As Gina from What About Our Daughters once told me in a comment: "blogging ain't easy." This year, having witnessed the number of exciting blogs that have either shut down, gone on hiatus, or been completely abandoned, I now realize the immense work and responsibility one assumes in keeping an active blog.
Looking through my blog posts this year, it's quite evident how truly active I've been in running my blog on a daily basis much earlier in the year. February was my bonanza month since I had put together the Black Herstory series. I hesitate to commit to such a herculean task for 2009, although, rest assured dear readers, I will embark on another Black History Month theme - albeit something completely new and imaginative. I will commit to that vision. Whether it will be on a daily basis is a different matter.
My different academic colleagues have been advising me on this blog. Now that I'm tenured, there is the goal of composing Book#2, which will be the definitive book that will chart the kind of scholar for which I will be renowned. Some colleagues have suggested that I transform part of my blog into a book. However, I have misgivings about publishing in book form as an Anxious Black Woman - whether as a scholar or a regular writer.
Contrary to many readers, authors, and publishers out there, I'm one of those who believe that a blog is already a published entity. Just looking at the views my profile has received, I am almost certain I've had more readers of my writing via this blog than the academic book I published. Don't tell me a blog isn't a published "book".
I view my blog as an amazingly unique gateway between my "serious" academic writing and scholarship and my most intimate writing that one might find in a personal diary. More than that, its multimedia format allows me to integrate a number of media beyond the simple text. Its immediate interaction between author and readers have made it more than a digital book in which readers give you instant feedback. It's a community of thinkers.
Book#2 will be based on research, the type inspired by myriad topics I've explored here and in my own classroom where I teach. My blog is its own book, albeit in digital form, and I write and share info here because I want to expand beyond my own professional goals. This venture is personal.
As such, my new year's resolution, concerning this blog, is to pace myself and to carve out valuable time in which I can maintain this blog for another year. I also wish to integrate new digital media forms to truly take advantage of how my blog can come alive and to prove that, here, a blog is more integrative and interactive than a simple book. I may not have the energy and time to post daily, but when I do post, I wish to make a personal impact here in the blogosphere.
Thank you, dear readers, lurkers and followers, for contributing to my second fruitful year as a blogger. I can only hope to continue the same enriching and lively interactions for 2009.
Have New Year, everyone! I wish you peace and many blessings. :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Blogging in 2008: Top 10 and Favorites
Apart from some amazing triumphs, discoveries, and history-making events, 2008 marked my second year as a blogger and a fascinating opportunity to immerse myself in the blogosphere. In yet another "Best of 2008" post, I wish to honor what I consider my Top 10 blog posts of 2008 and my own reflections on some of my own blogging for the year.
Top 10 Blogs (and Blog Posts) of 2008:
1. The Political Art of Queenly Warfare (Shecodes @ Black Women Vote!) - Although she hasn't updated her blog since Election Day, Shecodes presented what I consider one of the sharpest, most intelligent, and most imaginative political manifestos this year. Using the metaphor of the Chess game, Shecodes dared black women to change the way we play the political game and urged us to reposition ourselves for triumph and success if we took on the roles of "Black Queens" who intimately knew The Art of War. I hope Shecodes will grace the blogosphere once again with her knowledge and fierceness. However, if her only legacy is this series, this would be enough.
2. Michelle Obama Watch (introduced by the sistas of What About Our Daughters) - In this political year, the black female bloggers behind WAOD had enough foresight to keep a "Michelle Obama Watch" vigil and document the ways that a viable black female candidate for the First Lady of the United States would be interrogated, objectified, vilified, and heralded.
3. Why Seal Press is OFF the Syllabus (Professor Black Woman @WOC PhD) - While PBW's blog is temporarily shut down, I just wanted to give a shout out to this particular blog post (there are many that were brilliant this year, especially her black feminist analysis of this year's presidential campaign), but what I found most insightful and critical about her call to "Girlcott Seal Press" was her sense of solidarity (when Seal Press targeted women of color bloggers in disparaging ways and admitted to disparate treatment in the lack of women of color authors whom they published) and her sensible use of her role as an academic to hold so-called feminist publishers accountable for what they publish and to urge feminist instructors and students to "practice what they preach."
4. On Intellectual Integrity (Brownfemipower - reprinted on my blog since the original is no longer available) - Because the issue of plagiarism (especially in the blogosphere) is sure to pop up again, these words bear repeating and commitment to memory.
5. Blog Swarm on the Congo Rape Epidemic (collective bloggers) - Outraged by the news and the information provided in Lisa Jackson's documentary film, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, which aired last April on HBO, several bloggers chose to swarm our blogs about the atrocities committed against Congolese women on April 13, 2008.
6. Is Rape During War Time Unique to Africans? (Grata @ The Village) - By the same token, I was grateful to read, right after the Blog Swarm on the Congo Rape Epidemic, this intelligent critique and reflection on the vilification and demonization of Africans, as if the Congolese Rape Crimes were not part of a larger global and historical phenomenon in which women and girls are routinely targeted for militarized sexual violence. By asking those of us in the West to examine the rape epidemic in the global context of violence against women, Grata reminded us to not oversimplify an epidemic and stereotype an entire region.
7. Stuff White People Like - Speaking of stereotypes, here is a blog debuting this year (and already made into a book!) satirizing white privilege and power through this hilarious and provocative portrayal of the "stuff" white people presumably like. Some blog followers take the site far too literally, but for the most part, many of us get it (even as we must acknowledge that the blog owner relies on the same white privilege and power s/he is critiquing).
