Tikia K. Hamilton: Dear Chris Rock, Let Black Women "Do" Our Own Hair

By Tikia K. Hamilton

Admittedly, a friend had prepared me in advance for some of the inadequacies to be found in Chris Rock's film Good Hair, and I am probably a bit behind the rest of the world (and I do mean rest of the world, see problems with film below) in viewing it. Still, it left me with a few thoughts ... The very first problem with the movie is that it is told through the eyes of a person who can never truly experience what it means to be a black woman living amidst a world of images that reinforce the notion that, while black can sometimes be trendy, it can never truly represent the highest attainment of beauty. While Rock might be able to sympathize with his daughters and perhaps even a wife addicted to "creamy crack," he is in some ways like the whites and Asians (and Indians) whom he criticizes for their “blacksploitation” in profiting from black women’s hair obsessions.  Of course, that he is a comedian makes the film at times comical, but, in truth, the conflicting messages that he promotes about black women's obsessive compulsive behavior sure ain't funny.

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Afronerd: Why Would Anyone Want to Be Black? And Other Stupid Questions.

By Afronerd

Why would anyone want to be black? This is the question Breitbart's Burt Prelutsky is asking! We can't be in the 21st Century....

 

From an Oct. 22 post by Burt Prelutsky at Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood blog:

My final question is, why, in 2009 America, are mulattoes invariably identified as blacks? Surely there is nothing wrong with being a mulatto. There is no stigma attached, as once there was. It merely refers to those who have one white parent and one black. There are many notable individuals who are mulattoes, including Halle Berry, Derek Jeter, Lisa Bonet and Barack Obama. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, is a true amalgamation, being one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Thai, one-quarter black, one-eighth Native American and one-eighth Dutch. And, yet, with the possible exception of the New York Yankee shortstop, we insist on identifying all of them as black.

It's as if there is something shameful about their being half or even one-eighth white. If there is, I'd sure like to know what it is. If, on the other hand, there isn't, why do we insist on acting as if there were?

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BasseyWorld: We All Need Help Sometimes

By Bassey

Today is the 5th anniversary of the day I was hospitalized. I’m stronger than I ever give myself credit for. But I also acknowledge when it is necessary to ask for and accept help. I thank her every year but @dianewah literally saved my life. She came to my apartment and took me to my doctor and then to the hospital. I wouldn’t be here if not for her. I wouldn’t be anywhere if I didn’t allow people to care for me. A few people have asked me what I was hospitalized for 5 years ago. I always say, “I was hospitalized for depression.” I’ve written about it. In that great and wonderful way that poets tend to speak of things in flowery abstraction. http://bit.ly/4raKEQ

I never really told anyone the whole story. I barely like to think about it myself.

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Danielle's Journal: Brave New World

Immortal Beloved Show, Photo by Alexis Glenn

I honestly can't explain how surreal my life has become in a short amount of time. Back in April, I had just taken a break from the blog because my medication wasn't working and I was struggling just to function. Then I went on a whirlwind road trip to Boston, NYC and Washington, D.C. with my friend Dorothy -- right after getting out of the hospital, of all places, and flung myself right back out into the world, sink or swim.

I have to admit. I'm a little surprised.

Read more in Danielle's Journal.

Awesomely Luvvie: Twitter Killed the Celeb's Star

By Luvvie

They say that video killed the radio star. Well, Twitter has killed the celebrity's. Ever since I joined Twitter in September 2008 (although I wasn't active on it until January 2009), it's become the place to be. *reads line* Ok that just made it sound like Twitter became IT because of me. How narcissistic of me. Too bad I don't feel like changing the sentence. But y'all know what I meant.

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AverageBro: Kick Rocks, Lou Dobbs!

By AverageBro

Not that you prolly care either way, but CNN's Lou Dobbs finally got tired of being the sole voice of haterism and decided to to switch teams. And boy, did he go out like a gangsta.

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Who Doesn't Want to Be Related to Michelle Obama?

Remember when folks would just pretend like all that funny business of compromising sexual/familial situations between white slave owners and black chattel was impolite to discuss ever? That a lot of folks would just walk around, happily ignorant, pretending like they didn’t know nuttin about great-great-great Grand Pappy Archibald’s fondness for spending his evenings trolling the slave quarters for some ass?

Well, this is America, jack! We will drop shame in a hot minute to say, “Hey! I’m related to an Obama too!” Yeah, yeah the slave girl was only 15 when she gave birth to our common ancestor, but that was like NORMAL back in olden days, right? Right? We don’t know for a FACT Michelle Obama’s ancestors were raped by my ancestors! Can’t we just come visit the White House for Thanksgiving and braid each others hair and share memories and shit?

