10 Ways to Teach Your Child they are Beautiful.

This is inspired by a couple stories of parents with dark skinned children needing to teach their sons and daughters that they are precious just the way God made them.  However, with the rise of body image issues in young children, it certainly applies to many if not all children.

Source: forwardisapace.com via Felicia on Pinterest

1. Start a Pinterest board and include images that look like your child or a variety of children to teach about diversity.
2. Turn off the television.  Images on television only teach children to grow up too fast and to look a couple specific ways.
3. Protest or create awarenes.  You could create awareness using a site such as change.org to help give your child a sense of empowerment.
4. Create a poster.  Here is some inspiration
5. Find birthday cards, books, magazines with people who look like them.
6. If you cant find the items in number 4 use colored pencil to darken the skin color on some of the images.
7. Ask friends to do the same when giving books or cards. This is much more significant than one might first assume. I still remember getting my first card with someone who looked like me on the cover.  I kept it for years.
8. Introduce positive role models of the same race (or whatever aspect they may be struggling with). Please do not show your son any old gangster rap artist and “say you can be anything you want to be.” Athletes may be overused as well.  You may find some here.  I will try to come up with some more lists specifically for this purpose. (Don't worry they won't all be black)
9. Create a beauty blog. This example deals with recovering from eating disorders but you could create one based on any topic.
10. Talk to them.  Tell them they are beautiful and wonderful just the way they are.  Do this every day.

What are some strategies you have used to help your child gain confidence in their physical appearance, or in general?

Make it Plain: Art Exhibition

RSVP on Facebook

I am proud to announce that Make it Plain will be a part of the 16th Annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice this year.

For those of you who do not know, Make it Plain is my art exhibition focusing on African American religious culture and history.  You can check out more information and see more images on my Art + Design blog.

The opening for my solo exhibition will be held in the 234 Gallery (in the University of Wyoming Union) on Wednesday, March 28 from 6-8pm directly follow a talk by Tim Wise (one of my favorite social justice speakers out there).  I have created some posters in response to Time Wise...Be sure to look for those.

The show will be up from Monday March 19 - 31.

If you missed my Make it Plain solo exhibition the first time around, be sure to check it out now.  I am proud to say that the first showing was quite a success and I believe this one will be as well.


If you can not make it be sure to check out my Art on Facebook and like the page.

Happy Birthday Black Jesus!

For Christmas I would like to share some of my recent artwork dealing with Jesus Christ.

Happy birthday Jesus!!!

I pray that you will be with the poor, the lonely, the humble, 

and the weak on this beautiful day.

I also pray that people will be willing to help those in need,

just a Jesus of the oppressed would (and did) do.

Amen!

A Black Jesus

This poster, with an image of a Black Jesus, is designed to represent James Cone's theology in my Make it Plain art exhibition.  James Cone was a theologian who made the idea of a black Jesus famous.  Cone was responding to the images of a white Jesus and a white God that supported the oppression, murder, enslavement, and oppression of blacks. James Cone responded with the idea that Jesus represents the oppressed peoples, and Jesus therefore was seen as black.

Cone combined the ideas of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.  He took Malcolm's ideas of self love and a added them to Kings philosophy of loving others.  Cone  used MLK Jr's Black Christian theology.  James Cone is known as the founder of Black Liberation Theology (which still had some grit if you read his actual sermons).

The church responded to Cone with the idea "God is not black; God is race-less."  Keep in mind before Cone, God was seen as white often with blonde hair and blue eyes....sorry, God is not European (don't worry I know Jesus was not biologically African either).

For Christmas I would like to wish Jesus a happy birthday and thank him for teaching us to love those our society sees as bad, evil, poor and untouchable. 

European Jesus from Sodahead.com

People who have heard of James Cone in response to the anti Obama campaigns, have heard incredibly distorted views of what black Liberation Theology actually is saying.  These same people seem to forget the circumstances that men like James Cone and Malcolm X were responding to and living with on a daily basis.

Visit my art blog to see more art work from this Make it Plain

Click here to listen to James Cone on NPR.

