USF Africana and Women’s Studies Protest at Graduation!!!

I’ve previously posted about the decisions to cut Africana and Women’s studies at my Alma Mater. Well I just have to post this news story featuring my fellow BULLS! Standing up in silent protest during the Spring 2008 graduation.

Please Watch this HERE!

9 things Black women want/need

So in my perusing the internet, I stumbled upon this list on Asylum.com.-“10 Things You Should Never say to a Black Woman.”

Start a Revolution- Save Africana, Latin and Women’s Studies at our Colleges!!!!

With our nation’s economy in shambles, everyone is looking for ways to cut back on spending and budget cuts are the name of the game. Unfortunately thanks to poor government spending (i.e. - a crazy war with no end in sight) the country’s universities are really feeling the pinch. In their haste to cut costs (and preserve the lofty salaries of some school presidents) some schools have placed Africana (African, African American. Black, Diaspora etc.), Latin American and Women studies Programs on the chopping block. Claiming that the programs have so few majors that it’s not worth the costs.
Students in these programs are up in arms (particularly at my Alma Mater the University of South Florida), writing letters, signing petitions and leading rallies to preserve the departments that they hold dear.

The Trouble with black hair…

First off let me begin this post by saying that I am an avid weave wearer (love myself and I love the ability to change my hair frequently) but I am also an advocate for natural hair. Basically I’m a fan of whatever hairstyle that a black woman wants to wear (exceptions would be Crayola colored weave, and those half permed/ half nappy chicks, girl cut that mess off and start again).
I say that to say this. I previously had NO I idea of the Monopoly that is taking place in the black hair supply industry. Currently Black women make up 10% of the population, 80% of hair product customers and about 5% of the Beauty supply industry owners. That means that we’re being shut out of an industry that essentially caters to out vanity by people of other cultures.

Regina King’s Documentary

One of my Brown Sugar Babies (readers) sent this to me. =)

Regina King has a new documentary out. The former “227” star served as the executive producer of “Side by Side: the Story of the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone”

Black Women-The Great Divide

I was talking on the phone to one of my best friend, railing on and on about some sort of injustice. She abruptly interrupted me with this question. “Are you a feminist?” I quickly answered “No of course not.” I believe in equality for all people in spite of personal preferences. I believe in a woman’s rights to choose what’s best for her (career, motherhood or both, chivalry or going Dutch etc etc) and yes, I’ve taken a number of college courses and read a bunch of “Feminist writings” (Audre Lourde, Betty Freidan and more) but as a heterosexual. Christian, Black Woman, I don’t feel like a feminist.

Ain’t I a Woman?

Well it’s Women’s History Month but for Black women the issues of race and negative imagery keeps popping up and over shadowing what should be a celebration of female achievement for everyone.

It’s just Emotions Taking me Over

Emotion is the new B****?

I love my cousin, Lord knows I do, but today I wanted to reach through the phone and choke him. After he was done bemoaning the actions (or lack of actions) of some chick he met, I simply told him that I thought this woman had been scorned before. His reaction was “Why are women soo emotional?”
That’s got to be the worst question men have come up with. It made me see red! It’s not so much what he said it’s the archaic connation that this phrase has. It’s the idea that emotions are bad and women are “overly” emotional is ridiculous and it feels like an attempt (be it intentional or unintentional) to reduce or marginalize a woman’s thought’s or expressions. To make it seem like her words have no merit because they lack logic.
The word emotional is being used like a slur; it’s a way to insult people now. If a person get heated about something people ask “why you getting emotional?” not like asking “what’s wrong?” more like saying “control yourself”, or “you look weak”
I’ve been hearing that a lot during this campaign season, anytime Hillary Clinton raises her voice is a speech I hear people (men and women) say, “See this is why I won’t vote for her, she’s too emotional.” What? Because heaven’s forbid a world leader show any real human like characteristics.
I recently went to a forum, and before this man spoke he warned everyone not to attack him with questions based on religious emotions (he was talking about his stance on black history based on the Quran). The whole room murmured a “no he didn’t” under there breaths but no one really came at him without a logical question.
So imagine everyone’s surprise when this guy got all kinds of hot and bothered (yelling and what not) with another brother on the panel during a small factual disagreement (who happened to be a member of his religion). The man he was arguing with said “I thought we were keeping emotions out of this?” “This ain’t emotion brother!” he said, “This is passion! I’m passionate about mine!!!” Now is it just me but isn’t passion an emotion?
All humans have emotions yes even men. It’s foolish to limit something like that to one sex and then to say that they are somehow “weaker” for possessing that quality. Maybe that’s why the guy felt he needed to explain his emotions as being “passionate.” why do some men feel like they need to explain away being emotional? Not all women think on emotions alone, and most men aren’t logic machines. If we were all logic and no emotion the world would be a harsh, cold place.
It seems to me like people hate other people’s emotions, because it forces you to think about how someone else feels. In other words if you benefit from hurting someone (emotionally) then you probably don’t care or want to hear how that person feels about it.
Are emotions bad or weak? Or are they only bad when someone else displays them? And if they are weak and women are “emotional” are we supposedly weak?