Feminista / Teacher / Student

lanomrah:

#Microaggressions: This is the hairstyle that I wore today. I just held the elevator for a little old white lady to get on. She says, “Thank you,” and then proceeds to stare at my hair, perplexed. She makes a facial expression as though she suddenly caught whiff of shit, and with a swooping motion of her hand to imitate the cascade of my locs says,

“Your hair….”
Me (smiling politely): Yes, my hair.
She: It’s a style? (still with the smell shit face)
Me: Yes
She: I don’t know about that… it doesn’t…. I can’t get used to it.
Me (still smiling politely): Well… Lucky for you, you don’t have to.

I am not here for passive aggressive prejudice being passed off as old lady opinions. She tried it. #DENIED

This is a brilliant post that speaks to so many issues, particularly for women of color and racist Western “beauty” aesthetics. This woman is gorgeous, not that she needs any of us to tell her so—and not that women exist to be gorgeous. I mean, it’s not as if our entire purpose on this earth as women is to be “attractive,” or to pleasure the eye of everyone we see! Yeah, I know—that’s a real revelation. But it’s true. I’ll say it in other words. Women, we exist for a purpose other than to be ornamental objects of “beauty.” We actually have things to offer the world like our intellects, insights, activisms, energies, loves, and so much more.

I DO WANT TO NOTE: It’s unfortunate that so many folks who re-blogged this post immediately resorted to ageism. I am extremely disheartened how quickly we respond to injustice with more discursive violence/oppressive language, rather than (as this brilliant poster did in her story) with other non-violent responses.

(via beccabae)

ericstampsnewmedia:

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Urge congress to work for minimum wage until the unemployment rate below 4%. 
* Sign & Share * 
http://wh.gov/fORm

____________________________________

http://raiseitto9.com

(via weroccupyunited)

Great work from folks in Gender & Women’s studies at Univ of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign!!!

gwsuillinois:

(SOLHOT performing at GWS Year-End Party, 2010)

Saving Our Lives Hear Our Truths is a space to celebrate Black girlhood in all of its complexity with Black girls and those who love and support us.  In SOLHOT we dance, sing, discuss important issues, create art, and organize together to improve the communities of which we are a part. We do what needs to be done. The process of doing SOLHOT involves being together and deciding what our work will be based on the gifts, talents, and ideas of those who show up.  More than anything we value Black girls’ lives and create spaces to affirm Black girl genius. 

Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown founded SOLHOT when she first suggested the idea to a radical group of courageous and beautiful women and girls in Spring 2006. Now referred to as the SOLHOT “visionary,” she is also a dynamic writer, researcher, performer, mentor and master teacher. Currently, an assistant professor in the Gender and Women’s Studies and Educational Policy, Organization and Leadership Departments at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Brown research interests include Black girlhood, visionary organizing, youth cultures, performance, qualitative methodology, and social justice. 

Her first book, Black Girlhood Celebration Toward A Hip Hop Feminist Pedagogy (Peter Lang, 2009), details the political and personal motivations for organizing SOLHOT. Dr. Brown has also recently co-edited with Dr. Chamara Jewel Kwakye Wish to Live: The Hip Hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader (Peter Lang, 2012), a multi-genre and interdisciplinary collection that articulates how hip-hop feminist scholarship can inform educational practices and spark, transform, encourage, and sustain local and global youth community activism efforts.