Wyllisa Bennett

Rantings From The Red Carpet

FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH!

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ODE TO ANGEL AVILES, Life Coach, Influencer + Author

On the heels of Hispanic Heritage Month, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the “chingona” in my life. I got to give a shout out to my friend, my neighbor, my confidante and at times, my life coach! That is, Angel Aviles!

The best neighbor ever,  we exchanged  pots of food for the soul and our bodily nourishment. We borrowed each other’s clothes  and jewelry for celebrations and special events. We celebrated #girlpower with impromptu glasses of wine on a girls night. It was soooo empowering to hear the hopes and dreams of another woman of color. As a Latina, she offered a different perspective; but we shared the same experience as a woman.  But most importantly, she was one of the few people I could share my secrets, my intimate thoughts and my insecurities.

This year, Angel became an empty nester.  With two kids in college, she decided it was time for a life change, and sooooo she and her hubby, Rey, packed up for a temporary move to Mexico City! She wanted to experience life in a new way. I miss her!! But I can’t blame a girl for living her life like it’s golden! A look at her Instagram at @AngelAwakened tells me she’s happy as can be!

Angel is a Latinx  life coach,  influencer and the author of the new self-help  book,  “Too Happy to Be Sad Girl.”  I became her publicist when her new book dropped. For Mental Health Awareness Month, she was recognized by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez —  the first woman and only woman of color to hold this position in the City of Angels.  The title is a nod to the famous role Angel portrayed in the 1993 cult film “Mi Vida Loca,” directed and written by award-winning filmmaker Allison Anders.

Black History Is Being Televised, Just in Time for Juneteenth

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On the streets of Santa Monica, protesters paint messages of support for Black Lives Matter

My Reflections on Race Through Rose-Colored Glasses

1865. It’s the year the last slaves in Galveston, Texas found out they were FREE!! The Union Army rolled through Texas, and shared news of their freedom on June 19, 1865.

FREE! Can you imagine the looks on those folks faces when they got the news? Their excitement? Their disbelief? Can you also imagine how they must have felt when they realized that slavery had been abolished for two and half years with the 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. Still, they were FREE!

Now, let’s fast forward to the present …

1965. Oh, what a different a century makes! 1965 is the year I was born, and able to reap the benefits of the harvest from my ancestors. No Jim Crow. No marching for the Civil Rights Movement. I first felt the traces of the struggle through desegregation, and being bused across town; so, I could go to elementary school with White children. And that remained the case until I graduated from high school in Burlington, N.C.

(SIDE NOTE: The significance of Juneteenth was never taught in my history class. Why teach students about slaves and slavery, and not teach them about the emancipation of slaves and slavery? #JustSaying)

In North Carolina, the Confederate flag was always lurking somewhere in the background — on bump stickers and license plates of cars; patches on hats and clothing as well as the flag itself, waving and flying at public venues AND sporting events like, say … NASCAR races! An image that I recorded subconsciously in my mind, but never giving it any weight as it related to me.

In my career, I’ve managed to break through some barriers with lots of preparation, a little bit of luck and God’s favor.  I learned early on that if I wanted to get ahead, I couldn’t take NO for an answer. In fact, at a time when many doors were being slammed in my face, a colleague of mine reminded me that it only takes ONE yes. And so, even today, I’m always looking for the ONE yes.

Education was extremely important in my family, and my parents and grandparents would not allow anything to interfere with my “studies,” as my grandmother would say.  I’m a third-generation college graduate when many of my classmates were the first in their families to attend collage. My great Uncle Willie even pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. I pledge Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, N.C. I believe the combination of a solid education and my parent’s encouragement gave me an advantage, a leg up, AND the super power of resiliency, which allowed me to see the world through rose-colored glasses. That’s why I’m always smiling and so happy when you see me.

