"let's discuss: race relations in the entertainment industry. minorities have come along way in film and tv. but is it enough? should minorities settle? revolt?"--(Damone Williams)
i would say it depends on how you look at it because recent movies such as surrogates, avatar, the princess & the frog could technically be seen as stereotypical, and we haven't really "gone" anywhere...
surrogates touched on the history of the rastafari movement and how dread locks originated out of revolt against colonialism--the movie had "dread areas" and they were in revolt against the surrogates, Ving Rhames played the dread locked "the prophet"and people of color in movies and books are often seen as mystics or some wise witchdoctor...In the end it was revealed he too was a surrogate--you could go far as to say he was used as a puppet, an unlce tom of sorts lol but that would be too far in my opinion
(this is more of playing devil's advocate) avatar--which i thought was really beautiful btw--Zoe Saldana played an "indigenous" alien, they were even referred to by other characters as a "race" or the epithet "blue monkeys"
also in Avatar, Dileep Rao played Dr. Max Patel, Patel is a popular Indian surname and most of the time, Indians are usually seen as lab technicians or some sort of scientists
princess & the frog from my understanding a very light (if not white) prince brings a black girl out of the slums of louisiana from rags to riches
so i don't think this is enough and minorities in the entertainment industry should not settle
as far as tv, they always give black women attitudes--whether it's a show or commercials, but since Obama came into office, there have been more commercials w/ "loving" black families....i think there's one commercial w/ a latino family, i do not recall seeing any asian families in any commercial--or soap operas for that matter....
As I was reading through comments on news articles and blogs about “The Princess and the Frog” lacking a black/Afro-American prince, I saw many written by white people basically claiming that black people need to stop looking for “disparate moments,” or things to be racist against us and to quit “playing the victim” because if we quit looking for something to be wrong then everything will be all right. (Excuse my french.) NOW HOW IN THE HELL DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE??? If I am blinded in one eye, but I decide not to point out my disadvantage to everyone does not make me any less blind in that one eye.
Saying that black people have to LOOK for “disparate and racist moments” is preposterous. First of all the previous claim is a generalization because people keep saying “black people.” GEEZ! THEY COULD AT LEAST PUT IN THE WORD “SOME.” Second of all, just because some people—namely SOME members of the majority—have to look for racist situations and moments of intolerance does not mean that the members of the minority have to do so. Furthermore—even if people do have to look for something does not mean it is not there in the first place. In fact, according to Christia Spears Brown and Rebecca S. Bigler (2002) one of the psychological effects of being an adolescent of color in an American classroom is earlier development of group awareness and identification. In other words, minorities notice they are minorities because they are minorities. Therefore, most black kids in America notice they are black, and everything that comes along with that, before most white kids notice they are white with privilege.
So, if a black boy already notices he is black and “different” at an earlier age, do you think he will not notice the prince in “The Princess and the Frog” is NOT black? Besides, no one is saying the Disney movie is racist; however, everyone is making hoopla about the first black PRINCESS—which they rightfully should given this nation’s history—but I feel like black boys are always hung out to dry. And what is the latest image of the black male in the media? TIGER WOODS. Which was the last one? CHRIS BROWN. What do they keep saying about Mr. President—as of lately? OBAMA’S POPULARITY RATINGS AT ALL TIME LOW. So outside of the run-of-the-mill football, basketball, and baseball stars—WHERE ARE THE POSITIVE BLACK MALE IMAGES IN THE MEDIA? I know they are out there, but the media chooses what they want to highlight and cover.
And I’m sorry but somebody has to say this: the only reason Elin (Nordegren) Woods has not been put to the fire is because she is a white woman. The media keep saying “she had a mental meltdown” and is thus excused with beating Tiger with a club and causing him to crash his car twice in a row. Had that been a black woman—they would have paraded her as “a mad black woman,” brought the Chris Brown/Rihanna case back up, and blown up domestic violence in the black community AGAIN. SN: I realize domestic violence is a prominent issue in the black community—however there is a difference between raising awareness both within and for the better of the community as opposed to “outsiders looking in” and displaying it as “look-at-those-dysfunctional-black-people.” Plus, young black males run the highest risk of being shot and killed (look at the situation in Chicago, namely). My point is, black men never get any love in this country.