8. Starchild, Lightworker, Artist (Rascal @ Noting David) - Another blog that came into fruition this year was Noting David: On the Artistry of David Archuleta, penned by the eloquent and erudite Rascal. I discovered the blog two months after it was started and not long after I started writing my own tome on David Archuleta, the individual, the performer, the TV personality, the inspiration. In this blog post, I was asked to think of the promise and the potential of an artist and to also look beyond the artifice that was American Idol to discover genuine talent. Rascal's writing and critique are some of the most intriguing stuff out there in the blogosphere, and the followers he's brought along with him on this ride that is the Archulator have made his blog a fun house to visit.
9. The Gay Question (Rascal @ Noting David) - ... except when the overly zealous Archies come to play (and chastise), and oh boy did they lose their ever loving minds when Rascal provocatively raised "the gay question" around certain gay window-dressing that David's gay fanboys playfully commented on when the music video for his debut single, "Crush," premiered. Yielding a total of 162 comments, Rascal eventually had to shut down the conversation when homophobia reached a feverish pitch. The discussion was fruitful, from what I remembered, but much more problematic, however, is the way any conversations concerning David's sexuality (and sex appeal), in the wake of this blog post, are now heavily policed and monitored. An eye-opening post revealing much more about readers and commenters than about the artist and the author.
10. Sistas Confronting Arrhenphobic and Xenophobic Lives (Lisa @ Black Women, Blow the Trumpet!) - If there is anything the blogosphere has produced, it's a sense of community, even if only an e-community. And, nowhere do I see this embodied as much as I do over at Lisa's blog. An ordained minister, Lisa boldly took her ministry to the blogosphere and offered sound counsel and advice to many sistas, especially on the subject of relationships. One of her most provocative posts this year was on the subject of black women's fears and how these have crippled us in our choices and our attitudes towards anyone outside the so-called "black community." Never fearing to step on toes and always speaking plainly, Lisa's preaching and testifying have been a fascinating and insightful read this year.
My Favorite ABW Blog Posts of 2008:
1. My Super Post: Black Feminist Legacies - in conjunction with my "Black Herstory Series."
2. Why I Will Not Disavow the "Feminist" Label.
3. Open Letter to Michelle Obama.
4. Flattery or Theft?
5. Corporate Rapists in the Congo.
My Most Popular* Blog Posts of 2008:
1. "All That Yellow Wasted."
2. Open Letter to Michelle Obama.
3. Racism 2.0.
4. When Bigots Appropriate Progressive Rhetoric.
5. Is Women's Studies Being Made Irrelevant?
*Based on the number of comments the blog post yielded.
Top 10 Blogs (and Blog Posts) of 2008:
1. The Political Art of Queenly Warfare (Shecodes @ Black Women Vote!) - Although she hasn't updated her blog since Election Day, Shecodes presented what I consider one of the sharpest, most intelligent, and most imaginative political manifestos this year. Using the metaphor of the Chess game, Shecodes dared black women to change the way we play the political game and urged us to reposition ourselves for triumph and success if we took on the roles of "Black Queens" who intimately knew The Art of War. I hope Shecodes will grace the blogosphere once again with her knowledge and fierceness. However, if her only legacy is this series, this would be enough.
2. Michelle Obama Watch (introduced by the sistas of What About Our Daughters) - In this political year, the black female bloggers behind WAOD had enough foresight to keep a "Michelle Obama Watch" vigil and document the ways that a viable black female candidate for the First Lady of the United States would be interrogated, objectified, vilified, and heralded.
3. Why Seal Press is OFF the Syllabus (Professor Black Woman @WOC PhD) - While PBW's blog is temporarily shut down, I just wanted to give a shout out to this particular blog post (there are many that were brilliant this year, especially her black feminist analysis of this year's presidential campaign), but what I found most insightful and critical about her call to "Girlcott Seal Press" was her sense of solidarity (when Seal Press targeted women of color bloggers in disparaging ways and admitted to disparate treatment in the lack of women of color authors whom they published) and her sensible use of her role as an academic to hold so-called feminist publishers accountable for what they publish and to urge feminist instructors and students to "practice what they preach."
4. On Intellectual Integrity (Brownfemipower - reprinted on my blog since the original is no longer available) - Because the issue of plagiarism (especially in the blogosphere) is sure to pop up again, these words bear repeating and commitment to memory.
5. Blog Swarm on the Congo Rape Epidemic (collective bloggers) - Outraged by the news and the information provided in Lisa Jackson's documentary film, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, which aired last April on HBO, several bloggers chose to swarm our blogs about the atrocities committed against Congolese women on April 13, 2008.
6. Is Rape During War Time Unique to Africans? (Grata @ The Village) - By the same token, I was grateful to read, right after the Blog Swarm on the Congo Rape Epidemic, this intelligent critique and reflection on the vilification and demonization of Africans, as if the Congolese Rape Crimes were not part of a larger global and historical phenomenon in which women and girls are routinely targeted for militarized sexual violence. By asking those of us in the West to examine the rape epidemic in the global context of violence against women, Grata reminded us to not oversimplify an epidemic and stereotype an entire region.
7. Stuff White People Like - Speaking of stereotypes, here is a blog debuting this year (and already made into a book!) satirizing white privilege and power through this hilarious and provocative portrayal of the "stuff" white people presumably like. Some blog followers take the site far too literally, but for the most part, many of us get it (even as we must acknowledge that the blog owner relies on the same white privilege and power s/he is critiquing).
