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With nearly two million people behind bars at any given time, the United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. The Sentencing Project reports that between 1980 and 2021, the number of incarcerated women increased by more than 525%. There are approximately 976,000 women under the supervision of the criminal justice system. A new photo book titled ‘Done Doing Time: Portraits of Life After Prison’, by photojournalist and documentarian @hinda_schuman, we are offered a candid look into the lives of two of these women - Concetta and Linda - who Hinda has known for over a decade. Hinda met Concetta and Linda while volunteering at New Directions for Women, an alternative to incarceration residential program for women in the Philadelphia prison system. The images were all taken from 2018-2022 after the women were released from prison. The photographs show them in their homes and neighborhoods, and with the people in their family. We had the chance to speak with Hinda about what she hopes viewers and readers will take away from her photobook and the stories within: "My hope is that the powerful personalities of Concetta and Linda will show others that women get stuck, trapped, neglected, abused, traumatized, and are left to cope on their own. They end up without a support system or they override what system they had. These are real people with compelling stories, and I hope that the subtleties of their experiences will inform viewers that they are not all bad or all good or all any one thing." See Hinda's work via the link in our bio. 📷📒 . . . #photography #documentarian #story #women #prison #incarceration #philadelphia #system #book #photobook #donedoingtime #massincarceration #justice #family

Gen Z Americans report high rates of mental-health challenges, impediments to effective work, and worries about the future, according to McKinsey’s recent American Opportunity Survey. @temimashames — the 24 year-old CEO/Founder of a leading talent management company — is creating a safe space for mental health in the workplace with her under age 30 team of employees. Temima is the CEO & Founder of @nextsteptalent — a leading influencer and music artist talent management company in Los Angeles. Temima was surrounded by severe mental health issues in her family, and as a professional child actress, she experienced the pain of the entertainment industry. As we are heading to the end of Mental Health Awareness Month for another year, it’s a reminder that prioritizing mental health and wellness is a year-round action we can all take, especially company founders and employers. Temima opened up to us about her personal story and why prioritizing her staff mental health is vital to the company's productivity: "Empathy is everything. Empathy is tied to my definition of work life balance. To me it is about allowing employees to share their home life at work in order to create a more productive work environment. If we can celebrate their personal wins and support through the losses, employees are less likely to feel burnt out." Read more about Next Step Talent and Temima Shames via the link in our bio! 🌟🧘🏾‍♀️ . . . #mentalhealth #TemimaShames #CEO #founder #influencer #NextStepTalent #burnout #health #entertainment #worklifebalance #empathy #mindfulness #productivity #artist #family #instagood #WCW

ICYMI, our founder @ashadahya interviewed Black Lives Matter movement co-founder @chasinggarza for @the.storyofwoman podcast! Speaking with the woman who has been an organizer since she was in high school, Alicia spoke with Asha about the difference between racism and systemic racism, and why we need to care about this right now. Listen to the full conversation at thestoryofwomanpodcast.com, and get to know one of the foremost #changemakers in modern history. ✊🏾 . . . #blacklivesmatter #movement #change #racism #aliciagarza #activism #organizer #podcast #storyofwoman #history

For many teens and young adults, prom is a rite of passage, a cultural staple of American life that can create lasting memories for many. But there are also others for whom prom invokes anxiety, fear, and even negative memories. There are numerous queer folks across the country today who can attest to feeling less-than-enthusiastic about what is considered a very hetero-normative experience. For queer activist, designer, entrepreneur, and event producer @nikkacy, prom was not necessarily a memorable event, but they are helping other adults in the LGBTQ+ community have a “do-over”, at an event designed to reclaim the space and be more inclusive. Queer Prom is an annual fundraising event for Equality Fashion Week (EFW) during Pride Month that creates a nostalgic themed, inclusive adult prom experience infusing love and healing into the LGBTQIA+ community. Coming out as a trans masculine, gender non-binary queer human in their adult life, NiK dreamt of finally attending prom as their authentic self. Yet NiK, like many other queer youth, never felt safe to attend prom as a student. Being held on June 1st in the iconic city of West Hollywood, Queer prom is taking place amid a backdrop of 500+ anti-LGBTQ+ pieces of legislation being introduced across America in 2023 alone. With Pride Month around the corner, here's what NiK told us about the importance of this event right now, and how they want it to be a source of joy + healing amid the hate: "It is really hard to understand why so many people hate us and don’t even know us. These right wing groups want to take our rights away, erase us and control our bodies all in the name of fear...Queer Prom is about love, inclusion and healing. No matter how much hate we face as a community, we stay resilient and strong. I think it is important to provide these safe spaces for queer adults and allies because the stronger we become we can help create a better world for the youth." Read more of NiK Kacy's story via the link in our bio. 🏳️‍🌈 . . . #Pride #Queer #trans #LGBTQ #QueerProm #love #inclusion #joy #healing #WestHollywood #WeHo #teens #adults #NiKKacy #friday #instagood #lovewins #equality #aapiheritagemonth

