Speak.Up.Sista

afrikanwomen: African women making change Margaret Ekpo,...

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:10:04 -0700

African women making change

Margaret Ekpo, Activist, Feminist

Country: Nigeria

Margaret Ekpo (1914-2006) was a Nigerian women’s rights activist and social mobilizer who was a pioneering female politician in the country’s First Republic and was a leading member of a class of traditional Nigerian women activists, many of whom rallied women beyond notions of ethnic solidarity. She played major roles as a grassroot and nationalist politician in the Eastern Nigerian city of Aba, in the era of an hierarchical and male dominated movement towards independence, with her rise not the least helped by the socialization of women’s role into that of helpmates or appendages to the careers of males.

Margaret Ekpo’s awareness of growing movements for civil rights for women around the world prodded her into demanding the same for the women in her country and to fight the discriminatory and oppressive political and civil role colonialism played in the subjugation of women. She felt that women abroad including those in Britain, were already fighting for civil rights and had more voice in political and civil matters than their counterparts in Nigeria. She later joined the decolonization leading National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, as a platform to represent a marginalized group. In 1953, she was nominated by the N.C.N.C. to the regional House of Chiefs and in 1954, she established the Aba Township Women’s Association. As leader of the new market group, she was able to garner the trust of a large amount of women in the township and turn it into a political pressure group. By 1955, women in Aba had outnumbered men voters in a city wide election.

She won a seat into the Eastern Regional House of Assembly in 1961. A position that allowed her to fight for issues affecting women at the time. In particular, were issues on the progress of women in economic and political matters, especially in the areas of transportation around major roads leading to markets and rural transportation in general.

After a military coup ended the First Republic, she took a less prominent approach to politics. In 2001, the Calabar Airport was named after her.

afrikanwomen: Nawal El Saadawi is an Egyptian feminist writer,...

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:08:20 -0700

afrikanwomen:

Nawal El Saadawi is an Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician and psychiatrist. She has written many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of female genital mutilation in her society.

In 1972 she published Al-Mar’a wa Al-Jins (Woman and Sex), confronting and contextualising various aggressions perpetrated against women’s bodies, including female circumcision, which became a foundational text of second-wave feminism. As a consequence of the book as well as her political activities, Saadawi was dismissed from her position at the Ministry of Health.

From 1979 to 1980 she was the United Nations Advisor for the Women’s Programme in Africa and the Middle East.

Long viewed as controversial and dangerous by the Egyptian government, Saadawi was imprisoned in September 1981, along with many other objectors to the Jerusalem Peace Treaty, by President Anwar al-Sadat. She was released later that year, one month after his assassination. Of her experience she wrote: “Danger has been a part of my life ever since I picked up a pen and wrote. Nothing is more perilous than truth in a world that lies.”

In 1988, when her life was threatened by Islamists and political persecution, Saadawi was forced to flee Egypt. She accepted an offer to teach at Duke University’s Asian and African Languages Department. In 1996, she moved back to Egypt.

She has continued her activism and considered running in the 2005 Egyptian presidential election, before stepping out due to stringent requirements for first-time candidates.

She was among the protesters in Tahrir Square in 2011. She has called for the abolition of religious instruction in the Egyptian schools.

IM me on Yahoo Msngr it's important. my username is jonespapasDD121313

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:53:56 -0700

dunno who u r.

"As much as White women have been oppressed by White men, they have also gained from their..."

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:42:52 -0700

“As much as White women have been oppressed by White men, they have also gained from their association with them. They may rail against patriarchy, but if a White man comes rushing to his damsel in distress to declare her actions to be decidedly not racist, they are more than happy to accept the aid with a feeling of relief. See, a White guy said so, so it must be truth. If a White man were step forward to declare that an action is not sexist, their input would be soundly attacked, yet WOC are expected to simmer down when the White man speaks. The fact that White men and women often collude when they have a common purpose has not failed to register with us, despite the whole ya ya sisterhood of the traveling suitpants routine… It comes down to the fact that many self labelled White feminists aren’t really interested in equality for all, they are interested in equality with White men. It’s never about tearing down the system, but assuring that they have the power to oppress others. If even on social equality exists then there can be no claim that women have achieved equality because the category of woman is broad. It means that gay rights are a woman’s issue, race is a woman’s issue, class is a woman’s issue, disability is a woman’s issue etc,. There is no issue that is specifically outside of women’s activism. So when I hear White women saying things like, “think about it from a woman’s perspective,” when WOC are calling out racism, I know they are really pushing for WOC to solely put our energy into improving their lives and not ours.The only way I will ever be surprised by White female activism, is when they learn that world isn’t all about their pain alone.”

