StaceyAnn Chin lays down what it means to be a girl and a woman, and embraces it wholeheartedly. Her words and performance are powerful and unrelenting. Nonetheless, I struggle with her pain. More so, I struggle with that pain we so often associate with being a woman. Sure, our “pussy” is celebrated in StaceyAnn’s prose, and it is honored for doing all the heavy lifting (like, making Jesus Christ and all), but when will it be free of violence or misunderstanding? And can I celebrate my womanhood without acknowledging that place between my thighs that so often defines me? Can I celebrate my womanhood without acknowledging oppression? Or is womanhood spawn from an oppressive past and continuing agressions?
-Leila
tonite! see you there
xoxo
Women Love the World: A three day festival and fundraiser celebrating women artist-activists and their contributions to bettering our world community.
We are proud to announce Women Love the World (WLTW), a festival co-curated by Caits Meissner, Karla Rodriguez and Lehna Huie, featuring a visual art exhibition, art for social change panel, short film screenings, live music, poetry and on-site activism engagement. Held during Women’s History Month, on the evenings of March 20-22, 2013 at LaunchPad Brooklyn, WLTW is dedicated to the journeys of women artists who live as activists, healing our world daily.Participating artists include:
Art Exhibition: Monique Schubert, Jessica Ann Peavy, Micaela Anaya, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Zozan Kotan, Tschabalala Self, Akeema-Zane and Lehna HuieFilm Screenings & Music: Lisa Russell, Nikyatu Jusu, Maya Azucena, Circa 95, Shira E., Esmeralda Love and DJ Chela.
Poetry Readings: Brooklyn Poet Laureate Tina Chang, Tonya Foster, Cheryl Boyce Taylor, Angel Nafis, Tahani Salah and Caits Meissner.
Read more about the event here, or click through the links above!
KING is back…
*In the Meantime*
This will be on heavy rotation ALL day!
Lead Vocals by Amber Strother and Anita Bias
Background Vocals by Amber Strother, Anita Bias and Paris Strother
All Instruments, Arrangement and Production by Paris Strother with Strings by Tom Lea
Artwork by Donald Ely
Urban Outfitters is selling a traditional Ethiopian/Eritrean dress as a 1990s vintage find and a UO Exclusive. There is no mention of this dress carrying cultural value which backdates waywayway earlier than the 1990s. No mention of the weeks it takes to make the habesha qemis. And no mention of the netela that usually accompanies the garment. By the way Urban Outfitters, the fabric is called shemma.
This is erasure as appropriation. *eye roll*
//salome
Celebrating our mothers
I celebrate the woman who bathed me, the woman who saved me till her third husband, the woman who scolds me, the woman who tells me how to be a woman, the woman who befriends me, the one whose words travel a mile a minute to reach me and then demand pause, the woman who doesn’t need words to let you know shit is about to pop off, the woman who told me I was spoiled and continued to spoil me, the woman who reminded - “you know you’re lucky as hell you’re dad is white!” - the woman I continue to see in myself and want out, the woman who I take for granted, the woman I never forgave for leaving me at 3, the woman who never gives me the right answer…at the time, the woman who taught me how to dance, the woman who assured me I’d find happiness, the woman who has psychic visions, the woman who shared with our neighbors, and gives her whole self to the world that keeps viciously stealing from her.
In celebrating women, I think of my mothers.
That’s my mother and grandmother in the above photo.
-Leila
Appropriate to bring back for the day and any day really.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
Ladies at Work
I recently made a trip to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92. The museum makes great use of interactive technology to tell the known and unknown stories of Brooklyn’s waterfront.
Between the two world wars, the naval yard’s workforce increased about ten fold. The inclusion of women at the yard accounted for a good portion of the increase and also originated the cultural icon Rosie the Riveter.
One particular Rosie’s story made me smile. Ida Pollack, a welder during World War II, recounts working with the men at the yard:
The guys who drew up the blueprints didn’t do the welding, so maybe they didn’t realize what tiny spaces they had [made] for us [to work in]. Now, if you were a big guy, you were in real trouble…And even with us, with somebody like me who was small, I couldn’t fit into one completely…
Celebrating your hard work today, Ida!
//salome
