Tag Archive for "Race"

Posts Tagged Race

The importance of Ava DuVernay’s Golden Globe nomination

Ava DuVernay has become the first black woman to receive a Golden Globe nomination for best director. The announcement came this morning alongside all of the other Golden Globe nominations, including three others for the film DuVernay wrote and directed, Selma.

By Suzanna Bobadilla • 9 years ago

A song for today: “We who believe in freedom cannot rest”

On days like today, like last Monday, like September 4th, like July 15th of 2013, May 2nd of 2012, and like many, many more, I reach for Sweet Honey in the Rock‘s “Ella’s Song,” a song composed of legendary civil rights leader Ella Baker‘s own words. “We who believe in freedom cannot rest,” Ella said. “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes,” Sweet Honey sings.

On days like today, like last Monday, like September 4th, ...

By Mychal Denzel Smith • 9 years ago

Ishmael Reed is still mad about The Color Purple (and other observations)

Ishmael Reed thinks I said Ray Rice represents all black men.

I was on Melissa Harris-Perry’s show this past Sunday, and we discussed how Rice’s indefinite suspension from the NFL had been lifted, along with Janay Rice telling her story as the woman whom Ray Rice punched and then dragged from an elevator.

Ishmael Reed thinks I said Ray Rice represents all black men.

I was on Melissa Harris-Perry’s show this past Sunday, and we discussed how Rice’s indefinite suspension from the NFL had been lifted, along with ...

By Executive Directors • 9 years ago

Feministing Chat: On street harassment

Editor’s note: It’s been a couple weeks now since the anti-street harassment organization Hollaback! released that video of a woman getting catcalled 100 times during a day walking the streets of New York City.

By Suzanna Bobadilla • 9 years ago

The Feministing Five: crystal am nelson

crystal am nelson debuted her most recent exhibit “Dark Desires: The Erotic Lives of Black Women” this Friday at the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco. The exhibition brings together art, literature, and historical materials to provide a framework on how black women have created, imagined, and self-represented sexual positivity. crystal am nelson collaborated with around ten artists to join her on this examination of black women’s sexuality, and together they have created an incredible exhibit that shows the myriad ways desire extends from sexuality to political and social spheres.

crystal am nelson is both an artist and a scholar. As “Dark Desires” demonstrates, her work combines intensive archival research, collaborative creativity, and thoughtful intention. The exhibit runs ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 9 years ago

White men make up 31 percent of the population but hold 65 percent of elected offices in the US

A coalition of non-profits called Who Leads Us analyzed the demographics of 42,000 elected officials at all levels of US government to determine just how much political power is concentrated in the hands of white men. Unsurprisingly, the answer is: a shit-ton!

By Suzanna Bobadilla • 9 years ago

The Feministing Five: Darkmatter

Janani Balasubramanian and Alok Vaid-Menon make up the incredible trans South Asian art and activist collaboration Darkmatter. Masterfully using humor, language, and rhythm, Darkmatter pushes their audience to reflect and take action on racial justice, anti-colonialism, and gender and sexuality politics. Their spoken performances share stories from their childhoods to conversations during their young adult lives, and they invite you to find the poetry in your own world, relationships, and journey toward social justice.

Excitingly, Darkmatter’s brilliance can also be found within their written poetry, prose, interviews, and tweets (seriously, follow them now). Like their individual work, which has been featured in outlets such as Black Girl Dangerous, Racialicious, The New York Times, and Upworthy, Darkmatter’s ...

By Sesali B. • 9 years ago

How Bring It! is changing our perception of Black girls and performance

With another season of Lifetime’s show Bring It! behind us, I can’t help but reflect on all the ways in which the show adds nuance to media portrayal of Black girls. The fairly new reality show follows the competition season of a black majorette/dance team — the Dancing Dolls from Jackson, Mississippi. An alternative to the popular show Dance Moms, which focuses on the early careers of individual dancers and the moms who push them, Bring It! highlights the commitment that Black girls have made to dance as a hobby (and in some cases as a career) via the Dancing Dolls. The stories of the dancers, the coach Ms. Diana, and select ...

With another season of Lifetime’s show Bring It! behind us, I can’t help but reflect on all the ways in which the show adds nuance to media portrayal of ...