10 h. ago Many Black women consider synthetic braids safe. A study found toxins in all the brands it tested

Chemicals found in the braiding hair have been linked to increased cancer risk and organ damageIn recent years, personal care products marketed at Black women have received increased scrutiny for their toxicity, specifically chemical hair straighteners. These perms, also known as “relaxers”, have been condemned for causing severe health problems, including fertility issues, scalp irritations and increased risk of cancer.In light of this, many Black women have turned to natural hairstyles, including braids, as a way to avoid toxic chemicals. But recent research has revealed that popular brands of synthetic braiding hair, human-made extensions that are used in these protective styles, contain dangerous carcinogens, heavy metals and other toxins. Tested brands included in a recent study from Consumer Reports (CR) were Magic Fingers, The Sassy Collection, Shake-N-Go, Darling, Debut, Hbegant and Sensationnel, all mass producers of synthetic braiding hair. According to the CR study, all t...

Politics

31 h. ago Straw review – Taraji P Henson rises above Tyler Perry’s tortured Netflix thriller

The Oscar nominated actor gives a powerhouse performance as a woman pushed to the edge but the punishing film around her does a disserviceTyler Perry is not beating the allegations. For decades, the content-creating studio chief has been roundly criticized for making the traumatization of Black women a persistent theme in his work. In Straw, his latest exercise in misogynoir for Netflix, he pulls out all the stops to break the camel’s back.The guinea pig for this cultural stress test is Janiyah (Taraji P Henson), an apex Perry caricature who is past the point of exhaustion. Her loud, hot and dumpy apartment isn’t all that keeps her in perennial discomfort. There’s also a precocious young daughter (Gabrielle E Jackson) with nagging medical issues, and that eviction notice on the dining table. She can’t make ends meet despite working three jobs, and her cashier’s position at the local food desert grocery store is especially thankless. When an angry customer spikes a bottle of fizzy dr...

Politics

4 d. ago Are tampons safe? New study finds toxic pesticide levels 40 times higher than allowed in drinking water

Traces of glyphosate, a pesticide linked to cancer, has been identified at very high levels in tampons

Events

6 d. ago ‘People think prison is for rehabilitation. It is all lies’: could community service work better than jail?

Colombia has seen a surge in the number of female inmates – many poor, from rural areas and convicted of drug offences. Now a radical scheme could release thousands to support their familiesThe baby calls out, reaching towards a metal detector security gate. “Mama, mama,” she says. A prison officer waves her through. It’s visiting time at El Buen Pastor prison, Colombia’s largest detention centre for women. Behind the black door, half a dozen women wait anxiously. Dressed in her best clothes, the mother folds herself around the child.Inside, the prison is crumbling. Black mould creeps up the walls; broken windows have been replaced with plastic sheets. Inmates say five to six people share cells built for two. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago AP PHOTOS: The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean

Black women are starting to pay more for their hair care because of the Trump administration’s tariffs on goods imported from China.

Culture

7 d. ago The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean for braids and wigs

Black women are starting to pay more for their hair care because of the Trump administration’s tariffs on goods imported from China

Politics

9 d. ago Dior annual cruise show fashion verdict by SHANE WATSON: Stars embrace the lace as dress code goes all doily

SHANE WATSON: The dress code last night in Rome at Dior's annual cruise show - where it unveils summery holiday wear - was white for women, black for men.

Culture

2 w. ago Ramaphosa withstood Trump’s bizarre ambush – but he let down South Africans | Zanele Mji

Rather than trying to charm his US counterpart with golf, the South African president could have addressed the white supremacist attitudes holding our country backZanele Mji is a writer, investigative journalist and podcaster based in Johannesburg, South AfricaThe dust is still settling from Donald Trump’s latest “ambush” in the Oval Office. What started off as a series of pleasantries about golf between the US president and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s delegation quickly turned into a lecture – complete with a video screening and reams of printed-out news articles – about how a white genocide is supposedly under way in my home country.The delegation was largely successful in correcting that narrative. It emphasised that crime affects South Africans of all races and that white citizens are not specifically targeted. Zingiswa Losi, president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, rightly pointed out that in rural areas, it is Black women who bear the brunt of vio...

Politics

3 w. ago Jessica Alba is radiant and glowing in a strapless black gown at the Red Sea Film Foundation's Women In Cinema Gala in Cannes

Jessica Alba looked incredibly glamorous in a strapless black gown during Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.

Culture