Voices Have Power

Hello everyone and welcome to the third instalment of  WOC and Ally Blog carnival.  Once again we have a great line of posts either written by a WOC, or from an ally speaking critically about race and the different isms that it interacts with.   Each day we are told by the fauxgressives that race has become a non issue and yet our lived experience testifies the exact opposite.

This months feature post is from Berneta Haynes of Nickel for a Thought: Cultural Critique & "Other" Intellectual Adventures.

Irresponsible Black Mothers and White Female Saviours: “The black female body, a central reproducer of whiteness and thereby Americanness contains transgressive properties and potentialities. As Toni Morrison suggests in Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination, blackness is a notion that calls whiteness into existence. Blackness, simply by virtue of its existence on the level of discourse, can and does reproduce whiteness. But for whiteness to maintain its position of superiority in the imagined racial hierarchy, blackness and particularly the black female body must be perceived as being physically incapable of reproducing whiteness. The black and “othered” female body, more specifically than blackness and otherness itself, is the precondition for whiteness and thus Americanness. Blackness, simply by virtue of its existence on the level of discourse, can and does reproduce whiteness. But for whiteness to maintain its position of superiority in the imagined racial hierarchy, blackness and particularly the black female body must be perceived as being physically incapable of reproducing whiteness. The black and “othered” female body, more specifically than blackness and otherness itself, is the precondition for whiteness and thus Americanness.”

 

Gender

Does A Black Woman Have To Get Shot By Cops For Some Attention By Fain of Acts Of Faith In Love And Live: “Oh wait that already happens! They get beat up and raped by cops as well - but somehow the press and "community" outrage is somehow always focused on MEN. Especially when they're Black. Admittedly there is a certain militaristic zeal by which law enforcement coupled with the legal system seeks to harm, maim and incarcerate a certain population. These men are always the victims and never the perpetrators though and that's just as problematic as the attacks launched against them without merit.”

Hello, There Are Beautiful Transwomen Who Are Black is from Monica of TransGriot:  “There's an old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One of the things I really get tired of is when the general conversation of transwomen turns to beauty and the discussion ignores us.”

Pam Jones Violence Against Transwomen Of Color In Representation is from Go Go Jo Jo of the Hip Hop Enthusiast: “It's great to see black websites cover the assault of a transwoman of color. To be honest I wouldn't expect it. At the same time, its frustrating and down right sad that we can't seem to do so in a way that is respectful. As if being willing to mention an injustice and crime absolves you from all duties of respect and civility. This is often seen in gossip columns and rags so I'm not really trying to say its a problem of *only* black gossip websites. I just feel especially frustrated that my people can't seem to get with it.”

 

Who Died And Made Y'all The Femininity Police? is from Monica of TransGriot: “The fact that Black women's images have been under attack for several centuries and we are considered less than beautiful and feminine. Too many times Black men, who are supposed to be our swords and shields in standing up for us and calling out the haters have aided and abetted in that image destruction. If you are a woman above 5'7" tall and have what are considered 'masculine' features, you're automatically assumed to be a transwoman or insultingly called one as Ciara and a depressingly long list of Black women have been.”

The Myth Of The Strong Black Woman by Wambui Mwangi:

“You see, we - being the black women who are the “johns” of this particular scam - think that being an SBW is something to which one should aspire; we feel complimented when we are included in the category of others similarly valorized; and we blame ourselves for any indication that we are falling below the standards of the SBW.

Is this not the most delicious trick ever played on anyone?”

Speak! Women of Color Create For Justice by Allison McCarthy for Colors ”After receiving financial help from the 2008 Allied Media Conference, SPEAK! members recorded personal tracks for a spoken-word CD. Each member brings their media talents to the project, volunteering to work on recording, advertising, designing and writing the CD and zine.”

Apache Girl ‘s Sunrise Ceremony by Cecila of Ojibway Migisi Bineshii: “The sunrise ceremony is a sacred Apache ritual that marks the passage from adolescence to adulthood for young Apache woman. This is a four-day ceremony for Apache girls who have begun menstruating.”

Health

 

Women Outraged that Honduras OutLaws EC is by Blanca Dole & Susanna Smith of AKIMBO: “In developing countries, about 40 percent of all pregnancies are unintended, often because people do not have access to the contraceptives they need and want. Too often unwanted pregnancies end in death: nearly 35 percent of women who die during pregnancy did not intend to be pregnant in the first place, and 13 percent of maternal deaths are attributable to unsafe abortion.

Now that Honduran women can longer access emergency contraception safely and legally they may turn to black markets to get it or seek an abortion for an unwanted pregnancy. This will threaten women’s lives in a country where women already face a 1 in 93 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy or delivery.”

