The Comfort and Convenience of the Angry Black Woman Label June 22, 2008

If you’re wondering where I’ve been–The answer probably lies here. I am a contributing blogger to Pushback, a project of Campus Progress. The following is a re-post of an article I wrote about Michelle Obama and the recent attacks by Cal Thomas, who referred to her as an “angry Black woman.”  Updates will be slow as I try to split my time between my blog, their blog, and life in general, but be sure to check out Pushback!

We had to have seen this one coming.

Michelle Obama is in line to potentially become the first African-American First Lady. She is educated, strong, has had a successful career so far, and is the mother of two little girls. And I have to add that she has impeccable style to boot. As a black woman, I look up to her as a role model.

So of course Fox News was going to take every opportunity to take jabs at her. “Fist Jabs,” even. Here we are again. According to Feministing, conservative pundit Cal Thomas accused Michelle Obama as being an “angry black woman” on an episode of Fox News Watch last weekend:

CAL THOMAS: In this campaign, we are being asked to accept three things simultaneously, the first woman with a credible chance of being president, the first African-American with the chance to being president and, whoever Michelle Obama is going to be styled, the angry black woman, first lady? This is an awful lot.

…

THOMAS: I want to pick up on something that Jane said about the angry black woman. Look at the image of angry black women on television. Politically you have Maxine Waters of California, liberal Democrat. She’s always angry every time she gets on television. Cynthia McKinney, another angry black woman. And who are the black women you see on the local news at night in cities all over the country. They’re usually angry about something. They’ve had a son who has been shot in a drive-by shooting. They are angry at Bush. So you don’t really have a profile of non-angry black women.

(You can read the full transcript here.)

I can’t say I’m surprised; I’ve come to expect this sort of offensive idiocy from Fox News and its commentators. But it’s still worth taking a look at why some people are so quick to paint Obama as “angry,” whether in reference to her quote about being “proud of [her] country for the first time, the “whitey” hoax, or her Princeton thesis, and why the “angry black woman” archetype is so damaging and counterproductive.

One of the most hurtful things about this theme is that, in addition to painting black women as scary, it also implies that we have a certain sassy, angry “attitude,” and therefore need not be taken seriously. The image of the neck-rollin’, finger-snappin’ “Sheneneh” character we were introduced to by Martin Lawrence comes to mind (as though every black woman does this when she’s angry). Such a character isn’t someone you debate or argue–she’s someone you laugh at or ignore.

Along those same lines, the “angry black woman” designation implies that the issues we care about as black women–racism, sexism, classism, health care, and the achievement gap in our education system, among others–are not important enough to get angry about in the first place. The black women Thomas mentions, Waters and McKinney, have, in their own ways, fought for social justice and equality in their communities. But his stereotype undercuts their efforts: they’re not angry or passionate because of the fights they are fighting, Thomas is saying–they’re angry and passionate because, well, that’s simply what black women are.

It’s a convenient way to dodge the real issues in favor of a ready-made, widely disseminated caricature. And that’s exactly what Michelle Obama’s race-baiting critics are hoping to do: avoid the real issues.

June 12, 2008

From Tambra Stevenson of Creative Cause. If you are a woman and you’re in the DC Area please check out this important event. The Roundtable is free and open to the public.

As the author Alice Walker noted in her 2007 book release, we are the ones we have been waiting for.
And the classic acapella group, Sweet Honey on the Rock, sings, “we are the ones we have been waiting for?’

So with all the noted research social and health inequalities impacting our sisters–those with degrees and not—what are we waiting for?

Does it have to be your sister, niece, or daughter for you to realize that you are the one we have been waiting for!

Must we die being superwomen - from stress-related disorders causing the mental health, chronic diseases, etc.

What are you waiting for?

Does it have to take another Megan Williams of W. Va., Benita Jacks of Washington, DC, the girl who is so depressed

she eats her anger away, the 10-month black female infant who was raped in DC, or the Howard student who was raped?

Health and healing begins with us…if we don’t speak up, it’s like all of us giving up.

In this month’s Heart and Soul magazine, a black woman shares her story with bipolar.

