00:00What's up Essence? This is 7 Things We're Talking About. I am Dana Blair and we are back in New York
00:11City this week. Home sweet home. Recovering from the Grammys and gearing up for Fashion Week and
00:16more red carpet excitement with our annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards. But first,
00:20let's jump into number one. Last week Essence honored the one and only Jilly from Philly,
00:25Miss Jill Scott at the sixth annual Black Women in Music Awards hailed out in LA.
00:29Everyone from Queen Latifah and Sierra to Zendaya and my girls from The Real walked to the carpet.
00:34Special guests Brandi, MC Light, Leigh Ann La Havas and Icon Shaka Khan brought the house down with
00:40performances highlighting decades of good music and even better vibes. But don't worry if you
00:44missed our live stream on the carpet you can catch all of the interviews and inside scoop on the video
00:48channel right here at Essence.com. Okay let's talk Grammys. I was on my sofa with a good mile back
00:55in my kettle corn watching the red carpet and way too long telecast of the Grammys. I know my gal
01:01Rihanna is getting some flack for her dress but I absolutely loved the pink puff. I can also always
01:06count on RiRi to take a risk and keep it interesting in terms of fashion. My boo Pharrell showed us that
01:11knees are in with his short tugs and Kanye continued to keep all eyes on him as he caused tons of
01:16controversy when the artist Beck beat out BeyoncĂŠ for album of the year. Prince made a statement with his
01:21outfit and commentary. President Obama delivered a heartfelt PSA on domestic violence and in between
01:26the nine but gigamillion and that is a word performances one or two awards were handed out.
01:31With the exception of Paul McCartney, Rihanna and Yeezy performing, I was left a tad underwhelmed.
01:36Let us know what you think at Essence Mag. Now could the first daughter be on her way to NYC?
01:41Eyewitnesses spotted Malia Obama scouting New York City colleges with First Lady Michelle Obama recently,
01:46reports New York University blog NYU Local. Their presence was confirmed by an anonymous NYU tipster
01:53who accidentally stepped in the elevator with the First Daughter, First Lady, in droves of Secret
01:58Service agents who are accompanying them. Talk about getting in the right elevator. It is amazing how
02:02much time flies and Malia has grown into a beautiful young lady. I cannot wait to see which school she
02:07picks. Allegedly, she wants to be a filmmaker and, if you recall, she was an intern on Halle Berry's
02:11sci-fi TV series last summer. Good luck, Malia. Okay, Essence. If you missed last week's live stream,
02:17you have a chance to catch the Black Women in Hollywood live stream from the red carpet on February
02:2219th. This year, we are honoring members of the cast of Orange is the New Black, actress Regina King,
02:26and newcomer Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and famed costume designer Ruth E. Carter. Keep checking in on Essence.com
02:32because I will have the inside scoop and live interviews right from Hollywood.
02:37Here's an update on the Humans of New York campaign. Humans of New York goes to Washington.
02:41After blogger Brandon Stint shared a picture of 13-year-old Vidal Chastanet praising his
02:46supportive principal, Nadia Lopez, on his blog, which features everyday New Yorkers,
02:50the post went viral. Thousands of people donated more than $1 million to the Brooklyn Middle School,
02:55which takes its students on an annual visit to Harvard. Since gaining national fame, Vidal has
03:00appeared on The Ellen Show. The middle schooler and Lopez were also invited to meet with President
03:04Obama. The pair even got to cozy up with Mr. President in the Oval Office. Not too bad.
03:09Next up, outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder shared exclusively with Essence a topic that hits
03:15extremely close to home for him, the African-American women who've influenced him most throughout his
03:20entire life. I can tell one, Miriam Holder, my mother, a high school graduate, denied the opportunity
03:27to go to college, but it was extremely well-read and always taught me to fight for justice,
03:36to assume the best about people, but be prepared to take on people who would do things in a negative
03:44way. So she is my rock. Holder also mentioned Murley Evers, civil rights activist and widow of Medgar
03:49Evers, Coretta Scott King, Constance Baker Motley, who served Manhattan as borough president and was
03:54also a prominent judge, activist and state senator, and Dr. Maya Angelou, after whom his eldest daughter
04:00is named. The Attorney General goes on to acknowledge his sister-in-law, Vivian Malone Jones,
04:04who was one of the first Black students to attend the University of Alabama in 1963. Holder will vacate
04:09his position after more than six years in March, when his successor, Loretta Lynch, is largely expected to be
04:14confirmed. On the third anniversary of Whitney Houston's passing, fans continue to send prayers
04:19to her daughter, Bobbi Christina, who has been in the hospital for almost two weeks after being found
04:23unresponsive in her bathtub at home. While a criminal investigation has begun to look into the circumstances
04:29around this tragedy, there's much speculation about the family's next steps. Bobbi Brown and families say
04:34that is untrue and continue to urge fans to pray for her recovery. Throughout the week, fans, family, friends and
04:40loved ones have been holding candlelight vigils and sending prayers. Our thoughts and prayers are with the
04:44Houston Brown family during this difficult time. Well, there you have it. That's another edition of
04:507 Things We're Talking About. I'm Dana Blair. Be sure to keep it locked right here on Essence.com,
04:54and I'll see you next time.
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