- Dear White Women, You Never Fail to Disappoint Me (via thetart)

<3

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:34:03 -0700

notyourkinddear: Sandinist Woman

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:31:47 -0700

notyourkinddear:

Sandinist Woman

Moroccans march, call for election boycott

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:17:50 -0700

Moroccans march, call for election boycott :

Thousands of Moroccans have staged protests in two cities to express anger over police violence and demand a more democratic constitution in the kingdom.

In a poor Casablanca neighbourhood on Sunday, some 4000 protesters from the February 20 pro-democracy movement called for a boycott of legislative elections next month.

A separate protest was held on Sunday in the Atlantic coast city of Safi after the death of a protester at a sit-in broken up by police last week.

Like many Arab countries, Morocco has been swept with popular protests calling for reform this year.

A new reformist constitution was passed in July and parliamentary elections will be held in two months, but the February 20 movement, named after the date of their first protests this year, has denounced both.

laborreguita: http://www.firstnations.eu/indian_land.htm

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:14:12 -0700

laborreguita:

http://www.firstnations.eu/indian_land.htm

fyeahafrica: The Makonde are an ethnic group in...

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:11:38 -0700

fyeahafrica:

The Makonde are an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania and northern Mozambique. The Makonde developed their culture on the Mueda Plateau in Mozambique. At present they live throughout Tanzania and Mozambique and have a small presence in Kenya.

The Makonde population in Tanzania was estimated in 2001 to be 1,140,000, and the 1997 census in Mozambique put the Makonde population in that country at 233,358, for a total estimate of 1,373,358.

The Makonde successfully resisted predation by African, Arab, and European slavers. They did not fall under colonial power until the 1920s. During the 1960s the revolution which drove the Portuguese out of Mozambique was launched from the Makonde homeland of the Mueda Plateau. At one period this revolutionary movement known as ‘Frelimo’ derived a part of its financial support from the sale of Makonde carvings. The Makonde are best known for their wood carvings and their observances of puberty rites.

They speak Makonde, also known as ChiMakonde, a Bantu language closely related to Yao. Many speak other languages such as English in Tanzania, Portuguese in Mozambique, and Swahili and Makua in both countries.

The Makonde are traditionally a matrilineal society where children and inheritances belong to women, and husbands move into the village of their wives. Their traditional religion is an animistic form of ancestor worship and still continues, although Makonde of Tanzania are nominally Muslim and those of Mozambique are Catholic or Muslim. In Makonde rituals, when a girl becomes a woman, Muidini is the best dancer out of the group of girls undergoing the rituals.

Makonde Art

The art of the Makonde must be subdivided into different areas. The Makonde traditionally carve household objects, figures and masks. Since the 1950s years the socalled Modern Makonde Art has been developed. An essential step was the turning to abstract figures, mostly spirits, Shetani, that play a special role. Makonde are also part of the important contemporary artists of Africa today. The most internationally acknowledged such artist was George Lilanga.

The ex libris of ritual Makonde art are the unique Mapiko masks (singular: Lipiko), which have been used in coming-of-age rituals since before contact was made with missionaries in the 19th century. These masks are painstakingly carved from a single block of light wood (usually ‘sumaumeira brava’) and may represent spirits (‘shetani’), ancestors, or living characters (real or idealized). The dancer wears them so that he sees through the mask’s mouth and the mask faces straight when he bends forward. Examples of such masks are provided in the second row of pictures below.

Some Ugandans Wary of US Decision to Fight LRA

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:28:25 -0700

Some Ugandans Wary of US Decision to Fight LRA:

fyeahafrica:

Ugandan officials say the U.S. decision to send military advisers to the region is welcome assistance in the fight against the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army.

