It's getting towards the end of the year, and I've been playing the oldie but goodie "Till It's Gone" by Miss Jackson ('cause I'm nasty...) on repeat.
First off, the visuals are lush and luscious, the lyrics/production is at the right level of haunting...
But I really just was listening to the words (originally sung by the while-not-browngirl-very-much-gadfly Joni Mitchell) "not knowing what you've got 'till it's gone".
In other words, it's about time I took stock. What really inspired/challenged/enlightened me this year? What is it that I have right now that I should be aware of before it's gone? Let the personal/cultural/sociological/political navel-gazing commence.
1) Good Health
I am incredibly thankful for my good health. Too often, being brown in the United States means you have less access to good doctors and can lead to having a shortened life expectancy. If you are reading this blog while brown and you
2) Relaxers and Skin Lighteners Are Losing Popularity
I got a little alert on my phone about this the other day. Considering the internalized racism, shade-ism and and curl-hatred that plagues so many communities of color, it was nice to see that apparently both relaxers and skin-lightening creams are losing market share within the United States. Not only is it empowering to just FREAKING like ourselves/bodies/hair/skin.... it's cheaper and much less time consuming. Now I just have to ready myself for the backlash-to-the-backlash against euro-centric notions of beauty (I'm imagining some screed on the "reverse-racism" of curly haired folks talking about the health and financial benefits of leaving our bodies alone...but for now, LOVING where we're at.)
3) Re-Reading Born Confused
Yes, I'm talking about the young-adult novel by Tanuja Desai Hidier about an Indian-American girl growing up in New Jersey. It's also a highly entertaining story that doesn't downplay or talk down to it's target audience. Born Confused has it all (love! assimilation angst! friendship! accurate representations of queerness! an on-point take-down of conversations about cultural appropriation!) Reading it reminds me of the myriad of ways that brown girls rock (literally: Tanuja Desai Hidier, although born and raised in the U.S., is currently the lead vocalist for a British melodic rock band), and reminds me that representations of all of us in our multiplicity are not only out there, they are available and accessible to younger and younger browngirlgadflys....Which is always a good thing. Read it. Really though, if it doesn't blow your mind at least twice, I'll give you your money back.
There is always more where these came from...but that's all for now.
-DL
First off, the visuals are lush and luscious, the lyrics/production is at the right level of haunting...
But I really just was listening to the words (originally sung by the while-not-browngirl-very-much-gadfly Joni Mitchell) "not knowing what you've got 'till it's gone".
In other words, it's about time I took stock. What really inspired/challenged/enlightened me this year? What is it that I have right now that I should be aware of before it's gone? Let the personal/cultural/sociological/political navel-gazing commence.
1) Good Health
I am incredibly thankful for my good health. Too often, being brown in the United States means you have less access to good doctors and can lead to having a shortened life expectancy. If you are reading this blog while brown and you
- are not currently ill/sick/physically impaired
- have the resources to go to a doctor or hospital if the need arose
2) Relaxers and Skin Lighteners Are Losing Popularity
I got a little alert on my phone about this the other day. Considering the internalized racism, shade-ism and and curl-hatred that plagues so many communities of color, it was nice to see that apparently both relaxers and skin-lightening creams are losing market share within the United States. Not only is it empowering to just FREAKING like ourselves/bodies/hair/skin.... it's cheaper and much less time consuming. Now I just have to ready myself for the backlash-to-the-backlash against euro-centric notions of beauty (I'm imagining some screed on the "reverse-racism" of curly haired folks talking about the health and financial benefits of leaving our bodies alone...but for now, LOVING where we're at.)
3) Re-Reading Born Confused
Yes, I'm talking about the young-adult novel by Tanuja Desai Hidier about an Indian-American girl growing up in New Jersey. It's also a highly entertaining story that doesn't downplay or talk down to it's target audience. Born Confused has it all (love! assimilation angst! friendship! accurate representations of queerness! an on-point take-down of conversations about cultural appropriation!) Reading it reminds me of the myriad of ways that brown girls rock (literally: Tanuja Desai Hidier, although born and raised in the U.S., is currently the lead vocalist for a British melodic rock band), and reminds me that representations of all of us in our multiplicity are not only out there, they are available and accessible to younger and younger browngirlgadflys....Which is always a good thing. Read it. Really though, if it doesn't blow your mind at least twice, I'll give you your money back.
There is always more where these came from...but that's all for now.
-DL
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