Since When Are Hetero Marriages Under Attack?

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Wow what a "nice" man letting us colored folk use his bathroom and all. Does this sound familiar? Any person part of a marginalized group can certainly relate to hearing this type of attitude.

A Justice of the Peace (oh the irony) in Louisiana refuses to issue marriage licenses for interracial couples. Yeah I had to check my calendar as well - cuz I thought I was stuck in some weird time warp back to 1959. Before the Loving v. Virginia ruling. He claims to be concerned about any future offspring of these couples. Well first of all people don't have to be married to procreate - so before he breaks out into "The Greatest Love Of All" he might want to remember that.

It sounds as if he's only interested in preserving a racial hierarchy. This definitely reminds me of the refusal of officials to sign and issue licenses to LGBT couples in CA during the height of the Prop 8 war. This is why it's so important to fight for justice across the board - not just for topics of particular interest to you as an individual. Remember love is a battlefield to some who'd like to deny consenting adults the right to choose who they love. Some laws are designed to protect us from discriminatory practices. This should serve as a reminder how important the enforcement of those laws are.

Letterman Extortion Focus Ignores His Sexual Misconduct

I know this is apparently the biggest news story of the year, but is it really such the crime against humanity as it's been implied? David Letterman was allegedly approached by the ex-boyfriend of one of his staffers who demanded $2M to keep silent about his past sexual relationship with her. So Letterman "revealed" that he's had sex with numerous women who work for him and that gets swept under the rug. Can you say Fall Guy?

Considering the fact Letterman had briefly mentioned how he almost got "fired" during the Madonna interview a few days ago I think it's very interesting indeed how male privilege and white protectionism kicks in during certain times. Letterman was referring to the Palin incident when he thought he could drag her daughters into his criticism of her and got the smackdown of his life. It has still had a profound effect on him since he obviously thought he could publicly degrade white womanhood but found out otherwise.

What I now find very interesting is how used he is to degrading them in his personal life. Or should I say professional life. No wonder he was surprised. Look what he's been allowed to get away with for the better part of nearly three decades? He has a history of "dating" the women who work for him. What male boss is allowed to troll for dates and girlfriends from his pool of employees without violating some laws?

His current wife is a former staffer in fact. I think there's something in the CBS water because isn't the head of the network married to one of his staffers as well? (Les Moonves and Julie Chen). The fact that Letterman owns his show yet is so intimately involved with staff under employment contracts with the network - owned by Viacom speaks volumes about what guidelines are supposed to be in place to protect women as opposed to what actually goes on.

Whether these women enter into relationships "willingly" isn't the point. Remember when Bill O'Reilly was busted for sexing one of his female producers, had abusive conversations caught on tape and Fox had to make a multi-million dollar payout? It also seems to me there must be some serious employment discrimination going on whereby certain women are hired to begin with. There's the question of diversity - or really the lack of - when the women chosen have similar backgrounds. It's one thing for a savvy woman to position herself to have access to a powerful man. It's something else entirely when part of the unspoken job description involves giving sexual favors and attention to one.

Reflections on Henry Louis Gates' Arrest: When Criminals Are Exalted The Innocent Will Also Be Guilty

So the arrest of Skip Gates has been dissected from most of its angles. Charges of racism have been levied. The immediate knee-jerk defense of any behavior by the police has been used by others. I have a slightly different take on things. We could ask why the neighbor made an assumption of criminal activity. They are sure to be embarrassed now that their name has been made public. We can investigate whether the arresting officer - who is white - violated Dr. Gates' rights in some way. We can discuss the history of race relations in the United States and how he got the short end of the stick. We could also ask why he allowed himself to be so outraged - or how he was justified given that poor history. 

It seems many were expecting the officer to notice that Dr. Gates was the "right" kind of Negro and not a "thug" so the class difference should have been his shield. Well....it's not! Just like the obvious racism displayed against the Creative Steps participants blacks have to stop deluding themselves that the deteriorating behavior of the collective will be ignored. In order words, "certain" blacks are not going to get a pass. People think we're experiencing a time warp of sorts and on one hand we are. We're experiencing a backlash of sorts for the choice of a millions of whites to set aside their racism and misgivings to elect a black man for President.