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Update: I don't believe the BLT is 100% perfect, anything that is "Jesus +" is not the true Gospel. Nor do I believe that Jesus was actually black. This poster was a component of a larger art exhibition.

Haiti Journal Entry 1 or He is Risen Indeed

Disclaimer: Well this post is a bit of rambling (I'm not even sure if there is a complete thought, but I know there are at least two partial thoughts)…If you follow, great. If not check back later because I might try to tidy it up a bit (but for now I need to get back to studying...)

Wow, I am not even sure how to explain the power of Jesus’ resurrection other than amazing. Sometimes it hits me like a great big brick wall of love and grace and other times I seem to shrug it off (I think because I don’t fully comprehend it).

The process of trying to get my passport has been a nightmare. I wont go too deeply into the problems that I have been having but every time I have gone into the courthouse so far they seem to find a new reason why I cant just hand in the paperwork.  It is also frustrating because I cant help but wonder what the experience would be if I was a white male (I know people don't like to admit that racism still exists but it does especially in situations like this).  Anyways, I followed the directions online perfectly but the people at the courthouse keep telling me that this and that wont work but will not give me reasons why or how to fix them.  The most recent time they told me that they can’t accept my drivers license because it is out of state and the time before that they said that the photo paper my image was printed on wont work (The Copy Center used the paper that their (Passport people's) website had posted and the office couldn't tell me what paper to use).

Jim is convinced that the devil is trying to thwart the process and tell me that “God doesn’t want me to go.” It sure seems like God is telling me that I am not supposed to go for some reason, but I do agree with Jim that God rarely tells people not to serve. 

Today at Easter breakfast with some people from my church, I was really encouraged, and finally think that I have the information about how to fix the details of the problem. The church service was great too. Talk about the resurrection power of God when it comes to changing things around (The sermon went much deeper than a missions trip in content and make-you-think-ness). I am pretty confident that I am supposed to go and things are looking like they will work out.

Thanks you God for you son and all that he/you did throuhgh his birth, life, death and resurrection. Amen!

I think that the sermon from today (4/24) should be up soon. It was wonderful.

Black People Love Us

The happy couple loved by black people.

I figured I would finish up my Black History Month series with some humor...

Black People Love Us is an absolutely wonderful website.

It is the story of a happy couple, who are loved by a myriad of black people.  They seem to love being loved and in response created this great website.  It comes complete with the testimonials of their black friends explaining why they love this white couple.

The site also addresses some common stereotypes, but you cant keep yourself from laughing...

Research for Possible Graphics project

After all this research, I think I will do another poster series, or some other graphics/art project, on African American history and culture.

Some possible topics could be:

1. The importance of African American hair and its history.  Why people started relaxing their hair.  Why it is seem today as good or bad.
- Black is Beautiful
- Intro to Black Hair  - Coil Review
- My Natural Hair Journey

2. Various activists
- Assata Shakur
- Marcus Garvey
- Sojouner Truth

3. African music, art and poetry.  Though I have not posted much here are some artists, I found interesting.
- Slam NUBA
- African American Reading List   (Secret Life of Bees, From Strength to Love, Black Power and Black Theology, and Bullets (from Slam NUBA))
- For Colored Girls (should be added to my reading list)

4. "Black is Beautiful," "Black Pride" or "My Black is Beautiful." One of the main issues that I found on this topic is the debate between relaxed and natural hair and what it says about an African American woman.
- My Black is Beautiful


5. African religion and spirituality
African Spirits in the Diaspora

6. White Privilege and Light-Skinned Privilege (you get some for ex. I don't get followed at wall mart but still cant see myself in a wedding magazine to see what a dress would look like on me.) This topic could also talk about how all (most) people have privilege and how to use those privileges to stand up for others.

7. I am not sure how this would be used in a project, but the importance of Black Liberation Theology.


These are just some possibilities for research that I can use in future graphics projects...

Some more Black Beauty for you

Black Art and ArtistsGorgeous art work


I love the use of the figure in many of these. I will be posting about life drawing in my other blog soon and will add a link with my artist statement.