Controlling the Means of Reproduction: An Interview with Michelle Goldberg conducted by Mandy Van Deven: “After witnessing the impact of President Bush's reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule, Michelle Goldberg, journalist, author, and long-time critic of the Bush Administration's policies on sexual and reproductive health, decided that a book about the global battle for reproductive justice was long overdue. So she wrote The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World.”

History

Ultimate Racism The Liberation of Paris is by Greg Laden of Greg Ladens Blog: “In June of 1940, France fell to Germany. Among the troops who were overwhelmed by the German attacks were about 17,000 black West African colonial troops with the French Army. Many of these soldiers were shot do death by the Germans, who considered these Africans to be subhumans, as they stood in surrender. Surely, it would be fair to consider this to have been part of the Holocaust.”

 

Erasing The Black Marks On The White Pages from Directionless Bones: “I only came across this fact with the discovery of documents showing that when they were about to actually enter Paris, the Allied leaders sneakily selected the whitest unit, and removed all the non-white soldiers from it.Because they didn’t want the image of black men doing something heroic - the liberators had to be white.”

 

Whiteness in Black Imagination Essay Part IV is by whatsername of The Jaded Hippy:  “Varying interaction with this hierarchal system also happens on an economic level. An interesting case is examined by Kathleen Brown; “tithing” in 1643 Virginia.(17) In the tithing system, all men were “tithable”, or taxable. This meant that taxes were levied on the household per man in it. It was also decided by the government (the English crown) that Black women would be taxable, whereas white women would not.”

 

Race

PSA: Should I Blog About Some Racist Ish? is by This So-Called Post-Post-Racial Life: “Many bloggers more able than I have burnt themselves out by tackling too much for too long with too few supports to help them. So what should I learn from this? When should I post about, say, some person calling Michelle Obama a bitch or trash, and when should I leave it alone?

Too Hard On The White Folk is by Renee of Womanist Musings:”WOC must not only deal with sexism that is aimed at them from men of color  and white men, we must deal with racism from white men and women.  It is not a matter which group participates in the most oppression, simply because the smallest amount of oppression is unacceptable.   White women cannot be given a pass on their racism  because we share a gender.  They have proven more than adept in the past of using our shared gender as an excuse to perpetuate a racist agenda.  Like wolves in sheep's clothing, they have extended hands in friendship and then accused us of focusing on race too much, or defending black men to often, as though these issues have no relevance to the state of the world and our lives.”

Bridges, Backs, Borderlands by Frau Sally of Jump Off The Bridge: From the moment I began reading Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, I knew I was going to love Gloria Anzaldúa. You do not need to be Chicana or even Latina to appreciate her work. It's like she could see what was in our souls. She pulled it out, examined it, played with it, and blew it back in, writing its truth in a way so very real to me. It may sound like I'm being overly dramatic, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

she doesn’t look native by Brandann of Random Babble: “how many times in the lives of a Native American is that person told, “Huh.  You don’t look Native”, or “You’re not Native, you are too white”, or “There is no way a Native has blue eyes” (tell that to my Uncle, who has a higher “blood quantum” than I do, but happens to have blonde hair and blue eyes.  I dare you to tell him he isn’t Native)?  It makes me simultaneously angry and sad at the same time that people who are not of Native ancestry would have so much gall to tell someone else exactly what a Native looks like.”

No Uplift on My Back an interview by MadamaAmbi and Renee Of Womanist Musings discuss parenting as a radical act, womanism as opposed to feminism, a social hierarchy of bodies, and the many forms of privilege.

Rape Trees and immigrant women: the silent victims is by Mzbitca What A Crazy Random Happenstance: “For any decent, law-abiding American, to see a rape tree is to gaze upon the face of the enemy of civilization. To see the blood-stained ground beneath them is to behold the faces of their victims. Never forget that. When the proponents of illegal immigration and the liberal news media decry the Minutemen as “racists” and “vigilantes” ask them, “What about the rape trees?” Who besides the Minutemen are doing anything about the rape trees? And now that you know, if you do nothing, what does that say about you?”

The “N” Word, Part 1 is by Angela Dion of Let’s Talk About Race: Yes, I hate the word and I’m one of those people who thinks everyone should stop using it.

Who Is Black Enough is by Tammy of What Tammy Said: “I have had my "black card" revoked more times than I can remember. I think the first time was in the 7th grade. I was 12 years old and had left a predominantly white school for a better, and predominantly black, one. My gaffe? Saying "you guys" when "ya'll" was the preferred parlance for black kids. That was one of the first times my speech got me derisively labelled "white girl," but far from the last.”