8. Starchild, Lightworker, Artist (Rascal @ Noting David) - Another blog that came into fruition this year was Noting David: On the Artistry of David Archuleta, penned by the eloquent and erudite Rascal. I discovered the blog two months after it was started and not long after I started writing my own tome on David Archuleta, the individual, the performer, the TV personality, the inspiration. In this blog post, I was asked to think of the promise and the potential of an artist and to also look beyond the artifice that was American Idol to discover genuine talent. Rascal's writing and critique are some of the most intriguing stuff out there in the blogosphere, and the followers he's brought along with him on this ride that is the Archulator have made his blog a fun house to visit.
9. The Gay Question (Rascal @ Noting David) - ... except when the overly zealous Archies come to play (and chastise), and oh boy did they lose their ever loving minds when Rascal provocatively raised "the gay question" around certain gay window-dressing that David's gay fanboys playfully commented on when the music video for his debut single, "Crush," premiered. Yielding a total of 162 comments, Rascal eventually had to shut down the conversation when homophobia reached a feverish pitch. The discussion was fruitful, from what I remembered, but much more problematic, however, is the way any conversations concerning David's sexuality (and sex appeal), in the wake of this blog post, are now heavily policed and monitored. An eye-opening post revealing much more about readers and commenters than about the artist and the author.
10. Sistas Confronting Arrhenphobic and Xenophobic Lives (Lisa @ Black Women, Blow the Trumpet!) - If there is anything the blogosphere has produced, it's a sense of community, even if only an e-community. And, nowhere do I see this embodied as much as I do over at Lisa's blog. An ordained minister, Lisa boldly took her ministry to the blogosphere and offered sound counsel and advice to many sistas, especially on the subject of relationships. One of her most provocative posts this year was on the subject of black women's fears and how these have crippled us in our choices and our attitudes towards anyone outside the so-called "black community." Never fearing to step on toes and always speaking plainly, Lisa's preaching and testifying have been a fascinating and insightful read this year.
My Favorite ABW Blog Posts of 2008:
1. My Super Post: Black Feminist Legacies - in conjunction with my "Black Herstory Series."
2. Why I Will Not Disavow the "Feminist" Label.
3. Open Letter to Michelle Obama.
4. Flattery or Theft?
5. Corporate Rapists in the Congo.
My Most Popular* Blog Posts of 2008:
1. "All That Yellow Wasted."
2. Open Letter to Michelle Obama.
3. Racism 2.0.
4. When Bigots Appropriate Progressive Rhetoric.
5. Is Women's Studies Being Made Irrelevant?
*Based on the number of comments the blog post yielded.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Best of 2008: Year in Review
From personal triumphs (receiving tenure on the job, getting good news from my breast biopsy) to historical moments, 2008 has proven to be an unforgettable year. As it winds down while we prepare to usher in 2009, here is my own Top 10 "Best of 2008" list (in reverse order) to add to the myriad other lists everyone else is fond of generating around this time of the year.
10. Michelle Obama - very early in 2008, I found myself writing an Open Letter to our soon-to-be First Lady, expressing all my doubts and fears that my country would ever be ready for a black president. Mid year, I found myself resurrecting a speech she delivered last year, imploring us all to "not be afraid." While we all celebrate the man, I must commend and remember the woman at his side, for if I have learned to stop doubting and to begin to embrace hope, Michelle made that possible for me.
9. Hillary Clinton - If Michelle Obama defined the parameters of my doubts and my hopes, women like Hillary Clinton helped clarify for me my expectations of political feminism and "sisterhood." No sooner did Clinton begin losing to Obama, starting with the Iowa Caucus, than various second-wavers (from Gloria Steinem to Robin Morgan) started playing the Race Card by presuming that Race "trumped" Gender. In what would become a bitter season in the feminist blogosphere, Hillary Clinton and her public treatment illuminated the possibilities and the limits of intersectional analysis. Somehow, the media would have us believe that black women had a pretty special predicament, in which we had to choose between our "race" and "gender" (because, presumably, white men, who also had to choose between their "race" and "gender," were above identity politics while we sistahs could only decide between our skin color and our genitals - go figure!). Despite the Clintonesque tactics, the sexism, the "race card," the so-called "feminist" battles, Hillary Clinton managed to give an impressive concession speech when Obama won the Democratic ticket and is obviously poised to benefit as Secretary of State in the new administration. And, thanks to Sarah Palin (who did not make my Best of 2008 list) as a powerful contrast, Clinton's brand of progressive and empowered womanhood reminded most American women what could have and should have been, had her campaign actually rallied around an agenda of "hope" and "change."
8. Heath Ledger - apart from the politics, 2008 was a ye
ar in which we lost some illustrious stars (most recently Eartha Kitt, and other legends like Miriam Makeba, and comedians like Bernie Mac), but the death that really shocked me was that of Heath Ledger, who died last January from an overdose of prescription drugs at the youthful age of 28. Heath Ledger wowed me with Brokeback Mountain, impressed with I'm Not There, and offered us his swan song with the summer blockbuster smash, The Dark Knight as the memorable Joker. Expect a posthumous Oscar nomination. He will be missed for the great actor he was so bent on becoming. Alas, one star dies, and another is born a month later (see #2).
7. Paula Giddings - in a year that inspired me to devote Black History Month to "Black Herstory," I must acknowledge the tremendous work of historian Paula Giddings, whose impressive and thorough 800+ page biography, Ida: A Sword Among Lions, about the courageous black feminist, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, debuted this year. After decades of research, Paula Giddings painstakingly crafted an inspiring story of one of our bravest Americans, all while editing Meridians, one of the few academic feminist journals devoted to intersectional analysis, teaching at a prestigious liberal arts college, and entertaining an academic audience at this year's NWSA conference. In an era when black scholars, like Michael Eric Dyson would rather publish barely researched, witty, superficial tomes, Giddings reminds us of the truly scholarly work that remains to be done in the arena of African American, Black Diaspora, and Feminist Studies.