Obama is beholden to their interests and will address them accordingly as they are the majority population. The blacks, specifically black women that represent his largest voting group seem willing to "wait" for him to "do right" by them. The same way those that actually put their lives and limbs on the line to get Civil Rights passed were expecting to be taken care of for their efforts. It didn't happen. Things are in fact much worse for the entire collective.

African-Americans are for the most part worse off than we were 40 years ago. I don't think the same racism lens is being viewed today than then. Why not? We weren't making role models and celebrities out of AA male (and some AA females) criminals. You know the rap music artists, sports figures and such. When you have these men bragging about how many times they'd been shot or "slangin' rock" or have rap sheets that represent crimes committed not music and it's not only tolerated BUT celebrated it is over for the "decent" folks left. 

There was a time education was touted and people knew how to behave in public. There was a time when an R&B singer who'd made a sex tape of acts between him and a minor would have resulted in some public retaliation "behavior modification" incident. There was a time when the college attendance/graduation numbers for AA men were much higher. There was a time when a man aspired to be a husband and no job was beneath him in providing for a family. 

The depraved has become the norm and warped the minds of so many. Far too many excuses are being made about racism, mediocrity, bad childhoods, hard times, etc. etc.  Let's face it, life does suck for a lot of people. Yet other groups of people in this country and around the world are not elevating the gutter to the throne. 

Also people are still viewing this from the "white people as oppressors" meme. We have the power to change this. We can have standards, accountability and consequences for those that violate us but NOT when we allow others to drag the entire collective in the gutter. You can't turn a blind eye to things and be surprised when there's blowback.

So when we look at situations like what occurred yesterday had this been a few decades ago Dr. Gates probably would not have gotten too familiar with the officers. Now had he suffered any bodily harm it would be a different story. Some say it's the indignity of being questioned that got to him. Perhaps it did. How is what he experienced any different than what so many of us have to endure on a daily basis? African-American women have to set aside their ego and outrage in so many ways and it's not from any confrontation with white law enforcement officers. If we can do it then so can he. 

Keeping our heads on straight is very important right now. Being disciplined racially and focused is a non-negotiable right now. In much the same way blacks they could "overcome" just by showing up to the Integration Party it requires much more than that. People who think they are above having to account for themselves are going to be in for a rude awakening. I think it's a great thing because the more it happens some people will stop thinking of themselves as better or special. Then maybe they'll start thinking about how those "other blacks" behave and the message of tolerance and acceptance being bandied about. Perhaps their outrage will be such that they start discussing the need for policing those behaviors amongst other blacks so as to avoid the presence of the real police. Just a thought. Sometimes self-interest is the only thing that motivates.

The Black Community. What Black Community?

As some of you know I and another writer are guest blogging at What About Our Daughters. As the blog host of this blog I have a much smaller but loyal group of readers which I thank you. Moderating another blog requires a different skill set and I am literally flying by the seat of my pants. I quickly learned that I had to let go of "Faith's Blogging Rules of Order" or turn off the comment feature entirely. I cross-posted my Monday conversation on single motherhood, the attitudes of black men towards black women (which is primarily about African-Americans) and what behaviors are condoned in the "black community". I put it in quotes because many of us are operating within a dichotomy. 

I think because I presented a cross-section of pathologies at once it was the equivalent of throwing a molotov cocktail into a room. It wasn't to destroy people but to destroy the dysfunctional mindset that's killing us. Even as many of my readers read that blog, they also have their own. We've been discussing some of these specific issues for quite some time. In a way many of us are at a different points on our individual journeys but we've crossed similar terrain. So for me it was a lightbulb moment - which is why I wrote about it. I got some push-back here in my comment section but the majority are like-minded enough that we could discuss the sub-pathologies within the core ones. 

At WAOD that wasn't necessarily the case. It definitely got people talking and that's a good thing. It took me months to come to my current level of comprehension. For others it may never come. Some just wanted to be obstructionists for sport and are LUCKY for the privilege of being allowed at that forum.

