Natasha Calis knows what she’s doing. Acquainted with the camera since a young age, Calis has starred in numerous films and TV series, making her mark among well known names in the entertainment industry. Now, a sophisticated Calis is once again demonstrating her incredible acting chops, starring in Nurses, NBC’s new series. Putting her heart and soul into this role, Calis is Ashley Collins, a young nurse whose wit and kindness makes her stand out. Calis told Jejune all about her acting career, what it’s like playing a nurse why we should admire and respect healthcare workers, now more than ever. To learn more about Natasha Calis, please read below.

The Limit Doesn’t Exist for Hadar Cats

As a young child, Hadar Cats was in every theatre production at her school and attended performing arts summer camps. These experiences were the springboard into the world of film and made her debut in Amazon Prime’s AKA Nadia & Incitement. In her latest film, My Dad’s Christmas Date, Hadar stars alongside Jeremy Piven in a heartwarming story revolving around love and family. Besides being a talented actress, Hadar has been competing as a professional Equestrian since she was seven years old and speaks three different languages. She is also an advocate for animal rights and works closely with The Freedom Farm Sanctuary. Check out our interview with Hadar Cats to learn more about her.

You Will Know Peyton Stilling

At just the young age of 18, Peyton Stilling has already garnered acclaim from the likes of NPR Music and Mahogany Sessions, as well as American Songwriter and Earmilk. Her latest single “Healing” is both raw and honest. Inspired by the heartbreak she’d gone through, her vulnerability and pain are evident through the lyrics and overall song. Her last single “Forest through the Trees” has garnered over 200k streams on Spotify alone. Besides doing music, Peyton makes time to help those with disabilities. From giving back to her community, garnering acclaim from notable media organizations, working with Grammy-nominated producers, to being a talented singer and songwriter, Peyton Stilling is on route to establishing her name in the music industry. Mark my words. Please continuing reading for our exclusive interview with Peyton below.

Kaitlyn Velez Sings In Style

Kaitlyn Velez isn’t your typical Gen-Z songbird – she embodies the style of a New York City “It Girl.” Her aesthetic as an artist is a blend of pastel and vaporwave visuals, and her music is bubblegum pop with some R&B influences. The young singer and songwriter tells Jejune about what inspires her to create, her single “FOMO”, her Hispanic background - raices - as artistic fuel and how she gives back through the intersection of music and activism.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 29Jejune ContributorFebruary 11, 2021latinx, singer song writer, Latin American, pop star, pop, new york city, girl power, nyc, it girlComment

Janie May Gets Real

Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Janie May writes with her heart out. With a sleek style, honey-coated voice and sophisticated, yet upbeat tunes, the singer and trained social worker emphasizes the emotional aspect of life – emotions without warning yet too often felt and the source of human connection. May sat down with Jejune to talk about what she wants to achieve through music, her EP Balance Me, art and mental health in the age of coronavirus, and all the while showing us how solidarity as a guiding force takes us far.

Fall in Love with Teen Singer-Songwriter Lana Chalfoun

Young love can be a dream or a nightmare and Lana Chalfoun offers both perspectives in her music. Her new single “Cut Off” (coming out Feb. 12th) is a break-up song just in time for Valentine’s Day, which to be honest, is the perfect day to let yourself mourn lost love and move on by February 15th. A fount of youthful sound and energy, Lana’s been dropping music through the pandemic (check out her other singles “Be OK” and “Get Mad”), all of which share the twists and turns of love, anxiety, and coming of age. In our interview with Lana we talk about her music and her chosen charity of choice The Red Glasses Movement. Keep reading to fall more in love with Lana in our exclusive interview below.

Lexia Hayden: Gen Z Brings Hope For The Future

Gen-Z is growing up during challenging circumstances. This year the Covid pandemic has taken so much from their lives but still, they are up for the challenge and will reshape the world. Lexia Hayden —who is a stylish model, influencer, actress, and competitive tennis player— is the evidence of gen-z’s tenacity. She started her influencer career at the age of ten when she didn’t know anything about social media. Right now, she creates content on her passions for style, health, and fitness with her strong 230k Instagram followers. Aware of the issues that affect kids her age, she became a volunteer for Candlelighters New York City which has been helping kids fighting cancer and their families. We talked to Lexia Hayden about her career, style, voluntary projects. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Lexia Hayden.

