Idiosyncratic Sista

Selling Dirt!

ISista — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:28:07 -0500

According to Black News.com-Associated Press , many inhabitants of Haitis poorest areas often resort to eating cookies made of dried yellow dirt. Specifically, the recipe includes: dried yellow dirt, salt, and vegetable shortening. These cookies have become known as a traditional haitian remedy for hunger pangs. Due to increasing prices in food and oil, many inhabitants have been unable to afford even a plate of rice. Yet, the irony of the story is that these mud cookies are often not prepared by individuals for personal consumption, but by groups of workers in an effort to be sold in markets or the streets!

-Isista

"STOP" Campaign

ISista — Tue, 01 May 2007 19:36:43 -0400

The National Advancement for Colored People (NAACP), has launched a new campaign entitled, "STOP". The purpose of this campaign is to "STOP" the production, enlistment, and support of demeaning images of African Americans in the media, specifically African American women. It is relatively known that everyone is impacted in some way by the media and tends to formulate ideas, values, and beliefs by observing " the images and concepts delivered into our lives on a daily basis by radio, television, film and the Internet". We all know that everything that is shown, is neither positive nor productive. Therefore, it is up to us to take a stand for something, or we will fall for anything!!!!

STOP Defaming Our Women… by respecting all African American Women and not describing them in profane and derogatory terms
STOP Degrading Our Community… by not supporting hurtful images that portray negative images of the African American community
STOP Denigrating Our History… by not supporting words and media that diminishes our proud history and insults our ancestors
STOP Accepting Disrespect… by not patronizing companies and artists that put forth demeaning and disrespectful images in our community
START Standing Up… by standing up against anyone who diminishes the capacity of young people
START the Diversity… by supporting balance and diversity of content in the entertainment industry to create positive role models for young people and by demanding more African Americans and other people of color in decision making positions in the entertainment industry

Andreeeeeeeee Miller!

ISista — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:42:46 -0400

I apologize for the long break, but am sure you all can understand. Nevertheless, I just wanted to share with you all that this weekend, I have had the pleasure of meeting and just plain chillin' with one of my Hubby's childhood friends...the one, the only, ANDRE MILLER of the Philadelphia 76ers!!!! WOW....I can truly say that I am honored to have met him. He's a very intelligent, humble, down to earth young man who definitely has his head on straight. He has definitely inspired both my Hubby and I to continue to reach for our goals, yet remain true to ourselves. Andre, we would like to thank you for your words of advice and pray that the Lord continues to bless you and your family for many years to come!!! Keep in touch...Mr. Miller (lol)

76ers Celebrate Black History Month

PHILADELPHIA - FEBRUARY 27

PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 23

On the Lighter Side....

ISista — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:10:28 -0400

Breakdancing Kid!

Black is Beautiful!

ISista — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:34:06 -0500

Kiri Davis, 17 year-old Director for the film, “A Girl Like Me”, captures the experiences of young African American women relative to the ideals/standards of beauty etc. as set forth in our society. This film provides incite into the fact that not only does this unrealistic ideal of beauty affect adult women of color, but also teenagers and young children.

Many young African American women are forced to live within standards they know they cannot truly attain, as some try to attain the unattainable only to learn that what God has given them, is in the fact what matters most. Young ladies…Love yourself and accept the hair texture, skin color God has given you!

Thanks Blackstick22 for the video!!

On the Lighter Side...

ISista — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:23:10 -0500

Fergie better watch out!

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD)

ISista — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:31:44 -0500

Today, February 7th, is the seventh annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This day was established in 1999 in an effort to build capacity, increase awareness, and to participate in and support HIV prevention, care and treatment among African Americans.

Statistics***

* African Americans comprise only 13 percent of the U.S. population, but account for over 50 percent of estimated new HIV/AIDS cases and 51 percent of the people who die with AIDS.

* Seventy-two African Americans are infected with HIV every day.

* African Americans accounted for 55 percent of deaths due to HIV in 2002.

* Nearly 70 percent of women with AIDS are Black. In 2004, the rate of diagnoses for Black women was 23 times the rate for White women.

***Statistics have been pulled from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People website.

Additional Resources:

NAACP Health Advocacy Department

http://www.naacp.org/advocacy/health/

National HIV Testing Resources Web site or call CDC-INFO 24 Hours/Day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), 1-888-232-6348 (TTY), in English, en Español.

http://www.hivtest.org/

Joe Biden on Barack Obama!

ISista — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 02:23:53 -0500

Something to think about. Full story will be provided shortly.

Barack Is Setting Up Camp!

