Friday, September 27, 2013

the ugliness of beauty pagents



It is surprising to me how ugly and political beauty pageants seem to be getting lately. First Nina Davuluri becomes the first Miss America of Indian descent (prompting a confused and ignorant racist backlash). And then Jakiyah McKoy wins Little Miss Hispanic Delaware, only to have her crown stripped from her because 1) some racist Hispanics don't believe a black little girl can represent "latin beauty" and 2) she apparently wasn't able to produce proof of her Dominican grandmother. For me, Jakiyah's situation cuts a little closer to home since I could totally imagine crap like that happening to some of my younger relatives. I also find it especially ironic that the issue should ostensibly turn on the identity of the grandmother (see y tu abuela donde esta? and y tu abuela, a’onde esta?


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

black star, crescent moon

New book to add to the reading list:
Open Veins: Black Star, Crescent Moon

 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

bobby mcferrin & aziza mustafa zadeh

For some reason I thought I had posted this a long time ago but apparently not... it is a thoroughly "Grenada-esque" clip of Bobby McFerrin, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh singing Carmen.

 

latin cypher

Latin Cypher: 20 Spanish-Language MCs Everyone Should Hear Words By Isabela Raygoza

captain american in a turban

Captain America in a turban
Salon: Captain America in a Turban

qahera

I just found this tumblr with the comic adventures of Qahera, a sword-wielding, hijab-wearing, salty-mouthed, Egyptian super-heroine. There are only a few pages posted (with versions in English and Arabic) but I look forward to seeing what develops. Check it out.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

it's a small world after all...

black-arab solidarity: what could it mean? by liz derias
 The Palestinian struggle is a black struggle by Susan Abulhawa
The Subjects of American Empire Are Joining in Solidarity by Kevin Zeese & Margaret Flowers

yasiin bey (aka mos def) demonstrates guantanamo bay force-feeding standard operating procedure


Yasiin Bey appears in a video launched recently demonstrating the Standard Operating Procedure for force-feeding prisoners on hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay. Made by human rights charity Reprieve and Bafta-award winning director Asif Kapadia, the film shows US actor and rapper formerly known as Mos Def experiencing the procedure.

20 ramadan memes

 http://globalvoicesonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/40609_785624400377_13609417_44777916_4197433_n.jpg

20 Memes to Get You Through Ramadan This Year

Thursday, July 04, 2013

"somebody's watching me"

On the serious tip, I definitely think that "America the Beautiful" would make a much better national anthem than the "Star Spangled Banner". But this is starting to be a rising contender.

"oh say can they see..."

The piece is called "Surveilance 2010" by the artist Will Varner

will varner surveillance 2010 window blinds camera usa flag

Thursday, May 09, 2013

race in cuba: the eternal black problem

Race in Cuba: The Eternal 'Black Problem' When it comes to race, Cuba is far from the utopia that black intellectuals like to think it is. As part of The Root's series exploring the island's color complex, Cuba's best-known novelist weighs in.

the afro-iranian community

The Afro-Iranian Community: Beyond Haji Firuz Blackface, the Slave Trade & Bandari Music at the Ajam Media Collective takes an interesting look at a little-known branch of the Black diaspora. (I think the only other time I've heard more than a passing comment about black Iranians was in the context of discussing the slaves belonging to the founders of the Babi and Bahai faiths.)