6. Women of Color Bloggers - beyond academia, the many women of color bloggers who did tremendous work in 2008 continue to leave me in awe. Beginning with Shecodes, who started the year with a bang and sharp fierceness with her blog, Black Women Vote!, and her truly brilliant series, The Queenly Art of Political Warfare. Unfortunately, she became a victim of plagiarism, much like Brownfemipower, who set off a huge conflict this year, when she protested the work of Amanda Marcotte and other white feminists who routinely borrow ideas and social movements from women of color without credit. Marcotte is incidentally an author published by Seal Press, which foolishly targeted Black Amazon, who protested what was seen as discriminatory practices from said press, thus setting off a Girlcott Seal Press campaign. Such conflicts were a sad reminder of the many unresolved issues between white feminists and feminists of color, and the blogosphere became yet another arena in which racial conflicts manifested. Brownfemipower, who temporarily shut down her blog, offered one of the most searing and important blog posts this year and one that I won't forgot anytime soon: On Intellectual Integrity. Despite these concerns, women of color bloggers are still here, some taking a break, while others still pressing on. From PBW to Lisa over at Black Women, Blow the Trumpet, I am proud to be apart of this vibrant community!
5. Zhang Yimou - Famous Chinese filmmaker Yimou gave us beautiful, aesthetically stunning movies like Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and The House of Flying Daggers. But, nowhere is his visual prowess better staged than in the phenomenal spectacle he directed with the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics this year in Beijing. From the opening display of 2,008 drummers to the bedazzling fireworks over the Olympic stadium, Yimou left the world with our mouths agape in awe and wonder. What an incredible feast for the eyes, ears, and hearts. Before we could appreciate the athletic prowess of the world's greatest, we were witness to the artistic prowess of a true global visionary.
4. Usain Bolt/Michael Phelps - The Beijing Games of 2008 will forever be known by two names: Bolt and Phelps. One dominated the track as the "world's fastest man," the other dominated the pool. As a transn
ational who bubbled over with pride as both an American and a Caribbean, I just have to honor these two amazingly tall, built, and talented athletes, who made the games so much fun to watch.
3. M.I.A. - one of the most exciting albums I had the pleasure of discovering this year (even though it made its debut last year), M.I.A.'s sophomore album, Kala, which was produced on several continents (thanks to a suspended work visa that prevented M.I.A. from working with Timbaland in the U.S.), is perhaps one of the most innovative remixes out there. Interweaving world sounds with hip-hop and dance music, M.I.A. came to prominence with her track, "Paper Planes," first featured on the soundtrack of the summer movie, Pineapple Express, and now nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year. As an underground artist, her mainstream appeal just might raise her status as she promises to "put people on the map who've never seen a map."
2. David Archuleta - it's only fitting that my celebrity cru
sh of 2008, who's been proving the "Virtues of 2" (he is second born among five siblings, he came in second place on this season's American Idol, his first single, "Crush" peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100, and his self-titled album also debuted at #2 on i-tunes), would come in at #2 on my own Best of 2008 list. As the folks over at his Snarky Archies fansite once quipped, "And here we thought he was making the peace sign!" David Archuleta charmed the heck out of me and many others with his good looks, his angelic voice, and his oh-so-sweet sweet smile. Thanks to David, I've been keeping up with pop music, attending concerts, buying i-tune singles, videos, and music CDs, and discovering some fascinating individuals who make up his fanbase of Archies and Arch Angels (most notably over at Noting David). In a few minutes, David will be celebrating his 18th birthday (that's right, ladies: moments away, and David will be LEGAL!! :)) So, here's to David Archuleta for making 2008 such a sweet year for me and other Archies. Happy Birthday! And may 2009 bring you many more blessings!
1. President-Elect Barack Obama - because Obama had to be number 1. From the moment he captured the Iowa Caucus back in January, Obama had amazed the pundits, the media, the public, and even many of us who thought that HOPE really was an audacious thing. I was not on the Obama train when it started, but once I hopped on, it was hard not getting whisked away. What a truly impressive campaign he mounted. First, inspiring us with "Hope," then urging us with "Change we can believe in." Who could ever forget November 4, 2008, a day that will live on in history? I even made a video about the long journey to that date, and even now, with the gloom and doom of our economy, our wars, and our global conflicts, I cannot help but feel positive. While I may not make the trip to Chocolate City for the inauguration, my heart will be bursting with pride. I still remember how united our nation was, how hopeful our world was ... on that day and in this year. Let us continue with that sense of hope and "change we can believe in."
10. Michelle Obama - very early in 2008, I found myself writing an Open Letter to our soon-to-be First Lady, expressing all my doubts and fears that my country would ever be ready for a black president. Mid year, I found myself resurrecting a speech she delivered last year, imploring us all to "not be afraid." While we all celebrate the man, I must commend and remember the woman at his side, for if I have learned to stop doubting and to begin to embrace hope, Michelle made that possible for me.