As a kid, my parents were always so hopeful about the future, telling me on a daily basis: “Lisa, you can be anything you want to be!” And I believed them. Today, I wonder how they could be so hopeful, despite living through the assassinations of Evers, Malcolm, Martin, Kennedy and Kennedy! How?

I was taught not to see race or color. I never had the “girl, you’re Black, and this is how it’s going to affect your life” conversation with my parents. Instead, their daily affirmations gave me constant reassurance and planted the seeds of Black excellence in my head. According to them, the world was my oyster. Those daily affirmations are one of the best gifts my parents gave me. I had to be successful in my endeavors. I didn’t have a choice. My parents expected it. Now, I can see how I was coddled from the racism and the realities of the world.

As a young adult, I was determined to succeed in spite of my skin color, completely naïve to systematic racism in play. Completely, naïve! I stumbled upon White privilege and systematic racism on my own as I got out in the real world and had to compete with White kids with trust funds. Oh, those trust-fund kids! That was my first indication that I wasn’t dealing with a leveled playing field. 

As a Black woman, I’ve lost opportunities and promotions. I’ve dealt with unequal pay and gender inequality. I’ve run into my share of microaggressions, too. And I’m not even going to get into the “petting” of my hair! And “Black while driving” — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stopped by the cops in my sporty convertible cars — first, a Chrysler Sebring and now, a Ford Mustang — a lot!! At least 50 times! Fortunately for me, no major incidents occurred, but I’ve been issued a lot of tickets! A LOT! It’s one of the reasons I don’t like to drive anymore, and take Uber every chance I get.

It’s not easy being a Black, female entrepreneur. In fact, it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had in my life!  But as my mentor – that is, the late, great pr maven Pat Tobin – once told me: “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” Her words stuck with me, and she encouraged me to start my own business. I’ve managed to push through the hard times. Make a way out of now way.

I know I’m fortunate, and I recognize my level of privilege within a certain context. I know I have the luxury to make certain choices in order to live my best life. But, make no mistake — it’s still hard out there for a Black woman, Black man, Black child … anybody of color. The death of Trayvon Martin woke me up! And now I see race all too clearly.

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#BOSSLADY

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State of the Business Address: 18 Years, and I’m Still Standing

On the heels of National Small Business Week (May 5-11, 2019), which highlights the importance of entrepreneurs and small business owners across the country, it’s only fitting that I celebrate 18 years in business as a celebrity publicist, an entrepreneur and a woman-owned minority, micro-business owner! Just like the lyrics of the Elton John song: I’m still standing! (Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!)

It’s been 18 years of sweat and tears! I remember one of my mentors – that is, the late Pat Tobin — a giant figure in public relations — telling me: “If it was easy, everyone would do it!” And she was absolutely right about that. There’s been times of feast, and times of famine; but somehow I’ve managed to keep my head above water and stay afloat. I’m so lucky to do what I love, and get paid for it! I’ll admit it, I have a dream job. But as a celebrity publicist … with the benefits, come the burdens. I’ll tell you all about that in my book one day.

The month of May is particularly special to me because in May 2001, I landed in Los Angeles in pursuit of a more creative lifestyle – both personally and professionally. Gone are the corporate trappings — those golden handcuffs, linked to benefits like healthcare, a 401 (k) retirement plan and four weeks of vacation time as well as other incentives.

Oh how I miss those days! Yes, I gave it all up to be my own boss – i.e. “the boss of me” – and work in my pajamas! Now, my goal for 2019 is “leveling up” my business, so I can wear silk pajamas! I’ll keep you abreast of the strides I’m making! 🙂

Tomorrow, I’ll join a sisterhood of public relations professions like myself for a “Relax and Recharge Beauty Brunch” in Hollywood, hosted by Women In PR  — i.e. @WomenInPR1 on Instagram. During the event, I’ve been tapped to serve as a  panelist to discuss various topics  about the pr industry. My soror and stylist, Kassha Brown has advised me to wear power red; so, I’m selecting and styling my outfit as we speak. (UPDATE: You can see pictures of me in #PowerRed on Instagram.)