African American Art


I’m not a huge fan of the song but the paintings are absolutely gorgeous.

Here is another Artist whose work I enjoyed - Vanessa Turner

I guess since I am black, I will post links to my work as well
Face Book Page - Be sure to like it
My Art Blog
My Website

Black superheros

Here is a chance for you to see my true nerdy-ness.  I love comics and superhero video games.  My favorite game is Justice league and my favorite comic is probably Arkham Asylum.  I would like to show you some superheros that are not as well known.

Some of my favorite back superheroes include Onyx, Green Lantern, Storm and Black Panther.  I like Onyx because she is an assassin and Elektra is also one of my favorites.  Storm is pretty famous, and Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern that I play as in Justice League.


Anyways enjoy some characters you may not be familiar with.


over 60

20 more

Vol 3

not just female


Alicia Keys - Superwoman

African America Reading List

The Secret Life of Bees
By: Sue Monk Kidd

I worked at a church camp one summer and one of my campers gave me this book. It was the grandmother of three of the children (it was a family camp).  This book is about strong black women living in the 1960's dealing with life and racism.  I remember that I really liked the book but don’t remember much.

Book Review
Movie Trailer



Another clip of the movie and an interview with Alicia Keys.  I had no clue that she was in The Cosby Show.  Either way I have always love Alicia Keys...



From Strength to Love

This book is compiled of sermons from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They are incredibly powerful.

When reading this book you can really see how it is black theology.  MKL Jr. addresses African Americans and standing up to the white man with love an peace. 

When I was reading it I was really excited that I could see parallels with James Cone (which makes sense).















Black Power and Black Theology


James Cone

James Cone takes his theology from the Christianity of Martin Luther King and mixes it with a little Malcolm X.  We are starting to read one of his other books in my African American Religions Culture class.  It should be a good controversial read (considering I am going to school in Wyoming).

More information on James Cone








You Tube Video


What Obama’s church says about Obama is that he has deep roots in America’s history and his hisoty different from that of the average white person.  We are one America with the same history but denying that different people had very different experiences in that history is complete ignorance.  I think that the fear is that many people are afraid to admit that this historical difference still has major impacts in society.  Cone should also be seen as a art of the time period. 

God is the God of the oppressed.

Bullets by Suzie Q Smith

This is the next book on my reading list...

I have heard one of these poems performed love and loved it. The main aspect of slam poetry that I love is how it is usually socially active and intelligent. It is a powerful form of art that can, and will, change the world.

What books would you add to this list?

Why I Hate Black History Month

First off it is obvious that I don't hate Black History Month but figured I would throw give you a break with some other perspectives.




The Video Below 

Jewish American Heritage Month


Is Black History Month Racist 
I like this video quite a bit.


Morgan Freeman


My Personal Rant (Just some thoughts, I hope they are not too jumbled and I hope they are developed enough that you can make some sense from them)  Just comment if you want clarification or to argue.  I am not dead set on any of these being the right answer (nor am I set on there actually being a right answer).

Hmm I think that culture and the color of skin (this is a little about James Cone - see below) are some things that should be praised and cherished, not ignored. Trying to turn all history into American history is a lofty and respectable goal; however if there is any chance that we would loose the individual and unique cultures along the way, I can not support “one history.”

I can see American culture morphing into one culture over time but I am not going to fight for less variety in culture or a unification of two cultures that don’t necessarily work as one.

Sometimes I wonder if the main reason for the argument that we should not have an African-American, and a Mexican-American, and a Italian-American and all the other hyphenated-American cultures is because some of the histories are too hard to deal with.  I guess what I am trying to say is that we already don't talk about "the other" or the US history of "the other."  If you want to learn about more of some of these histories, click on a name.  Asatta Shakur   Mumia Abu Jamal  Sojourner Truth   Marcus Garvey  Maya Angelou   Langston Hughes  Still on the way - W.E.B. DuBois  James Cone (see my above rambling)  Dead Prez  Bob Marley  The Marroons   Malcolm X   MLK Jr  Emmit Till  Harriet Tubman.