Fiction

Should Goldilocks always be white? Blonde? is by Anne Freeman of Embrace your age cause you livin'!: There is a series of kids books that re-tell European and European-American fairy tales with all African American characters. Jump at the Sun books include Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, and more.

Book Review Of Jewel Of Medina was authored by Aaminah Hernández at the Feminist Review:  “The writing is of poor quality. Cliché runs rampant throughout the book. Characters are one-dimensional—simplistic, in fact. Although Jones claims to be inspired by A’isha and wanting to bring her story to the world, she does not succeed in making A’isha a likeable character. Nor does she manage to create even one other character that a reader can relate to or be similarly “inspired” by ok”

Book Review of Houston, We Have A Problem was authored by Tina Vasquez at the Feminist Review: I really wanted to like her Latina protagonist Jessica Luna. I was hoping she’d be fiercely smart, funny, and unexpected. Sadly, she stopped being promising about four pages in. Zepeda allows her character to fall victim to the usual clichés featured in both movies and literature pertaining to the Latino culture. Watch as Jessica Luna worries about the size of her ample ass. Watch as she pines and obsesses over the attractive Latino painter who treats her like shit, but superbly provides the drama she “loves.” Listen as she makes earth-shattering observations, such as, “He was the kind of guy who obviously loved his mother, and therefore he always treated women like gold.” Aside from that, Jessica Luna simply wasn’t a likeable character.

 

Friday At The Front Was Written by Yvette of This So-Called Post-Post -Racial Life: “looking glum. Some people on the crowded sidewalk are walking his way, others hurrying in the opposite direction coming towards him. At some point, in the distance, he spies a beautiful woman walking toward him, quickly, also likely on her way to her place of employment. As both their steps bring them closer to passing, the man notices that the woman–very well dressed in smart business attire–is nevertheless nearly shirtless. Her blouse is unbuttoned past mid-chest and her bare left breast is clearly exposed.”

PART II can can be found here.

 

This concludes this months WOC and Ally blog carnival.  Thanks so much to all of the participants for yet another wonderful link roundup.  Please join us here again next month and don’t be shy about giving the carnival a little link love.

WOC and Allies Have Something To Say

Welcome everyone to the second instalment of  the WOC and ally carnival.  Often when WOC speak or allies attempt to engage with racial conversations critically we are silenced.  It has become essential that we promote spaces where we can engage safely.  This months feature post is by the Uppity Brown Woman and it is entitled On Fundamentally Missing The Point Of WOC – only spaces.

Oppression hurts. It cuts deep. Not all of us know how to deal with it without unknowingly hurting ourselves. Not all of us have the words to relay what we are feeling. Not all of us have the ability to speak out, because though silence isn’t comforting, it’s familiar. WOC only spaces give us a chance to discuss and listen to similar kinds of hurt without having to pander to whiteness. This doesn’t mean that other WOC will not come to the defence of whiteness, or become defensive/offended on behalf of whiteness, but the presence of whiteness in the space automatically makes many WOC feel like they have to watch what they say in order to not offend that whiteness. This doesn’t mean that WOC cannot disagree, or approach oppression differently, because we are all different people. We have chances to speak freely, question systems of domination, and each other in a collective environment. We are not alone. We can speak freely without having to resort to Racism 101 For White People, and any hand holding is done for the benefit of POC… not whiteness.

 

Please click here to submit to Next months carnival.

 

Intersections

 

The spirit of the stairs by Dori of a Truly Elegant Mess; A critical look at the way privilege works to up hold racism, sexism and homophobia.  The undeserved privilege that many fail to acknowledge maintains our dissonance in worth and value. 

This Is Not A Hotel by guerrilla mama medicine:  This is a compelling short true story about imprisonment.  I fear I am not eloquent enough to even write a synopsis of this brilliant work.  It is a must read.

 

 

Fiction

 

The Jewel of Medina: A book review by Aaminah Hernandez of the Feminist Review. “The Jewel of Medina has hyper-sexualized A’isha’s story, and while there may be concerns about other historical and revered figures being misrepresented, there is a significant difference in Jones’ portrayal of A’isha. Arguments claiming that Jesus may have married, for example, do not denigrate his character, but instead pose questions where historical data has left gaps that people have a desire to fill in understanding his life. Jones, however, did not need to fill in any gaps in A’isha’s life. Instead, she seems to be using the idea of fiction as an excuse to write something completely fabricated and ridiculous that seeks to deny the very virtues for which A’isha is revered. Ultimately, it is the tasteless, explicit sexual discussion in the book that further differentiates it from the way other spiritual figures have been written about.”

