John L. Jackson reflects upon teaching Spike Lee at UPenn
December 8, 2008
John L. Jackson Jr. is an associate professor of communication and anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. His books include Racial Paranoia: The Unintended Consequences of Political Correctness (2008), Real Black: Adventures in Racial Sincerity (2005), and Harlemworld: Doing Race and Class in Contemporary Black America (2001). He will be writing about racial politics, religion, and contemporary popular culture.
Celebrating Obama While Mourning Proposition 8
November 13, 2008
Celebrating Obama While Mourning Proposition 8…
I still find myself pinching myself to see if this is in fact real. I haven’t felt this way since I was an international observer for the elections in 94 (exactly 30 years after my mother, Gwendolyn Robinson/Zoharah Simmons, at the age of 19, went to Missisissppi in 1964 where for 18-months she was the project director of the Laurel Project) when Nelson Mandela became president. I turned 25 during that his/herstoric time in South Africa. While I will never ever forget what I experienced (consistently overwhelmed with emotions)/witnessed there…I must share that this feels just as if not all the more special and I know it is because I am an African-American woman.
I am also very reminded that as a Black feminist lesbian I must work very hard, in concert with so many others, to dismantle patriarchy and heterosexism in both my own non-monolithic community as well as in the world. I’m a bit alarmed about the (community) conversations about Black manhood… Black masculinity (in the absence of Black womanhood) as it relates to President-Elect (love it!) Obama.
Passion Life Magazine | AfroLez Productions
June 11, 2008
Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Independent Documentary Filmmaker interviewed by Sonya Shields
“Aishah Shahidah Simmons and I met over ten years ago in Washington, DC when she was dating an old friend. We spent a Saturday night with friends dancing at the Hung Jury and talking about our future goals. I remember thinking that she was intensely passionate and I followed her career. I had not seen Aishah since that fun night until I ran into her this past fall when she attended the event to celebrate Katherine Acey’s 20th Anniversary with the Astraea Foundation. I knew that I wanted to talk with Aishah about her work and journey to becoming an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker, television and radio producer, published writer, international lecturer, and activist living in Philadelphia…
What is your passion?
My passion is centralizing the margins of society. Making the invisible, visible. Documenting the lives of women of color globally. I am an activist. The camera lens is my medium to make social change irresistible.
Feminists Must Heal the Wounds of Racism
June 9, 2008
Addressing the wounds between White feminists and feminists of Color
Dear Sisters ~
I’m writing self-identified second wave and third wave White feminists, who have expressed a commitment to ending sexism and racism, about their public uncritical support of Hillary Clinton. Granted my letter could be perceived as a moot point because she conceded on Saturday, June 7, 2008. However, for me, a hard core unapologetic third wave Black feminist lesbian (who’s the daughter of a second wave Black feminist), it’s not a moot point because while it is about Hillary Clinton’s campaign, for me it’s about my deep and profound betrayal that I’ve personally and politically experienced during the primaries, especially the last few months of the campaign.
I was appalled by the fact that when the going got very rough and tough, that Clinton and her campaign became blatantly racist. I was very alarmed when White feminists (not to be confused with women who supported Hillary Clinton) who supported Clinton didn’t publicly critique her racism, while continuing to support her campaign. I’m not talking about the pundits who didn’t support her and critiqued her. I’m not talking about feminists of all races who supported Obama who critiqued her. I’m talking about White feminists who supported Clinton critiquing her in a way to encourage her to be the best candidate that she could be, which I hope would mean not to run a racist campaign.
Misogynee & The Emcee: Sex, Race, & HipHop
April 28, 2008
Black Men Addressing Violence Against Black Women
As we come to the close of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I wanted to highlight Misogyny & the Emcee: Sex, Race, & Hip Hop, a very powerful book that was recently written and published by Ewuare X. Osayande. Brother Osayande, has a demonstrated track record of being consistently unapologetic and outspoken about challenging Black communities to address violence against women and girls, with the same vigilance that the Black community addresses state sanctioned violence against Black men and boys.
Joy of Resistance Multicultural Feminist Radio Interviews Aishah Shahidah Simmons
April 28, 2008
NO! The Rape Documentary & Aishah Shahidah Simmons on Joy of Resistance Multicultural Feminist Radio
Wearing Red|Ending Violence Against Women of Color
April 28, 2008
Be Bold. Be Brave. Wear Red on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Women of color cannot and should not wait to keep a social movement alive that is in defense of ourselves and our daughters. History and contemporary reality has consistently shown all of us that hardly anyone will speak on behalf of us, in defense of us, and/or for us but ourselves. It is based on this, that I made NO! The Rape Documentary.
In the Spirit of so many Diasporic African, Latin, Asian, Indigienous, Arab, Pacific Islander women, my Sistren at Document the Silence have organized their second national campaign to raise awareness around the various forms of violence against women of Color.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Hosts Aishah Shahidah Simmons and Monica Dillon
April 21, 2008
Aishah Shahidah Simmons and Monica Dillon are featured guests during Sexual Assault Awareness Month | University of Wisconsin-Madison
From April 15, 2008 through April 17, 2008, Aishah Shahidah Simmons and Monica Dillon will be featured guest lecturers, workshop facilitators, and performers at University of Wisconsin – Madison as a part of their Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming. In addition to screening NO! The Rape Documentary and meeting with studens and faculty, they will perform “For Women and Men of Rage & Reason, a cinematic, poetic and musical journey from victim to survivor and activist in the international movements to end violence against women.
An extra highlight to this experience is that Tiona M., the fierce producer, director, photographer, and editor of the ground breaking documentary black./womyn.:conversations… will document Monica and Aishah’s performances and presentations. Tiona will also screen the black./womyn.:conversations trailer, which features the voices of over 50 lesbians of African descent, including Monica and Aishah, and talk about the process of making this important film.
A Public Philosophy Symposim Explores New Politics of Racial Uplift
April 14, 2008
Stand Up! The New Politics of Racial Uplift
A Public Philosophy Symposium
Temple University
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
9am to 5pm
Rape is a Crisis in Black Communities by Salamishah Tillet
April 10, 2008
It’s A Crisis