Deana Bass is managing partner of CS Corporate, a public affairs firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Del. Her occasional blog can be found here.
**I obtained this information from NPR. There is no copyright infringement intended.
“MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO’S THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?”
THE MIRROR SAYS, “SNOW WHITE, YOU BLACK BITCH,
AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT!!”
Carrie Mae Weems, Ain’tJokin’ series, 1987-1988
I encountered this Weems’ photograph during the second to last lecture of my History of Photography class, the class right before Thanksgiving break. Of course everyone being antsy with anticipation of being on a break—no matter how small—and eating all of the wonderful good America food we would be eating, people, including myself, were hardly paying attention. However, when the slide containing this photograph came up, I had to stop and stare. My ears all of a sudden honed in on the professor’s lecture—his voice was no longer just a drone in the background. How he treated the subject matter was really important to me. He even briefly referenced the movie that were to come out later when he mentioned, “Yeah, I think Disney’s FIRST black princess is FINALLY coming out this year, and it IS a big deal—even though I think it’s WAY past due.” Even though he had moved onto another series done by Weems, my brain had not…I thought about all those times when I was little favoring princess Jasmine just because her skin was slightly tan but nevertheless darker than the other Disney princesses. Although, Jasmine really isn’t a big deal though because prior to 9/11, Middle easterners bubbled in “white” just like white Americans—go figure. Additionally, I remember never having a Disney princess doll because my parents made it a point for my sister and I to always have black baby dolls…so we wouldn’t grow up with a complex I suppose. I am so glad the “youngions” in my family will have a black princess and black prince to watch for their entertainment. Too bad throughout the history of America, in both White and Black communities, being the darkest, most ebony, never equated with being the “fairest of them all.” In fact, when I was little, I used to want to be darker—and look at me now with dreads and all…I joked around with my family and said maybe Disney got its act together so Obama’s little girls could have something relatable to watch. I have not seen the movie yet—I don’t like the crowds of opening weekend, but when I do see it, I will be putting another post. It’s been a long time coming, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are rolling over in their graves, and I am glad.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
I know we're all human and no one is perfect, but I feel like if people were to know the "real" me sometimes--the side of me that can be downright mean and somewhat nasty--people would think I were a monster. People would perhaps not think of me as an evil one-eyed people-eater, yet I think they could see a side of me that they would never think could ever be there. I am not by any means saying that people put me on a pedestal; in fact, I constantly remind people I am far from perfect. Yet when conversations of the past do come up, most people always gasp and say, "You did what??? I don't believe you--you're lying!!!" I am not talking about Christians either, I mean everyone has that reaction: agnostic, atheist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist--you name it.
I actually find this happening quite hilarious, but at the same time I feel trapped because it makes me feel as though I can never tell anyone what I may possibly be struggling with at the moment. I tell God everything...I would just like to have a sounding board sometimes that I can actually see. Not that people always give sound advice, and we're not to put our trust in them, yet everyone could use someone they can put their confidence in every once and a while.
These feelings are probably just a part of the season I am in currently--I mean everything is all gravy, but unless you're a schizoid, being alone--in terms of friendships--is tough. I have friends; however I find myself being the sounding board more often times than not, and when I do have something I need to talk about, I never know the words to use--so just talking to God works out because I never have to try to explain things in the coherent way I have to with people--sometimes I don't even have to use words. That's the beauty of God. Anywho, I am kind of just rambling now...
