Sunday, February 13, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
'Womanist': Saying Who We Are
Black History Month is that time of year when the achievements and courage of people of African descent are acknowledged and celebrated. However, for decades now, Black History Month has not once acknowledged or celebrated the contributions of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.
Our omission from the annals of black history would lead you to believe that the only shakers and movers in the history of people of African descent in the U.S. were and still are heterosexuals. And because of this heterosexist bias, the sheroes and heroes of LGBTQ people of African descent -- like Pat Parker, Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, Joseph Beam, and Bayard Rustin, to name a few -- are most known and lauded within a subculture of black life.
Read more here.
Our omission from the annals of black history would lead you to believe that the only shakers and movers in the history of people of African descent in the U.S. were and still are heterosexuals. And because of this heterosexist bias, the sheroes and heroes of LGBTQ people of African descent -- like Pat Parker, Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, Joseph Beam, and Bayard Rustin, to name a few -- are most known and lauded within a subculture of black life.
Read more here.
Halle Berry and Nahla: Not So Mixed, Not So Happy
As we await the results of the 2010 Census it's tempting to think that our growing comfort with categorizing people as multiracial has erased racism and the fear of interracial relations. But
in a recent interview with Ebony Magazine, Halle Berry says that we're neither as mixed nor as happy as we'd like to think.
In the interview Berry addressed her ugly custody battle with Gabriel Aubry over their 2-year-old daughter, Nahla. Allegations are circulating about the couple's different racial philosophies, including the use of racial slurs, and their anxiety over Nahla's racial categorization in the press. Berry told Ebony that "I feel like [Nahla is] black" because of the one drop rule. In other words, Berry sees herself and her daughter as black because they are of partial African American ancestry. Other sources say that Aubry sees Nahla as white and that he thinks Berry should demand a retraction whenever Nahla is identified otherwise.
Read more here
in a recent interview with Ebony Magazine, Halle Berry says that we're neither as mixed nor as happy as we'd like to think.
In the interview Berry addressed her ugly custody battle with Gabriel Aubry over their 2-year-old daughter, Nahla. Allegations are circulating about the couple's different racial philosophies, including the use of racial slurs, and their anxiety over Nahla's racial categorization in the press. Berry told Ebony that "I feel like [Nahla is] black" because of the one drop rule. In other words, Berry sees herself and her daughter as black because they are of partial African American ancestry. Other sources say that Aubry sees Nahla as white and that he thinks Berry should demand a retraction whenever Nahla is identified otherwise.
Read more here
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