afro

Happy Thursday everyone! Here's some feminist news to start your day.

• Consent is sexy. Say it a thousand times. And read this article on why the “silence is sexy” model is a huge part of what sustains rape culture. [Queer Guess Code]
• Tired of people hating on fat? Here are some myth-busting facts for you to whip out next time someone makes a fatphobic comment. [Everyday Feminism]
• Horseback heroics aren’t necessary to be an ally, and don’t expect a medal. But if you are committed to justice and want to offer up your solidarity, MSNC’s Melissa Harris-Perry gives us some tips on how to be a good ally. [Colorlines]
• If you are in NYC this month you are really lucky. Why? Because there are some really sweet events coming up including: A conference on The Politics of Solidarity: Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Organizing, A Conversation on HIV Criminalization and Trans Politics, and a Conference on the Future of Online Feminism. [Visual Aids] and [Barnard Center for Research on Women]
• Did a white writer from Slate really just post a piece titled “Bring Back the Afro?” Did that just happen? On why white writers should check their privilege before asking black people to wear their hair a certain way. [Jezebel]
• Meanwhile, in India people are bringing self-defense from rape to a whole new level with electrified underwear. [Death and Taxes]
• Do we need more laws to keep us safe? Attorney and trans activist Dean Spade contests the idea of the state as protector of rights and safety, and offers a critical trans politics that challenges enhanced criminalization as a means to achieve justice.  [Against The Grain]

Stay tuned!

 

In Willow's defense, she tries to be inclusive in "Whip My Hair," emphasizing that it "don't matter if it's long or short" all you have to do is "do it, do it whip your hair." But the stark truth is, I can't really whip my hair back and forth; it sort of just goes along with my head which then renders my attempts at hair-whipping mere glorified headbanging. Of course, I am hardly alone in this reality, especially as more and more black women are opting out of the harmful relaxers that have become so normalized in our culture. That's why I was so happy to come across Les Nubians' first single "Afrodance" off of their new album Nü Revolution.

(Lyrics here)