At some point I would love to do a series on Native American History, maybe I will for Native-American Day.  I think that many NA's got the shaft more than many blacks in the US.  Many people don't even know what is going on, on many of the Indian reservations.

Maybe people don't want to admit that there are still problems, they don't understand that there are still problems, or understand the nature and history of these problems.  It is ok to not understand or think that we should just get over our past histories but it is not ok to sweep the history under the rug of the dominate culture because we want to maintain our naive ignorance.

Here are some more responses to the original video

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=why+i+hate+black+history+month&aq=f

My favorite response
These guys are pretty funny, but watch "I hate Black History Month" first.

Jewish American Heritage Month

I like this girl too



Another response I enjoy
Hah, I don't blame Bush for the events she is discussing but for more conspiracy theories check out my Illuminate you mind project (my blog post and website)


I have heard that they don't study the Holocaust in Germany nearly as much as we do in America. Is this true? Does Germany ignore some of the events that we see as blatant facts? Just curious, because if this is true it does show that "the winner" controls the history. If anyone knows, I am really curious to hear input.

White Privilege?

My professor from my African American Religious History class just posted a list of everything she gets because she is white (her white privilege). I thought I would post my response. Many of the items/events on the list were things that I have just gotten used to some of them like getting a card with a person on it that looks like me is one of the most exciting events that can happen. I will see if I can get permission and post some quotes from her post in class.

Here is the essay her post was based on. If you scroll about halfway down you will see the list.
Anyways here is my response.

That list is fascinating, sad, and true. I didn’t really think about it but many of the examples on that list are significant. Getting a card with people who look like you is an exciting feeling for a little girl. Not being able to find a wedding topper with an interracial couple is nearly impossible (we used Black Barbie and Ken instead).

I also have many of those advantages when I am with white people, with the exception of the last twenty. : ) Ok so I also have the economic advantages, not the others. (I typed the first sentence before I finished reading the list, but it made me think so I left it.) I only get followed around Sheels in RC when with others who are Native or black. By myself I am fine. : )

As of the last few years, I have realized that a lot of my economic advantage has come from the fact that I was raised by white parents (my biological mom and adoptive father) and not my biological father or with my half siblings. I grew up on the nice side of town and went to the good/rich/white school, not the “poor little school” (as the previous superintendent referred to the other school.  I’m not sure that I am allowed to tell people that).

If you look at my biological siblings, none of them went to college or even managed to make it as a “productive member of society,” as my parents would say. (They were both in gangs; my sister is dead and my brother in jail). They both had to deal with a lot of racism. They are the two kids that were living with our biological father (Anthony Dye) in this newspaper article.

People (close white family members again, I love them all) tell me that it is not because of race but because I work hard. Both of my siblings also worked hard. I do work hard as well, but I also didn’t grow up watching my daddy get shot when I was 10 years old, and then move to one of the worst reservations in the US, either. It is hard not to attribute my success, at least somewhat, on the race of my parents or their situations. My grandma (also white) does as well. She has told me that she is glad about these specific situations and others. For example, she congratulated me not because I had gotten engaged but because I “found a nice white boy,” and then explained why it would be detrimental for me to be with a black man.

Strange Fruit

Link to Strange Fruit Video

I am currently reading OLudah Equiano for my African American Religious Culture class. The chains in this video remind me of the chains and mussles he talks about seeing other Africans being forced to wear.  It makes me cringe...

Black is Beautiful

 Black is Beautiful

Here is some self love for Valentines day!






This video alludes to some of the spiritual implications from black culture and history. Several African cultures saw their hair as connecting them to the spirits, or God because it reached to the sun. This is where the term “children of the sun” came from.  Anyways I like the history of natural hair way more than the history of relaxed hair.

Here is some of that history.  Enjoy!

The Coil Review

Coil Review
I don't know much about this but it cracks me up every time I see it.


