Uptown Notes

This Sunday’s Unity Brunch of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and The Women of Color Caucus will present a Film Screening and Panel discussion of the film No! The Rape Documentary. Guaranteed to be a powerful, insightful and uplifting. Come on out!

In the Welsh-Asante Aesthic model there is no form without function. In the production of SOARS, by A Long Walk Home you have a powerful art form that is not only stunning but begins the work of healing. Read more about it here.

On April 11th, V Day will be celebrated in Harlem with performances of the Vagina Monologues at 6 and 8pm at the Maysles Institute. The recent headlines have put domestic violence, sex and race on the national radar, though most of the conversations have been too shallow and misdirected for my liking (that’s for a different post). The Vagina Monologues is a uniquely powerful performance and movement to not only stop violence against women but also resurrect love for womanhood in a world where misogyny is the norm. Please SUPPORT!!!!

I was so moved by the trailer to Social Contracts by Laura Rahman that I had to post it and write a post. An insightful clip of documentary dealing with issues of sexual violence in the Black community.

A Re-Post Jewel Woods’ article on Sarah Palin and Men’s votes from Alternet.org.

This is a repost of a powerful piece on Rihanna, Chris Brown, and Domestic Violence in the Black community. Taken from South Side Scholar.

This past week, I had a chance to appear on NPR’s News and Notes with Farai Chideya and discuss racial […]

The campaign and victory of Barack Obama were historic. In leading up the election I received a text that said, “Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Obama could run, Obama ran so our children can fly!” This message, while inspirational, demonstrates the ways that one of the most historic and powerful presidential runs ever gets looked over, if not just downright ignored. In 1972, the campaign of Shirley Chisholm broke both the gender and race barrier in American presidential politics, but her campaign is still relatively unknown. Let me start this with an admission, I knew thatChisholm ran in 1972 but I had no idea about the discourse she pushed, assassination attempts, and what was certainly more than a symbolic run. After watching Chisholm 72- Unbossed and Unbought, I was amazed at her vision, inspired by her bravery, and humbled by the ways we leave her out of history. That is a living example of why we need herstory, particularly within the Black community.

A declaration and dedication to Michelle Obama by Celli Pitt “Sisters and Brothers, the true gift of this election is validation and vindication of Black Womanhood!!
Everyone take note:

Barack has done himself and us a great service by marrying Michelle Obama.
Thank you Michelle for being strong and not diluting your strength.
Thank you Michelle for being highly intelligent and not dumbing down yourself.
Thank you for not starving yourself and not lipo’ing your curves away to fit “standards” that are not authentically yours.
Thank you Michelle for helping to make a great Man Greater.
Thank you Michelle for showing us that intelligence is the True Sexy– bling and oiled biceps can’t compete!
Thank you Michelle for speaking your mind and not allowing that ugly “bitch/angry black woman” label to fertilize itself– thanks for killing it on the vine.” Read the whole post for more!

In a recent Supreme Court decision, Connecticut overturned a ban on same sex marriage. We’re third in line to do […]