Also, as a part of my state of the business address, I wanted to share with you a column I wrote for Reel Urban News, titled “A Snapshot of Public Relations in the Digital Age,” offering commentary on how things have change in the industry over the years. It also includes a gallery of photos with me and other celebrities, whose presence has been so impactful to me and my career.

Welp! That’s that for now. That’s my short, but sweet state of the business address. xo

#BossLady #GirlBoss making #MoneyMoves! #PublicistduJour 🙂

 

 

BLACK, BY POPULAR DEMAND!

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussez

SPOILER ALERT: I am going to use the word “black” a lot in this post and my latest column for the California Crusader News. Because spring is in the air, and it seems like everyone is catching spring fever even more so … for the love of black culture. The month of April sprung forth many blossoms of Black Pride by popular demand!

In April, Beyonce’ slayed so hard at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, it was dubbed #Beychella. She was the first black woman to headline the show. Secondly, Compton’s very own critically-acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar wins the Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album, “DAMN.” It’s the first for a hip hop artist. Who needs a Grammy Award when you can have a Pulitzer? His album lost out to Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic” for Album of the Year; but the Pulitzer Prize is certainly more prestigious, and more importantly, a huge milestone for the music genre that was initially dissed by the mainstream.

And finally, there’s the historic run of “Black Panther,” the crown jewel of Black Pride. Directed by Ryan Cooglar, it features a predominantly black cast as well as a bunch of empowered, kick-ass beautiful black women, wearing natural hair! Breaking box office records, the Marvel superhero movie has raked in more than a $1.33 billion globally, and last month, knocked off “Titanic” to become the third, highest grossing movie of all time in the United States, behind “Star Wars: the Force Awakens” and “Avatar,” respectively.

But May brought forth even more blooms. I love it when black culture pops up in unexpected places like say: a royal wedding. I mean was I alone, getting up in the middle of the night to make sure a Black girl from Crenshaw Boulevard walk down the aisle at Windsor Castle to marry Prince Harry! Side note: I’ve traveled to London, and visited Windsor Castle. It’s pretty ritzy!

A black mother, wearing dreads and a nose ring. A black preacher, preaching over his allotted time limit. A black choir, singing “Stand by Me.” A black cellist, playing oh so beautifully, and he’s the first black performer to be named to Britain’s Young Musician of the Year. And of course, Black Twitter had its fun with the hashtag: #BlackRoyal Wedding! Only one thing was missing, and that was the sound of tambourines, accompanying the choir! Oh well, we can’t have everything.

And then there’s news of Stacey Abrams, a state legislator in Georgia, who won her gubernatorial primary, becoming the first black woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the U-S of A!

Beyonce: She Did It for the Culture

It’s been an incredible season of celebrating black culture for sure. But, back to Beyonce! All hail Queen Bey! She did it for the culture! To borrow a line from her husband – a lyric in Jay-Z’s “Izzo” (H.O.V.A.). Because nothing exemplifies black culture like a good, old-fashioned homecoming, which takes place during the fall on the campuses of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).

You can read more of my thoughts about Beyonce’s historic Coachella performance and how she created an incredible opus, celebrating blackness – black art, black beauty and black culture in my latest column for the California Crusader News. CCN#20_May_10_2018

Illustration of Beyonce at Coachella by Nigerian artist Morenike Olusanya.

 

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT 2 ARTIST MORENIKE OLUSANYA

I’m excited to spotlight the illustration of Beyonce by Morenike Olusanya, a 23-year-old visual artist, illustrator and graphic designer from Lagos, Nigeria. To view her work, visit her website at IamRenike.carbonmade.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @IamRenike

FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Girl Crushes, Vision Boards and Virtual Mentors

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Excited to bump into a “virtual mentor.” Lena Waithe became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for writing on Netflix’s “Master of None.”

