Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Big Hair

I want big hair. Big enough to make a bold statement. Big enough that it is an extension of my personality. So big that people will say: "Do you know Kevin Obomanu?" And the reply would be: "Oh, the crazy black man with big hair?"

How am I going to make it bigger? I have debated in my mind how I could go about it, and currently I am simply letting it growing, picking it, and moisturizing it. Many outside of the Black World do not understand the science of afro-textured hair; some even go as far to consider it ugly when it is in its natural state (which sadly has been hammered into many of those within the African diaspora as a truth). I disagree.

Calling any part of me "ugly" that is natural in itself is probably the most self-destructive thing I could do. Using terms like "nappy" or "kinky" to refer to my hair I find almost degenerate based on their usually negative connotations. Terms like "curly" and "thick" strike my fancy. It gives me a sense of pride for my hair. Every time I take care of it, I don't wish for it to look like those of my non-African/non-African descent counterparts. Instead, I want it to look even more like that of a Black person. I want my hair to continue to be thick, dark, extra curly. I want my hair to speak for itself. I want it BIG.

Having my hair big will become a physical manifestation of my African heritage. It will show that NO ONE can deter how I feel about myself and the culture(s) and the race(s) that I am apart of. And I feel PROUD.

I've made my decision: I'm going to stick with what I doing now to make my hair big.

***

To learn more about afro-textured hair, Wikipedia has a great entry (maybe not the best source, but a great starting point to excellent sources).

Monday, August 30, 2010

Diaspora of the Week - Afro-Mexicans

I found an interesting article on Afro-Mexicans today. Maybe you all will like it. It's in two parts (good transit reading).

http://www.theroot.com/views/mexicos-hidden-black-history
http://www.theroot.com/views/mexicos-hidden-black-history-part-two

I feel many Americans don't realize that in Mexico there are black people. Back when I attended middle school in Texas, I met a girl who was Mexican and her skin was dark as mine. That was the first time (and so far the last time) that met someone of the African diaspora from Mexico. At the time, I didn't even think they existed, but then I was young and I didn't know how the African diaspora is pretty much EVERYWHERE. Check out this article from TIME magazine in addition to the others to discover more about this group.


Saturday, August 28, 2010

50 Years of Congolese Independence

In celebration of the many African nations that have been independent for 50 or more years this year, BBC has put together several memorable and cute interactive things on their website. I am really loving the pictures of these Congolese men and women...so beautiful!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Kenya Has a New Constitution

YAY! After 20 LONG YEARS, Kenya's proposed new constitution has been approved! Now the president's power will be balanced and checked by the other branches of government. Maybe this will stifle government corruption (or at least make it harder). Check out this article from BBC.com.

The UN Has Pissed Me Off This Morning...

Supposedly, the UN has told BBC that they could have not stopped the rapes of nearly 200 women in the DR Congo last week because the did not know about it. That is SERIOUSLY the dumbest answer I have ever heard.

Many people who are familiar with the situation in the DR Congo know that women are raped almost daily in ways unimaginable to many around the world. The UN is no exception. You may have not be able to stop it, but are you saying you didn't know about it?

According to the article, there was some miscommunication somewhere along the line, but please read the article and tell me what you think about this boiling hot cesspool of a mess.

South Africa's Strike is Reaching the Boiling Point

Yep. The strike is full force with more sectors of South Africa's public servants about to join the strike. Read the article from BBC News to see if it'll reach the boiling point.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

"The New Blood" Art Showcase - September 4, 2010 @ 7 PM

I am really REALLY excited about this! Some of you may know that I have been working on a TV show since the wee weeks of Summer and pre-production for the show is coming to a close. FINALLY, I will be able to tease everyone with a sneak peak, BUT I am not putting it up online.

That's right, folks. If you want to see the sneak peak, along with other phenomenal great works of art, you need to go to "The New Blood" art showcase at Work Studio, 2137 N. Milwaukee Avenue, in Chicago's hip and artsy Bucktown neighborhood Saturday night, September 4, 2010. Doors open at 7 PM. Work Studio is adjacent to the famous Congress Theater.

Please note that this is NOT a party. I know some of you all are always looking for a party, so you may party afterwards since it is not too far from where all the bars are clustered in Wicker Park, but please have your art showcase decorum on during the showcase. You know I say that with a GIANT smile and serious eyes. :)

If you would like more information, check out the blog for the presenters of the showcase, Final Fight Family. They have been updating it daily with information. The presenters are definitely business friends of mine and I know they are in tune with art and are very receptive to learning about Africa and it's diaspora (some members of FFF are even part of the African diaspora).


Tuesday, August 24, 2010

"The Awakening" reawakens

Rumor has it that the Chicago gospel show of the 1990s is making a comeback! Popular among many African-Americans in Chicago, this show has its ups...and downs. Watch this clip to see what I am talking about.

Ebonics Translators Wanted

I guess today is the day for AAVE. This article baffled me not because Ebonics translators are needed, but WHY they are needed. This brings another aspect to the debate on the usage of AAVE.