• What is the black community and what are its problems? 
  
• What is being done to address them from a policy or legislative perspective and what of the choices of individuals? 

Some think it is as simple as being immersed in a multi-cultural setting where different mentalities flourish versus an all-black one. I don't necessarily subscribe to the theory that being in an all-black setting in and of itself is the issue but it does help a mentality remain stagnant if your setting is full of people with pathologies. On the other hand you can be with a core group of people who don't subscribe to harmful pathologies, still operate in a multi-cultural setting at times but prefer to spend as much time within their core group. Just like the majority of other groups prefer to remain within theirs. Now the question becomes one of determining whether your group is displaying behaviors that are in alignment with the majority of a productive society or not? As a non-white person in a society dominated by whites how are you helping to elevate the status and power dynamics within your group? You had better believe if there isn't a collective plan for advancement your group is moving backwards - fast. Finally we must ask ourselves how are we defining ourselves? Is it by gender, religion, orientation, gender expression, race, ethnicity, financial resources or other intangibles?

Those blacks that define the black community strictly by race are doing everyone a disservice. It's regressive. This isn't the 1950's. Some look at it as badge that must be worn at all times. For one reason the ones that hold onto that viewpoint are often engaging in a lot of dysfunctional behavior that is tearing it down from the inside. It is they who place these unnatural burdens on other blacks to "prove" themselves with superficial displays of loyalty. Like claiming speaking correct English is "white". How stupid is that?! They also usually enforce a code of skin shade racism against other blacks. It's mostly men doing it to dark-skinned women. On some base level they consider themselves inferior and are trying to pump themselves up constantly. 

Black women are still being taught they are part of this "community" to hold together. It gives them nothing in return though. They are being used but see it as a sign of honor. The roles of men and women have been switched with the women doing everything. Those buying into this superwoman-not-needing-anything mindset are paying a heavy price. They are dying at an alarming rate and they are raising children alone. The majority of these women are not married or haven't married well. No matter what anyone else says that is not normal. There's also a group that clings to a religion totem where they also don't examine what they believe or why. Some of those people at times focus on holding people whose lifestyles don't match theirs as being wrong. It's utter hypocrisy. Far too many blacks are only focused on white racism and not in seeking justice across the board. They only want to focus on discrimination from whites and not take responsibility for what they do to others. I also think there are any number of blacks that could be accepted as an "honorary" white person with all of the benefits they perceive would be bestowed upon them would sell out every black person they could. 

Others want to rip away the badge and be immersed with other cultures. That could work if people weren't already wholly compromised about their identity. Many of us don't know our specific ethnic and heritage legacies. I think it is something that every black person who cannot readily trace it should address - pronto! It would resolve so much of the unknown. I imagine it's a similar feeling those who've been adopted feel. They want to know where they come from. That may or may not be possible but pretending it doesn't matter has been detrimental. People hold onto to false totems of "blackness" because of this. The contributions of generations of African-Americans (AAs) in this country proves you don't have to know the answers to these questions to succeed in influencing the course of this country. Yet things were often more cut and dry then. White people upholding supremacist practices did not readily distinguish the different intra-black ethnicities and cultural differences. They also didn't allow for mass immigration of non-American blacks until after we got Civil Rights passed. So all of these things need to be acknowledged and respected.

A much smaller group is trying to work in concert with each other or just keep themselves and those in their immediate circles intact. It is what the black community used to be. Within that I'd say there's another sub-group of black women (probably predominantly AA) who are advocating that regardless we need to be thinking as individuals and do what's best for ourselves for a change. We've slaughtered enough sacred cows at the altar of the black community and have removed ourselves off the auction block. We want out period. We want to take our rightful place on the world stage. I think there's a distinction to be made about the multi-cultural aspects of this. One I think may still be focused on being in a group of dissimilar people solely for that purpose. One has a power dynamic minefield to negotiate that has NOT been completed on the part of blacks. I think this is focused on behavior and sussing out those who would be our allies. Where ever we go we take our heritage, DNA and culture with us so we can mate with whomever we prefer. We want what best works for us. Now some people get stuck on the interracial aspects of this and claim we're advocating "chasing after white men". No one is talking about abandoning our blackness. 

