Black and white.

[Luna]

Teenager With Vitiligo Says When She Looks in the Mirror, 'I Just See Me'

Desiree Simmons with her mother, Carolyn Simmons

Vitiligo may not be life threatening, but it can be psychologically devastating. Patches of depigmented skin appear seemingly at random, altering a person's appearance and sometimes threatening to upend one's identity. It's common to try and hide it with makeup, but the Simmons family opted against that.

"We wanted Desiree to feel good about herself," Carolyn Simmons said. "You know, this is who you are." She said the family chose to work on Desiree's self-esteem and build her confidence, focusing on the girl and not the disease. After three years, vitiligo covered 60 percent of her body. Doctors couldn't say whether or where the disease would continue to spread.

"There are no blood tests, there are no biopsy tests," she said. "There are no X-rays or scans you can do, no MRIs, ultrasounds. There's just nothing that will predict the course of illness." Vitiligo can stop as suddenly as it begins and can come back at any time. Today, Desiree's natural pigment is 99 percent gone; only a few spots of the old color remain. She said when she looks in the mirror she sees, simply, herself. "I just see me. I know that I'm just a normal kid and I just have a little bit of different skin."  

Source: ABC News

[Luna]

Gene Studies Confirm 'Out of Africa' Theories

Two big genetic studies confirm theories that modern humans evolved in Africa and then migrated through Europe and Asia to reach the Pacific and Americas. The two studies also show that Africans have the most diverse DNA, and the fewest potentially harmful genetic mutations.

One of the studies shows European-Americans have more small mutations, while the others show Native Americans, Polynesians and others who populated Australia and Oceania have more big genetic changes.

The studies, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 paint a picture of a population of humans migrating off the African continent, and then shrinking at some point because of unknown adversity. Later populations grew and spread from this smaller genetic pool of founder ancestors — a phenomenon known as a bottleneck.

Populations that remained in Africa kept their genetic diversity — something seen in many other studies. They also reinforce the idea that humans originated in Africa, then spread into the Middle East, followed by Europe and Asia, the Pacific Islands and finally to the Americas. "Diversity has been eroded through the migration process," Noah Rosenberg said in a statement. People of African descent are the most genetically diverse, followed by people from the Middle East, and then Asians and Europeans. Native Americans resemble one another the most on a DNA level.

Source: Reuters

[Luna]

White And Black Twins

Tracey-Ann and Andrew Balasco with their son Orlando and daughter Natalia

[Luna]

White And Black Twins

Garcelle Beauvais and Michael Nilon with their sons Jax and Jaid

[Luna]

White And Black Twins

Amanda and Michael Biggs with their daughters Marcia and Millie

[Luna]

White and Black Twins: Kerry Richardson's Story

Kaydon and Layton at 3 months

For every mother with twins the art of telling them apart is a task that can take a lifetime to master. But when Kerry Richardson's sons were born she had no trouble telling them apart instantly. Layton, who weighed 6lb 4oz, was growing blonde hair and was fair skinned. His brother, Kaydon, who arrived 20 minutes later weighing 6lb 9oz, was black.

"When they were first born, no one really noticed anything unusual as they were both practically the same colour," said 27 year old Miss Richardson."But over the last few months Layton has got lighter and blonder, like his dad, and Kaydon has gone darker like me."

The one in a million conception happened after two eggs were fertilised at the same time in the womb. While Miss Richardson is of English-Nigerian heritage the twins' father is white. According to the Multiple Births Foundation, baby Kaydon must have inherited the black genes from his mother, whilst Layton inherited the white ones from his father. "Everywhere we go you can see people looking and you can tell they are dying to comment," said Kerry, an administrator. "I have to explain they really are twins and do have the same parents. "Sometimes I think that it is going to be really weird for them growing up. But I just look at them as being even more special." The brothers were born at the James Cook University Hospital on July 23, 2006. "Everyone who sees the them can't believe that they are twins. I have had people say to me 'don't they look alike, they are just like twins and I have to tell them that they are."