Garfield Wilson Leads With Empathy

Actor Garfield Wilson has a lot to look forward to after taking on projects such as the Nickelodeon TV series The Astronauts, TNT’s Snowpiercer and an upcoming Lorne Michaels musical comedy. Wilson’s resilience shines through his career and his relationship with his three children —all built on a foundation of acceptance, love and support. Wilson gets candid with Jejune on acting, his kids and advocacy as a parent to an LGBTQ child, raising awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement from his home in Canada, and how we can follow his example to provide better, more inclusive spaces.

Reggie Watkins Is Creating Systematic Change As An Actor

Our contemporary politics makes it is easy to see the stark difference in police treatment of Black Lives Matters protesters in comparison to the Trump rioters. Actor, Sports Enthusiast, and Civil Rights Activist Reggie Watkins is creating systematic change, saying everyone should understand why the entire system needs to be defunded and overhauled. His journey has been long as an actor but apparently, he always knew what he wanted. He recently portrayed Sgt. Lawrence Sims’ in Activision's new “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War” game. At the same time, he co-founded the San Fernando Valley-based non-profit organization “The Valley Of Change,'' which is a community-based team of people who wanted to see change and decided to assist in the progress. Also, he gives importance to diversity in the sports talk space so that he is busy with his podcast, “Brothas On Football'', which covers football from a Black man's perspective. We talked to Reggie Watkins about his career, activism, and BLM movement. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Reggie Watkins.

Feel Better with ALIX

Like many artists, navigating the music industry right now as an artist can be tough, but ALIX doesn’t let that stop her. Bay Area based artist, ALIX, let us join in on her livestream of her album “Feel Better” where she brings a California breath of fresh air to online viewers. Being the young artist she is, she gives us an inside feel of what it’s like to be a young artist in this tough industry and just exactly how she’s navigating through it. Besides music, ALIX is heavily involved in “Clear List Organization”, an organization dedicated to helping struggling teachers during Covid-19. ALIX shares with us why she feels teachers are essential workers and so important to the development of society. Please read our exclusive interview below.

Staying Curious with The Bachelor's Kendall Long

If there’s such a thing as a curiosity guru, Kendall Long would certainly be one. After she made her debut on season 22 of The Bachelor and later on Bachelor in Paradise, Kendall became a sensation. Her lovable personality, quirky interest in taxidermy, and kind heart are what make Kendal a person we couldn’t wait to interview. We talk to Kendall about her new book Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions, which is exactly that: a book of questions (and a journal too!). And let’s be honest: Just Curious is coming at the best time of the pandemic when Zoom calls and staying indoors during winter could not be more monotonous. We need to stay curious! We also chat about Kendall’s love for animals, represented by her secondhand taxidermy hobby and her rescue pup Pistachio. If you’re curious about Kendall and interested in what she has been up to since her time on reality TV, please read our exclusive interview below.

Audrey Grace Marshall: A Young Star Playing Epic Roles

Audrey Grace Marshall maybe 11 years old, but she has already attracted some pretty interesting roles, playing the young version of Cassie in HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant, and also playing a young 'Trish Walker' in the amazing final season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. When she isn’t busy playing the younger versions of epic women, or running around in her New York City life, she is very passionate about helping mature dogs through Susie's Senior Dogs; a nonprofit organization working to bring awareness to the plight of homeless senior dogs. Please read further to learn more about Audrey in our exclusive interview below.

Sasha Daniel Sings For Freedom

Sasha Daniel is a gifted Russian-Israeli musician, actress, and mental health advocate. She uses her creative talents to explore inwardly as well as create a dialogue about sensitive issues such as love and relationships, vulnerability, and mental illness. Sasha has been writing music for years, using her unique life experiences of living and traveling around the world as inspiration. She spent two years touring across New York, the Mid-West, southern United States, Israel, and Canada until she moved back to Tel Aviv and began producing her own songs. Jejune sat down with Sasha to discuss her new EP and her volunteer work with the Non Profit Organization Latet.

"Enlighten Me" and the Power of Sarcasm - Kipani

Move over mansplainers! Kipani is about to enlighten you. Bringing a sound of her own, singer-songwriter Kipani is a visionary for equality in the music industry. Kipani’s new single “Enlighten Me” is a unique blend of genres and has a very specific goal: to empower women. In our interview with Kipani, we dive into the struggles and obstacles that women creators face in the male-dominated music industry and discuss how Kipani as an artist has used music to push-back against stereotypes of women that negatively impact their artistic endeavors. Kipani’s art is not only self-expression but a demonstrative outlet of the dynamic force of feminine creativity. For more on Kipani please read our exclusive interview below.

