Earlier this month, self-proclaimed image consultant Kevin Samuels went viral for an on-air session he had with a black female client. In the session, Samuels responded to his client’s want for a man that brings home a six-figure income. The client, a thirty-five-year-old woman who makes six figures herself, has a teenaged son. Samuels contended…
Tag: #gender
There was a Medical Doctor in the White House Administration: The WSJ and Covert White Insult
On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal made waves with an article that asked that incoming first lady Jill Biden abandon the “Doctor” that precedes her name. The article engendered predictable support from women who peg Jefferey Epstein’s words a gendered attack against the educated woman. The feminist response speaks specifically to gatekeeping white female achievement,…
Three Issues with the Keke Palmer and Trey Songz Feud
During my college years I was huge fan of R &B crooner Trey Songz. I have shamelessly sang along to his lyrics in Atlantic City, Roseland and Madison Square Garden. My perception of actress Keke Palmer is also favorable. Palmer earned a place in my heart after embodying a positive portrayal of black girls as…
From Michelle to Melania: Femininity, Race and White Supremacy
The morning after the 2008 election, I had an American Literature class with a white professor at a historically black university. This professor would prove drastically inferior to the brilliant black minds to which my education would acquaint me. He also proved consistently discouraging, seizing every opportunity to belittle the writing of a small class…
Gone Girl Versus Bye Felicia: Examining The Inequity of Blackness
Almost five years ago, I, along with countless others around the world, read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. The thriller seemed the perfect summer read, well-equipped with multiple perspectives and gritty drama. Gone Girl renders the perspectives of Amy and Nick Dunne, a married couple who have hit a rough patch in their union. Amy Dunne…
#TeacherBae and Sexuality as a Smokescreen to #BlackGirlMagic
This week, Patrice Brown made headlines after pictures of her in a tailored, knee-length pastel pink dress went viral. The picture offset a series of conversations about professional attire, and the sexualized black female body. However, Brown’s popularity has little to do with her attire. Rather, Brown’s popularity betrays an anxiety surrounding black women in…
Why Fade did not “Fade” The Hyper-Sexualized Black Female Image
Teyana Taylor resurfaced as a cultural phenomenon in Kanye West’s latest creation “Fade.” Although the creator of 2009’s “Google Me,” many have not googled Taylor in years. Not exactly a forgotten presence, Taylor launched her own company, and graced the music world with the occasional feature, maintaining a private yet modestly popular Hollywood status. Flash…
The Fault in Feminism: Why Every Black Woman is a Womanist
Perhaps it wasn’t until I stared into the brown and black faces that looked into mine and attempted to teach them feminism, that I truly realized the error in its ways. Feminism emerges as a combative force against sexism, a weapon for women against a male dominated society. My issue with feminism lies in its fallacy…
Beyonce and Black Femininity: Personal V. Political
Personal v. Political Perhaps one of the greatest lessons learned during my graduate career, is the difference between feeling politically or personally affected by something. As a black woman, much of the personal is in fact political, but this does not mean that you must refrain from liking something in order to be critical of…
A Word on the Black Woman-White Man Dynamic in Society and Popular Culture
Contemporary society features an influx of relations between black women and white men. From politician’s wives, notably Chirlane McCray (wife of New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio) to romances featured on prime time sitcoms, like Kerry Washington on Scandal and now Halle Berry on Extant, feature educated and powerful black women in the arms…
Whispers of a Womanist 