GE appliance ad, printed in 1949.

Absolutely horrible. 

allnaturalytwashedblipsterbitch:

Petition: FREE CECE: We’re Looking at You, Michael Freeman: Drop the Charges Against CeCe McDonald | Change.org

TW:Transphobia, Racism, Violence

blackamazon:

cruelyouth:

siddharthasmama:

bulletinaweave:

Last summer, CeCe McDonald, a young African American transgender woman, was violently attacked in the heart of South Minneapolis. As she and several friends, also African American and queer or allied, were walking to the grocery store, a group of white adults standing outside of a bar started shouting racist and transphobic insults at them, calling the youth “faggots,” “niggers,” and “chicks with dicks”. Tragically, the violence did not stop there- one of the white adults slashed CeCe across the face with a broken bottle, cutting all the way through her cheek, and another of the attackers was fatally stabbed. Amazingly, in the aftermath of this racist and transphobic attack, the only person facing charges is CeCe McDonald- the victim. Michael Freeman, the Hennepin County Attorney, has charged CeCe with two counts of second degree murder. Because of these charges, she has been unable to recover from the attack and prevented from continuing her studies at the Minneapolis Community Technical College. Considering that County Attorney Michael Freeman has dropped charges in similar situations this year and that he has advocated strongly for programs to keep kids in school, arguing “We all know that when kids miss school they don’t learn,” why is Michael Freeman ruthlessly going after this young student? We refuse to allow racism and transphobia, on Minnapolis streets or in Minneapolis courts. We support CeCe. We are waiting for County Attorney Michael Freeman to honor his committment, in his words “to serve all of our citizens with understanding, dignity, and respect” by dropping the charges against CeCe McDonald. (via Petition: FREE CECE: We’re Looking at You, Michael Freeman: Drop the Charges Against CeCe McDonald | Change.org)

Can anyone explain to me how if one person was fatally wounded, she can be charged with two counts of second degree murder? I’m genuinely confused and I generally understand charges dealing with homicides, but this doesn’t make sense to me?

I have no idea.  I read this story from Racialicious, and it says one of the attackers was stabbed (this says so too), and I guess they died.  But it doesn’t even say that CeCe did it.  Even if she did, it would have clearly been self-defense.

So either way, this is bullshit.

Cecelia is a black grand trans woman

suzyxisntreal:

paperjay:

sharvondaphotog:

Kai’s “controversial” poem. This topic I can definitely relate to as someone who was told in high school that I “act white” because I got straight A’s, and in college, “I thought you were stupid until you spoke” because I’m black. (Had to compress it all crazy to get it to upload to Tumblr. It had to be removed from “other outlets” due to verbal content. But what happens on Tumblr, stays on Tumblr.) … ;-) 

god can i marry this person

I think I wanna be your best friend, yeah

rubyshimmer:

Even if you have no sympathy for alleged murderers, as victims, the statistics are clear…our lives, the lives of black people are not as valued.  It permeates through everything in our society but especially in the death penalty imposition and criminal process generally. 

http://www.capitalpunishmentincontext.org/issues/race

feministblackboard:

Did you know that Hattie McDaniel was the first African American woman to ever be nominated for an Academy award?

She was not even allowed to attend her own movie’s premiere. The movie, in case you are unfamiliar, was 1939’s Gone with the Wind.

Her career began with radio in which she played a maid who went by “Hi-Hat Hattie.” The radio serial was called “The Optimistic Do-nut Hour.” She was paid so little for her role (especially in proportion to her white counterparts) that she had to work as a real maid off to the side in order to make enough money to live.

She also got criticism from different groups such as the NAACP, who felt she, like other black actors at the time, were only perpetuating stereotypes of African Americans. She decidedly kept working as she did saying, “I’d rather play a maid for $700 a week than be one for $7.”