That is what the other "false" black collective listed above does every day but they aren't willing to accept that. The oppression banner is waved at every turn by organizations that depend on white patronage. They are benefitting on an individual level but cannibalizing the collective. Many still jump at the charge of any white racism directed at black males as if that is the greatest offense the world has ever seen. Yet they are ignoring all the internal problems. The crime stats prove that most black men in this country are being killed by other black men. So why isn't that part of some major campaign? Black women are treated worse than dogs as a gender collective. I don't need to revisit all of the reasons here but I was very clear in my Monday post what is going on and why. Some don't want to agree on any of the points raised. That doesn't make it any less true. Women and children have been abandoned by black men (mostly AA). That's what is destroying the black community. Different choices other than the ones currently being made must be implemented. That's the answer. I can't say it will make huge dent for the collective but hopefully a few more people can take the red pill and get out of the Matrix.

*******

I've culled some of the comments from WAOD and would like to get more feedback:

I believe there are two different definitions of ‘Black community’ at work among black people (and that is if the idea of black community still remains an organizing principle for black folks because I do sometimes believe that a significant portion just live life).

The idea of ‘black community’ that holds sway for most of black people is the baseline definition, which is, ‘We as blacks continue to be born and thus continue to exist in the US etc.’ This definition or working principle requires no heightened concern about what happens after the physical existence (particularly for the men I should add).

Then there are those who feel that black community is about ‘thriving’ people, and recognize the need for purposeful organizing of resources and deliberate strategy (not just ‘topping up the black numbers’) because of a recognition that society itself is weighed against the very survival of black folks. This recognition is the key point of demarcation between the two groups, I believe, because it animates the second group towards deliberate living in a way to ensures survival and higher life quality in a hostile environment, as would not be the case if they believed for instance that ‘we have overcome’, ‘the government owes me’ etc etc.

There are also those trying to pull together these two diametrically opposed schools of thought (if you can call it that) on black community, and the compromises continue to come in form of rationalization for the first group and the changing of standards to accommodate their way of life.

So should the compromise be, in a manner of speaking, towards pulling the first group upwards or ratcheting the second downwards? Is it even possible to bring to two together, are they not fundamentally opposed?

When you apply the liberals lens to the activities of the first group, there isnt really anything wrong with single parenthood for an instance, but then (and this goes back to the key demarcating point), black people who are aware of their situation and the hostile forces arrayed against the very existence of black life, do not apply a liberal lens and liberal ideals for the life of black people.  ~~Halima

********

The other Black community is headed and controlled by the CRIC (groups like NAACP), the BEE (the so-called black elites that hate most black people), and the EIC (entertainment that degrades, rap, BET, etc). They control our institutions, all propaganda, they control our national dialog, the control the rules of almost every debate about important social issues that affect MY Black community. The silence MY Black community with authoritarianism and the myth of Black unity. 

The “Two Black Americas” is always thought of in terms of class and income, but not in terms of values. No, a Chris Rock joke does not count because I know poor people who have the same value system I have in most areas.

When people would mention divestment from THE Black community in the comments section, my instant response was, wait a minute. There doesn’t need to be a withdrawal or retreat, there needs to be a cultural coup. MY Black community needs to take control of the major Black institutions and push an agenda that actually reverses the decline. ~~ Gina

*******

Take this study for instance:

http://www.urban.org/publications/310300.html

“There were significant associations between a mother’s education, race/ethnicity, marital status, poverty status, and age and her attitudes toward non marital childbearing. Better-educated mothers were significantly more likely to hold negative attitudes toward nonmarital childbearing than were those with limited schooling, and white and Hispanic mothers were less supportive of non-marital childbearing than were African Americans (table 1).”

So even among welfare recipients receiving the same amount of aid, the BW STILL were more supportive of non-marital childbearing than WW and HW.