9. Hillary Clinton - If Michelle Obama defined the parameters of my doubts and my hopes, women like Hillary Clinton helped clarify for me my expectations of political feminism and "sisterhood." No sooner did Clinton begin losing to Obama, starting with the Iowa Caucus, than various second-wavers (from Gloria Steinem to Robin Morgan) started playing the Race Card by presuming that Race "trumped" Gender. In what would become a bitter season in the feminist blogosphere, Hillary Clinton and her public treatment illuminated the possibilities and the limits of intersectional analysis. Somehow, the media would have us believe that black women had a pretty special predicament, in which we had to choose between our "race" and "gender" (because, presumably, white men, who also had to choose between their "race" and "gender," were above identity politics while we sistahs could only decide between our skin color and our genitals - go figure!). Despite the Clintonesque tactics, the sexism, the "race card," the so-called "feminist" battles, Hillary Clinton managed to give an impressive concession speech when Obama won the Democratic ticket and is obviously poised to benefit as Secretary of State in the new administration. And, thanks to Sarah Palin (who did not make my Best of 2008 list) as a powerful contrast, Clinton's brand of progressive and empowered womanhood reminded most American women what could have and should have been, had her campaign actually rallied around an agenda of "hope" and "change."
8. Heath Ledger - apart from the politics, 2008 was a ye
ar in which we lost some illustrious stars (most recently Eartha Kitt, and other legends like Miriam Makeba, and comedians like Bernie Mac), but the death that really shocked me was that of Heath Ledger, who died last January from an overdose of prescription drugs at the youthful age of 28. Heath Ledger wowed me with Brokeback Mountain, impressed with I'm Not There, and offered us his swan song with the summer blockbuster smash, The Dark Knight as the memorable Joker. Expect a posthumous Oscar nomination. He will be missed for the great actor he was so bent on becoming. Alas, one star dies, and another is born a month later (see #2).7. Paula Giddings - in a year that inspired me to devote Black History Month to "Black Herstory," I must acknowledge the tremendous work of historian Paula Giddings, whose impressive and thorough 800+ page biography, Ida: A Sword Among Lions, about the courageous black feminist, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, debuted this year. After decades of research, Paula Giddings painstakingly crafted an inspiring story of one of our bravest Americans, all while editing Meridians, one of the few academic feminist journals devoted to intersectional analysis, teaching at a prestigious liberal arts college, and entertaining an academic audience at this year's NWSA conference. In an era when black scholars, like Michael Eric Dyson would rather publish barely researched, witty, superficial tomes, Giddings reminds us of the truly scholarly work that remains to be done in the arena of African American, Black Diaspora, and Feminist Studies.
6. Women of Color Bloggers - beyond academia, the many women of color bloggers who did tremendous work in 2008 continue to leave me in awe. Beginning with Shecodes, who started the year with a bang and sharp fierceness with her blog, Black Women Vote!, and her truly brilliant series, The Queenly Art of Political Warfare. Unfortunately, she became a victim of plagiarism, much like Brownfemipower, who set off a huge conflict this year, when she protested the work of Amanda Marcotte and other white feminists who routinely borrow ideas and social movements from women of color without credit. Marcotte is incidentally an author published by Seal Press, which foolishly targeted Black Amazon, who protested what was seen as discriminatory practices from said press, thus setting off a Girlcott Seal Press campaign. Such conflicts were a sad reminder of the many unresolved issues between white feminists and feminists of color, and the blogosphere became yet another arena in which racial conflicts manifested. Brownfemipower, who temporarily shut down her blog, offered one of the most searing and important blog posts this year and one that I won't forgot anytime soon: On Intellectual Integrity. Despite these concerns, women of color bloggers are still here, some taking a break, while others still pressing on. From PBW to Lisa over at Black Women, Blow the Trumpet, I am proud to be apart of this vibrant community!
5. Zhang Yimou - Famous Chinese filmmaker Yimou gave us beautiful, aesthetically stunning movies like Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and The House of Flying Daggers. But, nowhere is his visual prowess better staged than in the phenomenal spectacle he directed with the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics this year in Beijing. From the opening display of 2,008 drummers to the bedazzling fireworks over the Olympic stadium, Yimou left the world with our mouths agape in awe and wonder. What an incredible feast for the eyes, ears, and hearts. Before we could appreciate the athletic prowess of the world's greatest, we were witness to the artistic prowess of a true global visionary.
4. Usain Bolt/Michael Phelps - The Beijing Games of 2008 will forever be known by two names: Bolt and Phelps. One dominated the track as the "world's fastest man," the other dominated the pool. As a transn
ational who bubbled over with pride as both an American and a Caribbean, I just have to honor these two amazingly tall, built, and talented athletes, who made the games so much fun to watch.3. M.I.A. - one of the most exciting albums I had the pleasure of discovering this year (even though it made its debut last year), M.I.A.'s sophomore album, Kala, which was produced on several continents (thanks to a suspended work visa that prevented M.I.A. from working with Timbaland in the U.S.), is perhaps one of the most innovative remixes out there. Interweaving world sounds with hip-hop and dance music, M.I.A. came to prominence with her track, "Paper Planes," first featured on the soundtrack of the summer movie, Pineapple Express, and now nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year. As an underground artist, her mainstream appeal just might raise her status as she promises to "put people on the map who've never seen a map."
2. David Archuleta - it's only fitting that my celebrity cru
sh of 2008, who's been proving the "Virtues of 2" (he is second born among five siblings, he came in second place on this season's American Idol, his first single, "Crush" peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100, and his self-titled album also debuted at #2 on i-tunes), would come in at #2 on my own Best of 2008 list. As the folks over at his Snarky Archies fansite once quipped, "And here we thought he was making the peace sign!" David Archuleta charmed the heck out of me and many others with his good looks, his angelic voice, and his oh-so-sweet sweet smile. Thanks to David, I've been keeping up with pop music, attending concerts, buying i-tune singles, videos, and music CDs, and discovering some fascinating individuals who make up his fanbase of Archies and Arch Angels (most notably over at Noting David). In a few minutes, David will be celebrating his 18th birthday (that's right, ladies: moments away, and David will be LEGAL!! :)) So, here's to David Archuleta for making 2008 such a sweet year for me and other Archies. Happy Birthday! And may 2009 bring you many more blessings!
