Month: February 2016

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By Ky Books: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

IMG_3683.JPGThe Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is probably one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read, primarily because I can relate. This hilarious book by Issa Rae is a new generational way of looking at race in today’s society. Rae takes us on an intimate journey of her life from her humble beginnings in Senegal to her upper-middle-class lifestyle in Los Angeles. We learn what it means to be a black woman and to feel awkward at the same time. What I loved most about this book besides its hilarious humor was Issa’s conversations about race whether it’s addressing the type of black people you will always encounter or her struggle of being too black to some, and not black enough to others.

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Movie Monday: Why everyone should see “Dear White People”

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Sam White is a bi-racial student activist who has a radio show called Dear White People. She’s working hard to implement change at Winchester University (a predeominately white institution (PWI)), starting with her appointment to Head of the all-black dorms Armstrong/Parker. A huge racial divide is brewing between the whites and the blacks at the school.

The movie simultaneously follows the lives of three other black students attending the university, including Coco, who comes off as an Uncle Tom, Troy Fairbanks who is the son of the school’s dean, and Lionel Higgins, who is the nerd, stereotyped and bullied mostly because of his sexuality. Sam and Lionel along with a group of other racially diverse students ultimately work together to ignite the biggest race war in their school’s history as a result of a racist Halloween party thrown by a popular student magazine.

This movie hit home for me in more ways than one. If you went to a PWI, then you know what it means to be an “other.” I spent the majority of my college career, but specifically my last two years feeling like an outsider. I just didn’t feel like I was in an environment that understood me. When I saw this movie, I felt like I wasn’t alone. Someone had to feel the same way to create such a real and culturally poignant movie for my generation. I say my generation; because this movie deals with the individual and institutional racism we encounter at the most prominent universities in America today. It also channels a modern-day Spike Lee Joint. This movie isn’t an attack on White people but illustrates the experience of what it means to be black in America or in a smaller scope what it means to be black in a university where the majority is non-black.

I encourage you to watch for yourself. I found the movie on Hulu

 

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By Ky Finds: Cornrows, Afro Puffs & Joy

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A lot of people may not know this about me, but I collect postcards. I know it sounds weird, but I do. It all started when I went to a Jean Michel Basquiat exhibit and wanted to take a keepsake of his artwork with me to cherish forever, so I bought his art in the form of a postcard. My collection has grown tremendously since then and includes people like Nina Simone, Josephine Baker, and Langston Hughes.

Most recently I purchased this beautiful representation of Black Girl Magic entitled Cornrows, Afro Puffs & Joy by Delphine Fawundu. It’s the perfect image of love, light, and sisterhood.

Click the link below to head over to Delphine’s Etsy shop where you can purchase this card and so much more:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/258290105/cornrows-afro-puffs-joy-poster-19×27-in?ref=related-2

 

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Colorism

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The below excerpt is my first attempt at writing about the issue of Colorism, during my sophomore year in college. I’ll share with you the first three pages of this 20-page research paper. This essay along with a few others eventually helped me win the Excellence in Communication Award at Penn State. If you decide you would like to read more about Colorism, please read the book The Color Complex, it’s one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve ever read regarding this issue:

Colorism

April 2008

If you’re black get back/if you’re brown stick around/ if your light you’re all right.

Being Black or being White has historically separated people in America and around the world but what many people fail to realize or even acknowledge is a gap has been bridged within the black race as a result of the differentiation and discrimination based on skin tones. Colorism is the coined word to describe the dirty little secret that our community perpetuates through its idealizations of Eurocentric beauty standards and denouncement of Afrocentric standards of beauty. Skin complexion, hair type, and body image have always been conscious issues for African American’s but it is the root of self-loathing and low self-esteem as well. This form of intra-racism has proved to be psychologically detrimental to African Americans’ sense of self. Colorism is immoral, unethical, and undeniably one of the reasons why black people do not feel accepted within their own race. It promotes insecurity and inequality because people are no longer being judged by their intelligence or capabilities; they are being judged by the lightness or darkness of their skin. If we are going to successfully progress into a bright future we need to learn and understand our history. If more African Americans took the time to understand their troubled past they would understand that colorism is essentially a construct and does not dictate the type of person you are, nor does it dictate your self-worth. Understanding the dark history behind colorism is one of the first steps towards progress. The next step toward progress is acceptance. The internalized self-hate one feels towards oneself because other members in society deem them inferior is one of the reasons why we may never advance towards a society that does not judge people based on the color of their skin. Accepting that being black is not necessarily a dilemma but an armor you should wear with pride is foremost. Continue reading “Colorism”

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By Ky Books: God Help The Child

IMG_3664The cover of God Help The Child by Toni Morrison is what drew me to this book. It’s one of the most beautiful and colorful covers I’ve ever seen (black with colorful and bold words). This is Toni Morrison’s first book set in present-day, although at some points in the novel, it still reads like the characters are back in time. I enjoyed this book because it explores the consequences of childhood trauma, ranging from the death of a loved one to an unaffectionate parent. I also love her prose regarding the relationship between the two main characters Bride and Booker. There’s a case that Morrison is trying to build throughout the book and I can’t tell if it’s doom or hope.

For an extra treat, I found a song by Billie Holiday called God Bless The Child, very similar to the title of Toni Morrison’s book. Enjoy!

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Movie Monday: What Happened, Miss Simone?

I enjoyed learning about the life and times of Nina Simone, one of the most influential singers…ever. At the height of Simone’s career, she began to take part in the civil rights movement, which some say jeopardized her because she became too radical.

What I loved about this documentary is that it humanizes Simone and shows her vulnerabilities and her demons. Unlike many other entertainers, she couldn’t sit back idly and do nothing. She was very involved in the struggle of liberating blacks in America from the chains of racism and oppression.

If you have Netflix, watch What Happened, Miss Simone?

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