I really like this picture. Whenever we see pics of people doing black girls hair, there is always frowning and angry faces like its such a struggle.
Here the little girl is smiling and content while her mother(??) is gently and patiently tending to her hair.
It’s nice.
(via thereisnosaintellen)
Source: qweent
Tarika Wilson, the 26-year old unarmed, bi-racial mother of six who was fatally shot by police officers during a raid-gone-wrong in early January of 2008.
She was likely on her knees and complying with a SWAT team’s orders to get down when she was hit in the neck and chest, two experts testified.
A forensic pathologist and firearms expert each said that bullet wounds indicate that Tarika Wilson wasn’t standing or struggling with officers.
She was holding her 1-year-old son on her knees when she was shot. The boy also was hit and had a finger amputated.
This tragedy set off protests and debate about race relations in the city (LIMA, Ohio), where one in four residents are black.
(via biyuti)
Source: fuckyeahfamousblackgirls
HONY Email about the Sudanese’s woman
I followed this Humans of New York story and decided to add my voice to the aftermath of this conversation.
Dear Brandon,
First off, I enjoyed your “Humans of NY” blog. I came across it when I saw a post of a Sudanese’s woman. I decided to at least follow. However, I saw a post that made me unfollow the blog, when you decided to take down this woman’s picture because the conversation has “ran it’s course.”
Now, I’m a photographer for events. I don’t change the world view with my pictures, I make money off of it. Like you, I have to ask for permission to take pictures. If I take a general shot and someone come up to me and asked to deleted it, they will HOVER over my shoulder until I delete the picture, reducing my quota. I have to respect their privacy (even thought there’s really a lack of privacy when you go to a public party, but that’s another topic). It’s content for a website.
You’re a photojournalist. In addition to creating content, you can change a lot of people’s minds with your work and stories. Sadly, you choose to censored this woman’s story because of the man, even thought it’s the woman’s story that caused you to post this. Even thought she gave you permission to tell the story.
Basically, you’re using her. And then you used your privilege as both male and white to silence her. I thought you were doing a service for her and a service for black women in general when you posted this. But no, you were doing a service for yourself and when the controversy is too hot to handle, you delete it.
See, I’m a black man. Every day, I walk out the house and hope that I will not have any problems. Not with the MTA, the taxis, the Buses, or any trivial things that usually happen in the day to day lives of us New Yorkers, but hope that the cop doesn’t stop me because my ID is expired and I don’t have the time to renew it. They can write me up for that, or maybe hold me overnight. Or that I don’t run into that one bigot (I live in Westchester, so the chances of that increases) that may decide to play “chicken” with me… with his car. (This happened one night, and I feared coming up here at nights ever since.)
I feel that you were doing a service for Humans of New York… you know ALL Humans. However, you were doing yourself a service because you feel sorry for the man.
I don’t want to make this a “black and white” issue, because you clearly seem to be universal. But it hurts my feelings when you took that image down because she represents my sister, my aunt, my niece… maybe my future wife… who are approached in this matter at least 5 times in their lives, maybe more. If a white woman gets harassed, she can talk to a cop and file a harassment report. If a black woman gets harassed… she won’t have time to file a report… because it’s DAILY!
I thought you’ll understand that there is no excuse for his behavior and you shouldn’t be defending him. You didn’t tolerate him then, why are you tolerating him now? He does not represent the entire religion, and he should be exposed for what he did.
His son had problems accepting his father’s dirty side and want to commit suicide? I have issues within my family, but I won’t threaten to kill myself over that.
Your decision is yours. It’s your blog and I don’t have a right to tell you to reconsider. However, your concern with this man more than the woman who’s the victim of his advances shows that you are no different from the many people who censored history of black people.
Sorry that I couldn’t dull my writing a bit. Usually, I’m a little more tactful. But you clearly don’t deserve the tactful persona.P.S. - I don’t follow all blogs via Tumblr. Some blogs I follow via Google Reader because… some of y’all post too much.
Ah, so this is why people were trying to take down the post.
The response says it all ^^^^
So much is tied to a black woman’s identity. The struggle of a black woman–the burden on her back–the solidarity in calling each other “my sister” is something I have come to own and appreciate, slowly but surely.
I feel that in taking on the trans identity and calling myself genderqueer that I am betraying my sisters in some way. I also feel that I am rejecting the women’s spaces which I felt so comfortable in for years and years. I am becoming an outsider to the community of women of color that I fought so hard in the past to understand and be a part of and protect through my academic writing.
As I was accepting the fact that I am genderqueer … that I am masculine of center, that I may not have been socialized as your typical female and had always seen myself as androgynous or leaning more toward the masculine spectrum–I began to panic.
Well…that means I’m a black man! Ohhh great! Not only do I face oppression on so many other levels, but now I’ve got this new added burden of being perceived as a black man, should I choose to transition or present myself as male? I’ve been presenting myself as male for years now without really calling it that.
Now I would have to routinely see white women clutch their purses and turn up their noses, and white men feel threatened/disgusted by my very existence. I did not, do not…want to be a black man.
But, unfortunately, I don’t have much choice in the matter. And I’ll explain what I mean.
This is a First Lady Michelle Obama appreciation post, prompted by a racist bigot classmate of mine, who called her ugly, obnoxious, and undignified. I don’t care about discussing politics here on my tumblr, but I do care about posting various pictures of one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and dignified First Ladies the USA has ever had the pleasure of gracing the White House.
Haters to the left.
All da way to the left.
All of this.
She is serving in that second to last photo, though!
Source: vespers-nine
dancer: Paige Fraser(via Christopher Reed 2011 Bryant Park)
(via kemetically-afrolatino)
Source: crumpledpaiges
Source: Flickr / thatartista
WHY BLACK FEMINIST ART & LITERARY PUBLICATIONS ARE NECESSARY
Because Audre Lorde said, “Your silence will not protect you.”
Because Barbara Smith said, “but some of us are brave.”
Because Toni Cade Bambara said, “The role of the revolutionary artist is to make revolution irresistible.”
Because Sylvia Wynter says our poetics is our politics is the way we make a world.
Because Anna Julia Cooper, a 19th century figure and former slave, earned a Ph.D. and wrote THE FIRST Black Feminist text, A Voice from the South.
Because Maria Miller Stewart was THE FIRST American woman of any race to serve as a public lecturer before a mixed audience of men and women, blacks and whites (proceeding the Grimke’s antislavery speeches by 5 years).
BECAUSE MANY OF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO THESE WOMEN ARE!
Because we cannot live without our lives, our contradictions or our words.
Because we fall in love with women of color every day.
Because young Black women STILL think critically and write prophetically.
Because publications are the ONLY way to communicate and globally interact with past, present, and future Black women.
Because nearly all of the Black feminist publications of the 70s, 80s, and 90s have become extinct.
Because Black people were the ONLY people in the U.S. ever EXPLICITLY forbidden to become literate.
Because if we don’t write ourselves into history, tell our own truths and experiences, can it be said that we were even here?
I am starting a Black Feminist Art and Literary Publication. I am using the term Black to refer to those within the African Diaspora. I am concerned about our limited options. I am calling on Audre Lorde and Barbara Smith. I am calling for Black women theory, criticism, and creative literature writers. I am calling all of my sisters to come and sit at the kitchen table.
yay! spread the word! and i love this collage!
(via numol)
Source: sanelevox
