I Wake Up MAD!!!

communalperversion: communalperversion: Barbara Smith, Albany...

Sat, 25 May 2013 23:58:16 -0400

communalperversion:

Barbara Smith, Albany NY, 1987, photographed by Robert Giard for his series “Particular Voices: Portraits of Gay and Lesbian Writers”

sorry to reblog myself so soon but can we please talk about how crucial & amazing Barbara Smith is?!!! i get the feeling that she’s not well known (since no one else liked or reblogged this photo yet), so here’s some background and links:

she’s a black lesbian feminist writer/editor/teacher/intellectual/community activist & organizer/poet, born in 1946 in Cleveland, living and active in local politics in Albany NY since the 1980’s

she co-wrote the (incredible!!!) Combahee River Collective Statement in 1977, coining the phrase “identity politics” as we know it and putting forward a brilliant, still totally accurate and relevant anticapitalist intersectional critique (with co-authors Demita Frazier and her twin sister Beverly Smith)

she has consistently and publicly opposed gender essentialism, racism, and heterosexism in 2nd wave feminism; heterosexism and sexism in black freedom struggles; and racism, elitism, assimilationism, and (clueless/privileged/racist) separatism in queer movements— often long before others in those struggles recognized these as real problems

she wrote the foundational essay “Toward a Black Feminist Criticism” in 1977 calling out critics’ sexism, racism, and heterosexism

she co-founded Kitchen Table Women of Color Press in 1980, with Audre Lorde and her then-partner Cherríe Moraga

she co-edited several key black feminist books, including All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave: Black Women’s Studies (1982) and Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology (1983/2000)

got some time to spare? here’s a PDF link to a super-honest and thorough oral history interview, done at Smith College in 2003. it’s 110 pages (!) but very readable and it will make you love her.

also, many of her essays are collected in The Truth That Never Hurts, published in 1998 (buy used for $0.01 on amazon / find in a library). i haven’t read this but i’m sure it is STELLAR.

Photo

Sat, 25 May 2013 23:17:10 -0400

triviabitch: the fact that people seriously debate whether gentrification exists and whether its a...

Sat, 25 May 2013 23:09:51 -0400

triviabitch:

the fact that people seriously debate whether gentrification exists and whether its a good or bad thing makes it pretty clear how many people value white people’s comfort and access to wine bars and artisanal cheese over POCs ability to, you know, live indoors

we are not talking about overcrowding or lack of housing, we’re talking about homes being demolished to make space for a Whole Foods, and POC being forced out of the city once the rent skyrockets

yanghi: Joie Lee.

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:45:22 -0400

yanghi:

Joie Lee.

nezua: frijoliz: — Congressman Steve King (@SteveKingIA) May...

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:46:41 -0400

nezua:

frijoliz:

— Congressman Steve King (@SteveKingIA) May 22, 2013.

Can we just build a fence around this idiot?

he’s a man with a child’s understanding of the world. actually, that’s a huge insult to children, and i’m sorry. children see the world beautifully. this man is asking how to “secure” a “border” in order to finally, for once and all, claim stolen land. but he will never feel secure, and neither will old white men ever stop the descendants of the american indigenous from traveling with the wind and the seasons. he and his ilk provoked war on méxico, fabricated reasons, took half the country, and felt so guilty about all of it, they paid millions and signed a treaty to quash their conscience—as if they had just been shopping for gold-rich territory and found a great deal. then they reneged on the treaty.

and none of it worked. they cannot keep the land free of us, they cannot feel secure, they dream of aliens and invaders, haunted. haunted, haunted, haunted, and only the truth will set you free, mister “king.” until that day (and your death will come to you before you embrace truth), you are a haunted man.

On Useful and Not-So-Useful Definitions of Racism

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:35:14 -0400

On Useful and Not-So-Useful Definitions of Racism:

brute-reason:

Richard Dawkins, whose Twitter feed never fails to amuse, has lately been discussing racism–specifically, against white people.

Dawkins sounds eerily like my high school self here–desperate to stick to his own definitions of things and reject the definitions of others, all while claiming that everyone needs to be using the same definition in order for a discussion to be productive. Dawkins assumes that a dictionary definition is by default more legitimate than a definition provided by people who actually study the subject in question and presumes that what is written in a dictionary is “true” in the same sense as, say, the periodic table or the speed of light. Consider that dictionaries have historically been written by those least likely to understand what racism actually is and how it actually works, because if you’re a white person, racism isn’t something you’re ever forced to give serious thought to.

It is true that if you define racism as “not liking someone based on their race,” then people of color can be just as racist as white people. If you define racism this way, then it is true that the person who dismissed Dawkins’ opinion at the beginning was being racist. If you define racism this way, then it is true that a white person who is treated rudely by a Black person is a victim of racism, and it is true that, strictly speaking, affirmative action is racist.