In the comments sections on YouTUbe felixicon says "actually i dont mean to b rude but we are not (black's) the only race of people that feel that way it's every culture and race everyone is trying to achieve the european look asian, american, indian, midle wast ect.. so again alot of black people need to recognize the problem and stop blaming things on each other embrace our brother and sisters faults so we could grow out of this epidemic."

He has a good point but embracing ourselves (wether natural or relaxed) could be a wise priority.  The lack natural being beautiful is something that should be addressed and changed and this video does that in a slightly humorous way.

Afrikan Education and the Three Rs

Afrikan Independent Education - A different cultural grounding, a different world view (the way we see and interact with the world.)

- Make it Plain vid.


I’m not as big of a fan of the two hosts as I am the people that are interviewed.

I really like the interviews. It is great that they speak with people in the education field. The teacher (she seems like an art teacher, but is a Social Studies teacher and has art in the background) is my favorite. I love that she compares the African to American values of relationship and knowledge (2:40). The breakdown of the way people see the world (4:20).

I also agree with the math teacher. We don’t need more math in the “boarding worksheet kind of way,” lets start a chess club where we break down the math.

I do think that programs like Central High School has for Native Americans are essential.
“Its not about getting a job…”

education part 1



I don’t think that most education systems are as bad as the one in this video. I can not argue about the race part. I have never been in a black public school. I also am not a huge fan of this video but I will point out some of the more interesting quotes and through out some random comments.
I agree that schools should stay a local issue.

The three Rs.
reading, remembering and regurgitating
I know that it is bad when the schools teach our kids things that we don’t want them to believe, it is bad. I understand this and don’t disagree but I do also believe that staying home with our kids will do more for them than changing the school system. If the school isn’t doing its job of making kids think for themselves, the parents need to step in and teach the kids to think and learn on their own. It is true that you get educated at home.

The language thing is a silly argument, here and in relationship to the Internet and texting. Kids can separate the two.  But in response to my solution to the problem, I might have to say that the kids might need to work harder.  It stink but sometimes you need to work harder to get the same grades as others.  I am not trying to be mean and I realize that this isn't always realistic but when it is possible, do it.

I agree we should have more arts infused into other subjects. Math and science wont do any good without creativity and the ability to think critically for your self. The best Geometry project we had was to design a racetrack. We then voted on our favorite and drew it in the parking lot. We raced remote control cars for extra credit. I still remember how on ramps and exit ramps were created from that project.

I disagree with them about MLK Jr.  I think that both the Panthers (and other similar groups) and MLK were necessary for the battle but I think that MLK did more good than harm.  I would also say the same about the Panthers, Malcolm X, James Cone and many other famous African American activists.  You need the balance (through variety) for a social movement to end well.

How would you change education, the education system, or the way you responded to the education system?  Do you think it needs changes?  What can you do to actually solve or better a problem that you see?  It can be in regard to race, religion or anything else.

My Natural Hair Juorney

In response to my hair videos (I still have a couple more coming) I figured I would post some photos of my hair.  The last time I relaxed my hair was a few weeks before my wedding (May 23, 2009).  Since then I decided that I didn't want to deal with spending the time or the money to get it relaxed, so i didn't.

My hair still takes time but I am taking care of it better and I have so much more freedom.  I can get my hair wet, don't have to worry about the humidity, and I have the option of wearing it curly or flat ironed (I know this does damage the hair).  Here are some photos since I have gone natural.

They are all pretty bad photos of me, but you can see the hair.  I usually do my hair, or take it out, late at night (from 12 - 4am) so they are all late night before bed images.

I have no clue why I was making that face.

I think that this is my favorite curly hair or at least my favorite amount of curl.

Twists.  There is a better picture of them down below. 

I am still learning how to detangle/brush my hair so it took me a long time to get the tangles out without breakage.  

The twists probably took an hour maybe two, with detangling it was over 4 hours.

Here is my twist out.  It was late and I was tired.  It took a while.  I tend to leave protective styles in for a long time.  It was about one or two months, I think, some of the new growth started to dread.  It made for a late night.  But taking my time paid off.  I was shocked at the length that I had...

Deep conditioning, a co-wash, and four hours of flat ironing later.

