

Take a moment to stop and think about what you were up to at the age of 21. I know personally, I was somewhere down in Alabama, hanging on to graduating from college, and just content with finally being able to (legally) buy my own cheap vodka. Not that I was striving for the bare minimum, I was just clueless about the power of manifestation. Sure, aspirations and journeys happen for each of us at our own pace, but at that time, chiiiiiiile, somethings just weren't even on the menu for me.
But as for some 21-year-olds, some absolutely know the power of their own mind. Kennedi Carter, is a walking testimony to that because Carter, at the mere age of 21, is the youngest, and second black person ever, to photograph for Vogue.
And in case this isn't impressive enough for you, she shot, not one. Not two. But three covers...of Beyonce. Let that sink in.
Of the shoot, Carter said:
"It didn't feel like it was real. Some days it still doesn't feel like it actually happened. We're holding a door open currently because it's not going to be just me or [Mitchell] taking images and doing covers; it's going to be more of us."
Mitchell, being Tyler Mitchell, who was the first person who shot for Vogue in its 125-year history, and who also was chosen by Beyonce.
She continued:
"I was just going with the flow. I had done a lot of research into how she works, and I had underestimated how much she's willing to submit herself to a vision and truly become someone else's muse."
A follow-up assignment for Carter consisted of sis nagging a Rolling Stone cover, featuring Summer Walker and Erykah Badu. The image donned colorful imagery of the two crooners, for a feature interview.
"We shot it in Erykah's house. It was everything I thought it would have been when you're thinking about Erykah Badu."
Did sis just refer to Queen Badu on a first name basis? I stan.
Anyway, Carter, a Dallas transplant and college student at the University of North Carolina--Greensboro, has gone from taking pictures of fine art and all things black af, to literally shooting with some of the highest-profiled celebrities and publications in the world. It's mind-boggling and ultra-impressive how she has managed to pivot to her massive portfolio.
But how did Carter even get the opportunity to shoot for British Vogue? Well, luckily for her, she comes from a generation that believes in thinking big, shooting their shot, and putting themselves out there.
Beyoncé specifically requested a black woman for the shoot, and together with British Vogue's editor-in-chief, she found Kennedi, a young, ambitious, fine arts enthusiast who frequently gravitated toward "overlooked beauties of the Black experience." But it wasn't luck, sis was placing herself in rooms, manifesting the correct energies to be seen.
Another 20-something-year-old recently did the same when he promoted his work on Twitter, just for the one and only, Oprah Winfrey to notice. She went on to offer him a job at the relaunch of O Magazine, a monumental opportunity that would have never come his way had he not taken the time to believe in himself.
#beyourownbiggestfan
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Today, Kennedi is taking in the aftermath of her historic shoots, living her best creative life and representing herself for the next opportunity that arises. But for now, she says her focus is to 'create timeless work that "echo[es] the South'.
"Working from the South, there are so many people that feel like they have to move to get a good opportunity or to get put on the radar. There are stories down here that are worth hearing."
She continued:
"I want people to look back on [my work] in 20 or 30 years and feel like there's some type of accurate depiction of what the mid-2000s was like."
We can't wait to see her journey take flight from here!
Feature image via Kennedi Carter/Instagram
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
A Celebration Of Black Voices: What You Missed At The 3rd Annual Black Effect Podcast Festival
Over the weekend, iHeart Radio held its third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival in Atlanta, attracting a star-studded lineup of personalities and shows. Charlamagne tha God, founder of the Black Effect podcast network was in attendance along with other notable personalities like Mandii B and Weezy WTF, the hosts of the popular Decisions, Decisions podcast, who also served as the festival's hosts.
Sarah Jakes Roberts, the esteemed pastor and host of Woman Evolve podcast, singers and co-hosts of the R&B Money podcast, Tank and J. Valentine, former NFL star and Funky Friday host Cam Newton and many more further rounded out the festivals' lineup.
The festival hosted panels that focused on mental health and the future of podcasting as well as many live shows. Good Moms, Bad Choices hosts, Erica and Milah, welcomed Dreka Gates and held a live dating show that was nothing short of hilarious. Naked Sports host Cari Champion sat down with Iman Shumpert and they discussed sports and dating.
Tank and J. Valentine surprised the audience with Jacquees, Cam had a live conversation with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams, and Sarah closed out the festival with reality star Toya Johnson. Check out photos from the festival below:
(L-R) Shawn Bethea, Jay Barnett, Devi Brown, Charlamagne tha God and Amber Grimes
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Jamilah Mapp, Dreka Gates and Erica Dickerson
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Mandii B and Weezy WTF
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Porsha Williams and Cam Newton
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Iman Shumpert and Cari Champion
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Tank, Jacquees and J. Valentine
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network