Rest In Peace, you will always be The Queen of Disco.

Cake baked in the shape of a mocking caricature supposedly made to represent an African “black” woman. Seems more like it was made so that ignorant [white] people, including white women can have giggle fun cutting it’s “clitoris”. And all under the guise of pretending to bring awareness to black female clitoris mutilation in Africa. You can’t make this stuff up. As many would say, so much for black female and white female unity among white feminists. And yes, the ‘artist’ who was hired to create the cake is a black male… nothing new there either.

BBC News Europe: Sweden’s culture minister is facing calls to step down after she was photographed cutting a cake shaped in the form of a naked black woman. The incident involving Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth happened at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm. According to Radio Sweden, the museum said the cake was supposed to highlight the issue of female circumcision. But the Association for African Swedes said it was a crude racist caricature and called for Ms Liljeroth to resign.

Kitimbwa Sabuni, a spokesperson for the group, told Swedish news agency TT: “To say that you did this for a good cause only makes the mockery of people who are victims of racism and of circumcision worse. Read more...

Watch the video.

August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012

Grammy Award Singer, Model, Actress

Rest in Peace Whitney. On this website, you will always be remembered for the beautiful and talented black female icon that you were, and will always be.

Whitney Houston

The new George Lucas movie “Red Tails”, is a box office film that is inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII. Now, while the movie is about the Tuskegee Airmen (black servicemen), It appears that there are no black women in any of the supporting roles, much less in the film. Even the few scenes that were to showcase one or two black female actresses, appears to have been omitted. I have yet to watch the film, so my views and opinions may change or vary.

Now, if one was to depict such a historical time period of war and racial injustice surrounding black servicemen in a blockbuster movie, why disregard the historical black female love interest of the main black male character, and replace her with a “white female” love interest? Could they not make their… um ‘point’ with someone else or in some other way? I am not saying that there is anything wrong with black male/white female interracial relationships (Ironically, Lucas is presently married to a black woman), but I am usually repulsed at anything which may psychologically suggest that black men being able to sex white women without being ‘lynched’ as the symbol for racial progression. No thanks, I’ll pass.

Most people should realize by now that black female actresses are still getting passed over for even the smallest of supporting roles in large blockbuster films. I can name countless movies, television shows ect. where there are no black female faces at all (Are there no black females in Smallville? well, I think one actually showed up). And sometimes when there is a black female character, she is usually typecast as some sort of unpleasant individual.

I’ve stumbled on a few compelling blog posts that I linked below, and a Youtube contributor with some very interesting thoughts.

Should (black women) Boycott Red Tails?

 

Blog – Black! Not White Dipped in Chocolate: “So, why do Black women appear to be conspicuously absent from this rendition of the Tuskegee airmen and not only that, but they’re replaced by a white woman. My Great Uncle told me when he was overseas in Europe, he and other Black soldiers were routinely approached by German and Italian women and asked if they had tails…The racism that Black men faced both at home and overseas was very intense and frequently it was Black wives, daughters, mothers who had to support them because no one else would.” Read more…

Blog – WAOD:  “Marry who you like. But when you basically say that marrying or having sex with a White woman symbolizes “freedom” and progress what does that say about having relationships with Black women?” Read more…

L.A. Banks

On August 02, 2011, Aurthur L.A. Banks (Leslie Esdaile Banks) passed away at age 51 after her battle with Adrenal Cancer. L.A. Banks is the renowned author of the Vampire Huntress series. She has been an inspiration to many, a literary genius who will be greatly missed.

Clara Luper

Oklahoma civil rights activist and educator Clara Luper — was best known for organizing a 1958 sit-in at a segregated Katz Drug Store in downtown Oklahoma City — died Wednesday night at her home in Oklahoma City. She was 88.

Luper, who was celebrated as a pioneer of civil rights in Oklahoma, organzied a protest that lasted several days and ultimately resulted in the integration of 38 Katz Drug Stores in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.

“She made Oklahoma and the United States of America a better place to live and was a shining example of the distinctly American idea that while we might hail from many cultures, we are one people.”

Throughout the 1960s, Luper worked with the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to stage sit-ins and non-violent protests which ultimately led to the desegregation of restaurants in Oklahoma City. Read more…

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

Clips from the upcoming documentary exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color—particularly dark skinned women, outside of and within the Black American culture.

