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VIDEO: See BTS Footage of Serena William’s Harper’s Bazaar November 2015 Shoot!

Arianne Suggs October 20, 2015October 20, 2015Leave a Comment

She won’t stop, can’t stop and we absolutely love it all! Serena Williams has conquered the court, the catwalk (as a model and designer) and has even blown away the masses as a major magazine cover girl. Williams has been on numerous covers this year including Vogue back in April as well as when she dropped the proverbial model mic by doing the splits for New Yorker magazine (August 2015). Serena Williams has solidified herself as being a true queen inside and out!

We feel the need to quote Drake here for just a moment… clears throat… “You know it’s beauty when her smile is her best curve.” Serena truly does have one of the most beautiful smiles in the game, but we love her for ALL of her curves too! Besides, her stunning physique it is Serena’s personality and drive that also inspires and influences women the world over.

For their November issue Harper’s Bazaar is celebrating women who are not afraid to be daring. In a very honest interview Serena discusses how she feels confident in her profession because she has been at since the tender age of 3. Moreover, she goes on to say that she believes some people were born to do a certain thing and she has not missed her calling because she was born to be a tennis player. With 21 Grand Slam titles under her belt it is very hard to disagree with those statements. Nevertheless, Williams did admit to one fear in particular stating,

“Every time I go down a red carpet, I get a little nervous. I’ve done it 20,000 times, but you’d be surprised. I always have to take a deep breath before I go out there. Put on a brave, bold pose.”

We would have never even guessed that by the way Williams looks like so relaxed on the red carpet. However, goes to show that all of us are humans and deal with some sort of anxiety, but it is impossible to be strong enough to overcome them. Along those lines Serena mentioned what being daring means to her by saying,

“Daring to me is taking a chance but not doing it blindly. A very calculated chance. Think of amazing women like Sheryl Sandberg and Oprah Winfrey—they’re daring, but they’re not jumping off a building without a parachute, you know? You have to be smart about it. You can’t be afraid to be a pioneer and take a chance and speak up and just be bold.”

Amen to that Serena Williams and may we are continue to trek through life being daring and taking chances for the better. Want to see a Behind the Scenes look at Serena Williams Harper’s Bazaar photoshoot lensed by Douglas Friedman? Keep scrolling…

Fashion Notes: Yes, white after Labor Day is okay ladies. We just love Williams’ white Ralph Lauren jumpsuit paired with sandals by Christian Louboutin.

Thoughts? Join the discussion on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.

Celebrities

Successful Black Women: Misty Copeland Named American Ballet Theatre’s First Black Principal Dancer

Arianne SuggsUpdated on June 28, 2017July 1, 2015Leave a Comment

Misty Copeland is making history this week due to the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) naming her as it’s first black female principal dancer. We tip our heels in her honor and hope that she continues to break a leg on stage. Trust us this is no small feat because this is the first time such honors has been bestowed upon a black ballerina (2nd black dancer after Desmond Richardson) in the dance company’s entire 75 years of existence.

Successful Black Women: Misty Copeland Named American Ballet Theatre’s First Black Principal Dancer

Misty hails from Kansas City and mentioned that being a high level dancer is something she has always wanted. Copeland revealed,

“This is it. This has been my dream since I was 13, to be a principal dancer and reach these heights… But it hasn’t been overnight. It’s been 14 years of extremely hard work … I’m just so extremely honored to be an African-American and to be in this position.”

Copeland is shining as a luminous star at time where in the current social climate there are those who believe that members of the black community are lazy, uneducated, violent or lack proper training to accomplish great things. Such views are proved incorrect time after time by such talents as Misty; nevertheless, Copeland believes there is a much different reason as to why more black dancers do not reach the career heights that she has achieved. Misty explained,

“So many young dancers of color stop dancing at an early age because they just don’t think there will be a career path for them. I hope that will change… I had moments of doubting myself and wanting to quit, because I didn’t know if there would be a future for an African-American woman at that level. At the same time, it made me so hungry to push through.”

Therefore, we implore all of you young dreamers out there and even those who think they have passed their prime to NOT GIVE UP. There may be times of doubt, times when that little voice in your head wants to tear your joy out your heart and convince you to quit. Like Misty you may feel like you are just not seeing others who “look like you” on the journey to the top. Do not be dismayed ladies, as more of us make it up the mountain of success it soon will not feel like such a lonely place. There is plenty of room up there for everyone, let’s help each other push towards the summit… it’s closer for us all than we might think.