1. President-Elect Barack Obama - because Obama had to be number 1. From the moment he captured the Iowa Caucus back in January, Obama had amazed the pundits, the media, the public, and even many of us who thought that HOPE really was an audacious thing. I was not on the Obama train when it started, but once I hopped on, it was hard not getting whisked away. What a truly impressive campaign he mounted. First, inspiring us with "Hope," then urging us with "Change we can believe in." Who could ever forget November 4, 2008, a day that will live on in history? I even made a video about the long journey to that date, and even now, with the gloom and doom of our economy, our wars, and our global conflicts, I cannot help but feel positive. While I may not make the trip to Chocolate City for the inauguration, my heart will be bursting with pride. I still remember how united our nation was, how hopeful our world was ... on that day and in this year. Let us continue with that sense of hope and "change we can believe in."Thursday, December 18, 2008
Lurker Thursday: Seasons Greetings Edition
Hey everyone! I'll be away for the holidays and won't be updating my blog for about a week. So, I just want to take this special Lurker Thursday to wish you all happy holidays!
Photograph: "Merry HDR Christmas" by Stuck in Customs
Friday, December 12, 2008
"A Crime Against Society": Rape in the Congo
Check out this insightful article, "A Crime Against Society," by Ann Jones. It recently appeared in The Nation, Dec. 10, 2008.
Read in Full.
Late one afternoon seven years ago, in the village of Kamanyola in eastern Congo, Fatuma Kayengela's husband sent their daughter and her cousin to the market to buy oil for the lamps. When the two 15-year-old girls turned to go back home, they found the way blocked by soldiers, who took them down the road. As darkness fell, Fatuma and her husband went in search of the girls and learned of screams and crying coming from the school. There they found the girls as the rapists had left them. They went to the police station for help, but the police said there was nothing they could do about soldiers. When Fatuma's husband grew angry, they threatened to arrest him. Thankful the girls were still alive, Fatuma took them home.
That was a brave act. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a rape survivor
is an outcast, blamed and shamed by local tradition and religion for the only
crime pinned squarely on the victim. She is "dirtied," but her greater crime is
that in being violated she shrinks the stature of the husband or father to whom
she belongs. To regain respect he must throw her out. Fatuma's husband behaved
differently: he stood by the girls. Yet as Fatuma watched her daughter's continuing suffering, she felt powerless. "At that time," she says, "I didn't even know enough to take my daughter to the hospital." She determined to learn how to help her child and other survivors of sexual assault; but because rape is a crime women and girls have learned to suffer in shamed silence, she had no idea how many there were.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are hundreds of thousands.
Read in Full.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Lurker Thursday: The Morning After
After a full year of gushing over David Archuleta, it was only a matter of time before I finally got to see him live. Which I did last night! Oh to be going to a concert (and on a school night, no less!) when David comes to town. So, this is very much a "morning after" post (albeit posted in the afternoon - thanks to the icy weather) this Lurker Thursday.
My concert buddy was an 11 year old who bugged her stepmom to go with me to see David Archuleta once my friend could no longer accompany me. Needless to say, my tween companion and I had a blast!
It’s great to play the “cool adult” once in a while and I in turn automatically got swept up in the teeny/tweeny crowd. Since I was responsible for someone else’s child, I was doing my best to keep up with her, so she negotiated a closer spot to the stage, and I - sensing the jam-packed crowd - immediately looked out for an EXIT sign. I spotted one not far from the stage, so we compromised and ended up only a few feet away, but to the side (stage right).
And we parked ourselves, edging our way as close as we could, everytime someone got out of our way. The first act, however, was just too loud and too generic a rock band, and immediately I knew the sound system was going to mess with David’s vocals. Not optimum, but my tween companion and I could care less. All we could think of was, “David Archuleta!” (And that was what everyone was thinking too!).
Second act - Gavin McGraw, who was quite bluesy and soulful (sort of channeling a young Billie Joel). He did a really nice acoustic performance on both piano and guitar (how cool would it have been if David did something similar). Gavin was also very generous, for he kept giving shout outs to David, helping to get the crowd in a tizzy.
Finally, my tween buddy and I started jumping up and down, “Is he here yet? Is he here yet?” The audience started chanting “David! David!” Waiting in the wings, I saw his dad, Jeff Archuleta, and his infamous hat. I get really excited, and next thing you know… David is up on the stage. I started screaming along with the youngins.
And David was really dressed down tonight (which pretty much went with the flow of the atmosphere and venue - very blue collar, bar-grungy type setting, if you can picture it). He’s wearing two t-shirts and jeans. And his eyes sparkled whenever they caught the stage lights.
He opened with Touch My Hand, and I was having a hard time balancing picture-taking with my having to watch him, you know, LIVE, since I had to take advantage of the You Tube 3D version that was standing in front of me only a few feet away. When he came over on our side of the audience, there was a brief moment he made eye contact. Spontaneously, without even thinking about it, I blew him a kiss at that moment. He could so feel the collective love in the house.
My tween companion blurts out, “OMG! He’s soooo gorgeous!”
I retort, “He is, isn’t he?”
He immediately launches into Works for Me! He also sang You Can, A Thousand Miles (which was beautiful, and the whole crowd sang along, but since the only accompaniment was a keyboard, the sound was much better), Crush (which everyone again sang along too), and A Little Too Not Over You.