African-American English IS NOT "Bad English"

I've argued with many people in regard to using African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), also known as Ebonics. My argument: It's a dialect of Standard American English (SAE) and the reason why it is considered "bad English" is a way to devalue African-Americans and a distinct aspect of the African-American culture. In other words, it is a systematic and subtle form of racism. Yes, I said it. I am accusing the scholars of the yesteryears (first half of the 20th century and back) that argued for so long that AAVE is "bad English" racists.

AAVE has a distinct structural difference compared to SAE, pointed out by many of the present-era scholars. There are books and journals detailing the differences and what is grammatically correct within this dialect. Here's one from Duke University.

If you agree that it is "bad English," prove to me why after you have read this article from the Center for Applied Linguistics which sums up AAVE (also calling it AAE, African-American English). Please refer to the sources as well.

I would also like to point out that AAVE is not appropriate for all settings. Like for every American dialect, there is a time and a place to use AAVE. I would not recommend to use AAVE when interviewing for a job or speaking to a broad audience (that's when you use SAE). However, it is appropriate in casual settings among friends. Many African-Americans discern when and where to use AAVE and can quickly switch from SAE to AAVE and back almost instantly.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Diaspora of the Week - Afro-Brazilians

Okay, y'all. If many of you did not know, I have a soft spot for Brazilians. They are seriously some of the most beautiful people, inside and out, that I have ever been around. I don't know if this is because my host family during my short-term study in Brazil back in 2007 was just amazingly sweet and kind, or if it was because the Brazilians I encountered here in the US were always happy and nice, but so far, I generally have had a very good impression of Brazilians.

While I was in Brazil, I was studying the Afro-Brazilian culture, mostly comparing it to the African-American culture. There are many similarities, but there are some striking differences other than the obvious (like Afro-Brazilians speak Portuguese and African-Americans speak English). I'll try to break it down to the three main ones:
  1. The term "Afro-Brazilian" is typically used in the circles of academia in Brazil. It's not in day-to-day use by an average Brazilian.
  2. Someone who is Afro-Brazilian typically sees themselves as Brazilian, but still identifying with their African ancestry (unlike African-Americans, who see themselves as African-American and do not necessarily identify with their African heritage). This is because many people of African descent in Brazil can somewhat trace their ancestry to specific countries; many of them are from Angola, Nigeria (specifically the Yoruba peoples), and Mozambique.
  3. There's not a necessarily strong subcultural distinction from Afro-Brazilians and other Brazilians, since de jure segregation did not exist in Brazil. Instead, they are just many of the groups of people that contributed to several regional cultures in Brazil, most notably in the state of Bahia (where I stayed).
This may be difficult for many who are American to wrap their heads around, and an excursion to Brazil may be out of your budget. However, below are the sources in which I received most of my information.

http://www.nd.edu/~kellogg/publications/workingpapers/WPS/173.pdf
http://bit.ly/ajcQ3r
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6284806.stm





Newly Discovered Oil Reserves in Uganda

Oil equals money for developing countries like Uganda. Despite the environmental concerns that have not been address, I am baffled by the amount of secrecy surrounding the deals with the government, which, like many African governments, have been accused and cited for corruption. I just hope that the revenues from the oil are used wisely to benefit the livelihoods of Ugandans, and doesn't turn into a story like Nigeria, where for decades the oil revenues have not been used to develop the country and the economy became oil over-dependent. Read the article from CNN.com.

Animal-shaped Cities in Sudan

As part of a rebuilding effort in southern Sudan, on the table are now plans to build cities and towns shaped like animals and fruits that are emblems of the states in the region. Initially I was rather lost with the purpose of having cities shaped in this fashion, but I was more confused with where the funds for these cities will come from and who will be able to live in them. Here's the article:


I am assuming these questions will eventually have answers.

Strike in South Africa Squashed?

An injunction has been stopping over a million strikers has been granted to the South African government. Follow the link below for deets.

Ethiopian Student Faces Racism in Israel

I always find it shocking when racists comments are coming from someone who is of a group that has been historically and is presently discriminated against. Let me know if you can comprehend this situation. The link to the article is below.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Lagos's Power Sector

Argh...this seemingly never ending dilemma in Africa's largest city, Lagos, Nigeria. Working to become Africa's model mega city, Lagos has been having power outages and blackouts for years now, as have many big cities on the continent. This news package explains the problem and shows possible solutions based on Lagos's projected growth over the next decade.

Banky W's Latest Video

Nigeria is definitely Africa's center for entertainment with music being the strongest and best produced. As I wait for Nigerian Pop to find more of an original sound (as in, unique to Nigeria), here's one example of the overall good quality of Nigeria's strong and still booming music industry.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Ancient Skin Color Perception Not So Ancient

That's right. The perception that dark skin is ugly is still around, as shown by Anderson Cooper when talking with some of today's children.


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Blackface in Asia

A particular video from a mainstream South Korea show spurred my interest. My question for you is, how do you think this image portrays the African diaspora, especially in countries that are homogeneous like South Korea. I would also like to note that even though this video is from South Korea, this behavior is not exclusive to South Korea and is prevalent in many other Asian countries as well. Also, this does not mean in any way that all Asians think like this. This is mainly to show the images that mainstream media in several Asian countries are broadcasting. Please watch this video then answer the question. Thanks!