

The ‘Harlem’ Cast Talk Pivoting, Priorities, & The Principles Of Joy
They’re back! Angie (Shoniqua Shandai), Quinn (Grace Byers), Camille (Meagan Good), and Tye (Jerrie Johnson) are back on Amazon Prime for another season of Tracy Oliver’s brilliantly written original series Harlem. Life, love, relationships, and careers can all be a bit daunting to handle at once when you’re navigating through a culturally courageous city as potentially intimidating as the Manhattan subsidy, but that makes for more great binge-worthy episodes.
The ladies of Harlem caught up with xoNecole to discuss what it looks like when it’s your season, how they define joy, and what it means to embrace the power of the pivot.
A Real Season Debut
“Every season is my season and I'm going to take every season as my season, and I think it's being intuitive as to what the season is requiring,” Shandai told xoNecole about defining what it means to be in her season.
After an affirmation from her junket-sister and castmate Byers, Shandai continued to share what her seasons looks like from isolating oneself to “cultivate your voice” to being rooted in hardcore discipline. “I think it's being very, very in touch with spirit and self and praying,” she added. “I would say don't take anything for granted. I look for the lessons and the seasons. Even when I go on a vacation, I'm like, 'okay, what am I supposed to get from this land and this place?' Being incredibly intentional, I think, is the best way to master any season.”
The Definition of Black Joy
As mentioned by Harlem series creator Tracy Oliver, this season would be filled with laughter, love, and joy, but what does joy mean to our thespians off-screen?
For Byers, joy equates to freedom. “I think joy looks like freedom in a way because I think that's where joy lives. It lives in an uninhibited place and I think a lot of times it's difficult for us to express that because there's so much outward criticism as to what it should look like, how it should live, or how you do express it,” she told xoNecole.
As a personal favorite, Byers prefers “big gut laughter” with side holding and crying as an expression of joy, but she does not fail to recognize that joy comes in multiple layers and lives a multifaceted life that shows up as “sadness and chaos” or “resistance and gratitude.” She continued, “It's the freedom to do each of those things and so I think it's having that open space to be able to express that type of joy inside of you.”
Shandai added, “For me, joy is really looking like healthiness and this era of my life and really prioritizing self, and not in a way that's selfish, but making sure that I'm taking care of me in a way that I haven't done before, I hadn't prioritized before. I was so focused on output that now the joy comes from what I'm inputting, and I feel like real joy is not as uncircumstantial.”
While she jested at the fact that she believes she had “made that word up” on the spot, Shandai went with the flow because for her, happiness is a result of what’s happening but joy is everlasting and effervescent. “It doesn't matter what's going on in your life or career or finances; it's something that lives within. I think in order to have that inner joy filled, it's what you're putting into you as well.”
Stop and Breathe, Sis
A self-proclaimed nomad, Johnson attributes her constant need to move and be on-go to her Aquarian nature. From being in college and moving up the ranks from resident to RA to orientation leader and fast forward years later when she catapulted her career by moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles to New York, the actress has never been too shy to make the necessary moves to put her where she needs to be. But that doesn’t take away from the idea that she wants to practice stillness and bask in her own ambiance.
“I kind of feel like I'm getting to a space where I want to own something and I want some roots. I want a place that I can always go back to and I think for me, that home space will be the grounding force to where I think I will be able to be more open to the craziness of where am I going next?” she shared candidly.
Johnson continued to explain how she relates to super producer Metro Boomin’s notorious “want some more” ad-libs, and how she brings it back full circle to her own career endeavors. “I'm like, what's happening? Why haven't I done this yet? Why haven't I done this yet? People are like, oh my God, you're so good on this show, but why?” she began to explain.
“But I think that that voice gets louder when I'm not in a space that feels like me, like my space, like I'm safe in this space. I'm grounded in this space. I want to be connected to the earth in this space,” Johnson added. “I think finding that one thing that grounds you is helpful for when you are trying to figure out the what's next of life. It can be your home, it can be your car, it can be travel, it can be your partner. Whatever that thing is that brings you back to your center can be helpful when you're in the chaos of life.”