ISista — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:59:30 -0500

Alas, according to the Washington African American Newspaper (Volume 115 No. 23), Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill) has established an exploratory committee last week for a possible run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. The purpose of this committee will be to "gauge public opinion, fundraising capabilities and media strategy for a candidate”. Although, Obama has established the aforementioned committee, please note that his formal decision to run for the white house will be made on February 10, 2006.

According to Congressional Quarterly, Sen. Obama has decided to use Universal Health Care as a Policy Theme. While speaking at the Families USA Conference, in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2007, Obama expressed “In the 2008 campaign, affordable, universal health care for every single American must not be a question of whether, it must be a question of how.”

Thus far, although it is not conclusive , it does however appear that Sen.Obama will be running for president!

On Oprah: Working Mothers vs. Stay-at-Home Mothers

ISista — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:46:42 -0500

Upon watching a dose of Oprah this week-specifically the other day, I happened upon a topic which has seemingly touched the hearts of many women across the country; one I suppose never really touched my heart until recently. This particular episode of Oprah was entitled, “My Baby or My Job:Why Elizabeth Vargas Stepped Down ”

Basically, the preceding episode was somewhat representative of women who were either adamant about being a stay at home mother or adamant about focusing on their careers. According to the above linked site: “Two-thirds of the working moms who responded said they would quit work and stay home with their kids if they could….Among the stay-at-home moms, more than one-third wished they worked outside the home.”

Although I have found it to be a very interesting episode to watch, I have however, found it to be most surprising to learn that some women representative of each side were somewhat resentful of their counterparts and denigrated each other and their duties within a given day.

Personally, I believe that we as women should not put down another because of the decision she makes, but rather be understanding as to why she has made the decision she has and be respectful of it. A decision such as this should be decided on a case by case basis, as what is right for one family, may not necessarily be right for another family.

Like Oprah, I agree that “women shouldn't feel guilty for making decisions that are right for their family—and that society's idea of being the perfect parent and "having it all" aren't realistic. "That's a part of our indoctrination of our culture that we're suppose to make the bacon, bring it home, fry it in the pan, get the kids ready and then strip for your man at the end of the day."

Additional resources:

Family and Medical Leave for Federal/Non Federal Employees:

http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/fmlafac2.asp

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

-Isista

How Far Have We Truly Come?

ISista — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 23:59:36 -0500

Are we progressing or simply regressing? According to NYOIL's video entitled, "Y'all Should All Get Lynched", it is purported that we have done the latter with such great achievement! While I disagree with the title, I do however, understand and to some extent agree with the overall message that as an African American community, we should strive to be the best that we can be without "dumbing down" and disrespecting ourselves, families, and others within our ethnic community. Please view the video and provide your thoughts and/or commentary.

*Note: the following video contains explicit language, partial nudity, and other potentially offensive graphical images.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1300060781

-Isista

Intra-racial Color Discrimination?

ISista — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:12:28 -0500

Hello All...I'm Back!

According to Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) web site, Mr. West has spewed the following statement:

“If it wasn’t for race mixing there’d be no video girls. Me and most of our friends like mutts a lot. Yeah, in the hood they call ‘em mutts.”

I must first begin by expressing that the denigration of women…black women in particular by using such euphemisms as “B**ch and H*, has overtaken and marginalized the black community. The use of such euphemisms has been used and accepted by both black males and females in the so called “Hip Hop” and entertainment industries. Although this practice is offensive to me as a black women, it is even more offensive for me to acknowledge that other black women are deferring to it. By doing this, Black men have been awarded with the right to belittle black women without much resistance, but with much sensationalism. So, with Mr. West utilizing the term “mutt” to describe bi-racial women, I feel is just an additional euphemism that has been allowed to slip by.

On the other hand, what upsets me more so than the use of the term “mutt”, is the inherit belief that lighter skinned blacks are more attractive, smarter, and are more useful than their darker skinned counterparts. Please note that this belief has been around for many years and has been expressed vehemently by non-blacks. Well…actually … to the surprise and dismay of some, the above mentioned belief has been expressed also by blacks dating back for years!! This belief is referred to as “Intra-Racial Color Discrimination”. The preceding concept is explained in the Book of the Month entitled, “The Color Complex”.

Basically, the above book speaks to discrimination based on color within the African American community. This issue has long been taboo to converse about, but does exist and needs to be discussed and dealt with. For too long, I have noticed that many blacks that are within the entertainment industry particularly in videos are lighter skinned. What does this mean? It means that Mr. West is not the first to have this sentiment, but perhaps he is just one of the first in a long time to verbally express what many blacks feel and believe.