If you’ve spent any time scrolling through TikTok beauty trends you will no doubt have come across the viral “Glass Skin” K-Beauty (aka Korean Beauty) trend. With 1.5B views on TikTok, this is something that has skincare and beauty lovers hooked, and all the credit goes to the origins of the trend – K-Beauty line @peachandlily founded by entrepreneur and CEO @aliciayoon212. Born in Korea, Alicia grew up in both Seoul and New York. After graduating from Harvard Business School, Alicia worked for Goldman Sachs and the Boston Consulting Group. Having struggled with severe eczema throughout her life, she developed a passion for skincare and became a licensed esthetician. In 2018, combining her Eastern and Western roots Alicia created the Peach & Lily skincare line. One of its first products, the Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Refining Serum, launched the “Glass Skin” viral trend. Just so you know how popular it is, a bottle of the product sells every two minutes! During AAPI Heritage Month, we had the chance to learn more about Alica's entrepreneurial journey and the origins of Peach & Lily. Here's what she told us about how K Beauty trends are impacting the global beauty industry: "Both the AAPI and broader global Asian communities play a crucial role in the beauty industry. Not to mention, the AAPI and global Asian markets have been and continue to be huge customers in the beauty industry. Yet, there is still a lack of AAPI/Asian representation across companies, media campaigns, influencer communities, and more in the beauty industry. Due credit is also not always given to these Asian heritages when innovations, ingredients or traditions are marketed. At Peach & Lily, transparency is a core tenet." Learn more about Alicia's entrepreneurial journey and get to know Peach & Lily via the link in our bio! 🍑🧴 . . . #PeachandLily #GlassSkin #trend #beauty #Kbeauty #Korean #asianamerican #AAPI #representation #entrepreneur #AliciaYoon #instagood #best #skincare #TikTok #Viral

"To be intuitive means to be able to access the wise all-knowing aspect of yourself and then to decipher the messages you receive and make empowering choices," writes award-winning author of the new book “Understanding Modern Spirituality” @innasegalautho, in a blog post today, sharing 5 ways we can all tap into our intution. "Intuitive insights can come to you when you are awake, while meditating, dreaming, taking a shower, exercising, connecting to your body, or simply relaxing. While you may be more likely to access your intuition when you are in a meditative state, it can arise at any point, including often during a time of crisis." Here are our fave tips from her post: #4. 💫ASK EMPOWERING QUESTIONS: Be specific and open-minded when asking for an answer to something important to you. Say, "Divine Intelligence give me an insight into X?" This is great to do before falling asleep. Have your journal near you and write any messages you receive in the morning. #5. 💫RECOGNIZE & CELEBRATE YOUR INSIGHTS: The more you acknowledge and celebrate your insights, the more trust you will create in your own abilities and the messages you receive. Make sure you take action on your gut feelings and knowing. Your intuition becomes your compass, a navigating device that assists you to be flexible, adjusting your course based on internal wisdom as well as the external circumstances of your life. Inna says we must pay attention to signs and messages from within and outside yourself and follow the guidance you receive. Tap the link in our bio to read more! 🧘🏾‍♀️💫 . . . #intuition #guidance #spirituality #mindfulness #meditation #insight #advice #trustyourgut #knowthyself ##WCW #instagood #best

Having a diverse workforce can lead to a more inclusive workplace culture, and improve communication, productivity, and creativity among employees. However, the representation of diversity can often result in backlash or discrimination, especially when expressing your racial identity through how you wear your hair. For people of color, expanding natural hair and its acceptance in the workplace has been an ongoing battle. But with the CROWN Act now being law in 20 states, and the organizations and legislators behind this monumental bill finding that hair discrimination is still present in the workplace despite numerous advances, there is clearly a lot employers can do to tackle this issue in their arena. @styleseat surveyed 1,252 Americans about their thoughts on natural hair in the workplace and what people of color have experienced as a result of wearing their natural hair. KEY FINDINGS: 💇🏾‍♀️Wearing their hair natural to work is preferred for 83% of people of color. 💇🏾‍♀️People of color are discriminated against for wearing their natural hair, according to 54% of respondents. 💇🏾‍♀️Employers could do more to decrease hair discrimination, according to 46% of people of color. 💇🏾‍♀️Although 71% of people believe natural hair is acceptable in all industries, there are industries where people report they’re least likely to see POC wearing their natural hair, like the military and the government. 💇🏾‍♀️When it comes to industries people wish they saw more POC wearing their natural hair, media, news, and government top the list. The workplace is becoming more inclusive to POC wearing their natural hair, but there is still work to be done. Your hair is your crown, and if you'd like to see more data about the survey, head to the link in our bio! 👩🏾‍🦱 . . . #hair #CROWNact #peopleofcolor #naturalhair #womenofcolor #Blackwomen #discrimination #perception #workplace #representation #instagood #beauty #style

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While there are countless ways to prioritize mental well-being, one activity is treating yourself to a trip to the salon. New research from @styleseat has shown that many Americans view their salon visits as a needed form of self-care. During March 2023, they surveyed 1,002 Americans about their experience treating stylists like therapists. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 76 years old, and were 50% female, 48% male, and 2% nonbinary. For the survey, they defined “stylist” broadly, including hair stylists, nail technicians, laser treatment professionals, facialists, and even tattoo artists. Here's what they found: 💇🏾‍♀️A large majority (88%) view a trip to the salon as a therapeutic experience. 💇🏾‍♀️1 in 3 salon-goers consider their stylist to be like a therapist. 💇🏾‍♀️Over half (55%) report that their stylist provides emotional support during appointments. 💇🏾‍♀️A majority (52%) of Americans have discussed their family members with their stylist. For those seeking more than just a haircut or manicure, the salon can be a sanctuary. The salon is a place where we can discuss topics beyond just beauty and style tips — we can also share our thoughts and emotions. During Mental Health Awareness Month (and beyond!), it’s important to recognize the value of these safe spaces and the comfort they provide to those seeking a deeper conversation. For more info on how the beauty and style world are providing vital self-care to many, head to the link in our bio! ✂️💆🏽‍♀️ . . . #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #style #beauty #selfcare #therapy #connection #support #salon #may #awareness #StyleSeat #instagood #health