In the winter (currently, I might change this) I co-wash about once a month and add about a tsp of olive oil before I go to bed every night.  I also use Shea Butter and other conditioners daily.  It seems to be working.  We have COLD, windy and snowy winters here and I do not want to risk shampooing the oils out, I also don't want build up of product.  Finding the happy medium may take a while.
  

In the summer I wash or co-wash my hair a about once/week.  I oil and condition more often.  About 3 tbsps a day if I wear it curly.

I do love how long my hair has grown due to going natural.

Miscellaneous photos

Simple protective style.

Marcus Garvey

The official Marcus Garvey website
The Influence of Marcus Garvey Video series
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

I had little knowledge about Marcus Garvey and the details of his life. Some of the things that I did know about him prior to these videos include the “Back to Afrika” movement and that he had involvement in Rastafari.

Wikipedia has some great information about the man.

Garvey played a large role in the African American religious scene in the 1920s, some even claimed that he was the reincarnation of John the Baptist and was preparing the way for Haile Selassie 1 of Ethiopia.  I will post about Rastafari in the future (though probably not for Black History Month).

I think that I will also post on the significance of these flags at some point.  I used to know what the colors specifically represent (both the slang and the traditional symbolism, but I do not remember).

African American Barbie

Black Barbie


There are many pro and anti Barbie arguments out there. I see some validity in both. I realize that Barbie does offer unrealistic and impossible ideals about body image to young girls. At the same time Barbie has shown many young women that they can be anything that they want.

These examples of Black Barbies are inspiring because a lot of black women may not have been told that they can do anything that they want, however, black women can do anything the same as anyone else.  I love that some of these Barbies have natural hair, another important topic to the black community.

No matter where you stand on the pro to anti Barbie spectrum, it is hard to deny that these images haveto potential to offer inspiration to many young ladies around the world. In addition they shed light on an important part of American history.

My Black is Beautiful

This Black is Not Beautiful!

When I was little most of the black women that I had to look up to were not the greatest role models. There were not many respectable black people, male or female, on TV (BET or MTV). It is sad when an entire group of people is completely misrepresented for entertainment.

Anyone know what blackface was? Well a good example of it (people making money off of a caricature of black people) is the gangster rap they play on the radio. I will give you guys some examples of socially aware and intelligent hip hop in a future post, probably this month (here are some past music posts Bad Brains, a Gospel Choir).

NPR on blackface 

The point of Black History Month is not only to educate ourselves but to be proud of what makes us (not just blacks but people in general) unique and beautiful. Because I believe that all women and girls should have the opportunity to see beautiful, intelligent and respectable women who look like them, I decided to post this. And for those of you who are not a black female, I believe that you deserve to see something other than the dancer in the latest Jay-Z video. You deserve to see real beauty and real people. 

My Black is Beautiful Manifesto

My Black is Beautiful
From the color of my skin, to the texture of my hair, to the length of my strands, to the breadth of my smile,
To the stride of my gait, to the span of my arms, to the depth of my bosom, to the curve of my hips, to the glow of my skin,
My Black is Beautiful.
It cannot be denied. It will not be contained. And only I will define it.
For when I look in my mirror, my very soul cries out,
My Black is Beautiful.
And so today, I speak it out loud, unabashedly, I declare it anew,
My Black is Beautiful.
Whether celebrated, imitated, exploited or denigrated. Whether natural from inside or skillfully applied,
My Black is Beautiful.
To my daughters, my sisters, my nieces, my cousins, my colleagues and my friends,
I speak for us all when I say again,
My Black is Beautiful.

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What makes you beautiful?

Sojourner's Truth

"That man over there say that women needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen childern, and seen 'em most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talks 'bout this ting in de head; what this they call it? ('Intellect' whispered someone near) "That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or nigger's rights? (keep?) If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't ye be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he say women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothin' to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn de world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, de men better let 'em. Obliged to ye for hearin' on me, and now ole Sojourner hasn't got nothin' more to say…"

Speech given by Sojourner Truth at a Woman's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851

Up From Slavery - Interactive

Any thoughts?