August 09, 2018
By Shaquille Woods
Contributing Writer
Mahisha Dellinger, creator of the multi-million-dollar hair company Curls, spoke to the Los Angeles Sentinel and L.A. Watts Times about her new show Mind Your Business with Mahisha. The series, which premiers on the OWN Network, centers on black female entrepreneurship. Dellinger travels across the country helping Black women entrepreneurs run a successful company.
L.A. Watts Times (LAWT): When did you decide you wanted to change your destiny and become an entrepreneur?
Mahisha Dellinger: I wanted more. Everything was such a struggle. I was the kid in class who didn’t have enough money for snacks. The generational cycle of my neighborhood, my family, and community persisted. One thing that gave me a different perspective was my father. He came from a different background. On my weekend visits, I gained the motivation to change my surroundings.
LAWT: I’m sure you’ve failed many times. Can you elaborate on what failure teaches about success?
DELLINGER: I learned failure is not final. What you take away from failure matters. I’ve had scenarios where I launched products and bombed. I still never gave up and learned from my mistakes. My background helped. My street smarts played a role in my success. It helped me survive this industry. There is something about grit that you cannot teach. I’ll find a way out of any scenario. That comes from sheer will.
LAWT: What was the process of filming the show?
DELLINGER: The whole premise of the show is to empower black female entrepreneurs. Black female entrepreneurship is on the rise. Latest statistics show up to 300%. However, only 4% break the million-dollar mark. You must have access to the right buyers, information on the process, and the resources to accomplish your goals. Those traits are lacking. The show helps provide those resources.
LAWT: What was your favorite moment working on the show?
DELLINGER: I loved helping the ladies. Every one of these Black female owners are powerful women. I helped them fix problems, gain solutions, and give them access to information. Seeing the lightbulb go off made me happy. It was a labor of love! One entrepreneur was from Compton. She had extreme grit. I could see myself in her. When you have that impoverished background, it causes you to either stay stuck or blow it out the water.
LAWT: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
DELLINGER: There should be a purpose. Everything is not about making money. My priorities are God first, family second, and work third. I try to keep it that way. To whom much is given, much is required. I try to help brown girls who look like me and mentor them. I refuse to just hoard. I’d rather give. I know that when you are blessing others, you receive blessings. You cannot help but to receive good harvest when you plant good seeds.
LAWT: We often see entrepreneurship as this glamourous pursuit. What are some tough facts about entrepreneurship?
DELLINGER: Instagram people think entrepreneurship is glamourous but that’s not true. You have moments where you are tired and exhausted. You also have moments of fear. When you put products out that fail, you will have a huge setback. There is a lot of uncertainty especially the sacrifice you must make with your family. Having a good team around you helps.
The hour-long series will follow OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life every Saturday. The first episode premieres Saturday Aug 11 at 10 p.m ET/PT.
August 02, 2018
City News Service
Authorities were investigating a reported home-invasion robbery today at rapper French Montana's Calabasas home.
Deputies went to the 5100 block of Garrett Court about 8:20 a.m. on a report of a home invasion, the sheriff’s department reported.
According to TMZ.com, at least two armed robbers burst into Montana’s residence while he and an unknown number of people were there.
The crime occurred several hours before authorities were notified, and it was unclear what, if anything, was taken, TMZ reported.
TheBlast.com reported that investigators were reviewing surveillance video at the six-bedroom, 7,786-square-foot residence, which sits on three acres in a gated community.
August 02, 2018
City News Service
Lack of diversity continues to dog the film industry, with minimal improvement in female speaking roles over the last decade and persistent dominance of white men both on screen and behind the camera, according to a USC report released today.
The annual film diversity report by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reviewed the top 100 films of each year from 2007 to 2017. The study found that in 2017, females represented just 31.8 percent of speaking characters in the top films, a slight improvement from 29.9 percent in 2007.
Only 43 women worked as directors on the 1,100 films examined in the report. Of the 1,223 directors who worked on the 1,100 films examined, only 5.2 percent were Black and only 3.1 percent were Asian.
The report also found little movement in the percentages of Black, Hispanic, Asian or other under-represented ethnic groups appearing on screen.
Of the characters in the top 100 films of 2017, 70.7 percent were White, while 12.1 percent were black, 6.2 percent were Hispanic and 4.8 percent were Asian.
The report noted that when a film is led by a Black director, the percentage of Black characters in the movie increases by 41.8 percent.
Characters with disabilities were also hard to find in the top films of last year, representing only 2.5 percent of roles, according to the study.
“Following years of advocacy and efforts to create change by groups and individuals throughout the industry, the evidence in this report suggests that 2017 was not meaningfully different from prior years,” according to the report. “... In terms of women and people of color, Hollywood movies continue to present viewers with a status quo that skews from reality.”
The report’s authors note: “Given the industry attention to inclusion, it is difficult to understand why the numbers remain resistant to change. Many of these roles reflect supporting or inconsequential characters, parts for which gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality or disability matter little to the plot. Content creators can easily diversify the fabric of their storytelling simply by reimaging the world in which their characters live and interact.
“Moreover, writers and storytellers should remember the diversity that already exists in their own world – where these characters are created.”
August 02, 2018
City News Service
Memorabilia and other personal property owned by the estate of Natalie Cole’s late only child is being put up for auction, including records of various artists, jewelry, paintings and even some dinnerware.
Robert Yancy died Aug. 14, 2017, at age 39. His body was found in his Sherman Oaks apartment by a friend who stopped by to check on him after not hearing from him for several days.
Estate administrator Brandie Yancy, who lives near Chicago, says in documents filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court that the compilation of items will be sold after Aug. 7 “without court supervision.” She and Robert Yancy had the same father, but different mothers.
The items to be put up for bid include records by Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, the Jackson 5, Joe Cocker, Elton John, the Temptations, Willie Miller, the Rolling Stones, Billy Preston and Marvin Gaye; a vintage Natalie Cole-themed wall plaque with clock; digital photos featuring Natalie Cole; a sterling silver necklace and earrings; a crystal flower vase; a city of New York proclamation of “Nat King Cole Day” and a vintage Natalie Cole “Thankful” album wall mirror.
Still other items include a Gianni Versace Signature Medusa gold- plated stainless steel wristwatch, 14-karat pearl, diamond and marcasite earrings, a city of Los Angeles proclamation to Natalie Cole, a digital photo of Ray Charles, a mid-20th century watercolor painting of clowns and a Noritake Bone China dinnerware set for 10.
Robert Yancy’s father was the first of Cole’s three husbands. He died of a heart attack in 1985 at age 34, when Yancy was 7 years old.
Natalie Cole died in December 2015 at age 65.
Yancy’s grandfather, famed singer Nat King Cole, died of cancer in 1965 at age 45.