But the fact is that this isn’t a very useful definition. You might as well make up a word for “not liking someone based on the color of their hair” or “not liking someone based on whether they wear boxers or briefs.” I don’t deny that it’s hurtful when someone doesn’t like you based on something arbitrary like your skin color, but when you’re white, this doesn’t carry any cultural or institutional power. When you’re not white, it does. Because then it’s not just a random asshole who doesn’t like your skin color.

I have had a person of color express prejudice towards me because I’m white exactly once in my life. Once. (And for what it’s worth, it was a stranger on the train who apparently just felt like yelling at people that day.) I have never been denied a job because I’m white. I have never been followed around or stopped and frisked by the police because I’m white. I’ve never been told I’m ugly because I’m white. I have never been told I’m stupid because I’m white, and I’ve never been told that I’m unusually intelligent for a white person.

Disliking someone based on their skin color is not enough for it to be racism. In fact, it’s not even a necessary condition. You can like people of color a lot while still maintaining that they’re just different from white people or that they need protection or that they’re perhaps better suited by nature for servile roles (this was an attitude commonly expressed during slavery). Likewise, you can just loooooove women while still supporting patriarchal laws and cultural norms, which is why I have to laugh when someone’s all like “But how can I be sexist? I LOOOOVE women! ;)”

As a scientist, Dawkins must realize how difficult it is when people take technical terms and use them too generally. For instance, a “chemical” is any substance that has a constant composition and that is characterized by specific properties. Elements are chemicals. Compounds are chemicals. Basically, tons of substances are chemicals, including water. Yet most people use “chemical” to mean “awful scary synthetic substance put into our food/water/hygienic products.” You see products being advertised as “chemical-free,” a laughable concept, and people talking about how “chemicals” are bad for you.

So yes, it’s important to recognize that many people use the word “chemical” in a particular way that conflicts with the definition used by chemists. But that doesn’t suddenly mean that this lay definition becomes the “real” definition and the chemists are suddenly “wrong.” And if you want to rant about the dangers of chemicals with your friends (I’d advise you not to, but whatever), it doesn’t matter if you use the lay definition.

But the way the lay public uses the word “chemical” is essentially meaningless, because they basically use it to mean “substances that may or may not be dangerous but we don’t really know we just know that we can’t pronounce them.” It doesn’t even necessarily refer to synthetic substances, because most people would probably say that cyanide is a chemical, it’s naturally occurring (in fact, it’s produced in certain fruit seeds). So if you want to discuss chemicals with a chemist, you’d better use the actual definition, because the terms used by chemists are more precise and useful.

Of course, when it comes to race it’s not quite as benign as people taking chemistry terms and using them haphazardly. It’s important to remember that white people have a vested interest in ignoring the structural causes and effects of racism–the kind that are best encapsulated in the definition of racism preferred by sociologists and activists. It’s uncomfortable to talk about racism this way. It’s painful and guilt-inducing to acknowledge that you (as a white person) have benefited from unearned privileges at the expense of people of color. It’s awkward to admit that affirmative action is not “bias in favor of people of color”; it’s an attempt to correct for the fact that college admissions and hiring practices are actually prejudiced in favor of whites, and this has been shown by controlled studies over and over again.

What’s significantly more comfortable is claiming that “everyone can be racist” and “Blacks can be racist too” and “some Blacks are even more racist toward whites than whites are toward them.” That is a definition of racism that white folks can deal with. But that doesn’t make it useful for actually talking about the things that matter.

"It’s an affront to common sense to suggest there is equivalence between black-on-white bigotry and..."

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:29:14 -0400

“

It’s an affront to common sense to suggest there is equivalence between black-on-white bigotry and its opposite. As an aggregate, bigoted blacks have much less power to injure whites than vice versa. They also have less history of doing so. These are incontrovertible facts that render hollow the yowling demands that the racism of blacks be accorded a place in the national consciousness commensurate with that of white people.

So when you find a black bigot, feel free to censure and ostracize him or her as the circumstance warrants. I don’t care. Just don’t pretend the transgression is what it is not. Don’t claim it represents a significant threat to the quality of life of white Americans at large. Because if it represents such a threat, then where are the statistics demonstrating how black bias against whites translates to the mass denial of housing, bank loans, education, employment opportunities, voting rights, medical care or justice?

And please, spare me the anecdote about Jane, who couldn’t get into school or Joe, who lost his job because of affirmative action. Not the same. Not even close. There are, in fact, reams of statistics documenting that racism has fostered generation after generation of Joes and Janes — not to mention Jamillas, Rasheeds and Keshias — in the African-American community. And those numbers come not from the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, the Congressional Black Caucus or any other group with an ax to grind but, rather, from the federal government and from university think tanks.

Yet even with those bona fides, some people find evidence of white racism’s power dishearteningly easy to ignore.They have to, I suppose. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to continue pretending an equivalency that does not exist.

”

- Leonard Pitts, Jr. (via smashingcontrolmachines)

itfeelslikegold: getbackinthewagonwoman: freshprincesubs: Will...

