest in reading with your kiddos? Check out our list of the best Star Wars Books for Kids That Dream of Far Away Galaxies, or, for something a little more magical, head over to Books Like Harry Potter for your Whole Family!

Ages 5 – 7

Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth

There’s a reason that stories like Star Wars and Harry Potter are about normal kids who discover a grand destiny. Kids love to imagine that they’re on the verge of something special, that any day can put them on a grand adventure. 

Writer and artist Judd Winnick offers a fresh take on that model for Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth, the story of two regular, everyday children named D.J. and Gina and their alien buddy Hilo. Winnick’s charming and energetic drawings bring to mind the best Calvin and Hobbes comics, and his story mixes fish-out-of-water humor with a genuinely moving story of friendship and identity.

Albert Hopper, Science Hero

Sci-Fi books love their scientist heroes, do-gooders who save the galaxy through their intellect and inventiveness. While science heroes tend to be handsome men and women, John Himmelman gives us a different type of adventurer. Albert Hopper is a frog who teaches Junior Science Heroes Polly and Tad the power of STEM studies. 

Funny and exciting, Himmelman’s book is sure to make a STEM enthusiast out of your child, thanks to its amazing and understandable science facts.

Are your kids fans of STEM concepts? Check out our article What is Science for Kids for even more ways to learn while having fun!

CatStronauts: Mission Moon

If there’s one thing kids like more than astronauts, it’s cats. Author and illustrator Drew Brockington gives readers the best of both worlds with CatStronauts: Mission Moon. Set in a world populated by cats, CatStronauts follows the adventures of Major Meowser and his crew, on a mission to save the world from a global energy shortage. 

With a solid mix of adventure, laughs, and energetic illustrations, CatStronauts will expose children to the limitless possibilities of science-fiction.

Ages 8 – 10

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

After raw chicken ends up inside her best friend’s locker, ace reporter (of the school newspaper) Gabi Real decides it’s time to investigate Sal Vidon, the school’s resident magician. The search for answers takes Gabi and Sal on an adventure across time and space in Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, by Carlos Hernandez. 

Infusing Cuban flavor into a sci-fi romp, Hernandez tells an exciting tale about two normal kids dealing with unusual power—and the emotional stakes of having the ability to do anything.

We’re Not from Here

First contact encounters are a staple of science fiction stories, in which people need to readjust their reality when they meet an alien lifeform. New in town stories are a staple of children’s fiction, in which characters learn how to acclimate to a new home.

In We’re Not From Here, bestselling author Geoff Rodkey puts those genres together. The book follows a human kid who just got used to his life on Mars when his family moves to Planet Choom, where the native Zhuri don’t like his type. From those high stakes, Rodkey tells a kid-friendly story about overcoming differences and the power of friendship.

Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor

More than any other genre, sci-fi stories have the potential to teach. Properties such as Star Trek and Doctor Who introduce audiences to scientific concepts and historical facts, mixing education with an exciting adventure. 

With their bestselling book Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor, Jon Scieszka and Brian Biggs tell an exciting story filled with STEM facts. Specifically, the book follows kid-genius Frank Einstein, whose household experiments teach him about the concept of matter. When an accident brings to life his robots Klink and Klank, Frank finds himself at odds with his arch-rival, the evil T. Edison.

With striking illustrations and a lively plot, Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor is so much fun, your kids won’t realize that they are learning.

Ages 11 – 13

The Fourteenth Goldfish

While we parents like to believe that we’re our kids’ favorite adults, most children have a special place for their grandparents. In her novel The Fourteenth Goldfish, three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm builds on that connection with her story of 11-year-old Ellie and the new kid who might be her Grandpa Melvin. The old scientist has always been obsessed with defeating old age. Has he finally figured it out? 

With a twisty story full of humor and emotional beats, The Fourteenth Goldfish addresses a question every kid has asked: “What were my grandparents like as a kid?” As Holm shows with her thoughtful prose, the answer may be more than they bargained for.

Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox

While science fiction can introduce kids to amazing new worlds and faraway galaxies, some of the best stories in the genre make the mundane fantastic. That’s the case in Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox, which brings aliens invaders and robot warriors to the school lunchroom. 