SMH

This dysfunctionality has been normalized.

It’s the THINKING folks. That’s the problem. The mindset. ~~Felicia

*******

Men who have not had their natural disposition blunted to lead, protect, and provide don’t cop out or poop out over setbacks, competition, trials and tribulations, or warfare. Real men, who have not had their natural disposition blunted, will naturally STAND UP AND FIGHT for ANY resources or support. They will not sit back, and let others aggress their women and children.

The real deal is that men who walk away from their children blaming the mother (even if the woman is crazy) are not functioning in their natural state. Real men are territorial, and wouldn’t even leave the woman with the child: again he’d stay with her or remarry but his children would ALWAYS be with HIM. This comes from WITHIN –and only these men or other men who haven’t had their natural disposition blunted can HEAL this. 

HEALING THIS will not come about by demoralizing, denigrating, hating, shaming, blaming, neglecting, abandoning, and talking bad about in the company of the world black women and children.

What we NOW see in the black community IS MAN’S INHUMANITY—LITERALLY SPEAKING—TO WOMAN AND HER CHILDREN. ~~ Miriam

If These Gay Rights Groups Don't Come Down On Perez Hilton They're Done!

I think I should have titled this "I'm Done With the Gay Rights Industrial Complex". 

Yeah this is supposed to be about the big bad blogger who uses his 1st amendment rights to bash other people for laughs and profits. This is supposed to be about our discussing how it's wrong for people to get into physical confrontations. Apparently Will.I.Am and Fergie approached blogger Mario Lavaderia, who writes as Perez Hilton at the Much Music Awards show (it's the MTV of Canada for those not aware) to complain about his pissy behavior. Things got heated and his manager hit Perez, according to...Perez. It's a little hard to tell since he's changed his story a few times. 

So in what is highly suspicious behavior Perez sends a message on Twitter for readers of his blog to call the police. He retaliates by verbally attacking Will.I.Am - not the manager. He uses several choice "F" words including the one universally accepted as an anti-gay slur. Then he proceeds to make a video to talk about it. He claims he was "intimidated". That's code word for "he's a Black dude and they're downright dangerous". Perez is like 6' while Will.I.Am is like 5'5". Now if that isn't *itch behavior I don't know what is!

I read this and I rolled my eyes, honestly because we have so many more important things going on, but this hasn't died down yet. Perez is using this to draw further attention to himself and his blog. Again, I thought I was going to ignore this as the actions of stupid, immature person, but now I'm a little peeved because another blogger posted a link on Twitter today's Dish Rag column in the LA Times AND I watched the video:

Said Hilton in his video: "I made the split-second decision -- that I was gonna say what I thought was the worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear" -- which was a handful of assorted F-bombs.  {No I'm not linking to it}

Oh so calling a Black man a thug and faggot is okay, Perez....really?

Per GLAAD rep Rashad Robinson: "These are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community. For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is, quote, ‘The worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear,’ is incredibly dangerous. It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community. And it sends a message that it is OK to attempt to dehumanize people by exploiting anti-gay attitudes.”

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has asked Perez Hilton to apologize for slurs he hurled at Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. 

I'm taking big breaths here....they've ASKED? Um Perez...could you pretty please with sugar on top not be such an hypocritical *sshole because you're drawing too much attention to our hypocrisy and we can't have that.

First of all how many Black people work for GLAAD? In positions of authority (i.e check-writing ability)? In Kat Williams voice: I'll wait.

This is the ongoing argument and unresolved problem with the Gay Rights Industrial Complex. It's run by a bunch of cis-gender white men who will be the first to cry discrimination when it suits them but engage in their own version of racist/sexist/gender identification terrorism and erasure from the table when it suits them. Of course there are white women in charge as well so they don't get off the hook either, but I'm focusing on the majority ruling class here.

Why only ASK? How about DEMAND?!!!

See I remember not too long ago when a Black man (I know some of you are surprised I'm taking up the cause of one as I'm critical of so many...whatever) on a certain tv show was vilified in the press for MONTHS and subsequently FIRED on the mere ACCUSATION of using the word Faggot.