He went by much too quickly (which is what everyone keeps saying), so if there is anything David needs to work on, it’s his timing and pacing. For instance, Gavin probably sang the same number of songs (unless he had extras, I’m not remembering), but his set felt longer (I know the first act dragged on - with probably the same number of songs). Why theirs lasted longer is probably the banter (Gavin told stories, and his storytelling was tied to his music, so his banter was much more tolerable).
All this is to say: I wanted more David, and so did everyone else. As soon as David said g’nite all, we were like, “That’s it?!” Needless to say, the crowd started chanting, “David! David! David!” and “We want more! We want more!”
So, he came back with his bashful self and his 1000-watt smile, and graced us with an a capella version of The Christmas Song (see video). Soooo jazzy and smooth and sultry. Gosh! This kid! He's got a vocal wisdom about him. I think it’s also a wonderful thing to keep your audience wanting more.
So, this being my first David Archuleta concert, I definitely anticipate going to more in future. Preferably with better sound, because I want that David-seeping-into-your-body-and-soul sound - which fans have described about hearing him live - that only a high quality surround sound system can deliver. Not that I’m complaining. I mean, I saw him LIVE! And only a few feet away!
Oh! There was a point during the concert where David humbly asked the crowd to be careful to not crush some young children who were up front, and the crowd backed off. Obviously, David can command an audience without screaming, raising his voice, using pyrotechnics, and all that stuff. He just is, and we listen, and we obey!
When I dropped off my tween companion home, her mom asked, “How was the concert?”
She immediately responded with: “OMG! David Archuleta was amazing!”
When she asked me, I said something to the effect of “OMG! David Archuleta was amazing!”
One tween and one thirtysomething in one night at one event. Not bad.
Go David!
Before I went home, I got to meet some regulars over at the Noting David blog (hello Kizzi, Ninaf, Happy, Refnaf, TOfan, Dja, and bluebarsa!). That was so much fun, and I’m glad to finally put some faces to the screen names. It was an exciting end to an amazing night!
Monday, December 8, 2008
"You Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out"
This video featuring the protests of United Electrical Workers from the Republic Window and Door Factory in Chicago, who took over the factory last week, reminds us that more of this is to come. Banks got bailed out, and workers got sold out. Wasn't the Bail Out supposed to stimulate the economy and save jobs? Where exactly did that money go?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A "Post-Racial" Wedding: My Review of Rachel Getting Married (Spoilers)
Why is it that some white filmmakers have the hardest time representing race relations the way things really are? Either the interaction between the races is so over-the-top in bigoted conversations - conversations we are not brave enough to have, I might add - that it becomes cartoonish (in the case of Crash) or we all get along oh so well, and there is no racial tensions because we have all evolved oh so magnificently to the point where we "no longer see race." We have all become "colorblind." The latter description aptly characterizes Jonathan Demme's latest film, Rachel Getting Married, starring Anne Hathaway as Kym, a recovering drug addict who gets weekend release from rehab to participate in her sister's wedding, the titular Rachel (played by Rosemarie DeWitt). Rachel's bridegroom, Sidney (played by Tunde Adebimpe) is black, and quite a number of movie critics have hailed Demme for not making the interracial nuptials an issue of contention, while many more critics have expressed enough snark and cynicism to indicate that we all know that, in real life, that's not how things go down.
What Demme does well as a director is getting his actors to deliver top notch and emotional performances, as Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Debra Winger, who came out of retirement to play their estranged mother, give dynamic and convincing portrayals of a family who works hard to present a good face to the public while suppressing all the rage, grief, regret, and agony that threaten to erupt the joyous occasion. Where Demme is less successful is in his direction of the multiracial ensemble, who all seem to just get along. If I hear one more future black mother-in-law in a movie say to her future white daughter-in-law inane and unbelievably ridiculous sentiments like Sidney's mom - she says something to the effect of "I prayed, I prayed for my son to find a woman like you!" - I am going to cause a scene in the movie theater. (Not nearly as horrendous as Ruby Dee's lines in American Gangster, describing Denzel Washington's character's light-skinned Puerto Rican wife-to-be as "an angel sent down from heaven," but it comes close.)
I'm sorry, my white female friends, I hate to break it to you, but there are very few black women that I know who would be overjoyed at having a white daughter-in-law. And it's not simple prejudice. It's a real belief that, in choosing a white woman, our sons are rejecting us. That, in a society that continues to praise white women's beauty, virtues, and accomplishments while it simultaneously denigrates black women's looks, behavior, and overall character, when your own son makes such a choice, it feels like a blow to your self-esteem and like he too has joined in white supremacist patriarchy to find you unworthy. That some white women who choose black partners still say racist and offensive things, when they finally meet the black side of the family, makes it so much worse. By willingly marrying a racist, your black son adds insult to injury, then rubs in his male privilege, because while most black women run the other way when the white man they're involved with displays what a big gigantic racist he is, the black man relies on patriarchy to tolerate such bigotry in his girlfriend/fiancee/wife because he truly believes his penis trumps her skin color.
Now, does that mean I expect incivility in a future black mother-in-law's interactions with a future white daughter-in-law? No. But I do expect strained acceptance, some struggle for respect, and gradual ease towards liking the young white woman, if she proves herself to be trustworthy and a good person. And, I certainly don't expect over-the-top praise and glorification! I expect strained and suppressed interaction because, the bottom line is, we live in a society where the races, especially black and white communities, have continued to live segregated lives. When we don't grow up alongside each other, we learn to distrust each other, and so uneasiness permeates our regular interactions. It's this kind of dis-ease that Demme is unable to portray in this multiculti world music celebration, replete with cultural appropriations of Indian culture (in this Hindi-themed wedding, the celebrants are not followers of the faith) that only a middle-class and imperialist community would consider "quirky" and "cute" while those of us who recognize the cultural and colonialist imbalances understand such representations as problematic.