At first, I had just planned on writing a reflection on Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys,” but as I was watching it, I realized there were many parallels between this movie and William Wells Brown’s novel, Clotel. Perry’s movie, “The Family That Preys,” is about the interaction and intermingling of two different families from two different worlds. One family consists of the wealthy widow and business owner Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) and her son William (Cole Hauser) and daughter-in-law Jillian (KaDee Strickland). The other family consists of Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard) and her daughters Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) and Pam (Taraji P. Henson) who are married to Chris (Rockmond Dunbar) and Ben (Tyler Perry) respectively. The two families intertwined initially because Charlotte and Alice became best friends after Alice refused to move out her property when the late Mr. Cartwright wanted to buy an area of land to develop himself and he sent Charlotte to talk her into moving. The families become intermingled when Andrea and William have an extramarital affair together that lasts for a few years because they even have a son together of whom people think Chris is the father. In Brown’s novel Clotel, tells the story of a mullato Currer and her two daughters Clotel and Althesa who are rumored to be the president’s daughters. As far as the characters between the book and the novel, Alice is like Currer, Andrea is like Clotel, Pam is like Althesa, and William Cartwright is like Horatio Green.
In the beginning of the movie, Pam alludes to the fact that she and her sister, Andrea, were raised by their mother in the same household in the ghetto. Pam goes on to say their mother practically “broke her back” to put her through college so she could have the life she has today. Alice did the best she could, yet Andrea still ended up prostituting herself out to get to where she is the first part of the movie. Brown’s Clotel, in order to comment on the tragedy of the mulatto woman, shows that the best even the president’s daughter could do to be “successful” was to be a prostitute because that is all Currer saw as her best option to raise Clotel and Althesa to be.
In a certain part of the movie, Abby (Robin Givens) expresses her disappointment to Andrea that Andrea is sleeping her way to the top. Andrea counters that she does have the skills she needs for her position in the company, yet they are not needed because she is in fact “screwing the boss.” This scene in the movie reminds me of the part in Brown’s novel where during the auctioning of Clotel, the auctioneer lists characteristics and attributes that really do not matter for a prostitute to have because her purpose is purely sexual.
When the truth of Andrea’s extramarital affair with William finally comes out to Chris he hits her and then leaves her at Alice’s diner. Andrea shouts after him that she is going to marry William and they have a child together, however Pam agrees with Alice when she tells Andrea, “William is from a different world, honey, and he will not marry you.” Andrea does not want to listen to this advice, however she finds out the hard way that it is indeed the truth. Throughout Brown’s novel, Clotel is under the illusion that Mr. Green will come back and marry her so that they could be a family for real as opposed to her being his slave in a hidden-away cabin. After Charlotte talks to her daughter-in-law Jillian about the way things work in the Cartwright family, Jillian makes William leave Andrea for good and have nothing else to do with her despite their biological child they had together.
The movie really made me think about how some black women, or women in general for that matter, today may choose to either be a prostitute or “screw their way” to the top. Yes, sex trafficking still occurs and not every woman has or has had—when they were a child—a choice, but I am still baffled by the ones who do genuinely choose to go into that profession, and I use the word profession lightly. Not only did I really like the character, Abby, Robin Givens played, I really agreed with a point she made to Sanaa Lathan’s character. She said something along the lines of screwing you may get you to the top, but it will not keep you there.
I’m thankful for my God, my personal savior Jesus, and His Holy Spirit who guides me. I am thankful for my family and my friends alike. I am thankful for my friends who are like my family and my family who are also my friends. I am thankful this is the first Thanksgiving I am able to be one of the people to run last minute to get something form the grocery store (lol). I am thankful for my life. I am thankful that I am no longer depressed. I believe this is my first holiday in a while where I have not been depressed at all, and it feels great! I am thankful for all the food I will be eating later on today. I am thankful that I feel. I feel everything and life’s a rush.
I just got kinda fed up with hearing people preaching about being environmentally-conscious when in actuality you have to be able to afford to do so. Just my little spill on the matter...
This past weekend i participated in Raleigh's groundspark Street Painting Festival and had a blast! The always find ways to make it better each year, and the weather on Saturday was absolutely awesome! The competition started on Friday afternoon, but I had a prior engagement to do spoken word so I could not start until that Saturday morning. I started chalking around 8:30 and actually finished up a little bit before lunch time :)
while i was working on the fist (black power fist) sketch in my square, this light skinned dude (lighter than Barack to give an idea) comes up to me and convo as follows: **let's call him LSD for short** (cuz he was def on somethin....)
LSD: oooh black power fist, huh?