Finn Foley looks like your average kid, right down to the tin lunchbox he carries to school. But when he opens that lunchbox, everything changes. Because where most kids have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their lunchbox, Finn carries around wormholes that take him across the galaxy!

York: The Shadow Cipher

One of the most exciting subgenres of sci-fi is alternate histories, stories about what the world would be like if a certain invention or battle went a different way. In her book York: The Shadow Cipher, Laura Ruby imagines a world where the strange Morningstarr twins brought futuristic technology to New York in the late 18^th century. After the twins’ disappearance nearly 60 years later, a trio of heroes must find the mysterious Old York Cipher. 

Ruby’s relatable characters and imaginative worlds make for an exciting version of New York. Readers can not only picture themselves as heroes saving the world but also living in a world almost like our own.

Ages 14+

Akata Witch

Whether she’s writing comic books, stories for children, or novels for adult readers, Nnedi Okorafor has established herself as a master of science fiction. Her Africanfuturist and Africanjujuist stories, which put African characters into sci-fi and fantasy worlds respectively, have won her numerous accolades, including Eisner, Hugo, and Nebula awards.

With her YA book Akata Witch, Okorafor brings her approach to the magic child genre. The novel follows American-born Nigerian Sunny, whose athletic talent is soon revealed to be magical powers. To hone her abilities, Sunny joins a group of other magic students and quickly finds that she has a lot of learning to do.

The Infinity Courts

As a father of two teenagers, I can say this with some authority: teens treat every setback like it’s the end of the world. But for 18-year-old Nami Miyamoto, the protagonist of Akemi Dawn Bowman’s The Infinity Courts, it really is the end of the world. When she’s murdered on the way to her graduation party, Nami finds herself in Infinity, the afterlife of human consciousnesses.

From that striking premise, Bowman crafts a story of rebellion and self-discovery, as Nami joins a group of freedom fighters against Ophelia, the Siri-like virtual assistant who has become the queen of Infinity. As Nami tries to reconcile with her new normal, she discovers that she still has much to offer, even as her plans go wildly awry.

This Mortal Coil

When I was a teen in the 90s, hacker stories were all the rage. We all read William Gibson and his followers, our heads filled with the wild unknowns of the internet. Today, the internet is as mundane as the grocery store or the mail service, but hacker stories still capture the imaginations of readers. In her debut novel This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada tells the tale of hacker Catarina Agatta, who can do everything, from taking control of street lights to altering people’s physical bodies, all thanks to gene implants. 

Suvada’s gripping tale takes Cat from this place of immense power to one of desperation, as she finds herself caught in a plot that might finally cure the plague that has gripped humanity for decades. When her famous scientist father is killed, Cat must go on the run to protect the cure and save the galaxy, all while trying to hold on to her identity in a world where everything is hackable.

The post Best Science Fiction Books for Kids appeared first on Nerdy With Children.

https://nerdist.com/article/7-reasons-mark-hamill-special-fans-appreciation-post/

Mark Hamill, simply put, is the best. After becoming a household name in 1977 thanks to a certain space wizards movie, Hamill has had a long and fruitful career in film, theater, and television. But even aside from all that, he’s just a cool guy. Whether he’s a Jedi Knight, fighting off Jay and Silent Bob, or in a vampire rivalry on What We Do in the Shadows, Mark Hamill always puts a smile on our face. In honor of his 70th birthday, here are the reasons why Mark Hamill will always be near and dear to our hearts.

He’s Frickin’ Luke Skywalker

Lucasfilm

Let’s get the big one out of the way first. Mark Hamill is frickin’ Luke Skywalker. As the central character of the original Star Wars trilogy, he was the everyman hero everyone could identify with. While Han and Leia got to be sassy, and the droids and Chewie got to be cute, it was Hamill’s portrayal of Luke that was the emotional center of the saga. Hamill showed the most character growth throughout the films, going from farmboy kid to frustrated apprentice to Jedi Knight.