More after the jump.

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Adeshola Blue: Health Care Reform Passes, But What Will We Get?

By Adeshola Blue

Last weekend Nancy Pelosi and the White House celebrated the passage of healthcare reform by a vote of 220-215. Time to break out the Kool and the Gang mp3, right? Wrong. Unfortunately for the White House, this is one of many hoops they must jump through in order to get passage of this reform bill. But the President can pencil this one into the win column, because the big challenge is approaching. The Blue Dogs in the Senate and Joe Lie-berman stand to bite the President on the backside once again and put the public option out to pasture. (I know President Obama is ruing the day he campaigned for Joe Lieberman.) Add a Christmas wish of a deadline and the next few weeks will continue the high drama that is known as Capitol Hill.

Even if this thing passes I wonder what we are actually getting. Is everyone getting insurance? And if so, which plan are we getting? Are we getting Blue Cross/Blue Shield lite? Will my employer opt out of the wonderful plan I currently have and pay into the "public" option? Will I be able to get birth control pills paid for under this version of legislation? Will the Democrats have the balls to bypass the Republicans and the Blue Dogs and just create Medicare part E, as in healthcare for everybody? Or will the President go gimmicky and offer to cover pets so that he can get everyone on board? (White House, feel free to add the "Pet Option.") Either way, those who aren't covered will have some sort of coverage, and ultimately this is Obama's goal. Maybe he can write that win in pen.

Adeshola Blue writes the blog Random Thoughts About Pressing Mess. Read more of her work here.

Racism AND Sexism at the New York Post?

What? So they just HAPPENED to fire the person who complained about the racist monkey editorial cartoon and not the cartoonist! What are you trying to say, mis amigos at Mediate? I’m sure it was all just a horrible coincidence. I mean, racism AND sexism at a Rupert Murdoch-owned publication? Everyone knows they only have the utmost respect for minorities and people who happen to have vaginas! *Cough* Sarcasm! *Cough*

From Mediaite:

In the 38-page lawsuit, the former associate editor at the paper brings claims of not only political bias, but racial insensitivity, prejudiced hiring practices, rampant sexism and corruption. She was routinely mocked in a racist manner due to her Hispanic heritage, she alleges, and the suit notes that the last five employees fired by the paper’s publisher have been people of color.

“[W]ithin the four walls of the Post exists a hostile work environment where female employees and employees of color have been subjected to pervasive and systemic discrimination and/or unlawful harassment based on their gender, race, color and/or national origin,” the lawsuit reads. “The Post, and its parent corporation, News Corporation,” the suit continues, “maintain, condone, tolerate, directly participate in and contribute to a hostile work environment.”

I just can’t believe that any organization that would have someone as outstanding as Glenn “Obama Is A Racist and I can’t stop crying!” Beck on their cable TV network would tolerate such chicanery! What is coming to the world when a newspaper owned by a man who never met a nekkid scandal he didn’t like would put up with SEXISM at ANY of his publications! Why I neva!

The World Is A Vampire (And So Is Sammy Sosa)

From Getty via HuffPoYou take a couple weeks off to move to D.C. and all sorts of news happens. The House passes historic health care legislation, Katt Williams gets arrested for burglary, highly disturbed people go on killing sprees and Sammy Sosa starts acting, obviously auditioning for the role of a lifetime as Nousferatu, the vampire!

What? He’s not trying out to be Latino Lestat? Skin rejuvenation, you say? Bad skin peel gone horribly awry, is it? And he started wearing green-eyed contacts, when?

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Who's Afraid of Michael Steele? Nobody.

Oh, Uncle Mike! It’s been so long since I was amused by your antics. I’ve been busy, you see! With the move and the job and the life and all, so I hadn’t been playing a lick of attention to you. I’m sure you’ve done something else entertaining since we last talked, but this latest performance? The one where you said the white folks were afraid of you.

Can we talk?

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BlackSnob Salutes the Troops

Belton Family photoI always did love a guy or gal in uniform! Happy Veterans Day!

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The Picture Emailed to Me Most During My Hiatus

I want to be First Grandmother someday. All the perks of being First Lady ... none of the drama.

AverageBro: What I Learned From Watching Real Housewives of Atlanta

By AverageBro

Well, season two is over, and yeah, I actually watched each and every episode. Here's what I learned from RHOA.

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