(SCANS & EXCERPTS)- JASMINE GUY, KARYN PARSONS & SHERYL LEE RALPH IN EBONY MAGAZINE: CELEBRITY MOMMIES ON A MISSION.

When Jasmine Guy's daughter Imani, 8, questioned her mother about the name of a rock group called Guns N' Roses, she gave her an introspective answer. 'I told her that the name meant that life can be hard sometimes and lovely sometimes,' recalls Guy, now 43-year-old. Realizing that life can be more difficult for some people, Guy, who played pampered-princess Whitley Gilbert on the series A Different World (1987-1993), has supported several organizations. Among then is A Place Called Home, a community safe house that each year helps about 2,000 at-risk youth in South Central Los Angeles. Some of the other issues that the actress feels strongly about are education, violence in the community and unemployment. How do her views affect her parenting style? 'I'm more conservative,' says Guy, who grew up in Atlanta and attended public schools. 'Not Republican [conservative]. I'm more aware of what I let Imani watch on television. I also pay more attention to lyrics.'

She and her husband Terrence Duckette have been married for nine years. Guy, who is also an author, points out hat Imani, like herself, has many interests, including gymnastics, tennis and piano. 'I find that I like to do many different things. The way that I handle that is I take two things and focus on those two. I see some mothers who are on their BlackBerry, telling the kids what to do, and typing something on their computer with their toes. I can't do that.'

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Celebrity mom Karyn Parsons says she does not miss playing the self-indulgent diva Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It could be that she's too busy juggling play dates in the park for daughter Lana, 4, and son Nico, 10 months, to reminisce about her narcissistic television character. In addition to parenting, these days, Parsons is thinking about education. In fact, while she was filming The Fresh Prince, her mother would call her with Black history stories. She felt that some of the stories would be well-suited for a children's book and began working on a compilation. In 2003 Parsons married Alexander Rockwell and started a family. 'I was thinking about my own responsibilities as a parent that were coming up, and teaching my daughter about her heritage.' So, in 2004 Parsons started Sweet Blackberry, a production company based in New York, where she and her family live. She's written and produced two animated films that are available on DVD.

She says that the stories are meant to be a fun way to teach children about their history, 'especially about Black Americans who we don't hear about so much. If young people get interested early, it's something that will stay with them for a lifetime.'

CONTINUE READING MORE OF EBONY MAGAZINE'S 'CELEBRITY MOMMIES ON A MISSION' WITH ACTRESS SHERYL LEE RALPH AFTER THE JUMP!

Education is just one of the many issues that parents have to be concerned about. Another is HIV/AIDS education, a subject that some parents find too serious to discuss with their children. Not actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who is the mother to daughter Coco, 13, and son, Etienne, 16, and who established a foundation devoted to HIV/AIDS awareness. One of the things that Ralph hopes to pass along to her children is an awareness of the issues around them. Ralph is married to Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes and commutes between Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Perhaps following in his mother's footsteps, Ralph's son, Etienne, has sponsored an orphan child in South Africa through World Vision International. Ralph recounts how her daughter Coco, who may yet be a young diva-in-training, chastised a young man for verbally disrespecting her. She and her girlfriends staged an intervention to let the boy know that his language was unacceptable. 'I was like, 'You go, girl! Mommy doesn't have to pick up the phone. You handle your business!'

Even with her hectic schedule, Ralph stays active at her children's school and tries to lead them by example. 'I try to be the best possible person that I can be,' she says. 'I try not to cuss out anybody. I believe that if you want to see change, even in your own family, you have got to be the change that you want to see.'

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SALLI RICHARDSON WHITFIELD & NIECY NASH W/THEIR KIDS IN EBONY MAGAZINE; ACTRESSES DISH ON MOTHERHOOD IN HOLLYWOOD.

ACTRESS SALLI RICHARDSON WHITFIELD AND HER DAUGHTER, PARKER WHITFIELD.
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Now that 3½-year-old Parker Whitfield is in school, she can't travel as often with her mom, Salli Richardson Whitfield, when she leaves Los Angeles to film the top-rated show sci-fi show Eureka in Vancouver, Canada. And that is the problem for the actress-mother. 'It becomes really, really hard,' says Salli, who spends 15-hour days on the set. Before Parker started school, Salli would tuck her in at night, give her breakfast and get visits on the set. Now Salli will only see her daughter and husband, actor Dondre Whitfield, on weekends. 'I'm sad just thinking of leaving her.' That is a downside of success for the actress, who landed the choice role with Will Smith in the blockbuster film I Am Legend. 'No complaints, because I am busy, whereas others are not so fortunate. I'm hitting my stride. This business is about endurance, longevity.' And motherhood is about patience and love. 'I've learned that you never know how much your mother loved you until have a child,' she says,'...and you can never love anymore as much as you love your child.'