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Featured image by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Prime Video
Exclusive: Gabrielle Union On Radical Transparency, Being Diagnosed With Perimenopause And Embracing What’s Next
Whenever Gabrielle Union graces the movie screen, she immediately commands attention. From her unforgettable scenes in films like Bring It On and Two Can Play That Game to her most recent film, in which she stars and produces Netflix’s The Perfect Find, there’s no denying that she is that girl.
Off-screen, she uses that power for good by sharing her trials and tribulations with other women in hopes of helping those who may be going through the same things or preventing them from experiencing them altogether. Recently, the Flawless by Gabrielle Union founder partnered with Clearblue to speak at the launch of their Menopause Stage Indicator, where she also shared her experience with being perimenopausal.
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
I Tried Out The 'Black Nail Theory': Here’s What It Taught Me About Self-Confidence
Over the last few years, the upkeep of my nails has become a top priority. I’ve explored different lengths, tested out a range of designs and colors, and have gone from gel-x to acrylic and, currently, Russian manicures. As assured as I am about my signature nail look, one thing that I will always be open to is a new trend that sparks inner confidence — and the “black nail theory” is the latest to do just that.
If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you may have noticed that manicure lovers are putting new concepts surrounding their nails to the test. Last fall, the “red nail theory” took the internet by storm with promises to evoke male attention, compliments, and even a date or two on a subconscious level. And now, just a year later, a deeper and more mystic hue is being spotlighted for its alluring appeal.
@divashay888 #blacknails💅 #boldyblooming #blackspiritualists
What Is “Black Nail Theory”?
The concept of “black nail theory” is centered on the idea that applying black nail polish can significantly influence an individual's inner confidence and overall lure. Black nails are thought to possess a distinctive quality that communicates a sensual and captivating energy, bringing forth boldness and mystery. On a psychological level, black is said to be symbolic of “power, elegance, and sophistication.”
Personally, red has never quite been my color; so when I saw the black nail theory making its rounds, I immediately knew it could be an internet trend that I could get behind and try for myself.
Aley Arion/xoNecole
Testing Out The Theory
Deciding on the approach that I would take with my black nails came fairly easy. I’m a French tip girl to my core, so if I was going to commit to such a bold color like black, I’d have to take it gradually, and not commit to a fully blacked-out nail look.
Leaving the nail salon with my new set, I instantly felt myself channel my inner baddie. The black French tip complimented my complexion perfectly, and I was even able to test the theory out while on a date later that evening.
Throughout the night, I was complimented by both my date and the waitress on my nails, and I felt an inward motivation to share just enough about myself while leaving more to be discovered.
The following week, my friend and I went out to a party with the sole purpose of being cute and having fun, only to find a handful of men stopping to get my name and make conversation. One even went as far as to take my hand and examine nails that were adorned with gold rings.
On a more personal level, my time with black nails has been my handy reminder to trust my intuition and enter every room with confidence. Having my nails done naturally gives me an extra boost of confidence, but with the added touch of having them painted black, I’ve seen myself tap into the sultry and captivating "dark feminine" energy that I desire to embody.
Aley Arion/xoNecole
Would I Try This Again?
If all it took was a change in my nail color in order to attract love and confidence into myself, I would probably be married by now. But testing out black nail theory has been insightful to explore interpersonally.
How I present myself to the world and what I feel like I deserve all matters, and that doesn’t just start or end when my nails are freshly done.
Confidence is a full-package deal that comes wrapped in self-care, self-concept, and self-esteem. I get my nails done because that’s what makes me feel good, and whatever attention that draws in, I know that it’s a part of what I’m putting out into the world.
If I’m feeling fiery, I’ll test out a red design. If I’m in a girly mood, I’ll test out pink or ask for painted bows. And if I’m going for something more standout, I’ll let my nail tech take an idea and freestyle from there. All in all, nails are just another form of self-expression and should be a chance to showcase your inner world on the outside.
So yes, if red nails are the flashy antidote to drawing in attention, then black nails are the look to channel a “quiet” confidence that keeps them wanting more.
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Featured image by Andreas Kuehn/Getty Images