 

AsiaPacifiQueer: Rethinking Genders and Sexualities: A book review by  Olupero R. Aiyenimelo of the Feminist  Review.  “AsiaPacifiQueer: Rethinking Genders and Sexualities totally changed my perception on these subjects. As a self-proclaimed tomboy, who happens not to be a lesbian, society is much more accepting of my “ways” than they would be if I were an effeminate man. The essays and examinations gathered here by the editors take this subject to an infinitely crucial level in understanding what it means to fall outside of another proverbial box, from a non-Western cultural perspective.

 

Racism

 

Against the “replace_____with the word black” school of criticism by Ampersand of Alas A Blog. He writes, “There are a lot of problems with the “replace ______ with the word black” school of criticism.

First, it creates a burden on people of color, to constantly have their oppression used as the measuring stick.

Second, it implies, falsely, that racism is a problem that’s been solved.”

 

Stuff POC do: restrain ourselves by Restructure.  “Instead of “I’m offended!”, I tend to say, “That’s racist!” However, this method has its own problems, because although you are not calling someone a racist, the accused perceives it that way, that you are personally attacking their character. Calling someone racist, they argue, is an ad hominem and therefore not a valid argument. They say that you are characterizing them as a bad person so that anything they say is characterized as illegitimate. They make it all about them instead of about the action being criticized. They claim that they are being silenced if I use the word “racist”, so that I even considered using the terms “racialist” or “racial discrimination” instead to make the criticism more acceptable.”

 

Why we think we’re post-racial, why it’s a dangerous desire by Mzbitca of What A Crazy Random Happenstance: “A post-racial society for them means a perfect opportunity to be the complete jackasses they truly are and then claim that everyone else is over-reacting.  I don’t believe that many of these people actually “believe” in or want a post-racial world, they want others to think that it’s true so they can act as asinine as possible without consequences.  My biggest fear is that these types are going to be able to be more and more vocal due to what I view as the second type of post-racial cheerleaders.”

 

Race, Skin Color, and the Three Year Old Mind by Elena of California NOW, “Yesterday my daughter and I had our first serious conversation about race.

We had gone to the playground, which usually has a very racially diverse mixture of kids, but this time the only other kids on the playground were African-American.

Millie will usually get to the playground and fixate on one or two kids, following them around and joining in their play.  This time she hung near me, reluctant to leave.

"Go on and play, sweetie," I said, pointing out a couple of kids her age, "There's a little girl, and there's a boy your size, you can play with them."

"But they all have black faces," she said very seriously”.

 

Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and two to listen by Ciderpress. Hir writing includes, “Reading many of the defences I've seen during RaceFail '09, it has been hard for me to be sympathetic to those who still defend the extent of narcissistic, aggressive deracilisation of the conversation, the endless double standards, ad hominem attacks, sophistry and the differing racially offensive, dehumanising statements and racist, misogynistic epithets that have been thrown, that so many white people feel *entitled* to throw, at PoC without regret or even awareness of the privilege that they can do this without any real repercussions. Hard for me to be sympathetic to what is going through people's minds when they ask PoC to privilege white people's racially problematic emotional reactions and feelings above all else, that anyone could have the gall to berate PoC/allies for not privileging white people's emotional reactions above all else”

 

Sick Saturday – See Rappin Hitler and Barack’s Monkey Shots Video by Ausetkmt of Bad Gals Radio.  This post looks at various racist activities, that have been presented to the public as simply humour or satire and the ways in which it all supports the white male patriarchy.

 

I Didn’t Stop Being Black When I Transistioned by Monica of TransGriot. “One of the things that irritates the frack out of me is when I run into folks that seem to have the misguided belief that I'm not only no longer Black, but don't have any right to claim my heritage since I transitioned over ten years ago.
The only thing that changed about me is the outer shell. It now matches the way I always felt, wanted to project to the world and who I am, a strong, proud woman who happens to be unabashedly African-American.”

 

Feminism

 

Listen Up White Women: On racism and feminism by whatsername of The Jaded Hippy.  “I've been the newly feminist white woman from suburbia raring to go and finding herself with shit coming out of her mouth that when it was read back to her through the perceptions of those reading it, it was downright ugly. It hurts to find out what your thoughts mean for the lives of others sometimes. Yes. It throws your whole little world into flux to find out you don't have to wear a white sheet to be racist. Yes. I know.”

