Rape is a Crisis in Black Communities by Salamishah Tillet
April 10, 2008
It’s A Crisis
Remixing the Rule of Racial Silence by Melissa Harris-Lacewell
April 10, 2008
Rape and Race: We have to talk about it.
Sex Workers and The Media
April 7, 2008
A Tale Of Two Strippers…
by Aishah Shahidah Simmons
Sometime last fall Michael Simmons, my father and comrade in the international struggles to end violence against women, called me to share his passionate rage about all of the positive hype around Diablo Cody’s, (the very talented Academy Award® Winning screenwriter of the film Juno, directed by Jason Reitman) herstory as a stripper to support herself while writing screenplays. Media outlets, from National Public Radio to Entertainment Tonight, raved about “the stripper turned Hollywood screenwriter.”
Before my feminist sisters get upset, I want to be clear that Michael’s (and my) passionate rage isn’t about Sister Diablo Cody. This is not an anti-sex worker piece/peace. While I, as a Black feminist lesbian, critique a patriarchal, sexist, and misogynist world where sex work is, for countless women in the world, the only viable option to make a living, I do not and will not ever critique women for “choosing” sex work to financially support themselves.
Alice Walker Lovingly, Compassionately, and Critically Supports Barack Obama
March 30, 2008
Following is a powerful “open letter” written by Pulitzer Prize Winning Author, and Global Social Change Agent Alice Walker. For those of us based in the United States, I’m a critical supporter of Obama who has been in search of (because I, like too many of us, haven’t made the time to write something ourselves) essays by feminists/womanists of color who support Obama. As a Black feminist lesbian, I’ve been and am sick and tired of how all of the discussions about the democratic primaries have been looked through a Race = Black (Man) and Gender = (White) Woman lens, without any regards for millions of us who are both Black, Red, Brown, Yellow and Woman. Sister Alice’s open letter is a Black feminist/womanist loving, compassionate, and critical praise song for the candidate that I hope will become the next president of the United States of America.
LEST WE FORGET, An Open Letter To My Sisters Who Are Brave
From Alice Walker
Talking about Race and Gender in the Democratic Primaries
March 20, 2008
All the Men Are Black, All the Women Are White, and Some of Us Vote: A Remix by Salamishah Tillet
I spent the better half of Tuesday afternoon, listening to and reading the transcript of Barack Obama’s speech on “race.” Obama’s address was thoughtful, progressive, eloquent, brilliant, moving, and insightful. He did all the things I wanted him to do, acknowledged the founding “sin” of American slavery, shifted the burden of racial reconciliation from the shoulders of African-Americans to the larger American citizenry, and spoke about the past and present consequences of white rage and black disillusionment.
Michael Simmons Challenges Homophobia in the African-American Community
March 12, 2008
Michael Simmons, an international human rights activist who,with his partner Linda Carranza, co-founded the Raday Salon in Budapest Hungary, recently wrote comments about his thoughts on the responsibility of African-Americans who are heterosexual to speak out against homophobia. Following are his comments:
Southwest Airlines & ‘The Souls of White Folk’
March 3, 2008
Southwest Airlines & ‘The Souls of White Folk’
By Tamara K. Nopper
Native Feminism Without Apology — Tenure for Professor Andrea Smith
February 29, 2008
Native Feminism Without Apology!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2008
Statement of University of Michigan Students and Faculty in Support of Andrea Smith’s Tenure Case
CONTACT: TenureForAndreaSmith@gmail.com
Campus Lockdown: Women of Color Negotiating the Academic Industrial Complex
February 24, 2008
CAMPUS LOCKDOWN: Women of Color Negotiating the Academic Industrial Complex
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The Campus Lockdown conference will center women of color in the academic industrial complex. We will consider its structural constraints, as well as the implications of our scholarship. Please register by 2.29.2008.
A Christmas Message from Ruby Nell Sales, SpiritHouse
December 25, 2007
I’ve had the absolute privilege to know, learn from, and work with Ruby Nell Sales, a Black feminist veteran of the Civil Rights Movement. As the founder and executive director of SpirtHouse, she continues to vigilantly carry the torch for peace, justice, and equality for all.
As a non-Christian, this powerful Christmas message, written by Ruby Nell Sales, really spoke to my Spirit. Perhaps it will for you too, regardless of your religious or non-religous beliefs. It is both a wake-up call and a call to action. In Peace, Aishah
