February 2012
5 posts
2 tags
Black Feminist Contradictions: We All Got 'Em
There will always be debate about what defines a feminist. While conservative women like Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann attempt to misappropriate the term and negate its progressive origins, Black women struggle to embrace it and see our place within the movement.
Feminism (or Womanisn if you please) is a Black woman’s birthright. We had no choice but to question the racist, sexist power...
2 tags
A Message to Black Folks: Don't Get Mad, Get GLAAD
The past week has been an important one for digital advocacy. In a matter of days, two major organizations, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and CNN, were forced into decisive action by the feminist and LGBT communities respectively. Supporters used Twitter, Facebook, blogs and message boards to rally their proverbial troops. Proving, once again, that the power lies with the people, and when we choose...
2 tags
UnPretty: My Personal Battle With Vanity and...
At what point does something you enjoy become a source of your own imprisonment? We classify many things as addictions, but not until recently did I ever consider I might be battling one of my own.
I am a daughter of consumerism. As a quintessential girly girl, I love clothes, makeup, and hair. (Yep, I buy my hair, and I whip it back and forth with pleasure.)
Hoarding these things has been a...
1 tag
Invisible Chains: Unlearning My Mother's Wisdom
Through the years it has been corporatized and commodified, but Black History Month is a time for self-reflection and meditation. A time to remember those men and women whose boldness and bravery left a mark on our collective consciousness. A time where individually each of us must take stock of our talents and think about what we will do to lift as we climb.
While we celebrate the trailblazers,...
2 tags
Does BET's 'The Game' Hate Black Women?
It’s been over a year since The Game returned to television, and the comeback has been rocky. The story arcs lack depth and the dialogue lacks wit. But those missteps might have been forgiven had the show preserved the integrity of the characters we grew to love so much that we, the viewers, petitioned for months to revive. Not only did that not happen, but since it’s return, The...
January 2012
2 posts
2 tags
There's Nothing Wrong With Being A 'Foul-Mouthed...
I am a foul-mouthed woman. Despite the fact that I did not grow up in a home where swearing was encouraged—or even tolerated—once I got to be about 13, my friends would be hard pressed to hear me in conversation without dropping the f-bomb or the s-word. (I say friends because I was diligent about refraining from the language in front of my elders lest my mom come down on me with her...
2 tags
A Domestic Dream: Re-imagining Black Motherhood
The seeds of my feminism were planted early. Women predominate my childhood memories. And not just any women: strong, Black women. Sisters who did it for themselves. The kind of women Lil Boosie writes songs about (I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T). These women instilled in me the value of self-sufficiency and hard work. They taught me what it meant to navigate the world as a Black woman in a racist, sexist...
December 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Lemme Hold $5: Why Black Women Continually Come Up...
Black women do not save. That is, of course, unsurprising considering the American culture of consumption has transformed into a culture of debt [1]. But it just so happens that structural racism has made partaking in this culture all the more costly for Black communities.
A few weeks ago, the Post Gazette featured a study that explored into the racial wealth gap in the United States. This time,...
5 tags
Please! Black Men Are Not Marginalized On The...
Let’s be honest, Women run the Black blogosphere. Though the overall ratio of men to women who read and write blogs is roughly the same, these demographic trends don’t seem to hold for black writers and readership. And I wouldn’t call that a bad thing. The Digital Sisterhood demonstrates that after centuries of being relegated to the margins, Black women are eager to explore ourselves and learn...
2 tags
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
Every morning it gets more difficult. Crawling out of bed to prepare myself for eight hours of tedious, unfulfilling work saps me of my emotional energy before the day has really begun. With eyes still heavy from the previous night’s cry-fest, I attempt to make myself presentable. The routine has not changed in months, but on this day, something is different. I’ve relied on faith and determination...
January 2011
18 posts
Another song I was listening to way too young. And...
December 2010
12 posts
August 2010
1 post