In the PBS documentary stories of highly educated professional black women with families still

suffer from higher levels of stress impacting their babies’ outcomes. Do you think there is a coincidence?

What do you think needs to happen?

This is not just an American issue, this is a global issue. Women of African descent suffer the worst health care and receive the lowest to no wages compared to anyone else. The information is on the web, just Google!

Like politics, change starts local and with ourselves.

With a Gen Y population of 76 million mostly women, we have an unbelievable opportunity to

galvanize from the grassroots to the grasstops. We can create change from our computers to

the streets and to the suites.

******************************************************
Join us and bring a friend to make history and set the personal

and political agenda on young black women’s health! This event is part of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Black Women’s Health Imperative which is holding the National Black Women’s Health Conference. Learn more at www.blackwomenshealth.org.

Setting the Agenda: Young Black Women’s Health Roundtable
with the Black Women’s Health Imperative, KIMsense.com, and

DC Young Women’s Leadership Committee

Thursday, June 19, 2008
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Omni Shoreham Hotel
2500 Calvert Road, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Metro: Woodley Park (red line)

For directions use: www.maps.google.com (car) or www.wmata.com (metro)

Open to the public. Free. Get a special gift. RSVP via email or Facebook.

Questions? Email tambra@creativecause.org.

Want to be a host committee? Email me your name, age, hometown and what is your health story.

**************************************************************************************************
No Voice. No Policy. No Power. No Progress. We are the ones we have been waiting for.

Young Hillary Clinton May 29, 2008

I’m not really posting this to make a point. I was more intrigued by the sheer comic genius of it. The girl playing Hillary is a pretty good actress too!

Things of Note: The Shame of Monica Conyers | Saartjie Project | Risque Prom Dresses May 15, 2008

Guess who’s bizzack (c) Jay-Z and Scarface

Aight, let’s get right to it:

• You embarrass me. You Embarrass yourself. That’s right, I’m talking to you Monica Conyers:

Some of you may have heard about this already, but Monica Conyers, the President Pro Tem of the Detroit City Council, got into a shouting match with Council woman Joann Watson and President of the City Council President Ken Cockrel. At the height of the foolishness, Conyers refers to Cockrel as “Shrek.” Leading up to that, she had blurted out,

“You’re not my daddy!You do that at home, not here. Give me some respect ’cause I’m tired of that. You may not do that at home, but you gon do it up in here.”Grow up! Control your house and you’ll know how to treat women better.”

Nevermind the fact that Cockrel was just doing his job and attempting to keep the order in the session. And yet Monica Conyers, a grown woman, deemed it necessary to attack the man personally like she was a 12 year old brat. It was probably the most embarrassing spectacle of I’ve ever seen from one of our so-called Black Leaders.

If Monica’s last name sounds familiar to you, it’s because she is the wife of Congressman John Conyers, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. And Speaking of 12 year olds, check out this clip of 8th grader Kierra Bell questioned Conyers actions:

…out of the mouth of babes. Conyers was rendered almost speechless. You go, girl. Maybe you can take Ms. Conyer’s place one day.

• Ciao, Bella!: The Saartjie Project, a collective of artists exploring the legacy of the Hottentot Venus, now has a great article about the newest cover of Italian Vogue via The Root. It’s so interesting to me how other [European] cultures have embraced Black female beauty. in a way that American culture has yet to.
• Another installment of “Don’t dress your daughter like a skank”: Long story short-Marche Taylor, High School senior, was arrested when refusing to leave when the principal told her that her skimpy prom dress would bar her from entry into to prom.

[Marche Taylor] was told her custom-made dress violated the school dress code.

At that point, Taylor said she was furious. She said if she couldn’t get in, she wanted her money back.

Things got so bad that someone called the police. Officers showed up, handcuffed her and escorted her out. from KHOU

My verdict: sorry, this girl ain’t a victim.

the principal did what she had to do—uphold of standard of appropriate dress for a prom, which meant that girls would not be allowed to have their ASSets hangin out everywhere and pass it off as “cute.” (the dress wasn’t anywhere NEAR cute—but that is a different story as this is not a fashion blog :-))

As for the girl getting arrested–let’s be clear: the girl wasn’t being arrested for wearing the dress. She was being arrested for causing a scene when she found out she couldn’t go to her prom.