That would be one Isaiah Washington. 

Can I just say how much the show blows and the Dr. Burke character was great but the actor got sold down the river for not showing enough deference to a white man. I still don't know how an argument with one actor turned into a anti-gay railroad job involving another actor who wasn't even involved (and has now taken his overinflated ego elsewhere). Except that I think he and a certain blond actress (who decided to stay on the show) used the conflict to their advantage for more money and increased air time. Don't tell me Hollywood isn't cutthroat!! 

Perez Hilton was all over this with multiple postings about Washington and saying some particularly nasty things. Have I also mentioned that Perez used to work for GLAAD? Well...I digress. My point is the GRIC needs to come and police their wayward enfant terrible with a quickness! They need to devote air time and hand-wringing over one of their own being JUST AS DISCRIMINATORY (EVEN MORESO) as they've accused others, including Washington of being.

Otherwise I don't want to hear about how unfair it is that "we're" not supporting ENDA, DOMA and other discrimination. Don't ask me for money or to participate in your campaigns either. As an African-American woman I have enough crap to deal with yet I still spend time and energy devoting myself to injustices that occur everywhere. 

Right now this is looking like good old fashioned white racism on Perez's part. He doesn't get to run to the Discrimination Safety Zone by using his orientation or ethnicity when it suits him while actively engaging in it against others. The silence from the GRIC will only confirm they are in agreement with hating on Black people.

You are either in support of justice across the board or you are full of it!

**Update a little birdy on Twitter told me that somebody read my little post...and Perez has "officially" apologized.** Imagine that! Now it's time to start reigning in all the wayward Blacks that are dragging down the perception of the entire group with their foolishness.

Uncle Ruckus - er Clarence Proves Why He's So Dangerous to Blacks

Beware the Black face in a high place. That includes you know who!! I feel a little bit like Shakespeare writing Julius Ceasar: beware the Ides of March. Some of them don't even pretend to have your (our?) interests at heart *cough Condi Rice cough*. Now that she's gone back to private life millions of dollars richer she can continue supporting her "husband" on her own dime at least.  At least she supported education for everyone. Such is not the case with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. 

In typical conservative activist action, Thomas was the only one to vote against reauthorizing Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. It requires federal preclearance of voting procedure modifications in areas where minorities were discriminated against in the past. Let's review some of the ways women and non-whites were prevented from voting: poll taxes and requiring parental/husband permission. We use fancy words like disenfranchisement and voter fraud.

Modern techniques at stopping people from voting involve redrawing district lines, closing polling locations at the last minute, claiming a voter has a prior felony or simply taking their name from the roll. You know how much I hate the word minority in relation to how non-whites are discounted to make way for the continued domination of whites though the physical numbers wouldn't support that. I digress though. 

Section 5 is supposed to prevent obvious and overt means of subterfuge. In other words, a voting district can't just change the way people are allowed to vote without getting approval and telling others. The problem is Section 5 isn't permanent and can be challenged. It's set to expire in 2031.

This also doesn't guarantee that said district - or state - can't ever obtain approval to make changes that adversely affect certain voters. The push for voter identification cards is like a modern day poll tax. Just because you're not being beat over the head doesn't mean others are not seeking to discourage you from exercising your right to vote.

From Detroit News: The Austin utility district, backed by a conservative group opposed to the law, brought the court challenge.  It said that either it should be allowed to opt out or the entire provision should be declared unconstitutional. 

The court said that the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 in Austin, Texas, can apply to opt out of the advance approval requirement, reversing a lower federal court that found it could not. Justice Clarence Thomas, alone among his colleagues, said he would have resolved the case and held that the provision, known as Section 5, is unconstitutional. 

"The violence, intimidation and subterfuge that led Congress to pass Section 5 and this court to uphold it no longer remains," Thomas said.   {Oh really and how would you know?}

Debo Adegbile, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund lawyer who argued for the preservation of the law at the high court, said, "The fact is, the case was filed to tear the heart out of the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act and that effort failed today."