But some Ugandans are wary of the timing of the decision and American intentions.

One hundred American military personnel, mostly special forces, will soon be helping the Ugandan military track down Joseph Kony, leader of a movement that terrorized the northern part of the country for 20 years. The first U.S. personnel arrived in Kampala last week.

Minister of the presidency in the Ugandan cabinet, Kabakumba Masiko, welcomes international military support in dealing with Kony’s group, the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“We have always said to anybody who will listen that this [LRA] is a terrorist organization,” said Masiko. “If everybody could come with us to firmly deal with [them] and finally finish it, it will be a good thing.”

The supposed aim of the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, is to establish a Christian theocracy in Uganda. But the group has long been notorious for the extreme brutality of its attacks on civilians — attacks that include rape, mutilation and torture. It has also abducted tens of thousands of children over the years, whom it uses as child soldiers and sex slaves.

[read more]

I’d like to share this video with you guys! It’s a...

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 11:19:00 -0700

I’d like to share this video with you guys!

It’s a video from the Houston Brazilian Festival which just happened in the beginning of september. The festival is brought to Houston by the Brazilian Arts Foundation, and this particular video is of us (the BAF Ensemble + 1 guest dancer) dancing and playing Afro - a folkloric Afro-Brasilian dance interpreting and representing Orixás of the Candomblé religion. Afro can be danced as a visual arts performance which is what we are doing, but it is also, and most importantly, central to the Candomblé practice and its religious rituals - there is always a spiritual element in performing it, even when outside of the Candomblé religion, and we represented this aspect in our performance with the utmost respect for the religion.

The Orixás represented in this performance piece are Iemanjá, Oxúm, Iansã, Ogúm, and Xangô, and there is also a short appearance of an Ambiã (an apprentice in the Candomblé religion who is in charge of caring for and providing for the Orixás). The music corresponds to each Orixá, and the words are in Yorubá.

PS: I am the one in red shirt with black+red skirt. :)

hey! were you gone for a while? i saw you on my dash and i got so excited.

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:44:13 -0700

heeeey! yes, I’ve been gone for quite some time…almost a year now…I’m ready to be back! so much has happened! :)

It's good to see you back. I really enjoyed your blog back when you posted often.

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:43:05 -0700

thank you! :) I really miss Tumblr! I’m glad to be back!

brownpeople: “Our strategy should be not only to confront...

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:43:20 -0700

brownpeople:

“Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness — and our ability to tell our own stories. Stories that are different from the ones we’re being brainwashed to believe. The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling — their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them.” - Roy

"The Master’s Tools will NEVER (EVER!) dismantle the Master’s House! ~ Audre Lorde ~"

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:36:15 -0700

“The Master’s Tools will NEVER (EVER!) dismantle the Master’s House! ~ Audre Lorde ~”

- (via afrolez)

inautumn-inkashmir: aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!! love love love love...

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:03:48 -0700

inautumn-inkashmir:

aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!

love love love love love love love

ditto <3

I love her “El Tigeraso” song.

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:35:22 -0700

I love her “El Tigeraso” song.

That Strong & Silent Type: Cancer 'is purely man-made' say scientists after finding almost no trace of disease in Egyptian mummies

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:29:16 -0700

That Strong & Silent Type: Cancer 'is purely man-made' say scientists after finding almost no trace of disease in Egyptian mummies :

lyrical-sativa:

Cancer ‘is purely man-made’ say scientists after finding almost no trace of disease in Egyptian mummies

heartmindspirit:

Cancer is a man-made disease fuelled by the excesses of modern life, a study of ancient remains has found.

Tumours were rare until recent times…

Photo

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:10:58 -0700

Facebook Event: "Smack a Hoe Day"

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:08:21 -0700

Facebook Event: "Smack a Hoe Day":

stfusexists:

This event was submitted to me by alphabetics who asks, “Can we please, please, please tumblr-bomb this one like we did to the other?”

Yes, yes we can. Everyone who has a Facebook, please take the five seconds to both click that you will NOT be attending, and report this for containing hate speech, specifically targeting gender.