 

Darwin Award Nomination: the blogger that advocates overturning Roe V Wade to save the economy by Wren of true adventures in money hacking. Looking at why a reduction in womens rights is not the correct approach to deal with the current financial collapse

 

Gender

 

Obama calls for more responsibility form black fathers by T’ings ‘N Times.  “So why does the man-in-the-house argument carry so much weight? Part of the answer, I believe, lies in the inherent sexism of our patriarchal society, which presumes that men are natural leaders and that social problems arise when men do not lead. After all, we are taught that men lead nations, armies, churches, and corporations, so it is only natural that they should lead households. But the damage done to the Black two-parent heterosexual family—not to mention the wider Black community—is not the result of decisions made by individual Black men. Rather, it is the consequence of the same social and economic structures that continue to keep Black men under-educated, under-employed, and over-represented in the criminal justice system.”

 

the eastern congo 2005 by guerrilla mama medicine: a heart breaking poem about the mass rape and murders in the congo

 

The Transgender Talented Tenth by Monica of TransGriot. “Too many of us have been focused on the party, the quick money and obsessively finding a 'husband' to validate our femininity. Not enough thought or time has been spent on community building, addressing the negative image we've been saddled with, where we fit in with our biowomen sistahs or how we evolve into becoming the Phenomenal Transwomen we were born to be.”

 

Black Fathers and The Family Court by Randi of Randi James. “the White Patriarchal establishment uses the Black family as an example of what is dysfunctional in society, in order to maintain White male hegemony. And this affects the thinking of everyone operating under this context.”

 

The Destruction Of The Black Transwoman Image by Monica of TransGriot. “One of the things that I and my transsisters have in common with our biosisters besides our shared cultural heritage is

since the advent of the slave trade, the Black female image has been subjected to a wide array of slights, outrageous comments, and bigoted or racist behaviour.”

 

A Few Words On Chris and Rihanna by Loryn of Black Girl Blogging. “Many rape and domestic violence cases go unreported because no survivor, regardless of their sex, gender, race, or sexual preference, wants to be blamed for the abuse they have experienced. No one wants to be told that perhaps they "deserved" their abuse, and no one wants to go to court only to see their abuser let off the hook”

 

Expanded Commentary ON SB1065/HB890 – Forced Drug Tests For Pregnant Women by Rachel of Women’s Health News. “The fact that it is likely not intended to catch women “like me,” however, reveals a bit of the racist and classist assumptions underlying the bill. It has been rumored that the authors might see this as a way to reduce the appalling infant mortality rate in Memphis. While that is something absolutely worth working on, this bill makes an assumption that the cause is just individual bad/illegal choices by those poor black women that we disproportionately find in Memphis, instead of looking for systemic or medical evidence-based causes. It is quite likely to disproportionately affect women of color, women whose reproduction in this country has historically been subjected to a higher level of policing, and reminds those women that they are still the subject of greater reproductive scrutiny. As the National Advocates for Pregnant Women note, “In general, the justifications for prohibition and regulation of both drugs and reproduction have often been based on various forms of stigma and prejudice, including but not limited to those based on race, ethnicity, and gender. Laws prohibiting and regulating drugs, abortion, and contraception are generally enforced disproportionally against low-income people and people of color.”

 

Sexuality

 

We need some Work by Hilary of Mom’s Tinfoil Hat. “Earlier this year, I didn’t understand why people were complaining that it was wrong to compare gays wanting to get legally married (in the context of the Proposition 8 and similar state provisions) to Loving v. Virginia. Although I still think there is room for nuanced conversations about history and discrimination of other groups in a certain context, but now I totally see why it is wrong, repetitive and annoying for blacks to constantly be the discrimination ruler against which all other oppression in measured.”

 

Politics

 

Ideology and Crises is by Ezra of Rough Fractals, “The current economic crisis, coming, as it does, at the end of the dogmatically reactionary Bush administration, is opening the door to a new dialogue about the nature of capitalism, and the role of the state. Not since the sixties has there been the opportunity for such a far-reaching and essential look at our social arrangements, our economic system, and our political process. Since Reagan, who brilliantly took the country so far right that centrist democrats like Clinton looked like progressive visionaries, a truly progressive agenda has been totally on the margin.”

Gaming

“Expert” consulted on RE5 Racism Issue: Not An Expert On Race after all from Acid For Blood.  “Recently, VideoGamer.com interviewed an "expert" to ask him whether the imagery in Resident Evil 5 was racist. The academic expert they consulted was Glenn Bowman, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Kent. Bowman said that Resident Evil 5 is not racist in that interview. Bowman even went so far as to dismiss views that Resident Evil 5 contains racist imagery as "silly". Major blogs like Joystiq are running wild with the VideoGamer.com interview.

There's a serious problem here, though. None of these major gaming media outlets have done their homework. Joystiq and the other big games blogs like Kotaku and Destructoid are merely reporting verbatim what VideoGamer.com published, without engaging in actual, investigative journalism. Doesn't journalism include fact-checking sources?