Yes, because of what our ancestors have gone through and because of what some African Americans are presently experiencing, it does hurt to know that there are many blacks today that feel the same way as non-blacks about the noted discrimination, but are either blind to what they are feeling and practicing or are in denial about it.

Therefore, I submit to all of you to read the above mentioned book, gain as much of an understating as you can and try to educate your fellow African Americans by informing them that as a race we are not progressing, but are in deed regressing.

*The terms Black and African American have been used interchangeably.

On The Lighter Side...

ISista — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 01:46:43 -0500

My...What Drive...What Ambition...According to USA Today, "A 15-year-old boy stole a bus, drove it along a public transit route, picked up passengers and collected fares, authorities said Sunday." See Link Below.

Orlando teen accused of stealing bus, charging fares

He's At It Again!

ISista — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 01:28:14 -0500

While attending a forum called "Education Is a Civil Right" in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, 10/28/06, Bill Cosby has once again shared his opinion with parents and teachers by admonishing them and their lack of responsiveness to the needs of children.

According to USA Today- 10-29-06 issue, Mr. Cosby was critical of black parents by indicating that they did not involve themselves enough in their children's education and lives. He was also quoted as saying "We've got parents who won't check the bedrooms of their children to see if there's a gun," Furthermore, it was noted that Mr. Cosby believed that teachers lacked similar responsiveness for not offering clear explanations to children.

Personally, I think Mr. Cosby is doing a fine job in sharing his opinions.While I can appreciate his opinion; however, I cannot accept without criticism his use of generalizations. Yes, he often makes scathing generalizations about black parents and black children. Please someone tell me....what black parent doesn't check the room of their child? Not to be stereotypical, but I have heard of many white parents informing others that they did not check their child's rooms citing privacy concerns!!!!!!! Folks, let me tell you...this is not indicative of a Black parent!! Privacy is neither a concept nor a concern in a Black household!!!! lol

-Isista

Political Stereotypes or Realism?When Campaign Ads Go Sour

ISista — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:27:22 -0500

One question remains, do stereotypes represent real knowledge or do they reflect prejudice? Some would explicitly say the latter; however, considering the recent influx of negative campaign ads aired across the airwaves for the 2006 Congressional Elections, I would have to say in this case, that they reflect the former.

While engaging in rest mode at home, I've noticed a number of political ads that have presented themselves as having either a humorous or even a fact-based tone (take for example Ben Cardin's ad) in stark contrast to other ads that have been blatantly personal, and present as having a cheap and tawdry feel to them. While I support those campaign committees who have found the time to create innovative ads which are humorous, I have developed a since of disappointment and have come to detest those ads which personally smear the opponent.

With this in mind, have I been brainwashed into believing that campaign ads could be even remotely tasteful? are my expectations of politicians unrealistic and unforgivng? have I succumbed into believing that politicians have been victims of sterotypes of being money hungry, willing to do anything to win, etc..?OR am I oblivious to who these politicians truly are and disregarding that these so called stereotypes, are in fact "real knowledge and representations" of politicians.

Well, again, considering the ads that have been released, I can truly say that many politicians are in fact exhibiting who they truly are, thus living up to the stereotypes or "real knowledge" that have been said of them.

For example, In Tennessee, the race for U.S. Senate, between Rep. Bob Corker (Republican) and Rep. Harold Ford Jr (Democrat) has taken a very desperate turn. It once again shows how far a committee will go to get what they want. Take a look at this:

Some say the above video has racial and discriminatory undertones to it. To me, I truly feel it represents the truth of how low some will go. Conversely, Rep. Ford, countered the above with the following video, which was very tactful:

If in fact these campaign ads do represent politicians for who they truly are, would we really want an individual who would do just about anything including degrading another for his own personal gain to represent us and our values? Well, what other choice do we have....right?????

Note to Ford- Please don't get a dog, you and yours have suffered enough (lol).

Isista-

Book of the Month: The Color Complex

ISista — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 00:42:55 -0400

The Color Complex. Please note that a review will be provided at the end of December. Happy Reading!

Shall Beauty be in the Eyes of the Beholder?

ISista — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 02:29:07 -0400

According to Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, the media and advertising industries have set an undeniably high standard of beauty for many women in our society to achieve. These industries have contributed to lowering the self-esteem and self confidence of many by setting such high standards. As a result, in 2004, Dove decided to establish the above-mentioned campaign in an effort to thwart unrealistic models of beauty and restore the concept of loving you....for you. I strongly support the campaign.

The video below is a new release by Dove, as it shows that even 2 years later, this company has continued to expose and fight for such a strong cause when all others have become slaves to it.

WELCOME!

ISista — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:57:36 -0400

Welcome to Idiosyncratic Sista's blog!