Me: Yes
LSD: how old are you?
Me: 20
LSD: school?
Me: Meredith College
LSD: you go to MEREDITH COLLEGE, and YOU'RE doing a BLACK POWER FIST???
Me: Yes? Is there a problem?
LSD: why are YOU doing a black power fist?
Me: Oh, so if i went to an HBC there would be no problem?
LSD: if you're not going to a HBC you're not supporting the black community
Me: (i basically read him the riot act)
LSD: *silence* *walks away*
PLEASE comment and tell me what ya think.......
anywho, back to the street painting fest:
I actually won the grand prize for the college category of best in show! It was amazing and very ironic! As it goes, I was not even supposed to do the street fest this year, in fact I had never planned on it. In August I said nah I'm not doing it this year. (lol) However, the prez of a club at Meredith I'm in called Artist Alliance approached me and asked me to fill in for these freshmen who (for all intent purposes) bailed on her. So I said sure I can, and she scratched their names out and put mine in on Friday. I had no idea what I was going to do alllll weeek long. I asked my sister the Friday night before what I should do. She first suggested civil rights then and now but I don't like faces (I was going to attempt Angela Davis and Barack Obama.) I told her since I was a half-day shorter on time, I did not want to have to grid my square and worry about proportions. Then she suggested the black power fist. I did a mini-sketch in my sketchbook but had to think of colors, so I googled pan african colors, which are: green, yellow and red. And bada-boom bada-bang I had a design that most everyone liked. Apparently there were some trash talkers but they weren't near my ears and I don't care, cuz who is gettin that check and certificate in the mail???? why me of course! :) hate on haters lol hate on, and thanks to all my friends who supported me by coming or in spirit!!!!
On Monday, August 24, 2009 a little after midnight on TNT A Time to Kill came on the television. I had seen previews for it, being that TNT’s slogan is “we know drama,” but I never really purposefully tried to catch it, to sit down, and watch it. I had just gotten back to campus driving from my parents’ house because I left my car there before my father and I embarked on our trip the previous weekend. I had missed a little bit of the beginning but I started watching the movie in time to see a great chunk of it. A Time to Kill was directed by Joel Schumacher and released on July 24, 1996. The costars are Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sandra Bullock. To summarize, the story takes place in Canton, Mississippi and centers around Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson), an African American man, taking the law into his own hands by killing Pete and Billy Ray, the two white men who brutally beat and raped his 10-year-old daughter Tonya. Hailey remembered that two years prior in the nearby town of Delta, four white men got acquitted for raping an African American girl. The NAACP wanted Hailey to take one of their high class lawyers, but instead he chose his friend, Jake Tyler Brigance (Matthew McConaughey), to represent him. Ellen Roark (Sandra Bullock), a law student who had experience with death penalty cases assists Brigance in making his case. Billy Ray’s brother elicits the help of the KKK in order to seek his revenge against Hailey, so throughout the movie, as different parts of the trial go on, the KKK terrorizes both blacks in the town of Canton as well as whites helping on the defense side of the case. I found myself identifying and responding emotionally to this movie on three different levels: as an African American, as a victim, and as a woman.
I initially related to A Time to Kill as an African American just because of the prevalence of the KKK throughout the movie. I believe it was a matter of coping with the fact that certain human beings hate me just because of the color of my skin. Although today the KKK cannot carry out its own agenda and get away with it from the law, but the racist mindset still exists within individuals. By showing the characters Pete and Billy Ray brag about what they did to Hailey’s daughter in the beginning of the movie established that during that time period in that part of Mississippi, white men were getting away with raping black girls and women. This immediately made me begin to think of how in the beginning of the summer, the Free Republic website attacked Malia Obama with less of the obscene comments being “a typical street whore…wonder when she will get her first abortion.” Honestly when I think of the Republican Party, to me it contains the connotation of rich white males, and this resonated with me because it was another example of white men attacking an innocent black child and getting away with it. Had it been a group of black men bashing Bush’s oldest daughter while he was in office, it would have been a whole other story, which shows the power difference between white and black in this country.