 

Comparing Female Protagonists : Portal and Mirrors Edge from Acid for Blood. “Over at The Hathor Legacy, a blog about women and gender issues in media, Kris Ligman wrote a post comparing Portal (2007)and Mirror's Edge (2008). I disagreed with most of it, and I will go through the main points.

Ligman asserts that Mirror's Edge was trying to copy Portal, and based upon superficial evidence, she draws comparisons between the two characters and the marketing of the two games. The only similarities the two games have are: woman of colour protagonist (Chell's race/ethnicity are ambiguous), first-person perspective, minimalistic graphical user interface (GUI), and a theme song with the same name. It's hard to find weight to the imitation argument because the games have quite different design philosophies and different goals for their lead characters. It terms of marketing, it's difficult to draw useful comparisons, because each was released with different promotional goals in mind.”

 

Thanks so much to all that participated in this months carnival.  I would also like to offer a shout out to the upcoming Asian Women Carnival.  Let us support our sisters and read their work. If you would like to submit to the next WOC and ally carnival please click here.  Please be sure to check back here next month for the next instalment of the WOC and ally blog carnival.

Hear Us Roar

Welcome everyone to what I hope will be the first of many blog carnivals dedicated to the voices of women of colour and our allies.  In every sphere of life women of colour are marginalized and exploited. Often, when we attempt to engage to change our circumstances we are silenced.  This carnival is our attempt to give voice to our shared issues.  We have a strong history of activism and organizing and it is in this vein that we have chosen this space to highlight the various ways we have attempted to carve out a niche in the online world.  We shall not be silenced, and our dreams shall be realized.  We are women of quality and worth. 

 

Each carnival I will highlight a post that best serves as our central theme.  This month we shall begin with Becoming A Quality Black Woman written by the ever brilliant Monica of Transgriot.

 

Monica writes about the process of transitioning, “So as I began my journey, I adopted the mindset that if I was going to be a woman, be the best damn woman I could be. I wanted to be a quality Black woman. I'm not perfect, nor do I want or claim to be. While being a Black transwoman is always going to be part of me until the day I die, all I want to be in the end is a quality Black woman.”

 

Health

High Fructose Ads target African Americans from Daisy of Daisys Dead Air.

Daisy writes, “First, let's be clear that this commercial is directed at WOMEN, who buy most of the food for children and families. And most assuredly, it is directed at BLACK WOMEN, with a black woman reassuringly delivering the comforting nutritional information. This is at a time when African-Americans have the highest rates of diabetes in the USA.”

 

 

Sexual Violence

Feminicide In the Philippines from Tanglad

Tanglad writes, “Instead of retribution and punishment, feminicide centralizes the issue of impunity, of the state’s role in generating an atmosphere of violence. Already, the Arroyo government has gone beyond mere tolerance to actually sanctioning disappearances, abduction, and murder of women activists. Laws like the Human Security Act allow agents of the government to detain and arrest anyone accused of conspiring against the Arroyo regime, so the president could further ally her government with Bush’s War Against Terror.

Why I Wouldn't Tell by JJ of Brown Sugar

JJ writes, “I told my girlfriend last night that if I was ever raped I probably wouldn't report it. She didn't find that surprising but what she doesn't know is that our conversation was a perfect example of why I wouldn't report it.”

Racism and Colonialism

A Turkey Called Brotherhood by Dori of A Truly Elegant Mess

Dori aptly points out the racism that has gone unacknowledged in our traditional celebration of Thanksgiving.

 

One week til Inauguration and all things are not equal by Ann of Embrace Your Age Cause You Livin’!

Anne writes, “all things are not equal -- far from it -- and I'm worried about white people. I'm worried about us as a large foreboding mass of ignorance about race and racial injustice. I'm worried that too many white people who have little or no experience with all things African American will believe that racial equality has been achieved in America because we elected a black man as president.”

 

And The World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women This is a book review submitted by  Ama Lee.  The wounds of colonialism permeate the collection and many authors reveal such wounds as a global condition. For example, Roshni Rustomji links the colonization of the Asian continent to that of the Americas, noting that the "southwest of the United States...was of course taken from Mexico, which was of course taken by force by the European conquistadors, which was of course taken by force by—and so on and so forth."

 

Mrs.O Blog is a Sham : Black Culture Theft for White Profit 2009 Style by Faith of Acts of Faith in Love and Life

Faith writes, “ Many of us use the blogosphere to reach out to each other and build networks and relationships. It was a way to bypass gatekeepers who aren't interested in equality and diversity. Look at your nightly news shows, your Sunday morning political shows and who do you see in front of the camera? A quick search who are in the towers, holding the keys will reveal people who don't always have our best interests in mind.”