I can’t pass all the blame on the girl though. I’ve discussed this here before, and if any of you were to log on to What About Our Daughters, they would agree–parents need to teach their daughters about what is and is not age-appropriate. My mother would have looked at me crazy if I had even suggested wearing a get-up like that, and it’s because she taught me better than that.

• but enough with all that. Edwards endorsed Obama yesterday. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it.

What in Sam Hell is goin on here: Facebook gone wild April 29, 2008

Maybe I’m late with this, but apparently, Facebook now has a “Have Sex!” application.

Yeah, you heard me. See it for yourself.

The application is set up so that you can “have sex” with anyone on Facebook who also has the application–it includes places and positions as well. As if that wasn’t enough, when the application shows up on your profile it may read a little something like this:

4 People have already had sex with Keisha.

If they can, you can too!

I can see some potential Facebook drama coming out of this…especially if it involves any one of the following:

1.-people using the “have sex!” application with folks to the point where their number hits the double digits…

2.-people who’s facebook status says “in a relationship” using the said application with folks other than their S.O., which can result in..

3.-angry inboxes telling folks to STAY AWAY FROM MY (WO)MAN

Some of the applications I don’t mind much. I’m actually a fan of the “Addicted to The Wire” application and I found the “Which 50’s Pin-Up Girl are You?” quiz to be a nice lil diversion (I’m Marilyn Monroe for anyone who is interested).

But the “Have Sex!” application, I think, takes things way too far and makes the Make A Baby application look like the epitome of class.

I know it’s supposed to be all fun and games, but in the end, it’s not. Because everyone knows that what happens on Facebook NEVER stays on Facebook, and the belief that Facebook never lies normally rings true. And if you think of Facbeook as a college community at heart, applicatons like these are how rumors get started.

feeling some kinda way: stuff black greeks like :-/ April 27, 2008

I realize with this post that I will have to “out” myself as a member of a Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO)

I am a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. I am also the charter member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Xi Sigma Chapter at The George Washington University, and I served as the first chapter president there. I’ll be 4 zeta years old this year and no matter what the haters say, I love my organization to the fullest.

That said, a few weeks ago I became privy to the latest in the stuff people like phenomenon, Stuff Black Greeks Like. Now I will say that the blog, while biting (sometimes a bit too biting), is actually pretty funny at times. The anonymous writer’s entry about the Alpha Kappa Alpha/Delta Sigma Theta Rivalry had me dyin:

Ever seen a girl fight where the women are about to go at it? The crowd gathers for the brawl… the women gather to choose a side and jump in if need be, the men just want to see a shirt get ripped off to see some titties… such is the rivalry between the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta.

…because in some ways it is true.

But with that said, I’m concerned about the overall feel of the blog…it is not really a list of things Black Greeks like per se, rather it is a list of things we don’t like OR that we just seem to tolerate…so as a stuff people like format, it might get a fail.

He or she is an equal opportunity @$$hole in a sense that EVERYBODY gets an insult or two thrown at them on this blog. My own organization has been called out on BS by the blogger and by some of the more ignorant commentators….so whoever reads the blog pretty much has to have a thick skin. If there’s one thing I learned as an undergrad Zeta it was how to take negativity in stride. Unfortunately, not everyone learns that. That, my friends, is A WHOLE ‘NOTHER discussion.

So who’s the mystery blogger? That’s just the thing. I don’t think it’s just one blogger.

I actually happen to think–after my beau and I further examined the blog entries and the writing style(s)–that it is a team or a duo of BLGO members, perhaps one male and one female.

I also happen to think it’s an AKA and an Alpha, and the only reason I say that is that there is a slight bias in their favor.

Anyway even though the blog is funny and painfully true in some regards, it still leaves me feeling some kinda way about it. I mean I know it’s in “good fun” but I don’t know how I feel about the fact that they seem to know so much about the organizations (though they did mess up on Honorable/Notable Members as some of the people listed were NOT members of the corresponding organizations…which means whoever told them was wrong too…again, another topic)

Well played though. I guess.

