This month, Vogue Italia is doing another take on last year’s successful Black Issue: a fashion spread featuring all Black Barbies.

from Jezebel:

Last year, Italian Vogue shook the fashion world with its “All Black issue, which sold out on many newsstands. This year, the July issue features Kristen McMenamy on the cover, but comes with a delightful supplement devoted to black Barbies.

It is Barbie’s 50th birthday, after all, and Mattel does have those new black Barbies to promote. And while this supplement is not full-sized like a regular magazine (it’s about 6 inches wide; 7.5 inches long) somehow the doll scale makes sense.

As a girl growing up in Los Angeles, my mother always made sure to buy us Black dolls, especially Barbies. I even had a Black Ken doll! And while it was great to have a doll that looked like me, the reality was that it still sold me and other little girls dangerous ideas about what a woman’s body should look like, and what was considered beautiful. In preparing to write this post, I spoke with a friend of mine who happens to be a Black dad with a young daughter. He told me that while he reluctantly buys his daughter Barbies because she loves them, he is concerned about what it teaches his little girl about having a positive self-image. As a result, he makes it his responsibility to teach his daughter about how special and beautiful she is as a black girl.

I loved Vogue Italia’s Black Issue last year. I loved that it featured Tocarra, a voluptuous, curvy woman who was far from a size 2. And I like the concept of using all Black Barbies in a Vogue spread. But I have to wonder if it is actually a step backwards. Barbies themselves use the white female body as a the prototype for beauty. Even the new Black Barbies do not have the hips, ass and curves that myself and other Black women possess. It’s great that Mattel has barbies of all shade, but what about all sizes? What taking into consideration that other races and ethnic groups have different ideas of what women’s bodies actually look like? The fashion industry often creates fashions, ad campaigns, and yes, even Barbie photo spreads that leave Black female bodies out of the equation and therefore, out of the question when defining what a “perfect body” looks like and who is able to possess it.

So what does everyone else think? Is the Black Barbie issue of Vogue Italia actually progress? Or does it still perpetuate anxiety and even denial of the Black female body as one that is indeed normal and beautiful?

A lot of the outrage about the BET Awards sprang from Michael Jackson’s death, but its not really about MJ….it’s about BET’s failure to create program that portrays the Black experience in a positive light. It’s part of an ongoing problem, though Byron Hurt’s open letter to Debra Lee is a excellent start. Feel free to send your own letter to them as a sign of support.

Dear BET

I wrote this letter and sent it to contactus@bet.com, bobbette.gillette@bet.net,loretha.jones@bet.net, and stephen.hill@bet.net.Feel free to copy, paste, and customize this letter to adequately express your thoughts. If anyone has better ideas on where this letter should be sent, i.e. executives at Viacom (BET’s owner), please let me know. I am open to ideas and suggestions.

Be fearless, feel empowered, and raise your voice.

___________

June 29, 2009

Dear Debra Lee,

Sunday night’s BET Awards show was a disgrace. It’s sad and unfortunate that your network, owned by Viacom, continues to crank out mediocrity and perpetuate negative stereotypes of black men, women, and children. Although you likely received high ratings for the awards show, there is no honor in reinforcing the status quo’s opinion of black people. Your tribute to Michael Jackson and the overall show had its great moments, however, BET failed to deliver a solid, quality show. Rather than “raising the bar” and presenting African-Americans as a creative, proud, dignified people, BET lowered the bar for the entire world to see. The BET Awards drew a huge audience to watch a tribute to Michael Jackson, but left millions of viewers feeling disappointed, embarrassed, and reduced to classic stereotypes.

During the most blatantly sexist performances of the night, the executives at BET failed to act and display intelligence, courage, and leadership. Show executives watched, approved, and applauded as artists Lil’ Wayne, Drake, and Cash Money brought young, under-aged girls onto the stage to dance and serve as window dressing while they performed “Every Girl,” a song that reduces girls and women to sex objects. In a culture where one out of four girls and women are either raped or sexually assaulted – and where manipulative men routinely traffic vulnerable women into the sex industry – it is not okay that BET allowed this to happen. BET owes its entire audience – particularly girls and women around the world – an apology for its failure to intervene. BET should also take immediate steps to ensure that this kind of sexist performance does not happen again. Sunday night’s show epitomizes why so many black people worldwide are fed up with BET and feel strongly that your network inaccurately represents black men and women.

Please take my letter and criticism as one that represents millions.

Sincerely,

Byron Hurt

Starting this week I will be posting interesting links from around the blogosphere:

• Oklahoma Women’s Network speak out about Sotomayor cartoon published in Oklahoman and why it’s sexist..I particularly take issue with the image of Sotomayor hanging as a pinata…among other things. More on this later.
  
• Cheryl Contee at Jack and Jill Politics gives her thoughts on Obama’s Cairo Speech…which is on Youtube in case ya missed it.
  
