Iya Bakare
Iya Bakare, GMO's managing editor, earned both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in print journalism. She earned her B.A. from Delta State University with a minor in English and graduated with a M.A. degree from Columbia College Chicago. In her spare time, the Chicago native continues to freelance and ponder ways to both inform and improve her community one story at a time.
She can be contacted at Iya@glossmagazineonline.com
Follow her on Twitter: @ibakare
Website URL: http://www.iyabakare.com E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Playwright Brings Broadway to Chicago with "The Color Purple"
Entrepreneur Establishes Legacy to Give Back to the Community
With a keen eye for business and an open heart, philanthropist Tyrone Farley’s laser focus is to plant a seed that will affect change in the community.
Image is everything. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are pre-judged by how we look. From our hairstyles to the shoes on our feet (and everything in between), how we present ourselves makes a statement. Regardless of how you define your personal style, if you’re walking into a boardroom for an interview or down the street to a restaurant, the words that come out of your mouth and the actions you portray carry more weight than you may realize.
New Novel Sheds Light on Cultural Icon and Encourages Ladies to Find Their "Inner Michelle"
Since the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the world hasn’t been enamored with or followed a First Lady so closely until Michelle Obama arrived on the scene. As the first better half of the first African-American president of the United States, all eyes remain on the FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) as she decorates periodicals and television screens with her keen fashion sense, nontraditional standard of beauty and her unique rapport with people. Several books feature the First Lady’s fashion secrets and tips, but how many dig into who she is as a person?
Aaja Corinne Carr: Building a Fashion Brand & Finding a Philanthropic Voice
You’re never too young to give back and that’s one of Aaja Corinne Carr’s goals in life. The 21-year-old couples her love for her community with her passion for fashion to both empower women, and to encourage them to embrace their individuality and purpose in life. Her current campaign, “She’s in Color,” features real women with real stories to inspire people, especially other women, to conquer their personal dreams and goals.
Chicago Playwright Hits Home with Immediate Family
Playwright and Chicago native Paul Oakley Stovall (of About Face Theatre in Chicago) wanted to speak truth about the black community of the South Side of his hometown, and he succeeded with his recent play, Immediate Family.
Lamman Rucker Informs and Inspires in Career and Community Service
Advocacy and activism are roles Lamman Rucker doesn’t have to audition for because they’re a part of him. Born to inform and inspire, the Philadelphia-native says he realized at an early age the difference he could make in the lives of others as he watched loved ones die from a disease that continues to affect African Americans more than any other community. As he witnessed the devastating effects of AIDS in the black community, Lamman worked with his peers to fuse his passion for the arts and love for people to evoke awareness when they established W.A.I.T.T. (Washington Area Improvisational Teen Theatre). The company promoted abstinence and educated youth about safe sex, teen pregnancy and STDs, including HIV/AIDS and through the organization, Lamman became a certified peer sex counselor.
Hydeia Broadbent: Much More than Ordinary
Hydeia Broadbent gives the word ‘normal’ a new meaning in Webster’s dictionary. As a part of the first generation of children with AIDS, she vowed to make it her mission to spread awareness about the disease. At the age of six, the activist started to speak out about it nationally, only a few years after her adoptive parents were told by doctors she was HIV positive-advanced with AIDS. In 1987, Hydeia’s birth mother gave birth to another child, at which time both were tested for a virus few medical experts and people knew about, except they thought the disease was only prevalent among homosexual males and drug abusers.
Chicago Club Celebrates Anniversary Merging New Sound with Old School Influence