Dan + Shay: Bursting the Country/Pop Bubble

Award season might be over, but the rush winning artists and nominees felt probably isn’t. This seems to be the case for the duo Dan + Shay, they were nominated for the awards Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the. The group’s success marks both the sixth year anniversary of the band’s formation and its biggest year to date with nominations, chart-topping singles, and a sold-out tour.

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Blake Lively: The Fashionista

Blake Lively, as her name implies, is a vibrant icon in the fashion world. Even in the mid 2000s, if we look back on her first notable moments of fame in her signature role of “Serena van der Woodsen” in “Gossip Girl,” we can see how she has a long standing career as not only an actress, but as a fashion icon as well. Her name brings visions of color, elegance, and fearlessness in the world of fashion.

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Ruth Carter: Designing Costumes Worthy of Kings & Queens

After becoming the first black woman to win an Oscar Award for costume design last month, the internet buzzed with her name, but Ruth Carter’s legacy began decades ago. In fact, her career in film started more than 30 years ago when she designed costumes for Spike Lee’s “School Daze” in 1987. Since then, she’s worked with some of Hollywood’s most prominent directors including Robert Townsend, Ava Duvernay, Steven Spielberg, John Singleton, Lee Daniels and of course, Spike Lee.

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Shaquem Griffin: Against All Odds

"Nothing comes easy, that’s what my dad always said to me and my brother…” Shaquem Griffin said in his 2019 acceptance speech at the NFL Honors. Griffin was awarded the 2019 NFL Game Changer award for a very unique reason. While his rookie season was a good one, and his on field production was solid, that was only part of the reason he received recognition. The Seattle Seahawks rookie linebacker was given such a prestigious honor because of his perseverance due to a rare disorder that he was born with, which led to  his left hand being amputated.

Shaquem, 23, was born with amniotic band syndrome, and due to complications, he was forced to have his hand amputated at only four-years-old. Shaquem learned to adapt and perform regular daily things despite having only one hand. He never made excuses , and his support system wouldn’t allow him to.

“Growing up as a child, being told what I couldn’t do, it can weigh heavy on your heart. But I had family, I had my brothers, I had those around me to keep my head straight, to keep my hopes high, and now I can say I’m blessed and I’m honored to be here in front of you.”

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Marla Gibbs: 87 Going on 30

I wonder what it takes to be considered a “legend” in Hollywood. Is it the amount of awards a person wins or who has the  longest career? This biggest following? Or, in the case of actress Marla Gibbs, is it the tenacity to be an outstanding actress? After playing an extra on two separate films in the 1970s, Gibbs revealed in an interview for The Washington Post that she told the guy who hires extras she is not coming back and said, “I want to do what Diana Ross is doing.” The man responded “Don’t we all?” and Gibbs told him, “Yes, but I’m going to.”

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