It failed today, but we can't guarantee it won't the next time it's challenged. The Court could have refused to hear the case thereby leaving it intact as is. Black people, our rights are being chipped away little by little and some of us had better wake up out of our fog before it's too late. We have people that look like us that seek to do us far more harm than others. They want to be the only ones standing. They laugh at us, demean us, call us uncouth, pretend to be our friend or claim to be with us in solidarity when they are anything but. 

The sad...and scary thing is Thomas is far too obvious and predictable. We have many other infiltrators and combatants that are trying - no succeeding - in destroying some of us from within. If you don't think media representation matters guess again. If you think denigrating the women from "our" group doesn't matter think again. If you think self-hate doesn't matter you are wrong. You may be okay but others are not and will not be. Perhaps you'd rather spend your efforts on other activities but those of us who are a little more self-aware or in positions to affect change might want to reconsider that. Or it could be too late and the tide is just over the horizon. I don't know, but I had to put out my two cents here. The coffee's bubbling over. 

The Blackening of the Fashion Industry

So I hear American Vogue has had three Black women on their cover this year. One was Michelle Obama, one was Beyonce and the other was an actual model, Liya Kebede. Well....big whoop. Liya shared the cover with a bunch of white models (Jourdan Dunn is in the foldout), one's the biggest singer in the business and the other is our FLOTUS. So I'm not exactly breaking out the Dom now that Anna Wintour decided to jump on the bandwagon after Vogue Italia had their infamous all-Black issue which made her look bad. The added irony showed that while the editorial spreads may have featured Black models the ad space sold to financially support the issue was 99.9% devoid of one.Black.model. 

I still remember Wintour's rather apologetic Letter From the Editor way back in 1997 which seemed like the last time they featured a Black model on the cover with Kiara Kabukuru. It was the July issue, the leanest of all months to boot. Ms. Wintour was asking people to "forgive" her for daring to put a Black model of the cover - AS IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THAT DECISION. I remember I felt compelled to write her a response with some variation of kiss my *ss because I didn't need her to validate me. 

I used to subscribe faithfully but I had to rethink my support of magazines that weren't catering to me specifically. On the other hand Essence was way too old fogey for me and I really wanted something young and hip. By the way if I haven't made it clear I do actually like fashion. I was so happy when MODE and HONEY magazines were being published and equally crushed when they folded. 

By the way these fashion magazines had a continual snowflake fest of all white models for years after the decline of the Supermodel phase. I think it started with the grunge look and it stuck. Of course if you've heard about certain American designers whining about how Shelly O won't wear their clothes then you may also have heard their blatant discrimination with their use of to Jim Crow-era "No Blacks Need Apply" stance. So just like so many newspapers that are in financial ruins I have zero sympathy. They've been guilty of hiring discrimination for years and karma is a *itch isn't it?! Is it also too much to ask that they show some models of various sizes and not all skull and crossbones?

Now all the Black people that fell for the okey doke of chasing after hip-hop era bling had better take a second look at their designer purchases from companies that don't want to be associated with them, let alone employ them and stop throwing away good money after bad practices. It's just hilarious to me that Michelle doesn't have to make any statements or say one word. We know what's up. they know what's up. Bethann Hardison has been fighting the industry for years for inclusion. I appreciate her efforts but inclusion is not equality. I also can't help but notice how the Black Upper Crust has not done one thing to address this and they are the ones with the money and clout to pus against it, right? 

Having a Black First Lady has leveled the playing field. I've noticed the trickle down of hiring more Black models in catalogs like Spiegel but there's quite a ways to go. In the meantime I'm cracking up. Some of these designers just don't know what to do. It's really quite simple but they'd rather play dumb. I hope they grab some cheese with their whine, get a clue and remedy the situation.

Here's Oscar de la Renta eating crow and backpedaling from his criticism of Michelle Obama. In case he hasn't figured it out she'd be criticized for wearing one of his 300K outfits in this economy. Nor is she required to please the fashionista crowd. So she was going to get flack no matter what she did.