*By Samantha Errico*
Actress Samira Wiley has a promise for fans of her character Moira in "The Handmaid's Tale:" She's both in season three and alive. At least for now.
"We should just be happy that's a thing," she told Cheddar Thursday.
The same can't be said for her beloved "Orange Is the New Black" character Poussey, who died during the show's fourth season.
"It was one of the innovators," Wiley told Cheddar of the wildly popular Netflix series that launched her career. When "Orange Is the New Black" premiered on the streaming service, "it was one of the first shows that really showed women \[differently\]," she said, adding that the show dramatically shifted the conversation about diversity on the small screen.
Now Wiley is participating in a related conversation off screen ー body diversity. She, alongside model Iskra Lawrence and actresses Busy Philipps and Jameela Jamil, will be featured in American Eagle's #AerieREAL Role Model campaign to challenge unrealistic beauty standards.
"It's about representing women of all shapes and sizes and colors," Wiley said. "I'm just excited to be part of the conversation."
To Wiley, it's a privilege she doesn't take lightly ー on camera and off.
"I do think that everyone has a path, and I do think I am somehow walking down the path has been laid out for me. And to know that includes being able to portray all these wonderful, strong women for the next generation ー that's awesome," Wiley said.
What's next for the actress? Fans would never say no to a Poussey spin-off ー even one that takes place in the afterlife.
"Poussey and Taystee, I don't know why that hasn't happened yet," Wiley said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/actress-samira-wiley-on-why-she-loves-playing-strong-women).
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
BTS’ hit single “Butter” tops the zeitgeist again, bumping back up to number one on Billboard’s Hot Trending Chart. The chart tracks what songs people are talking about rather than what they're listening to.
The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever "national blood crisis" in the United States. Since COVID hit the U.S. in March 2020, blood donations have declined by 10 percent. American Red Cross Medical Director, Dr. Baia Lasky joined Cheddar News to discuss the country facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Dr. Lasky noted that as much as 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood but only about 4 percent do so. "This is going to be ongoing," she said. "This is not an acute shortage. We really do need the commitment of people to come out and donate and donate again." Appointments to donate can be made by using the Red Cross Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
On this episode of ChedHER: Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE breaks down how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses; AYO Foods Co-Founder discusses how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of; Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at Chase Auto talks her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry, and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Renée Horne, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Chase Auto, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Perteet Spencer, Co-Founder of AYO Foods, joins ChedHER to discuss how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of.
Crystal Etienne, Founder and CEO of period apparel company Ruby Love and Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience bootstrapping her company to $10 million, and how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses.
