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Essence Magazine:

With the world in such disarray, many of us singles have found it tempting to find a quaranTING to cuddle up with while social distancing. Not Sammie.

The R&B singer, who first stepped on the scene at just 12 years old with his single “I Like It,” is a grown man now. If you didn’t gather that from his luscious beard, you’ll definitely know it by the mature content of his forthcoming album Such Is Life.

ESSENCE had the pleasure of catching up with Sammie for our latest “Music Monday” segment. During our chat, the singer explains why he feels “whole in his singleness.”

“I can date, but I did promise myself to remain single in 2020,” he said exclusively on ESSENCE’s Facebook live. “I’m only five months single, so it would be not the wisest decision to move on so suddenly and try to give someone my all of my while still going through my ‘me’ time.”

While Sammie does look forward to becoming a husband and father someday, he says this year is one for refocusing on himself. “I want a wife and I want children. I’m 33, so I’m ready to have a tribe of my own. But I’m not necessarily looking for it, so I would say that I’m single but not eligible. They say the man that finds a wife finds a good thing. So because I’m not searching I won’t find her right now.”

He goes on to say that when he does decide to date again, it will be with his forever partner. “My next relationship, I pray that it’s the last one,” he continues. “I don’t want to break her heart and I don’t want my heart broken. I want everlasting love. But I’m going to finish 2020 as a single man.”

Catch our full chat with Sammie in the Music Monday segment above, and stream his new album Such Is Life when it drops this Friday., June 5th.

The post Exclusive: Singer Sammie Talks Healing From A Breakup And Enjoying Singlehood appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Sisterhood is undoubtedly one of the strongest vertebras in the spine of the Black community. Whether we are playfully catching up on the latest “Real Housewives” episode in our group chats or pitching in as “Auntie” to our best friend’s kid, generations of Black folks have survived off of the nurturing nature and emotional generosity of Black female friendships.

Some of entertainment’s most powerful stars admit they would be nothing without the love and support of their best friend. Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are one of the most famous friend duos of our time. The two met as work colleagues forty years ago and went on to build phenomenal careers as journalists and media moguls.

“I believe God put the two of us in each other’s path to do exactly what we’ve been doing since that night in Baltimore when I was 22 and she was 21,” Oprah wrote of her friend last year.

“Listening. Listening. Talking. Listening. Laughing (a lot). Building dreams. Standing in the gap. Cheering. Being a shoulder to cry on. Supporting. Speaking the truth. Being the truth!”

And Destiny’s Child (and the global superstar that is Beyonce), wouldn’t even exist without the long-held friendship of Beyonce & Kelly.  The two pop stars grew up in Texas where they gravitated towards one another with their love of music and dancing. The two joined a group called Girl’s Tyme, and Kelly eventually moved in with the Knowles’ family due to familial conflict in her own home.

“We grew up in this industry together; we’ve shared ups and downs and we are closer than ever. I can tell her anything, and she’ll never judge me. She’s a real friend: genuine, loyal and trustworthy. She’s also one of the sweetest people you ever did meet,” Kelly told Marie Claire in 2019.

And while some connections are forged through experiences, there are some best friendships that are born through blood.

Venus and Serena Williams aren’t just super-talented world-renowned athletes; they are also sisters and friends. Coached by their dad Richard Williams, the pair started training to be tennis champions before they were teens.  They went on to dominate the sport and earned millions and multiple titles between the two. Even when the two square up as rivals, they always see each other as family first.

“As a sister, when they’re doing something it’s your own success too,” Venus told E! in 2018.  

While these are just some of the more famous examples of Black sisterhood that shaped Black history, game-changing friendships are happening every day between Black women all over the world. Share a story of your best friend and talk about how your connection influenced your life.

The post These Famous Celebrity Women Credit Sisterhood And Friendship As A Necessary Part Of Their Success appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Even though many of this month’s pride parades and festivals have been canceled due to social distancing rules, there are plenty of ways to celebrate even if you are homebound.

You can live-stream Global Pride 2020 with your friends, host a virtual happy hour, donate to an LGBTQ+ charity, or show your support with a commemorative manicure. To achieve the latter, all you need is a little inspiration.

Since nail salons are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, we took the liberty of rounding up eight pride-themed nail designs to D.I.Y.

Grab your polish and check them out in the gallery below.

The post Show Your Pride With These Stunning Nail Designs appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

An independent autopsy into the death of George Floyd requested by his family has ruled his death a homicide as a result of “asphyxiation from sustained pressure.”

According to CNN, the autopsy determined that compression to Floyd’s neck and back cut off the blood flow to his brain, leaving essentially “dead on the scene,” family attorney Ben Crump noted.

Video footage from the incident that went viral and prompted outrage and protests showed officer Derek Chauvin causally and callously putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. A different video that later surfaced showed other officers kneeling on his back.

All four officers that were on the scene at the time of the incident were fired. Chauvin has since been arrested and charged with murder.

This ruling from the independent medical examiners comes after the Hennepin County Medical Examiner claimed in preliminary results that there were “no physical findings” to “support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”

That autopsy said that Floyd died from combined effects of being restrained, any potential intoxicants in his system, as well as underlying health issues, including heart disease, as CNN notes.

Dr. Michael Baden, one of the independent medical examiners, refuted those results.

“There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death,” Baden said. “Police have this false impression that if you can talk, you can breathe. That’s not true.”

The post Independent Autopsy: George Floyd Died Of ‘Asphyxiation From Sustained Pressure’ appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

You know what a new month means? There’s a new batch of content from Netflix that we can add to our binge rotation.

And it’s coming at a perfect time, especially when we’re looking for distractions from the heavy news cycle.

A few of our favorite sitcoms will be releasing their new seasons this month on the streaming platform, such as the final season of 13 Reasons Why, along with Spike Lee’s highly anticipated film, Da 5 Bloods—his first film since the Oscar-winning feature, BlacKkKlansman.

Below, check out the titles coming in June that you absolutely must stream on Netflix this month.

The post Here’s Everything Coming To Netflix In June appeared first on Essence.