On that note I want to congratulate my undergrad chapter, Xi Sigma, on their Spring 2008 neos! The coming out show was fantaZtic congratulations, neos! now, get me a drink!

y’all know i’m jus’ playin. i love you.

Elledub on the radio!-This Sunday, April 20th April 19, 2008

On this Sunday from 6-7pm, I will be featured on Rosetta Thurman’s BlogTalkRadio Show on Non-Profit professionals and the quest for a good salary. As a Non-Profit gal, this is a topic very near and dear to my heart.

Rosetta is the Director of Development at Non Profit Roundtable and her blog, Perspectives from the Pipeline, focuses on diversity and other issues young professionals face in the Non-Profit sector.

Click here this Sunday at 6pm to tune in and perhaps ask a question or two.

Bringin up Old S&^*: Dem Debate Roundup April 18, 2008

Things are crazy busy so I’m not going to do a whole play-by-play commentary about Wednesday night’s Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, but I will say that it was the poorest election coverage I’ve seen all election. Shame on Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos for doing the public a disservice by ignoring ANY attention to the policy and economic issues surrounding this election and instead focusing on trivial issues like the flag pin or Clinton’s Bosnia slip-up.

I was so disappointed that instead of encouraging an intelligent debate, they “brought up old s***.”

and with no further adue, the news/blog debate roundup:

• Black Beauty Blogger Afrobella gives a wonderful tribute to Ms. Michelle Obama
• George Stephanopoulos tries to defend the bullsh*t media debate on Talking Points Memo (okay it wouldn’t let me link….so you’re gonna have to Google it. sorry folks)
• …And the Houston Chronicle reports on George S.’s defense as well.
• On a related note, Obama and McCain appeared before the Associated Press this week. Dana Milbank of the Washington Post gives his take.
• Obama calls for more campaigning and less debates (CNN)
• Clinton says Obama ‘can win’…..which I guess IS different from “will win”….whatevs (MSNBC)
• Dan Abrams criticizes ABC for crappy debate

And I left this for the end….Obama makes like Jay-Z and brushes the dirt off his shoulder.

You tell ‘em B.Rock!

revival of the R&B teen queen April 17, 2008

I know I’ve griped a lot about young girls and teens and how they’re growing up so fast these days….but tonight I wanted to talk about a girl named Karina Pasian, a 16 year old up-and-coming r&b singer. She has a song about precisely some of the themes I’ve brought up i this blog: the challenges girls face growing up in a society that insists they rush into adulthood. My boyfriend and I heard it on the radio one afternoon and I thought to myself, “Man, I really wish more young r&b acts sung songs about things like this.”

Here it is…”16 at war”:

The bridge says it all: I want you to know the best of me/I want to belong without being treated like property. It’s so refreshing to see a young singer talk about something other than the boy around the corner or lip gloss…

…and trust me, I know there’s a time and a place for everything, and there is room for both kinds of artists. I happen to like Lil Mama cuz she’s very age appropriate and has a cute, funky style…but I’m just glad to know that the young generation of r & b acts are also talking about things of substance, and about how they think, feel, and react to the community around them.

I’m wondering if any of these younger female acts—Teyana Taylor and Tiffany Evans included–will fill the shoes that Monica, Brandy, and even Beyonce once filled.

To switch gears, this post wouldn’t be complete without a throwback track….I KNOW I am not the only one who remembers “That’s What Little Girls Are Made Of” by Raven-Symone…I even had the album!

women i love part whatever April 17, 2008

Last night at DC’s Zanzibar on the Waterfront, I got to see this lovely lady from London in concert:

For those who don’t know, Estelle is the first artist on John Legend’s new label, Home School Records. In fact, he performed with Estelle on a few songs last night (OMG!)

She has so much energy live—and her background singers were really doin it! I’m sure video from last night’s performance will surface on YouTube pretty soon, so when it does I’ll be sure to post it up.

Check out the video for “1980″….

Estelle’s MySpace

Thanks to my fellow black blogger Rosetta Thurman for being my plus one for the evening