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ACTRESS NIECY NASH, CHILDREN DOMINIC, 16, DONIELLE, 13, AND DIA, 8, AND HER MOTHER MARGARET ENSLEY.
(CLICK PIC TO VIEW IT'S ORIGINAL SIZE)

While Niecy Nash was in control of her career with her top-rated Clean House show on the Style Network, she was losing control at home. She was working late and her children--Dominic, 16, Donielle, 13, and Dia, 8--were eating a lot of fast food. 'I thank God for my mother everyday,' she says. 'I called her crying, saying I was overwhelmed. She said, 'Baby, I'm on my way.' That was less than two years ago. Her mother, Margaret Ensley, sold her house in Northridge, California, retired from her job as TSA supervisor at the L.A. Airport and moved into Niecy's pool house. Now divorced, Nash had considered getting a nanny, but had imagined that 'folks would be selling my panties on eBay.' The actress spends a lot of time with 'each baby individually'--for instance, taking Dia to a movie, Donielle to her her nails done and Dominic to dinner. Motherhood, she says, is her greatest success, and her greatest love.
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MAG PICS & EXCERPTS: VANESSA WILLIAMS & HER KIDS IN EBONY MAGAZINE; BEAUTY TAKES THE PHRASE 'BLENDED FAMILY' TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

Singer/actress Vanessa Williams graces the cover of Ebony (read my reasons for not posting this sooner after the jump) magazine's annual Mother's Day May issue. In her heavily-detailed feature story (on stands now), the green-eyed beauty talks about her relationships with her four children (Melanie Hervey, 20, Jillian Hervey, 18, Devin Hervey, 15, and Sasha Fox,8), her two failed marriages to their fathers Ramon Hervey and former NBA baller-turned-actor Rick Fox, and how she juggles the responsibility of motherhood, a full-on dramatic career and a bi-coastal lifestyle. And if you all were like me and thought Jada and Will reigned supreme as the titleholders to the coveted blended family crown, you may want to think again. Ramon, the father of Vanessa's three oldest children, says from the beginning they devised a plan of action to care for their family. The fact that Ramon lives a mere two block away has made it easy to manage for all these years. They system stayed in place even after Vanessa remarried, had Sasha and then divorced for the second time. But now, it includes all four children and often Rick's son Kyle, 13, from a previous relationship, whom Vanessa says really acts like he's Devin's blood brother. 'The boys truly feel like they're brothers and they miss each other a lot,' she says.

Let this family tell it and they really do all get along, so much so they continue to share holiday meals together with everybody present. Jillian says, 'We've had Thanksgiving with mom and Rick and my dad. Everyone is here and it's totally fine.' That 'everyone' included all four kids, Jillian's boyfriend, Ramon, Rick, Kyle, Helen Williams (Vanessa's mother) and Chris (Vanessa's brother). So far no new love interest for Vanessa, Ramon or Rick have been added to the mix. Vanessa's brother gives his sister credit. 'Any woman who can have one ex-husband cook Thanksgiving dinner and have the other ex-husband clean up after dinner, that's pretty special...'

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THERE'S MUCH MORE TO READ ABOUT VANESSA AND HER BLENDED FAMILY. JUST CLICK ON 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP! ON THE BOTTOM LEFT.

'....My sister is an amazing cook, but she had to work and was flying in. My first brother-in-law cooked an amazing meal. We all ate at the same table together and afterwards my second brother-in-law cleaned up. She has great relationships with both her ex-husbands. They are very much involved in their children's lives and that's really important. Even if you have personal differences that lead to divorce, maintaining the family atmosphere is important.'

Vanessa trades calls and text messages with Ramon and Rick all day long--no matter where she is in the world.

In Los Angeles, Sasha get to see her dad Rick daily. Sasha says, 'My dad comes over every day to do homework with me. It's great.' But there are downsides for kids having a celebrity mom. Sasha says, 'It's difficult because I never had a normal life. I wanna see what it's like for one day. Like, normal life. Like, if nobody knows my mom was famous. Just for one day.'

Also, in the article, Williams' other three children also voice the hardships they've had to endure at the end of their mother's marriage to their father. But they weren't the only ones hurting. Vanessa says, 'Divorce is the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life, It's like death, and it doesn't get easier either time. Because it's a dream that dies, and it's heartbreaking. It takes a long time to repair and to men--and also the choice to move on or not. So listening to sad music, crying all day, not wanting to get out of bed...It's a grieving process. You have to feel the pain in order to process it. A big part of that is also forgiving the other person and forgiving yourself for feeling like you failed.'

READ MUCH MORE OF VANESSA'S INTERVIEW IN THE MAY ISSUE ON NEWSSTANDS NOW, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, A SISTA LIKE ME IS GETTING TIRED OF TYPING!

SO WHEREVER YOU ARE AS YOU READ THIS, GOOD DAY, GOOD NIGHT AND/OR GOOD MORNING

Note: Blame BeyJayCe for this delayed blog post. I meant to serve it up to you all days ago, but with the sudden alleged nuptials of Bey & Jay's courtship, needless to say, I got a bit sidetracked. I reckoned that's my bad.

