Lacey Johnson

The year was 1975. Elvis Presley and his band members were gathered at his Palm Springs, Calif. ranch home, playing through some of his most beloved gospel songs. During a short break, Presley turned his attention to his newbie pianist, 28 year-old Tony Brown. Brown had recently transitioned from his first major gig with the Oak Ridge Boys to play with The King, who he recalls as being “the most beautiful, coolest cat I’d ever seen,” and “someone who never quite figured out he was Elvis Presley.”

Life is full of trials, of course, and healthy relationships can offer invaluable support. But in a society where we often feel pressure to maintain the flow of our peers, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparison and insecurity—particularly with the ones closest to us: our friends.
So what do you do when you have a jealous friend who either ghosts you when things are going especially well, or scoffs at your happiness and success? And how do you identify a toxic friendship that's begun to...

Though the medical industry has tried to silence them, a Facebook group gives the women the opportunity to share their stories.

When it comes to family, love is the only thing that defines it.

In the digital era, it feels as though every second of our lives has to be documented. You can't open Instagram or Facebook without being flooded with images of fans swaying at a music festival or a tearful couple finding out the sex of their baby in an extravagant reveal. The ease with which you can snap a photo and post it may cause you to focus more on sharing your happiness than savoring it. But that's not the only way our device-driven culture can be damaging.

The first time someone inquired about my future family plans, I was a deliriously happy bride-to-be, immersed in the final weeks of wedding planning. "Do you guys think you'll be sharing baby news anytime soon?" an older colleague asked with a wink. "Oh, I think we plan to have lots of fun with each other for a while," I answered playfully, while scrolling through honeymoon inspiration on my phone. I had no idea at the time how wildly defeating that vein of questioning would eventually become...

“A lady named Francis came in to show me where she was when a white woman put a cigarette out on her arm,” says Tom Morales, successful restaurateur and Founder of TomKats Hospitality in Nashville, Tennessee, while attempting to convey the sense of purpose and responsibility he holds for his most recent venture — the renovated Woolworth on 5th.

“I used to walk into boardrooms telling myself, ‘I am Power Woman.’ I would masculinize myself, as opposed to showing up as my true self, because the messages I’d been given in my life told me I had to."

It was early in the evening in the middle of the Summer, just as the sun was beginning to set. I was standing in front of my bathroom mirror, sliding on my wedged heels and preparing to head out to a show with a friend. A moment later, I found myself frozen in front of the toilet, screaming my husband's name with such passion and vigor that the walls nearly shook, holding a positive pregnancy test in my hand.

For 25 years, five days a week, Oprah Winfrey was in living rooms all across America. This moving exhibition offers a testament of her iconic influence, and serves as a totem of our history and culture.

Love her or not, she has kept us on our toes—making us dance and keeping us guessing while refusing to ever be forgotten. And she has done it all in style. Ahead are three glamorous stories she brought to life along the way.

When you marry someone, you're signing yourself up for all of it.

Reflecting on his journey from being broke — spent waiting tables and hustling his unknown brand of hip hop apparel out of a van — to sliding on pinstripe suits for millions of television viewers, John says to never underestimate the effectiveness of a daily rise and grind.

It was a time when eyes remained lowered, hushed whispers were heard anytime we ventured out in public, and none of us were ever without a box of tissues nearby.

"It was as though all of the generations gone and passed were breathing their well-wishes into our evening."