NOVEMBER 2018 SHOW

Plus Host & Producer Christopher "Play" Martin hangs out at Durham, North Carolina's Black Wall Street 2018 homecoming with the help of filmmaker Steven Starks!

Hip Hop pioneer Daddy O of Hip Hop's 1st Hip Hop band Stetsasonic introduces a new Brand Newz 'n Life episode featuring Rapper, Artist and Tallahassee, Florida Community supporter Brandon "Mike Jack" Williams born with a skin condition that would have discouraged and stopped most to find and live their purpose!

The Empowerment of Vitiligo

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When you see someone with the loss of pigmentation on their face and body, you know what it’s called, but very few people know what it is.

Vitiligo affects one percent of the population worldwide and about 2 to 5 million people in the United States of America.

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This skin condition causes the loss of pigmentation resulting in white spots or patches on different areas of the body including the face, hands, arms, and legs. As of right now, there is no direct cause related to the diagnosis of vitiligo, however, issues such as stress can worsen the problem and cause more patches around the body.

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Winnie Harlow, Terrance J, Steve Martin, Tamar Braxton, and the late Michael Jackson all have one thing in common. vitiligo. You would never know it from looking at their glamorous red carpet photos, but like millions of others, they have all learned to embrace their unique condition.

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Winnie Harlow said in a recent interview “The real difference isn’t my skin. It’s the fact that I don’t find beauty in the opinions of others. I’m beautiful because I know it.”

Vitiligo is no longer being looked at as a rare skin disorder but as a unique asset.

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Even mainstream companies and media are embracing it. Earlier this year CoverGirl kicked off a campaign based around inclusivity by featuring a model who has Vitiligo to encourage others to proudly embrace this condition. In this ad, model Amy Deanna is seen enhancing her white spots with foundation instead of covering it up as many people would assume. Even the clothing boutique Missguided used a mannequin with Vitiligo, recently, to empower and educate their customers.

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Brandon Williams, also known as Mike Jack, shared his story in our new Brand Newz n Life feature about growing up with Vitiligo and the challenges he faced with it.

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He said “It was rough growing up. Kids used to pick on me, talk about me, laugh at me and say things like I looked like I had acid thrown on me.”

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Brandon’s mother would reassure him that all of the things he was going through was because he was special and here to make a change in the world. And he has.

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“Instead of me living with Vitiligo, I decided Vitiligo was going to l

ive with me,” Brandon said when discussing his acceptance of the loss of his pigmentation, “I made a vow to be happy with myself, no matter what anyone else thought of my appearance. I would wear it as a badge of honor.”

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To get more of Brandon’s inspiring story watch our Brand Newz n Life exclusive interview with him. Watch, like and share this story on social media using the hashtag #BNZ4Vitiligo.

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By Savina Billups

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