I Didn’t Dream of Dragons by Deepa D.

Deepa writes, “Do not tell me, or the people like me who have grown up hearing Arabic around them, or singing in Swahili, or dreaming in Bengali—but reading only (or even mostly) in English (or French, or Dutch)—that this colonial rape of our language has not infected our ability to narrate, has not crippled our imagination. When I was in class 7, our English teacher gave us the rare creative writing assignment, and three of my classmates wrote adventure stories about characters named Julian and Peggy and Tom. Do not tell me that this cultural fracture does not affect the odds required to produce enough healthy imaginations that can chrysalis into writers. When we call ourselves Oreos or Coconuts or Bananas (Black/Brown/Yellow on the outside, White on the inside)—understand the ruptures and bafflement that accompanies our consumption of your media while we resent and critique it.”

Racism is a Sexual Phenomenon by Alderson of Directionless Bones

Alderson writes, “…Part of the reality this reflects is not only the contemporary prevalence of prostitution both in poor black areas and in their slang (’ho’), but also the historical ease with which white men could rape black women - either because of a supportive legal system or because they were slaves. It also connects with the phenomenon of black women as the family servant, child-minder, cleaner, etc. for the respectable whites - even if no sexual contact takes place, the structure of black woman as subservient version of white woman, doing ‘her’ jobs for the white man, is reproduced.”

 

Appropriation meets capitalism by Natalie of What a crazy random happenstance.

Natalie writes, “It shows a lot of privilege to discover a movement that had already existed and was thriving without your involvement and think your acknowledgment of it as something for which they should be grateful.”

Mammy by harrietsdaughter of don't do that

Harrietsdaughter writes,  “Mammy, Aunt Jemima and the Welfare Queen may be collectively understood as a type. All three are typically depicted as fat, dark-skinned women whose uniforms include an apron and a kerchief covered head. Larger than life, their bodies are supposed to be de-sexualized, as they do not conform to the (white) norm of humanity and of idealized womanhood.”

 

All Your Children Are Belong To Us by idyllicmollusk of The Czech

idyllicmollusk writes, “A good deal of people who had been involved in international adoptions posted their thoughts. For many of the commentors, these thoughts were along the lines of: “Poor third-world women (of color) can’t be fit mothers, therefore we (white) Westerners have the right to take their children away.”

Feminism

Yoko Ono A Feminist Analysis (Part Three: Woman) by Cara of the Curvature.

Cara writes, “Yoko’s “ugliness” is a truism, something that most do not even consider before nodding in assent.  The absurdity is apparent, as when you look at the woman it’s plain for all to see that she was clearly quite stunning.  It tells us something about beauty standards.  Indeed, it tells us something about racist beauty standards.  It certainly tells us something about how women are valued as human beings based on their adherence to those beauty standards.”

Black Feminism and Bodily Integrity by gogojojo of the   hiphopenthusiast.

gogojojo writes, “I think that bodily integrity is an important to my Black feminism (because I believe that feminism cannot be an overdetermined word and that we must all define what it means or doesn't mean for ourselves) because it acknowledges a particular history of Black women.”

To Be Or Not Be A Feminist by Sally of Jump Off The Bridge

Sally writes, “I'M A WOC!! And I have the same problems that so many others have with the feminist "movements." I know there are countless people who call themselves feminists but still say/do racist, ableist, homophobic, etc. things. I simply cannot wrap my head around that. So I usually just say things like "that's not what I consider feminist..." and keep it moving. I am critical of the "movements" and those people, but I do not reject the label or the "movements."

Identity

 

of corsets and chains part deux, or, the uberfrau by Rayshauna

of Le Short Vert

Rayshauna writes, “and black women, though involved to a degree [and often more adamantly and dedicated than some with bargaining chips, i.e. masculinity or whiteness, or both], seem, in the eyes of an exclusive history, to watch passively as rights volley back and forth between groups that wield white feminine leisure and newfound black masculine privileges -all in the name of equality.
and then the question of black womanhood surfaces. and you wonder how a group with no bargaining chips, a group with a pair of haphazard feet and no boots will pull themselves up by their bootstraps.”

 

Realize This by Aiesha of Superhussy

Aiesha writes about why it is necessary to resist the popular image of black women in the media.

 

Claim Your Privilege People by Maritzia of Claim Your Privilege, People

This post includes a list of the authors privileges. Maritzia writes, “Wake up, boys and girls, and smell the privilege.  Just because you’re so immersed in it that you can’t see, hear, or feel your privilege, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.  Stop hating people for pointing out your privilege and understand why they’re pointing it out to start with.  Understand the systemic oppression in our society, and work to end oppression now!”