(Source: feminist-blackboard)

super-eklectic1:

https://www.facebook.com/zdziki

this is what he said:

 i dont treat minorities like second class citizens, i am not responsible for what white individuals, furthermore my blood line wasnt even in this country until way after slavery was over. I don’t want a medal, but you shouldn’t blame and condemn an entire race of people (Caucasians) for the problems a minority group has. Its real easy to blame some one else for your problems, im not trying to come at you, i just like to do the right thing, you can point the finger all you want. Yet certain minority groups make no effort to better themselves, and welfare enables people do not try, You should be happy with the way things are now, because they could have to longer to change. I hope you enjoy your free scholarship, i guess we owe it to you. We should just have a revolution and redistribute all the wealth and power, because you certainly shouldn’t have to earn it. And my family whose blood was not in this country untill after slavery was abolished, certainly owes you. I mean you certainly should not hold the African tribes that captured other Africans, and sold them to Spain and other European countries, and you certainly shouldn’t blame the Europeans, just point your finger at the White Americans. Maybe you should understand human nature can be bad, and humans are very prone to error, and you should be grateful that things changed as much as they did, and be grateful for the effort put forth to make fair and reasonable amends. Your ungrateful, and the only thing that i think would make you happy is watching wealth be transferred, or reparations. Dont you ever think people are responsible for there own actions, and should held accountable, mabye people get sent to prison because of decisions they make ( however i think the prison system is bullshit and un ethical) Martin Luther king would not be happy with the message you portray today. Im not trying to be mean, and im glad you dont dislike me because im a white male from a middle class family. I pay for my own tuition, my parents don’t help me at all. So relax, enjoy your free education 

Luckily, that facebook link didnt work for me.

thakidsyd:

We remembered Tupac’s death. Somebody’s gotta remember these 4 little girls. Be mindful.

white-naomi-campbell:

eatyouupspityouout:

theleadingblacks:

♥ THIS! KELIS TWEETS ON RACISM IN THE UK

The singer just recounted an incident that happened at Heathrow as she was entering the UK. Apparently, some English dude thought it was fine to call her “Kunta Kinte” while she was with her baby son, in front of a line 50 people deep. Here, she calls him out.

Oh yeah: Read from the bottom, upwards.

I’m so happy someone like Kelis put this out there so maybe more people will realise and be aware of the bullshit that goes on in the UK. 

everyone should see this.

wylahcloset:

Dorothy Dandridge

“ If I were white, I could capture the world.”

thisisappalling:

Jewellery has always flirted with circular shapes, especially for use in making earrings. The most classic models are the slave and creole styles in gold hoops. If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern Unites States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom. Colored stones, symbolic pendants and multiple spheres. And the evolution goes on.

Anna Bassi, Vogue Gioiello n. 109, March 2010 Published: 08/05/2011 Tags: earrings, hoop, slave, creole

THERE ARE JUST TIMES I WANT TO KILL EVERYTHING.

THIS IS WHAT IMAN TOLD FASHIONISTA.COM ABOUT THE SITUATION:

You were one of the pioneering women of color in this industry. What’s your reaction to Vogue Italia running a feature titled “Slave Earrings”?
I’m a huge fan of Franca Sozzani and Vogue Italia’s website because they have a whole section on black models. Is it controversial? Yes. The naming of it, I don’t get it. I sometimes wonder in this age of reality shows has it become part of the language–the more controversy the more [buzz] it creates. But yeah, I didn’t like it. Slave does not make it ethnic. Mind you, it’s not lost in translation–the word slave, we know what it is. They might as well have called them “nigga earrings.” For somebody like Franca Sozzani, who did that whole black issue for Vogue, somebody should have said something.

http://fashionista.com/2011/08/iman-on-her-new-platinum-collection-for-hsn-why-shell-never-go-back-to-modeling-and-her-reaction-to-vogue-italias-racist-gaffe/

thisisappalling:

Jewellery has always flirted with circular shapes, especially for use in making earrings. The most classic models are the slave and creole styles in gold hoops. If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern Unites States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom. Colored stones, symbolic pendants and multiple spheres. And the evolution goes on.

Anna Bassi, Vogue Gioiello n. 109, March 2010 Published: 08/05/2011 Tags: earrings, hoop, slave, creole

THERE ARE JUST TIMES I WANT TO KILL EVERYTHING.

crystalsmyles:

what makes one of these hairstyles ghetto?

i love this post. ghetto seems to always come out of people’s mouths to refer to something/someone african/african american. when you even THINK of the term ghetto you think black people. Just keep the word out of your mouth period. Just stop using it

*crickets*

I love this. This was the point I was making the other day, with blacks experimenting with different hair colors. Love this post.