GoldenGirlGadfly: Vogue Profiles Ida Keeling, setting athletic records at 96 years young

Ida Keeling celebrates with her daughter, Shelley

While flipping through the new August Vogue magazine and noticing their new efforts to be more "current" and "colorful" (ie: fawning articles on Dakota Fanning and her little sister, Elle; cursory inclusion of 1 and 1/2 brown models in editorial), I came across an article that surprised me.  First I was surprised that it was about a brown woman NOT in entertainment or fashion; second, it's subject was Ida Keeling, a 96 year old who has SET THE WORLD RECORD for the 60 meter dash.  No, not the world record in her age bracket (she competes in the 95-99 age category)...the world record in track-and-field for the 60 meter dash, PERIOD.  She trains in her hallway.  Like, the hallway of her apartment building, while being coached by her daughter, Shelley.  Are you amazed yet? Are you ready to fire your mediocre-in-comparison grammie to BEG Ida to dispence advice and bake you cookies? Well...there's more..

GoldenGirl Gadflies: "Of Another Fashion"

Los Angeles Public Library via "Of Another Fashion"

A woman wears pants and wields a gun in the 1920s.

I was listening to NPR and looking through some articles and came across one on Of Another Fashion, a tublr dedicated to being an "alternative archive of the not quite hidden but often ignored fashions histories of US women of color." I would love to interview Minh-Ha T. Pham, who is the creator of the blog...as she is OBVIOUSLY an honorary BrownGirl Gadfly, but, alas, until I get to do so, the NPR profile will have to suffice.  Regardless, the tumblr itself is pretty fly (and I know I plan on submitting some pics of my mother and grandmother), so I encourage you to check it out. Hopefully, with Minh-Ha's permission, I can cross post a few photos here at BGG that really strike me.

-DL