Precious Part 2 – When “feel good” branding goes wrong

My second post devoted to the movie Precious was going to be about how Tyler Perry should consider leaving the director’s chair alone for a while and funding more smaller projects by black directors other than himself. It could really show Hollywood the real scope of his power. Then I started seeing the new cut [...]

I Do Not Consent: Musings on Sexual Terrorism

This is a re-post from JoNubian’s blog. A painful truth is that rape plays too big a role in the lives of one too many of the women closest to me. I hope that both cis and trans women continue to tell their truths about rape and that men join us in breaking the cycle [...]

Finally Precious – Part 1: Black Girl Pain

I’ve been psyched for Precious ever since I saw the trailer this past spring. It was released here in DC this weekend, but up until then I had read varying opinions about the movie. From Hit me Back! I should be clear: When I say that Precious was horrifying, I don’t mean it in a [...]

Guest Blogger: Maia’s Descent is No Laughing Matter

Please welcome my long-time friend D.L. Chandler to the blog as he discusses actress Maia Campbell’s painful drug addiction and her struggle with mental illness. I too was saddened by how so many people made light of the recent youtube, and I hope some of you feel the same way. As always, feel free to [...]

The Audacity of Spirit: Lessons from a New Modern Woman

June 20th marked World Refugee Day. Here in Washington there have been events throughout the month to bring awareness to the issues that refugees face here and abroad.  Ihotu Ali, a Center for Progressive Leadership New Leaders Fellow, talks about the images of refugee women here in America. I had the pleasure of meeting Ihotu [...]

Bill O’Reilley’s Producer is an Unprofessional Hack

Amanda Terkel, who is scheduled to appear on the Bill O’Reilley to report on the rape case of Jennifer Moore, was harassed and followed by Bill O’Reilley’s producer Jesse Watters: From Think Progress: This weekend, while on vacation, I was ambushed by O’Reilly’s top hit man, producer Jesse Watters, who accosted me on the street [...]

A few Words on Chris and Rihanna

Cross Posted at Change.org Most of you have heard about the Chris Brown-Rihanna domestic violence issue. There are several sides to this story, but I will say that violence against women is a serious issue and it is an issue that needs to be addressed in our communities. Two members of Females United for Action - 15 [...]

Yes Means Yes @ Busboys and Poets

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a booksigning for Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power & a World Without Rape, an anthology edited by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti of Feministing. What an incredibly powerful and liberating idea: creating a world where rape is rare and where women can truly own their [...]

Dov Charney, sit your ass down.

Dov Charney–for those of you who have been living under a rock–is the CEO of American Apparel, a California-based fashion line. Dov is no stranger to controversy. However, the quote in the above ad,  taken from an interview with  McGill University student, is inexcusable: “Women initiate most domestic violence, yet out of a thousand cases of [...]

are women really getting into strange cars?

A few weeks ago after a friend’s birthday party, I decided to take a cab. As I was hailing the taxi, I had about 6 cars pull up next to me. Men were asking me if I “needed a ride” and calling me things like “baby” or “sweetie.” Most notably, after I was getting annoyed [...]