Additionally, I felt that I identified with the movie on the level of victimization from the crime that the basis of the whole plot was about, the rape of Tonya Hailey. Having innocence ripped away at such a young age without a choice is a very heartwrenching experience. Furthermore, there was a specific scene in this movie involving Sandra Bullock that made me respond emotionally just from identifying as a woman in America. Bullock was pulled over by a cop who was a part of the KKK and they ended up kidnapping her. She was able to be kidnapped so successfully just because men are physiologically stronger than women. Had she been a man, a man would have had at least a fighting chance, but she was taken advantage of just by brute strength, kidnapped, beaten, and left tied nearly naked to a tree. I believe that it is instances like that in which a man would never, ever understand what it is like to be a woman, to be both helpless and hopeless just because you are naturally physically weaker and at the incredulity that human beings are capable of being so cruel as to take advantage of this fact.
Wow! It's been 2 months since I've been up here!!! The end of the school year was maaadddd crraaaazzyyyyy!!!!! But I'm back now, and will be on the regular for the summer and that's all that matters.....not that anybody really follows this thing anyways haha
So today I just got back from Meredith College's own chapter of Leadershape 2009. It was at Fort Caswell on Oak Island, NC near Wilmington--so there was some pretty sweet scenery.
At first I was some kinda bummed that I would be missing the Color Purple at the Durham Performing Arts Center but all is well in my world because I said to myself, "self, there will always be musicals, but opportunities to meet new people never come again," so i was fine....My mom and Sis said it was awesome btw, I hope to see it in NY someday....
anywho....back to Leadershape
on the way to leadershape, we met some Marines at the rest stop in Warsaw, NC and omg, those were some pieces of men, and there was this one mixed dude in particular--Ramirez. Now my homegirl Traya is claimin him as her future husband, so if any of you know this dude, or have any info, feel free to hit me up on my blogspot profile or on facebook--like for real lol
Like I mentioned, I met a lot of great new people who were just really cool and chill and genuinely want to make a positive impact in the world. Although there were some ignorant people there, I'm glad that Meka and Traya were there b/c just their presence alone really reminded me that the trivial, ignorant people just don't matter, nor are they worth having my breath wasted upon them. I think what I enjoyed most was the "Family Cluster" time--just having a chance to get to know who were mostly to me virtually complete strangers--except for a few--on a deeper level. The women in my cluster were really great and at some points I did feel like we were a make shift fam. Throughout the week we all had the task to come up with a "vision" and I honestly already had one--so I kind of feel like the only "reason" I was there was to meet new people b/c I think there's a reason for everything, and where ever I am, that's where I need to be, ya know. But I hope and pray that everyone's vision will come into fruition b/c it's all for the better, and if not, that we all come pretty darn close!
Overall, I had a blast, even though it wiped me out, and Day 6 (today) felt like Day 21 I genuinely had fun. I just wish the days weren't just so jammed packed--I mean we were literally busy alllllll daaaayyyy looonnngggg, it was insane!!! But I don't regret one ounce of it, it was very eye opening to me for a lot of things, and for that I am appreciative.
Yesterday my homegurl Shae and I went to Women's Empowerment 2009! Shout again to THE best big sis in THE whole world C-note for hookin is up with floor seat tickets!!!
Anywho, it was really good and informing and all that, but I'm sure you've heard about all that by now. But what I want to comment on is (almost) completely off the subject. I've made it a habit lately to walk around with some sort of journal or sketchbook at all times. This is what I wrote down on 03-14-09 at approximately 7:30ish p.m.:
"what if people chased after Jesus the way women did raheem devaughn? Women rushing, pushing just to touch him. there's no life in the hem of his garments. the words coming out his mouth defile him. it's disheartening to see so many people go crazy over this carnal, mortal, merely-of-a man. where's their thirst for God? if only they were this fervent with their prayers. if only they cried out to God the way they cried out to him, this ashes-to-ashes, dust-to-dust man. And he thinks his music frees them? empowers them? what is wrong with him? with them? i'll tell you what it's their fleshly sin!"
