Saturday, June 23, 2012

bell hooks quote on racism and sexism intersecting

Random dudes. This may not apply here. Just dudes. It's relevant to the quote.

"Sexism has always been a political stance mediating racial domination, enabling white men and black men to share a common sensibility about sex roles and the importance of male domination. Clearly both groups have equated freedom with manhood, and manhood with the right of men to have indiscriminate access to the bodies of women."
Could this be any more true? This homie-cliquing observed between men of different races may appear subversive on racial terms but only reinforces conservative notions on gender.
Like Public Enemy said, "Can Truss It".

Friday, June 22, 2012

What a Wynberg Taxi Showed me About Racial Disparity in South Africa


Now, here in Cape Town there the public transport system relies on minibuses, the Metro railway and Golden Arrow bus transit the latter of which are corporations run that operate on an ordered system which may or may not be run by the government. The former of the two are the private-owned minibuses colloquially-termed taxis that, because they are not corporately-owned and any old person with a minibus can drive a taxi and earn money doing so, do not obey any ordered stopping system as the buses do and have a particular way of attempting to get customers into a taxi. A young male, preferably someone with a loud voice and a little charisma is assigned the task of getting out of the taxi at a predetermined stop along the taxi route and yelling the destination of the taxi while asking pedestrians if they are traveling their in between call-outs. The problem is, the majority of those asked are not in fact going to or planning to take a taxi in the said destination and walking then becomes a task of avoiding call-out boys. Why should one have to even respond. If I were going I would tell you yes, or better yet, just hop into the taxi. But today, I was in no mood and ignoring one of these people led to a slight altercation and nasty exchange of signals and words (not from me) as I went along with my day (still happily of course). Reaching supermarket at a shopping center along Main Road, I was asked if I was going to Wynberg for the second maybe third time along my walk and did not respond, I was in no mood. The result was unexpected. This young man who I identified as short, Coloured and sincerely unattractive called me something I swear I have not heard someone call me since I was in primary school - "Black Mamba". Dafuq? Are you for real. Uninterested yet somewhat slighted, I silently flipped a bird and walked through the automatic sliding doors wondering why on Earth that set of words. Then I began to recall how some Coloureds in Cape Town have been successfully trained to think that their apartheid-defined racial status provides them with an opportunity to take a step above the Black population whom they consider inferior. Yet the irony is in the fact that the entire Coloured population in the Western Cape claim ancestors of African origin. Their existence owes itself to the African woman's womb but with apartheid having left its imprint, it would be impossible to convince the ignorant and brain-dead about how ironic it is for them to despise she from which they came. I think if I had been a non-black woman, the reaction to my ignoring this individual would not have been one of insult because I am a Black woman or a "sister" as they like to call it, someone he believes is inferior to him on the basis of my race and gender, he felt a need to put me in my supposed place and make mockery of my dark-skinned nature (which does not even make the slightest sense in my mind, since dark-skin is undeniably gorgeous) as a means of elevating himself. On a personal level, it was a case of a hurt person attempting to hurt another; racially, it served as a reminder to me of how scarred South Africa really still is in this post-apartheid era.

This isn't the guy. 

Thursday, June 14, 2012

I be on that Black Girl Tip

Her black girl power is exactly what I've been needing in my life and I love it. So what she's sporting horns (we all know what that means). The song is still awesome and she's the freshest artist to emerge in a very long time. Seems June 14th 2012 has served me up a delicious double-treat of talented black women in the form of Issa and Azealia. Love them both. I'm joyful okay but still waiting for the first episode of Awkward Black Girl which is also due today.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Tips on Escaping the Clutches of a Madman

”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this! It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG… FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts: 1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets. 2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing. 3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered. 4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots. 5] Number two is office parking lots/garages. 6] Number three is public restrooms. 7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught. 8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming. 9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands. 10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it. ———————————————————————————————————————————- POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER: 1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target. 2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target. 3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent. 4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts. 5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there. 6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly. 7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble. ——————————————————————————————————————————- FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL …. I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in. 1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it. 2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives. 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE. 5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) . b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.) 6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot). 7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN! 8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry. If u have a heart or compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand. REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW ATLEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOIN IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information. I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this. DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE. Read this, please