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CAST OF 'GIRLFRIENDS' TO FILE JOINT LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CW FOR UNPAID WORK.

I told myself I wouldn't post anymore bad news pertaining to the demise of Girlfriends, because just the thought of it makes my head, chest, stomach and feet ache! But reading the following article last week took my level of pisstification to new heights and made me hotter than two fat people sexing each other under a leather blanket during a hot and humid day in southern Mississippi in the middle of August! Yes, I was that mad!

Fans, like myself, of The CW's once top-rated show, Girlfriends, who thought they'd be given a glimmer of hope at seeing the cast (maybe even 'Toni Childs Garrett' a.k.a. Jill Marie Jones) together on-screen for one last time may not want to set their DVRs just yet...or perhaps never. According to AOL Blackvoices columnist Jawn Murray (Black Buzz), The CW made the cast members an offer to return for a "retrospective" episode that would feature recaps of the previous shows and cast members reflecting on those shows. The CW apparently only offered to pay the actors half of their episodic salary to shoot the makeshift finale, thus the stars collectively opted not to participate. Murray says he was told by several people close to the show that network also refused to honor the contracts of the principal cast members and does not intend to pay the actors for the nine episodes that will not be taped. Now the show stars have hired a litigator who will file a joint lawsuit on behalf of the talent, suing the network for the money they are due. An anonymous source revealed to Murray that the network upper-up told the actors "'Sue us!' After using this show to help build its name, The CW has turned their back on them and disrespected them in the most horrible way," says the source. A rep for The CW was unaware of a pending lawsuit or the latest developments with the show's finale. "To the best of our knowledge no lawsuits have been filed. Nor is there any new word on finale special," said show publicist Paul McGuire via e-mail.

Devoted and longtime fans of the show, again, such as myself, have come together to speak their piece on the abrupt cancellation of the show as well as the issue of the taping of the retrospective episode, by filing a petition to the network's brass.

AFTER THE JUMP, READ ALL ABOUT THE PETITION & WHERE YOU CAN SIGN IT.

After 8 successful seasons on UPN and now The CW, the network has abruptly decided to cancel Girlfriends leaving all the storylines hanging in the balance, and without letting it have a proper series finale. It has been a positive show that has touched the African-American community. We all know that everything will come to end, but we ask that the CW gives us closure by having a proper series finale. So sign the petition and hopefully the CW will see that the fans do care. Here is the info also to contact the network executives listed below:

President of Entertainment – CW Network
Dawn Ostroff
818-977-2525
Dawn.Ostroff@cwtv.com

President of CBS Paramount Network TV
Nancy Tellem
323-575-2380
nancy.tellem@tvc.cbs.com

SIGN THE PETITION HERE.

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ASHANTI THE AUTHOR? SINGER/ACTRESS TO RELEASE LIFE & STYLE BOOK, 'ASHANTI STYLE.'

Ashanti will soon add author to her career resume. The singer/actress will not only release Declaration, her first album in four years, she also plans to release a life and style book aimed at teenagers aptly titled, Ashanti Style. Let's hope she'll tell teen girls how NOT to wear shirts as dresses....especially when you have thighs and legs, (like her little sister, 19-year-old Shi-Shi) that resemble brown cottage cheese and dimpled donuts. A poetry book is also on the horizon, with the working title of Foolish/Unfoolish: Reflections on Love. Bless her heart. She's coming back full force. Declaration, which is set to hit shelves on June 3, will be the singer's fourth solo LP and will be the follow-up to 2004's Concrete Rose. The record is being propelled by the lead single The Way I Love You, which has been gaining an increased amount of both radio and video airplay.

Producing the R&B star are Robin Thicke, Jermaine Dupri, LT Hutton, Babyface and Pharrell Williams, among others. More details are still to come, including the tracklisting.

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USHER'S OFFICIAL NEW VIDEO, 'LOVE IN THIS CLUB' TO AIR EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR ON B.E.T. ON APRIL 7th,

For all of you Usher fans, stans and haters, on Monday, April 7th, the world premiere of Usher's new video Love In This Club and first single from his fifth studio album, Here I Stand, will air throughout the day, every hour on the hour on B.E.T. beginning at 11 a.m. The video will also premiere as the New Joint of the Day on the network's top 10 countdown, 106 & Park. Due to popular demand, the release date for Here I Stand, has been moved up from June to May 27, according to Billboard magazine.

Last month, Usher reclaimed his superstar status when the single made an astonishing jump from #51 to the #1 position on both the Hot 100 Singles and Hot Digital Tracks charts for three weeks in a row before becoming the eighth #1 hit in his music career. Love In This Club currently holds the No. 2 spot on Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.

To see a 30 second clip of the video, click HERE.

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