Islam, Skin Color, and the Double Standard by Eden of What If.

An examination of the ways in which Muslims must police their language in publics spaces due to Islamophobia.

 

More Privileged Whiners by Dori of A Truly Elegant Mess

Dori writes, “The assumption that a black man is calling us evil by implying that whites are privileged and ignorant of the ways in which they benefit from the color of their skin is a natural conclusion when you assume that its all about YOU, which your privilege allows, nay, encourages you to do. Sounds more like a guilty conscience projecting than anything else.”

 

The Basement by Madama of Patriarchal Disorder

Madama writes, “Some people have immediately put me in the Jew box. My hair used to be the giveaway… But I was confused, very confused. We had black maids who "lived in." My grandmother did, our neighbors did, my aunt and uncle did. Not everybody did, as far as I could tell, but among the houses where I spent regularly scheduled time, like dinner at Grandma's once a week, there was always a black woman living in the basement when she wasn't on her feet cooking or serving or washing dishes. And I didn't understand why she couldn't sit down with us for dinner. I kept trying to put her there in my imagination and I convinced myself that she wouldn't feel comfortable eating with us”

Six ways to be an ally by Silvia of A Just Society.

Silvia writes, “I’m a white, middle class, highly educated, and cissexual woman. That’s a lot of unearned privilege. I just happened to have been born into a privileged family. I don’t feel guilty about my privilege, because I can’t do anything about it. But I have learned that others continue to pay the price for my privilege… Racism is not something that is the problem of people of colour. It’s my problem, too. And I’m part of the problem as long as I close my eyes to the ways I benefit from the racist structures of society.”

Sex and Sexuality

 

My wuzband is a drag king (and queen) by Anne of Embrace Your Age Cause You Livin’!

Anne writes, “Wuzband:
My legally married spouse, a delicious blend of male/female. She calls herself a woman loving woman. Too queer for easy definition.”

 

On Prop 8 by Rayshauna of Le Short Vert

Rayshauna writes, “And though Black Americans have faced, are facing, and will face [even with President Obama] issues that have, for centuries, torn at our cultural fabric, issues not many have cared to understand, additional tearing should be expected - it's time for Black America to deal with the male privilege and homophobia within our own borders. it is beyond preposterous to declare that racism [and its children, self-loathing, self-sabotage and double consciousness] have stained the entirety of our cultural tapestry [from how we look to our cultural food to how our last names aren’t even our own] while expecting to emerge unscathed from sexism and other gender-based institutions. these issues aren’t addressed and to assert that we are a people beyond the reach of other jaded ideologies is to create the very scales upon our own eyes that we loathe in others.”

 

Gender

 

Teen birth rates up in 26 states by Hilary of Mom’s Tinfoil Hat.

Hilary writes, “I was disappointed in the discussion of the increase by Child Trends and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The author, Kristin Anderson Moore, PhD, spends 3 long, detailed pages discussing how “high fertility groups” such as Hispanics, African Americans, Mexican immigrants and African immigrants have higher teen birth rates.”

A Mercy is a book review submitted by Ama Lee

“Set in and around 1690, the novel focuses mainly on four females: Florens, Lina, Sorrow, and Mistress. Two of the characters are Black, one is Native American, and one is White. All of them are oppressed by their femaleness, albeit in different ways. The attention Morrison pays to the complexities of privilege and oppression, both imposed by others and imposed by the self, is stunning and illuminating.”

 

Politics

Why Should Caroline Kennedy Be The Only Woman Considered For NYS Senate: Pt.2 by Faith of Acts of Faith In Love and Life

This post looks at the black women that were qualified but never considered for HRC’s vacated seat.

 

Reprising the "Apology Tour" Inauguration Edition by Adeshola of Random Thoughts About Pressing Mess

Adeshola writes, “I am however, a bit peeved. The morons over at Fox News have a problem with Jay-Z and Young Jeezy singing "The President is Black." … Now back to the matter at hand, somehow this is President Obama's fault. During the election the poor man had to apologize for ever man woman or child who was black, who said anything remotely offensive or racial.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who participated in this months carnival.  Keep writing and keep speaking truth to power..

WOC SPEAK

Let's try this again. The last time I tried to run a blog carnival I didn't get enough submissions to make a decent showing. It is my hope that somehow we can run a monthly catalog that will highlight the work of women of color and allies. We all face some very important issues and unless we start discussing what is dividing us we can never make any advancements.
It is my hope to run this carnival once a month. Please submit any posts that you have written that intersect with race that involve class, gender, sexuality, ability etc, It is time that we tackle the isms and bring them crashing down. The first carnival will run Feb 15 and from thereafter every 15th. Please click here to submit your articles.