This film will be released in Fall/Winter 2011. You can “Like” the Dark Girls page on Facebook, and they will keep you updated with news.

Directed by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry
Produced by Bill Duke for Duke Media
and D. Channsin Berry for Urban Winter Entertainment
Co-Produced by Bradinn French
Line Produced by Cheryl L. Bedford
Edited by Bradinn French

A Note from editor, La of Tributetoblackwomen.com:  Some may not agree with Naomi Campbell’s stance in the below article, but this is my opinion about the situation.   In all, Campbell claims to be hurt and insulted by the overall chocolate comparison/association, and I’m sure for being exploited for financial gain without her authorization.  Cadbury knows that the people/Geographic in which they are marketing will assume which “Naomi” the ad is obviously referring to. Naomi Campbell is not being compensated for this obvious exploitation of her global celebrity image and status.

Also, Naomi Campbell, or any other black woman have the right to take offense to any promotion of a product that may consist of racial or skin color innuendos, blatant or otherwise. Furthermore, black women have the right to refute association with certain products or eatable substances, especially a known aphrodisiac substance marketed in a seductive, or sexually arousing manner. I am always one to promote sensual desirability of black women, but there must always be a line drawn to at least secure the respect and the virtue of black womanhood just the same.

Therefore, here you have financial exploitation, subliminal racism, and sexism in one offense towards a black female. If Naomi Campbell feels hurt and insulted, she is within her right.  Also, being compared to, or associated with chocolate may not be offensive to others, nor to some black women. However, Naomi also have a public image to uphold or to protect. She should have had the opportunity to make the chocolate association decision for herself in such case. -La  Tributetoblackwomen.com

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell is considering “every option available,” including a lawsuit, after Cadbury used her name to promote its new Bliss chocolate bar…

The advertisement reads, “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town,” with an image of the candy posed on a mound of diamonds. According to the Independent, Campbell said, “I am shocked. It’s upsetting to be described as chocolate, not just for me, but for all black women and black people. I do not find any humor in this. It is insulting and hurtful.” Her mother, Valerie Morris, explained, “I’m deeply upset by this racist advert. Do these people think they can insult black people and we just take it? This is the 21st century, not the 1950s. Shame on Cadbury.”

Read more… Story from The Huffington Post, Hilary Moss  Posted: 05/31/11 07:12 AM ET

Other links:

Naomi Campbell may sue Cadbury for using her name in ‘racist’ chocolate ads. Supermodel Naomi Campbell has some not-so-sweet words for Cadbury – You are racist.

The 39 year-old supermodel is furious and offended that the chocolate company used her name in an ad for their Dairy Milk Bliss bar. Read more…

By: Tina Fakhrid-Deen | Posted: May 8, 2011 at 12:30 AM for The Root

Being a mother is as hard as it is beautiful. As the mother of an 8-year-old girl, I can personally attest that kids are hard work without even trying to be. Mothers often talk loudly about how rewarding motherhood is while mumbling about the challenging parts, out of fear of not being seen as good parents. As both a mom and the daughter of a lesbian mom (Stenovia Jordan, pictured with me in the photo to the right), I’ve learned that motherhood is not for the weak.

My mother had to drill it into me that I needed to watch my sassy mouth, be more respectful and speak proper English. When I was a preteen, and she would try to get me to understand the value of taking a bath every day, I argued that I’d just get funky again after playing double Dutch, so why try to stay clean? She had to use bribery to get me into that tub.

During my teen years, I spent all of the hard-earned money she had put into my new savings account on a father who hadn’t done anything for me in years, trying to gain his love while neglecting hers. She forgave me for my stupidity, made me get a job and then slowly began adding to my college fund once again. But no matter how good a parent my mother tried to be, she was judged harshly for being who she was.

People told her that she was a detriment to her child and unfit for motherhood. I remember falling out of our third-story window in the projects at age 6, and my mother nursing me back to health while those around her blamed her negligence for my fall. A few years ago, I realized just how easily accidents happen when my own daughter jumped off the couch and onto our glass table, splitting her eyebrow open. Read more…