We Need Deep Latinx Storytelling - Chrissie Fit

Chrissie Fit is a star on the horizon of change. Chrissie is known for her work in the Pitch Perfect franchise as “Flo” and she has returned to the big screen in All My Life with Harry Shum Jr. and Jessica Rothe which premiered in theatres on December 4th, When we asked if she was involved in any humanitarian work, Chrissie responded: “I feel like I have my hands in everything!”. After speaking with the Cuban actress, it was easy to see that Chrissie brings a critical and inspirational lens to her work behind the camera and in her everyday life to promote a better and more diverse future. In our interview with Chrissie, she dives deep into what it means to have representation for Latinx communities in Hollywood and beyond. Chrissie talks about the intersectional nature of representation in film and television as well as representation at the polls for Latinx voters in the 2020 election. For more on Chrissie Fit, please read our interview below.

Actress Jennifer Sears on Social Activism & Black Mental Health

Combining her pre-law degree with her love for acting and social activism, Jennifer Sears is a voice of passion and authenticity. Ever since her big break in Tyler Perry’s Madea Family Reunion (2006), Jennifer has continued to work with worked alongside some of the industry’s most astounding talent and production teams, with roles in the award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated film “Bessie” alongside Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique, The Best of Enemies starring Taraji P. Henson, VH1’s Daytime Divas alongside Tichina Arnold, Bounce’s Saints and Sinners and FOX’s Star, to name a few. We speak to Jennifer about her most recent role on OWN’s Greenleaf as it enters its fifth and final season. We also discuss how Jennifer is using her platform to raise awareness for causes that are close to her heart. She frequently works with the Atlanta Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and consistently works to share resources about Black Mental Health. Please read our interview with Jennifer Sears below.

Belle Scar is Transcendent

Belle Scar is a music project of multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, artist and producer Geeta . A Canadian now living in the UK, Belle Scar is creating art that can’t be confined to conventions of genre or fit into categorical expectations. For Belle Scar, music is not only a passion, it’s her way to survive in a strange and chaotic world, she works hard at creating something real, beautiful, sad, intense…an emotional journey, especially during our contemporary moment. We get a peek into the mind of the artist’s music, discussing the new EP’s “Mementos” and “The Eeriness” (both of which have a sound that is truly unique to Belle Scar) and her perspective on how to best support artists and musicians at this time. Please read below for our interview with Belle Scar.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 26Forrest JohnsonNovember 20, 2020music, musician, belle scar, pop, folke, artist, cinema, producer, music production, video, Give backComment

Jemima's New EP Is Vulnerable And Personal, Just Like Her

Singer/songwriter Jemima’s new EP, Things I Never Said, is an intimate look into personal experiences she had while living in London. Her new EP is filled with songs that touch on experiences in love and living life. Besides music, Jemima had spent 8 months living in an animal sanctuary in Byron Bay Australia. We talked to Jemima about her new EP, experience living in an animal sanctuary, and much more. Check out our exclusive interview with Jemima.

La Casa Azul Design Holds the Secret of Being Timeless

We are at a time when interior design trends constantly renew themselves. Many design fads come and go; however, there is one trend that never goes out of style: Timelessness. This is what African American interior designer Juaneice Munoz is doing. She brought comfort, function, and casual luxury together and created La Casa Azul Design in 2011. She also recently launched an online store and a percentage of her store's proceeds will be benefiting the Salvation Army, which aided Juaneice through some tough times. We talked with Juaneice Munoz about the latest trends in interior design, her career, how to overcome struggles, and La Casa Azul Design. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Juaneice Munoz and her company.

It's Time To Change The Male-Dominated Structure Of The Stunt Industry

“I didn’t realize there were female drivers. We just put a guy in a wig for a job.” This is the most common sentence that female stunt drivers hear when they are in the industry. Three accolade-studded female stunt drivers Olivia Summers, Dee Bryant, and Angela Meryl who have 60+ years of professional stunt driving experience in 500+ commercials and more than 300 films and TV shows launched the Association of Women Drivers (AWD) the first all-female driving team. They decided to challenge the male-dominated stunt industry and create their own platform.

Women are systematically excluded from the stunt industry and their skill sets are questioned by men. Thus, AWD speaks up against the unfair patriarchal structure of hiring practices and discriminations towards female drivers since male drivers constantly taking money out of a women’s pocket. They wanted to change the sexist and racist structure of the industry and encourage stunt driver casting that is more diverse. We talked with Olivia, Dee, and Angela about AWD, industry, wigging, and their experiences. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about AWD and the ladies behind it.