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:23:36 -0400

itfeelslikegold:

getbackinthewagonwoman:

freshprincesubs:

Will & Jaden Smith performing on the Graham Norton Show a Switch/Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme tune remix with an appearance from DJ Jazzy Jeff & Alfonso Ribeiro :)

aka THE BEST THING EVER!!

i’ve never seen bradley cooper happier

That was perfect.

shamaninasuit: Please help! Richmond, VA, 23235 This is my cat...

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:04:35 -0400

shamaninasuit:

Please help!

Richmond, VA, 23235

This is my cat Butterball, whom I’ve had since he was born. (I helped deliver him.) He’s a very good cat, and very important to me. However, I am going to be homeless starting on the 29th of May— I won’t have any way to support him or a place to keep him.

I love him very much, and I don’t want to take him to an animal shelter— I’d much rather see him go directly to a loving home, so I’m hoping that someone in the area can take him in. (In the future, if it’s possible, I’d really like to get him back, but as long as he’s with a loving family…)

He is an orange and white adult (older, but not elder) male cat who has been neutered. He’s very smart, and knows several words, including ‘no,’ ‘food,’ ‘snicker snacks (treats)’ ‘outside,’ and ‘lay down’. He’s litterbox trained but prefers the outside. He’s usually too lazy to hunt, but he loves to cuddle with people and is a very affectionate cat. He also loves people food, and is a terrible begger— and be careful if you have roast beef around him, he’ll go straight for it!

His health is good, but he sneezes a lot and sometimes likes wet cat food when he can get it because he is missing some teeth. (This is not a requirement, but he’ll love you for it!)

He’s a very lovely cat, and he deserves to find a loving home. Please, if you’re in the area and can possibly adopt him, please send me an ask and I’ll give you contact details to reach me. If you can’t, I humbly ask that you reblog this— I trust tumblr to help me find someone loving for him.

kyssthis16: pharaohhearts: mymindison1: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I can’t...

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:00:41 -0400

kyssthis16:

pharaohhearts:

mymindison1:

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I can’t LOL

GOOD FUCKING NIGHT, TUMBLR!!!!

jessehimself: Rare footage of Helen Keller speaking (1930...

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:31:35 -0400

jessehimself:

Rare footage of Helen Keller speaking (1930 Newsreel Footage) (by transformingArt)

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:25:11 -0400

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:54:24 -0400

Fat Body Politics: gnomees: My mother is an interesting woman. She’s this person who will...

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:12:28 -0400

Fat Body Politics: gnomees: My mother is an interesting woman. She’s this person who will...:

gnomees:

My mother is an interesting woman. She’s this person who will never know who the Kardashians are (I’m kind of jealous of that one), or be aware of politics of any kind. Hates horror movies. Hates “newfangled music”. Totally needs a cane, so she can whack those young whippersnappers…

latenightjimmy: ICYMI: Everyone’s gotta bust a move during...

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:28:15 -0400

latenightjimmy:

ICYMI: Everyone’s gotta bust a move during Freestylin’ with The Roots.

(Part 2)

"I find it strange that today, when so many people walk around with tiny computers in their pockets -..."

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:23:35 -0400

“I find it strange that today, when so many people walk around with tiny computers in their pockets - cameras, phones, personal organisers, iPods - there exists no object at all to slip into your pussy when you go out for a stroll that will rip up the cock of any fucker who sticks it in there. Perhaps it isn’t desirable to make female genitalia inaccessible by force. A woman must remain open, and fearful. Otherwise, how would masculinity define itself?”

- Virginie Despentes, King Kong Theory (via sociophilia)

sexartandpolitics: Njideka Akunyili Top: I Always Face You,...

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:04:59 -0400

sexartandpolitics:

Njideka Akunyili

Top: I Always Face You, Even When It Seems Otherwise, 2012

Acrylic, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, collage and Xerox transfers on paper (two panels)
Each panel: 6.5 ft. × 6.5 ft.

Middle: The Beautiful Ones, 2012

Acrylic, pastel, color pencils and Xerox transfers on paper
8 ft. × 5.6 ft.

Bottom: 5 Umezebi St., New Haven, Enugu, 2012
Acrylic, charcoal, pastel, color pencil and xerox transfer on paper
7 ft. × 8.75 ft.

satanic2chainz: buttlid: kymherz: ippinka: Try out a cool...

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:49:06 -0400

satanic2chainz:

buttlid:

kymherz:

ippinka:

Try out a cool way to separate egg yolks from egg whites!

this is genius.

this is actually lifechanging

gah

themostgrotesque: drawpaintprint: Elizabeth Catlett: Survivor...

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:56:27 -0400

themostgrotesque:

drawpaintprint:

Elizabeth Catlett: Survivor (1983) Woodcut print

Elizabeth Catlett woodcuts are fucking perfect. She just gets the mark of a woodcut and her expressions are always on point. Check out some of her prints that are in color. Breathhhhh takkkkinng

malanga-coco: one of my favorite things on the internet

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:44:49 -0400

malanga-coco:

one of my favorite things on the internet