• Renee at Womanist Musings talks about disability and motherhood…
• Alyssa at Voz Latina is asking for donations to build a new home–the house that her and her partner live in is foreclosing in a few days’ time. Make a donation and help support trans homesteaders.
  
• And finally, some lolz. What if your coworker used AutoTune, T-Pain style?
  

Most of you by now have heard about this story, but I can’t tell you how excited and happy that a woman of color has been nominated for the supreme court. I am intentional with saying woman of color and not just Latina. I think Liza Sabater from Culture Kitchen said it best:

Sonia Sotomayor considers herself a woman of color, not just a “Hispanic”. She’s a proud puertorriqueña and a Latina, not some form of white-washed eurocentric spanish-speaking acceptable version of a WASP.

As a Black American woman, I’m happy and proud of Obama’s choice for the supreme court. When I was younger I thought I could only really relate to and act on behalf of Black women. As I get older, though, I have become an advocate for all women of color, as in some ways we all share a collective experience.

Most of the racist and sexist attacks on Sotomayor aren’t surprising to me. I knew people would claim she was loud, “ghetto”, and unfit for the Supreme Court. I knew conservatives would say she is a token. None of it surprises me.

The truth is that in Sonia Sotomayor we have a wise, intelligent, powerful woman of color who understands the plight of working class people. We have someone who I believe will bring a new level of experience and also dignity to the Supreme Court.

Since I mentioned it in my last post, I wanted to share:

It’s warmer outside, flowers are in full bloom, and I’ve broken out my peep-toe heels. I thought Glow by Kelis and Raphael Saadiq would be appropriate.

Enjoy.

I hope you feel the same way about her too. Had the chance to check out her show at WAM. Her segment of Target Women comes on CurrentTV during InfoMania.

2009 marked the beginning of a historic moment in our country’s history, which I and other bloggers have written about and will continue writing about for years to come.

But the question still remains: How will young people, many of whom voted for President Obama overwhelmingly, take part in the change that we all wanted to see in the world? Now more than ever is the time to learn more about becoming an agent for social change in our communities, our homes, and our campuses.

The Center for Progressive Leadership New Leaders Internship Program is now accepting applications for their paid internship program. The New Leaders Internship is a 10-week summer program that matches young people from underrepresented groups with paid internships at some of the top social justice organizations in Washington, DC. In addition, New Leaders Interns receive leadership training and mentoring opportunities.

The deadline to apply is Friday, March 13. For more information, visit CPL New Leaders online.

Carmen Van Kerckhove from New Demographic recently wrote about Michelle Obama’s Vogue Cover.

From CNN/AC360:

In case anyone is wondering what’s so utterly remarkable about having Michelle Obama model the cover of Vogue, consider the fashion magazine’s blighted past in matters of race.

Vogue has a history of publishing disquieting images of black people, so the March cover — showing Michelle Obama in a healthy, glowing, glamorous light — is a definite departure for the magazine.

Traditionally, Vogue has thrown a spotlight on very few faces of color. In the last decade, only five covers have featured blacks: Oprah in November 1998, Halle Berry in December 2002, Liya Kebede in May 2005, Jennifer Hudson in February 2007, and Lebron James in April 2008. And during the past 80 years, only 18 of Vogue’s covers – that’s less than 2% — have featured black women.

I couldn’t agree more. I’m sure many of you heard about the inexcusable LeBron James/Giselle Bundchen cover. This past July, I wrote about Vogue Italia and their salute to Black models.  While I was excited to see the images of Black beauty, it didn’t change the fact that a.-we still had yet to see something of its kind in American Vogue, and b.-every other ad still featured mostly White women.

But with Michelle on the cover of this month’s Vogue, perhaps there is progress in the air.

And it looks beautiful.

This post is exactly about what the subject implies…I normally don’t do style or fashion posts of any kind but with the holiday’s coming up I thought I’d take a cue from Oprah and do my own list.

Alvin Ailey Barbie.

Picture Courtsey of BeBarbie.net

Hooray for Black dolls! This Barbie commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Alvin Ailey. I first saw the dance company perform my sophomore year at the Kennedy Center, and I hope to see them again when they come in February. I just love the details on the dress and the hair! It’s a barbie with a fro! I love it.

Harajuku Lovers Perfume

Image Courtesy of MimiFrouFrou.com

Issues with the name and stereotypes aside, I love the way this perfume smells. And yes, the packaging is kind of cute. My favorite is Baby, a light, sweet smell.

Next: Lelephant Rose Jewelery

This line of jewelery is made by a friend I made on Twitter not too long ago. She is a creative, talented young lady who makes some really great and not-too-expensive stuff. I love her so much that not only did I put some earrings of hers on my Christmas list, but I also recommended her to a friend looking for a gift to get his Mom.

Finally, because a girl can dream:

Christian Louboutins. This is not the pair I wanted to show you all, but every time I see that signature red sole I get excited.

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