Dispatches from Nappyville: The sensual pleasures
Originally published at What Tami Said Right now, the back left side of my hair is strangely puffy, fuller than the rest of my head. The curls there are stretched out and winding this way and that. You may surprised to hear me say that I am NOT having a bad hair day. I am; [...]
...read moreAre black women too religious to get married?
As I’ve previously blogged here, the media has a not-so-subtle obsession with the love lives of single black women. Recently, CNN.com added more fuel to the fire, pondering, “Does the church keep black women single?” We’ve already learned from the mainstream media that black women are too educated, too successful and too independent to be [...]
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For Blue Eyes: Pecola Breedlove Lives
If a Black girl is very lucky she is born into a family that will cherish her. She will be told repeatedly that she is beautiful, even that she is a princess. Those first years are very important in building a solid self-esteem. They will be needed to help deal with the stressful years ahead, [...]
...read moreBlack women should lighten up? On health, optimism and bias
As I mentioned in my initial post, I also blog for Global Comment. Below you will find my latest post. Black femininity falls squarely into three social constructions: jezebel, mammy and sapphire. Each construction is meant to discipline Black women into subservience and marginalization. Socially, Black women occupy the bottom of both the race and [...]
...read moreThe Hammering
I’m may end up regretting this, but I’ve come to feel that there’s really no way around it. I’ve tried to figure out how I could ignore what I’m feeling and move on to the stuff that I’d rather use this time to blog about, but it hasn’t worked. So here it is: Lately, whiteness [...]
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Bonjour!
Hello there beautiful people! My name is bint alshamsa and I’m going to be guest-blogging here at Feministe for the next two weeks. I’m not sure how to transition into a formal introduction, so I’ll just start by telling you a little about me. I was born and raised in the wonderful city of New [...]
...read moreHere Tits: The Wet Nurse and the Revival Of Mammy
Well everything old is new again. I was reading Hoyden About Town when I came across a link for wet nurses. My initial reaction was WTF….seriously…not in the year 2008. As a WOC the idea that you can, or should pay someone to breast feed your child is extremely problematic. For those that aren’t aware, [...]
...read moreStuck In The Middle
Continuing on with the theme of privilege, today I am cross posting something I wrote in May. I thought about writing and updated version but I don’t believe that I can improve upon my original commentary. As a Woc I find myself often being pulled in two different directions. White women often try to play [...]
...read moreCan I Touch Your Hair? Black Women and The Petting Zoo
Hair does not mean the same thing to white women as it does to black women. Hair for us is a physical indicator of the ways in which we are different. It is no accident that the first black millionaire, Madame CJ Walker sold hair care products. Part of female beauty has always included long [...]
...read moreYep, There’s Slave In Me
You ever wish some people came with a mute button? Charles Steele Jr., president and CEO, of SCLC announced in a speech that Michelle is getting rougher treatment in the media than Barack because she has slave roots, and he does not. Right, the issue is that she is blacker than him. When will black [...]
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