 

Today is the last day of Women’s History Month. What a glorious idea to spend a whole month celebrating feminism, female empowerment and girl crushes.

I think it’s no coincidence that “Wonder Woman,” directed by a woman, made over $1 billion at the box office worldwide, cementing its place in history as one of the top-selling superhero movies of all time because I feel like women are really coming into their own.

Already, it’s been an incredible year of celebrating African American women in front of and behind the camera, especially with the release of “Black Panther,” empowering actresses Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and of course, Angela Bassett (a girl crush) to portray such strong, powerful Black women on the big screen. (And their natural hairstyles were giving me so much life!)

For the past two months – i.e. Black History Month and Women’s History Month — I’ve been offering commentary about the accomplishments of African Americans and women on several radio shows where I serve as an entertainment correspondent.

The dynamic women of “Black Panther.”

Still, all year long, I’ve been bursting with joy on the inside because I’ve had these random, yet special moments with some of the very women who I’ve admired from afar. Some may call these chance meetings a coincidence, but I don’t. I like to think of them as breadcrumbs that God is leaving behind to let me know my life is moving in the right direction. Almost, like he’s giving me clues to the next chapter of my story. This is how I “listen to my life,” if you know what I mean.

In the book, “The Hollywood Commandments: the Spiritual Guide to Secular Success,” New York Times bestselling author DeVon Franklin offers life lessons and advice for success by combining “spiritual teachings with secular strategies.” In one of the chapters, he talks about having “virtual mentors” – that is, leaders in your field who you know, but may not know you — who can serve as mentors by studying their career path, projects, social media posts, interviews, etc. (Don’t be a stalker, though.)

This is great advice because it helps you think about your career in a different way, setting new goals and aspirations to make your dreams come true. It’s like living vicariously through someone else until your dream pops off, and then hopefully, you become a virtual mentor to someone else.

I have a list of virtual mentors. One of them is my former colleague Ava DuVernay, who I know from working in PR together. As the publicist of record for the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), I supported her early movies, “I Will Follow” and “Middle of Nowhere,” and promoted her projects within my professional circles. And look at her now! She went from being an entertainment publicist to making history as the first Black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe as director of “Selma;” she’s the first African American woman to direct a live-action film with a budget of more than $100 million with “A Wrinkle in Time,” AND she’ll be the first African American woman to direct a superhero film, “New Gods” from DC Comics.  (She’s the second woman to helm a superhero film, behind Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman.”)

I’m excited about the doors she’s opening for other women, too. Along with Oprah Winfrey, she’s the executive producer of OWN’s “Queen Sugar,” and for all three seasons, she’s hired only female directors like Julie Dash (“Daughters of the Dust”), Tanya Hamilton (“Night Catches Us”), Victoria Mahoney (“Yelling to the Sky”) and actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield (“A Low Down Dirty Shame,” “Eureka” and “Pastor Brown”).

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Keep Hope Alive!

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Reclaiming my time with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) during festivities at the 49th annual NAACP Image Awards.

Today is the start of Black History Month. Like most folks, I kicked off my celebration of blackness two weeks ago with the observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 15, 2018. In my newest column for California Crusader News, I talk about keeping hope alive in the era of Trump. After all, America is constantly evolving.

I spent MLK Day attending the Men of Courage forum, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. Launched in Detroit in 2015, the Men of Courage program is dedicated to elevating the narrative and perceptions of black men in this country.

The program connects the men with Men of Courage ambassadors, like social advocates, business leaders, entrepreneurs and other influencers. For LA’s forum, they pulled out the big guns with Grammy-nominated rapper Big Sean, retired NFL Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis of the LA Rams/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburg Steelers; Dave Bing, retired NBA Hall of Famer and former mayor of Detroit; and Karim Webb, restaurateur and franchise owner of Buffalo Wild Wings – just to name a few.