Lucasfilm

And then, decades later, he gave us the gift of “grumpy old man Luke.” Which is a role for which he should have received an Oscar nomination. His final battle with Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi is one for the ages. And when appeared as young Luke in The Mandalorian? It hit us right in the feels, bringing us back to the young Jedi Knight we all fell in love with as kids. Luke Skywalker is the King Arthur of the modern age, and Mark Hamill is his beating heart. There is simply no Luke without him.

He’s the Best Joker Ever

Warner Bros.

Ever since Cesar Romero put on the white clown makeup on Batman ‘66, a metric ton of actors have played Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime. And most of them have been legendary in their own way. Two actors even won Oscars playing him. But in our opinion, the Joker as portrayed by Mark Hamill in Batman: The Animated Series (and its subsequent spin-offs) is the absolute best portrayal, hands down.

What makes Hamill’s Joker so fantastic? He’s the best of every version, from the comics to other cartoons to live-action, up to that point. He combines the campy fun of Romero’s Joker with the real menace of Nicholson’s take on the character. Try reading a Joker scene in a comic and not hear Hamill’s voice. It’s impossible. Every iteration of the Joker will always be compared to his, and for good reason. Mark Hamill’s Joker is the GOAT. There’s just no beating that iconic, mad cackle.

The Voice Acting King

Marvel / Nickelodeon / Netflix

Joker is merely one of dozens upon dozens of animated voices provided by Mark Hamill over the years. Think he’s a DC Comics only guy? Think again. His voice acting career includes characters in the ‘90s Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, and more recent Marvel series like Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. He was Lord Ozai, ruler of the Fire Nation, in Avatar: The Last Airbender. And he’s provided voices for the English translations of Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Then there are the appearances on The Simpsons, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and dozens of other credits. The list goes on and on. And that’s not even counting all of his video game work. Most recently, he provided the voice of Skeletor for Masters of the Universe: Revelation and appeared on Invincible. So even if we took the Joker totally out of the equation, Mark Hamill is still the greatest animated voice actor of a generation. Maybe even two generations.

Played the Trickster in 3 different DC Universes

Warner Bros.

While he’s most famous for voicing the Joker, Hamill has also left his stamp on another classic DC villain. A stamp on three different iterations of the character across the Multiverse in fact! In 1990, Hamill played the Trickster on the original 1990 series The Flash. He then vexed the Justice League as another version of the Trickster on Justice League Unlimited. Finally, he played the Trickster of the Arrowverse on the 2014 version of The Flash. Anyone else who attempts to do the Trickster in the future will have some big clown shoes to fill.

He Makes Twitter Tolerable

Twitter, and social media in general, is a cesspool. We all know this. It’s constant negativity, usually followed up by even more negativity. And yet somehow, Mark Hamill has maintained his wit and charm on Twitter, and at least once every few days posts something that brings a smile to our faces.

He never says a negative thing against anyone. (Unless they really, really deserve it). With his “space sis” Carrie Fisher no longer with us, he has carried on her legacy of being sardonically funny online while still being warm and loveable. Thank the Maker.

Mark Hamill Is Delightfully Unpretentious

Twentieth Century Television

Sometimes, when an actor becomes iconic for one legendary role, they get real prickly when you bring it up. The late, great Leonard Nimoy went through a whole “I Am Not Spock” phase. (He got over it.) But Mark Hamill is delightfully unpretentious about the fact that he is forever known as Luke Skywalker. You’ll never see him rant about how he “doesn’t wanna talk about Luke anymore” on social media. Even though he IS much more than Luke. You get the sense that he struggled for enough years as a young actor to get recognized, that he’s never going to not honor the role that made him famous. As he once told MTV in the ’90s, “once a Mouseketeer, always a Mouseketeer.”

He’s One of Us

Lucasfilm / FX Networks

Before it was cool to say you were a geek, Mark Hamill proudly declared his nerd bonafides to the world. He grew up reading and loving comic books, and later created series like The Black Pearl for Dark Horse Comics back in the ‘90s. He also wrote several issues of The Simpsons for Bongo Comics. And it should be noted that when it came to the original Star Wars, he was one of the only people involved who saw the massive potential for the franchise before it came out. Why? Because at the end of the day, he’s one of us.

The post 7 Reasons Why Mark Hamill Holds a Special Place in Our Hearts appeared first on Nerdist.