[Luna]

Actress with Biological Daughter

Victoria Rowell and daughter Maya Fahey

Victoria Rowell is an American actress and dancer. She is known for two high profile television roles: Drucilla Winters on the daytime drama The Young & The Restless, and her primetime role as Dick Van Dyke's medical examiner, assistant and pathologist, Dr. Amanda Bentley, on Diagnosis: Murder.

Victoria Rowell was born in Portland, Maine. Her biological mother, Dorothy Rowell, was English and a Mayflower descendant, and her father, whose surname was Wilson, was of African-American descent. Victoria Rowell knew very little about her father. Dorothy, who suffered from schizophrenia, took a taxi to a hospital to give birth to Rowell, leaving a son and two small daughters unsupervised. When she was 16 days old, Rowell, along with her two sisters, Sheree and Lori, was surrendered to child services. Rowell married Tom Fahey in 1989. They had a daughter, Maya, and divorced the following year.

[Luna]

News Anchor Soledad O'Brien

María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien is a television journalist who is currently the host of CNN Special Investigations Unit on CNN. O'Brien's parents, both immigrants, met at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in 1958. O'Brien's parents married in 1959 in Washington, D.C. where interracial marriage laws were less restrictive. Her father Edward, an Australian of Irish descent, was a mechanical engineering professor. Her mother Estella, who is Afro-Cuban was a French and English teacher. O'Brien is the fifth of six children, who all graduated from Harvard University. Since 1995 O'Brien has been married to Bradley Raymond, co-head of investment banking at Thomas Weisel Partners. Together they have two daughters and twin sons: Sofia and Cecilia; Charlie and Jackson.

[Luna]

The Original Catwoman

Eartha Kitt with Daughter and Granddaughter

Eartha Kitt is an American actress, singer, and cabaret star. She is known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman, and for her 1953 Christmas song "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her "the most exciting woman in the world."

Born Eartha Mae Keith on a cotton plantation in the tiny town of South Carolina. Though her ancestry is somewhat uncertain, she states her mother was of African-American and Native American descent, and her father, German and Dutch descent. She was conceived of rape. Kitt was raised by Anna Mae Riley, a black woman whom she believed to be her mother, but after Riley's death, she was sent to live in New York City with Mamie Kitt, reportedly Riley's sister. Eartha Kitt believes that Mamie Kitt was her biological mother; she still has no knowledge of her father's identity, except that his surname was Kitt and that he was the son of the owner of the plantation on which she had been born. Kitt suffered terrible abuse and neglect at the hands of a family to whom Anna Mae Riley entrusted her, or "given away for slavery" as Kitt describes in many interviews. After romances with the cosmetics magnate Charles Revson and banking heir John Barry Ryan III, she was married to Bill McDonald from 1960 to 1965. They had one child, a daughter, Kitt Shapiro. Eartha has two grandchildren, Jason and Rachel.

[Luna]

Record Producer Quincy Jones

During five decades in the entertainment industry, Quincy Jones has earned a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. He is best known as the producer of the album Thriller, by pop icon Michael Jackson, which has sold 104 million copies worldwide. Quincy Jones was born into an African-American family in Chicago, Illinois. He is the eldest son of Sarah Wells, an apartment complex manager and bank executive who suffered from schizophrenia, and Quincy Jones, Sr., a semi-professional baseball player and carpenter. From 1974 to 1990, Quincy Jones was married to actress Peggy Lipton. The couple had two daughters, actresses Kidada and Rashida.

Kidada Jones

Rashida Jones

[Galuh]

Luna, those twin babies pictures above and infos are very interesting thank you for posting them 

[Luna]

I thought it was pretty fascinating when I first heard about it. I will post more interesting pictures soon.

[Luna]

Rising Tennis Star Jan Silva

With Daddy

Biracial cutie Jan Silva is a 6 year old tennis prodigy, from Rancho Cordova, California, who has been affectionately dubbed "The Tiger Woods of Tennis" and for good reason. Barely able to see over the net, Jan is a true phenom, with a complete game. He has already mastered the fundamentals of tennis and possesses a one handed backhand that is the envy of all who have seen him, in action.

With Tennis Pro Andre Sa

[Luna]

English Singer David Bowie, Somalia Model Iman, and their Daughter Alexandria

[Luna]

American Radio Host with His Family