Rapper Big Sean and his mother attended the Men of Courage program, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company.

After the program, I headed off to the NAACP Image Awards afterparty where I bumped into Congresswoman Maxine Waters and (D-CA) and writer Lena Waithe, the first African American woman to win an Emmy for writing. (That’s a Black History Month fact!)

Both MLK Day and Black History Month is a time of great reflection, honoring the human sacrifices made by others in the fight for racial equality and social change. The struggle is real and constant. But, like Jay-Z rapped, “I do this for my culture!”

I hope you enjoy my column, “Keep Hope Alive.” which appeared in the January 25, 2018 issue of the California Crusader News. CCN#4_Jan_25_2018

Correction: Just to clarify, the Ford Motor Company Fund is the proud sponsor of the Men of Courage program, and not the Ford Motor Fund Foundation as listed in my column or the Ford Motor Company Foundation.

Here’s a Black History fact:

Lena Waithe became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for writing. You can see her award-winning work on Netflix’s comedy series, “Master of None.” Check out the Emmy-winning episode, “Thanksgiving” from Season 2. Plus, she’s the creator and executive producer of the new series, “The Chi” on Showtime.

Excited to bump into a “virtual mentor.” Lena Waithe became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for writing on Netflix’s “Master of None.”

 

 

 

‘Tis the Season: A Year in Review

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I love this time of year! No, no, no … I’m not talking about the plethora of holidays – that is, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Kwanzaa – which makes up the holiday season. Instead, I’m talking about another reason for me to shop: the beginning of awards season! And come January 2, 2018; there will be plenty of brunches, lunches, parties, after parties, gifting suites, screenings, etc. for me to attend that I won’t have time to do laundry or complain that “I don’t have anything to wear!”

Right now, I’m carefully curating my awards season wardrobe so I can be red-carpet ready next year. And I’m carefully watching the waistline so I can get into my new clothes. Some mac ‘n cheese here and sweet potato pie there can easily cause a 10-pound weight gain, and sideline my fashion options.

I love blinging things! My latest arts-and-craft project is the strassing of these NearlyNude block heel sandals by Stuart Weitzman. I can’t wait to wear them to some fancy, smacy red–carpet event.

It’s the perfect season to add yet another LBD (little black dress) to my wardrobe. I can’t wait to wear this long, black tulle skirt I found on sale at Bloomingdale’s. And given the fashion trend of embellishments – inspired by fashion gods like Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana – I’m revamping some of my old, favorite clothes AND shoes with DIY projects, using Swarovski crystals, sequins and rhinestone patches, and of course, glitter! With some E-6000 glue and a toothpick, I meticulously blinged out the heels of one of my favorite shoes, the NearlyNude block heel sandals by Stuart Weitzman. In eight hours, I made a great pair of shoes look simply amazing! (Side note: YouTube DIY videos are terribly addicting, and DTLA’s Fashion District is a goldmine of stuff! Shout out to the Bead Factory on Maple Avenue.)

Correction: In my article, I mistakenly called my shoes by the wrong name, the Nudist. It’s the Stuart Weitzman version with the sky-high stiletto heel. And trust me, after several attempts, and many broken heels, I’ve come to the conclusion that I cannot carry the weight of my body on a stiletto heel!

But I digress. In my latest column for the California Crusader, I do a quick year in review of all the good tv and films of 2017 with a little help from my friends at the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA). “Get Out,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, has crossed the $250 million mark worldwide, gobbling up awards along the way. In fact, “Get Out” topped the AAFCA’s  Top 10 list of Best Picture.

For my year in review, check out my latest column, which appeared in the December 21, 2017 of the California Crusader News. CCN#51_DEC_21_2017w

Gotta run, I’m heading out for the after-Christmas sales! There’s still more deals to be had!

“Get Out,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, has been named the top film by many film critic associations, including the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA).

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Thank you for reading my rantings from the red carpet! xo

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