Mara Brock Ali

This Week in Black News: Legacy, Innovation, and Love in Motion

From sneaker design and AI training to literary milestones and global LGBTQ+ advocacy, this week’s headlines remind us that Black impact is multidimensional.
02/27/2026

Celebrated TV Creator Mara Brock Akil Announces Debut Book

The creator of ‘Girlfriends’ and ‘Being Mary Jane’ said writing fiction was a ‘beautiful journey’ and she hopes readers find themselves in Dionne’s story.
02/25/2026

Persia White Spills on 25 Years of ‘Girlfriends’: Backlash, Breakthroughs, and the Revival Fans Still Want

As the beloved sitcom turns 25, White opens up to BET about fighting for authentic storylines, shaping Lynn’s identity, and why a limited series revival could finally give fans the closure they deserve.
09/11/2025
Shonda Rhimes

The Most Powerful Women in Hollywood

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Tatyana Ali - Ali is an actress, singer, and Harvard University grad. Most people best recognize her from her role as “Ashley Banks” on the hit comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which ran from 1990 to 1996. Since then, she’s appeared in movies, executive produced and starred in the award-winning BET.com web series Buppies, and currently portrays “Roxanne” in The Young and the Restless – a role for which she recently received an NAACP Image Award nomination.

Photos: 2011 Leading Women Defined Summit

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