The Summer We Got Free is Mia McKenzie‘s first novel and I was honored to be asked to write a blurb for the back. I wrote: Mia McKenzie’s The Summer We Got Free answers Toni Cade Bambara’s question “do you want to be well?” with it’s own. Do you remember what I was like when I was? The novel won’t let you go as it surges forward with truth only fiction can tell. I was eager for answers as I followed a trail of not bread crumbs but whole pieces of toast slathered in butter that makes you moan or …Read more »
Tag Archives: black girls
The Summer We Got Free: A Book Talk with Mia McKenzie
Category: LBGT*QIQTSAA | Tags: Author, black girls, Black Women, books, Mia McKenzie, Novel, Process, queer, The Summer We Got Free, Writer, Writing
Learning Community with Black Girls
In a two-part series called Meet the Authors, the CFC talks to Drs. Ruth Nicole Brown, Chamara Jewel Kwakye, and Bettina Love about their recently released books, Wish to Live: The Hip-Hop Feminist Pedagogy Reader and Hip hop’s Li’l Sistas Speak: Negotiating Identities and Politics in the New South. Both books describe Black girlhoodand hip hop feminist teaching in the university and community classroom. Ruth Nicole and Chamara coordinate SOLHOT (Saving Our Lives Hear Our Truths), which is a multi-sited, community-based space developed to celebrate and affirm Black girl genius using art. Bettina organizes, Real Talk: Hip Hop Education for …Read more »
Blue-Eyed Jazz & Love: 3 Blackgirl Lessons I Learned From Toni Morrison
As a writer when I feel the pull of creativity it is as seductive as the lure of a would-be lover, arms outstretched with whispers in my ear as sweet as honey mixed with molasses. It is enough to keep you up all night and daydreaming throughout the day imagining the next thing to say that will capture the feeling, moment and emotion simplistically. It’s beautiful. Soul-stirring. Inspirational. Like sex that is so good it makes you wanna cook good eggs or make good coffee. But then there are the times, most times, when the words don’t come and their …Read more »
LIVE @ 9am “Images In the River: Black Girls Dialogue”
Good morning CFC community, After our Feminism 101 for Girls report many asked for more information about the organization and implementation of the workshop. Well Tami Harris and Julia Stevens of the parenting blog Love Isn’t Enough have arranged an online discussion with five panelists to discuss how to introduce feminism to black girls. The panelists include educators and activists: Mashadi Matabane, Bianca Laureano, Asha French, Sheri Davis-Faulkner, and Ruth Nicole Brown. Bios for the panelists are listed on the Love Isn’t Enough website. Join us for what promises to be a fantastic and necessary discussion. We look forward to …Read more »
Category: Uncategorized | Tags: black girlhood celebration, black girls, Feminism 101, feminist education, LatiNegra
Images in the River-Black Girls Dialogue
Nina Simone’s haunting ballad “Images” based on the poem by Waring Cuney tells a story about black girls we know all to well. Not knowing our beauty and not seeing our images; for many of my friends and family it has been a struggle for us to see ourselves as beautiful, worthy of love, and major contributors to the world around us. However, when we found Audre Lorde, Ella Baker, Angela Davis, Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, Darlene Clark Hine, Alice Walker, Faith Ringgold, Toni Morrison, Septima Clark, Fannie Lou Hamer, Barbara Smith, Shirley Chisholm, June Jordan, Nina Simone, …Read more »
Category: Uncategorized | Tags: activism, black girl joy, black girls, Feminism 101, popular education
Ode to Dark (Skinned) Girls
My melanin proficiency has often led to color complex(ion) issues brought on by my country (rural) upbringing in a community (and country) fascinated (via the hegemonic influences of beauty) with my yellow-skinned sister with looooooooooooooooooooong hair and generally ambivalent with me (and my dark skin and short/er hair). They (the adults and other children in my life) always knew my sister was beautiful but for me it took time, years, deep long looks and depth of consideration to finally determine that I was cute, ish, beautiful even for a dark-skinned girl. I have often pondered the implications of those terms of my …Read more »
On Watoto From The Nile- Letter to Lil Wayne
This musical open letter to Lil’ Wayne is getting lots of love! I want to join the chorus and give a big ol’ YAY to black girls creating media and saying what’s on their minds! Speaking back to Wayne’s misogyny is super important! That said, I wonder about the limits of such a message. Steve Harvey’s views on women are not progressive. He’s simply peddling a more respectable sort of black gender relations that still have women in the role of subservient sex goddesses but with a bit more modesty. To set him up as a positive alternative to Wayne …Read more »
Dear Kiely
Dear Kiely, A friend of mine was really upset about your video (I think a lot of people were) and has reached out asking folks to write an open letter to you as she did. I wanted to talk about your videos and say my peace (intentional spelling) so this seemed like a great invitation. First, I’m not trying to lecture you about what you should be doing. I get that women are sandwiched between this virgin/whore rock and hard place and that you in particular are marked with your girlhood empowered Cheetahdom that you hoped “Spectacular” would help you …Read more »
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