***on a side not, there was this lady who was yelling her head off (face turnin all red and er'thing) at this security guard who was standin on the steps to the stage in front of mary mary b/c she could not see them...
i guess she was not listening to the lyrics of it's the god in me...she really, really wanted to see mary mary, so much so, i saw no god in her
And it's kinda crazy ya know because it all started because of a FACEBOOK CONVERSATION that was sparked by one of my status updates:
"KayRich is thawin' out yooooo.....who got hot chocolate??? haha"
Ms. Jay:I lovvvvvvvvve hot chocolate and actually am enjoying my 3rd cup of the day. Williams-Sonoma has the best around!
Me:welllll once i get williams-sonoma money, i guess i'll know hahahahaha.....until then, i'ma be on that swiss mix lol
Ms. Jay:I got you. See me Sunday. :)
Me:oh word??? that's what's up!!! :-))
Now, you would think that I would pause and wonder to myself, why is she enjoying her THIRD cup of the DAY??? I had know idea what I was getting myself into. I mean, if you never experience any type of euphoria, you'll never know what you're missing. Well, I experienced my first cup of Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate, and oh man, whenever my budget forces me to go back to simple Swiss Mix Hot Chocolate, it will be like eating fat free peanut butter--I mean, you just cannot do that. It's so smooth, so creamy, so good til the last drop! And it's not just any chocolate mix, it's rich bittersweet chocolate--not any of that powder mix--but chocolate SHAVINGS! OMG It is like crack for my taste buds.
Fortunately my original addiction to Twizzlers is in my budget, but oh man, when my chocolaty-goodness gift runs out, my taste buds will go into withdrawal symptoms of shock. Once I'm finally done with the school scene, I already know what I'll be drinking on cold days--and possibly hot--once I'm finally into my career.
Kay Rich, out
Special Thanks to Miss Jay for the Hot Chocolate :-))
Generosity=Gateway Drug
Recently I participated in the Vagina Monologues at Meredith College. First of all, it was my first true theater experience so that was a treat in itself, but not only that, it is the freakin Va-Jay-Jay Monologues which is freakin amazing!!!!
I ended up getting cast (yes i had to audition)to do two intros and i was an extra in a couple of scenes, all of the "extras" were very important i might add!!
The cast, the crew, the managers, the producers were flippin awesome!
In addition to havin my first audition and performance experience, i also helped out with strike (towards the end of it anyway)...when they take a set down, they really take a set down! everything goes, but the stage itself of course
man i thought artFreaks (which includes me) were out there, but thespians on a whoolllleee nottthhhaaa levellll (a good kinda level) but another one
Proceeds of the show went to Interact of Wake County, NC.
Interact is a private, non-profit, United Way agency that provides safety, support, and awareness to victims and survivors of domestic violence and rape/sexual assault. Interact also promotes violence-free relationships and communities through collaboration, public information, education, and advocacy. Interact was formed in the 1980’s by the merger of three Wake County agencies: Rape Crisis Center, Women’s Aid, and Child Abuse Prevention Services. The resulting agency was known as The Family Violence and Prevention Center, Inc., and in 1984 became known as Interact. Interact is the only confidential domestic violence prevention program serving Wake County’s twelve municipalities. Interact fulfills this mission through the support of its volunteers and community.
P.S. I would put pics up if I had any, but people cannot take pics of the production or eve ensler has the right to say, hey, u cannot do my show anymore, so yeah, copyright is da law foo! :-))
P.P.S special shout out and thanks to all my friends n fam who came out to support, it was greatly appreciated!!!
My homegurls Brit, Whit, & Hina went to go see Inflowential aka Inflow in concert at the Pour House.
They had special guests Blount Harvey and HaLo who was also fly. The main lead singer of Blount Harvey was looking kind of pissed because of some balding dude who was in charge of the sound, but other than that, everything was off the hook. The energy, the show, the performance, just amazing. Brit and I had been plannin on the concert for a minute ever since we saw Inflow at NC State for Obama support,(I may have blogged about it earlier, way back when, I honestly don't remember.) Anywho, I just loved the band, the vibe, the soul--Inflow.