Fascinatingly, the real uneasiness is embodied in Kym's character since she is the conduit for much of the dysfunctional family dynamics. Whatever tensions arise during this weekend gathering, we understand and expect Kym to be the catalyst for all the angst and disruptions. In fact, one might even say that she gets to stand in for all the unspoken racial tensions in this film. And since, like many dysfunctional recovering addicts, she is so self-absorbed that she constantly threatens to steal attention away from the bride, she becomes a convenient distraction away from any other existing tensions that are neatly and deliberately tucked away, thanks to Demme's liberal "post-racial" vision. Actually, I see her as a complicated symbol of "white guilt."
One could also argue that, because Kym and Rachel's dad (played by Bill Irwin) is now married to a biracial woman, Carol (played by the accomplished stage actress, Anna Deavere Smith, who isn't given much to do here - but then again, despite the jam-packed ensemble of other non-whites in the cast, none of them is given much to do, other than to stand around and look "diverse", which is perhaps best represented at the wedding reception where black people get to "boogie down" the way we expect black people to boogie down and where so many different non-white musical groups are on display, from Indian sitar music to dancehall reggae to Brazilian carnival street drums and exotic costumes to New Orleans Jazz), the presence of Carol is supposed to dissipate or establish that this family (from bourgeois and predominately white Connecticut no less!) is open and accepting of diversity in their family.
But all Carol's presence did for me was to question what's really going on in the unspoken silences. Not everyone does get along in this family. Kym and Rachel's parents divorced (after the death of a family member, we presume), and it's clear from their estranged relationship with their mother, who hasn't quite forgiven Kym, that they're still needy and clingy for this maternal bond. What does someone like Sidney offer for someone like Rachel? For if Kym's addictions have turned her into a messy individual, Rachel's attempts at an orderly yet chaotic multiculti worldview, in which her PhD in psychology makes her "enlightened," gives me the impression that she's overcompensating for something and is just as emotionally "messy" as her sister, despite her superior attitude. Just before the wedding, Rachel announces that she's pregnant, and I hope she's able to raise a biracial child who won't be as messed up as her sister (or as she for that matter).
Somehow, Kym's hardknocked cynicism and her alienation from all the grand multiculti hoopla at the reception, gives me more assurance that she, more than her "responsible" and straightlaced sister, is far more equipped to handle the challenges of a mixed-race family. Rachel (and Demme) is trying too hard, so I cannot help but wonder what this multiracial celebration is trying to hide. It's very easy to identify with Kym during this joyous occasion, for she really feels like the only grounded person - despite all her woes - who can see through all the artifice and tell the world musicians to please stop playing all that loud music (my favorite scene - heh).
It's films like these that pretend that we have arrived at a post-racial society, in which race is no longer an issue, all the while creating a din of celebratory noise in the hopes that it will disguise the deafening silences that abound which continue to suggest that this is really not the case.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
It's Lurker Thursday Already!
Yikes! This week is going way too fast. That's how busy I've been. Hopefully, I can catch up on my blog this weekend. In the mean time, please drop a note and say hi! :)
Photograph: "Back to Your Inner Light" by Denis Collette.
Monday, December 1, 2008
World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day. In the interest of promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, especially as this pandemic impacts on the world's women, here are some notable gems:
1. "Maati" Music Video - As part of their "What Kind of Man are You?" campaign, the human rights feminist organization, Breakthrough, produced this music video to promote HIV/AIDS awareness among married women in India, a group that is now the most at risk worldwide for the disease, even more so than sex workers.
2. Yesterday - driving the point home further (the at-risk status of married women worldwide) is this South African feature film from 2004, directed by Darrell Roodt and starring Leleti Khumalo (of Sarafina! fame), which dramatizes the events surrounding a poor, rural South African wife and mother, who struggles to stay alive while dying of AIDS in order to see her young daughter start school. Here's the trailer:
3. Steps for the Future - Do not miss out on the 25-volume video series from California Newsreel, set in Southern Africa, the epicenter of the global AIDS crisis, which explores personal stories of those most impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
4. In the Continuum - this transnational play, co-written by up-and-coming playwrights Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter, explores the lives of two young HIV+ women, one living in Los Angeles, the other living in South Africa. Debuting in 2006, this theatrical production went on international tour last year. More Info.
1. "Maati" Music Video - As part of their "What Kind of Man are You?" campaign, the human rights feminist organization, Breakthrough, produced this music video to promote HIV/AIDS awareness among married women in India, a group that is now the most at risk worldwide for the disease, even more so than sex workers.
2. Yesterday - driving the point home further (the at-risk status of married women worldwide) is this South African feature film from 2004, directed by Darrell Roodt and starring Leleti Khumalo (of Sarafina! fame), which dramatizes the events surrounding a poor, rural South African wife and mother, who struggles to stay alive while dying of AIDS in order to see her young daughter start school. Here's the trailer:
3. Steps for the Future - Do not miss out on the 25-volume video series from California Newsreel, set in Southern Africa, the epicenter of the global AIDS crisis, which explores personal stories of those most impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
4. In the Continuum - this transnational play, co-written by up-and-coming playwrights Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter, explores the lives of two young HIV+ women, one living in Los Angeles, the other living in South Africa. Debuting in 2006, this theatrical production went on international tour last year. More Info.
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