White Girl Hair Envy: Dissecting the Disorder

I remember being a young girl and loving blond hair. Not just loving it, being obsessed with it. Despite having a Black Barbie, my favorite one—the one who drove the Pink Corvette, was head of the dream house, got the guy and all the prettiest outfits—was my blonde Barbie. Her name was Jennifer and she embodied everything I wanted to be—everything society told me I should be. In my young mind, the grass would not only be greener on the other side as a White girl, the air would be cleaner, the people nicer, the cars fancier and the houses grander. Life would be perfect.

Yes, Lisa Turtle was a babe, but what young girl
didn't want to be Kelly Kapowski?

It’s no coincidence that many Black girls exposed to Western society grow up having “White girl hair envy.” While the 90s was a great period of diversity (oh hey, Power Rangers), the most desirable characters and the main protagonists of our favorite shows were pretty White girls. Their hair would swing every time they turned their heads, they could twist it around their fingers for days and boys could run their hands through it without getting snagged. The commercials depicted (and still do) beautiful White women as the final product: what you should look like if you use the proper shampoos, eat the right foods, drive the right cars and shop at the right places.

As a young girl, I couldn’t fathom what these images were subconsciously doing to my ripening psyche. I couldn’t have reconciled that the reason I was Team Monica instead of Team Brandy was because Monica looked closer to the White standard that I had been brainwashed to put on a pedestal. Growing up, I thought my hair was the absolute worst. My mom would put my hair in these stiff African braids that I was too embarrassed to show at school and so it was with agonizing elation that I accepted my first relaxer. Even getting braids was a thrill for me as I got to swing my head when I walked so that my hair would sway from side to side like a White girl’s.

Me with my baby curls.

But if you would have told me then that I’d finally come to embrace my natural hair texture, Jennifer and I would have laughed in your face. This acceptance is sadly very recent. Just a couple of months ago I learned to accept—nay, love—my hair the way it looks even after I’ve sweated out the effects of the flatiron. Because now, I’m not alone when I walk out of my house and face the world with my mini-fro. I see other girls proudly sporting their natural hairstyles, so much so that Black hairstyles have even become a trend among the White community.

“Traditionally women would think of braids as a kind of thoughtless hairstyle,” hairstylist Ted Gibson was quoted saying in a recent piece by the New York Times. “Now they’ve crossed over to the fashion space.”

Last week, the Times ran a piece about braids and the recent spike in the popularity of this hairstyle among all women. While braids have been popular in the Black community for centuries, the article (written by a Black woman) attributed the recent mainstreaming of braids to its appearance on the runways of hit designers like Alexander Wang and Viktor & Rolfe. It also recognized the “history” of braids as being synonymous with a “bohemian flair,” citing examples like Bo Derek and Willie Nelson. What they failed to acknowledge, however, was that the history of braids dates back centuries, the earliest occurrence being in Africa, according to Refinery29.

Me with my protective-hairstyle braids
…and post-workout sweat.

This isn’t to say that White people are appropriating our hairstyles, but that we, too, have hair that other races like to emulate. While we spend so much time, money and effort into getting our hair bone straight, plenty of White, Hispanic and Asian girls (and guys) have spent the same amount of effort trying to get their hair curly and voluminous via methods like perms.

“I think there’s more of an acceptance [of natural hair] outside of Black America than there is within Black America,” says educator Kierra Bussey. Having recently cut off almost all of her hair, Bussey’s new hairstyle has been embraced more from her White counterparts than even members of the Black community. After a lifetime of searing hot combs and scorching relaxers trying to achieve a more European look, she recently decided enough was enough and chopped it all off.

 “I come from the perspective of my mother being biracial and having straighter hair than me,” says Bussey. “When it got wet, it didn’t kink up like mine, and when it dried, it didn’t turn into a fro like mine. If I want my hair straight like hers, it more than likely means I have to damage it.”

Although her mother never wanted her to get relaxers, she’d take her to get hair straightened frequently, not knowing herself how to care for her daughter’s hair texture. After years of putting herself through the torture many of us Black girls know all too well, she decided she wanted to know what it was like to be comfortable in her own skin and describes the process of embracing her natural hair as an emotional one (in a positive way).

Beautiful photo courtesy of the regal
Kierra Bussey.

“I think we’ve become so attached to our physical appearance,” says Bussey. “Imagining ourselves outside of that realm frightens us. It’s important to remember that straight hair is not oppressed hair, it’s just your preference. But not loving your natural hair is what bothers me.”

I got rid of my Barbies a long time ago, but the caste system I created in that world still haunted me for a long time to come and, to be honest, it still creeps up on me occasionally. Just the other day, I spent 10 hours in the salon trying to figure out how to style my new natural hair and all I could think was, man, if I were a White girl, I’d just be in and out. But my hairdresser refused to let me carry on those thoughts. She reminded me that our hair incites just as much envy from others as anyone else’s. We have just as much to be proud of as any other race. Woven into our hair are history, culture, struggle, beauty and perseverance. Think about that the next time someone tries to convince you that the grass is greener on the other side.

Blood, Sweat,…Flats

I've always wondered how women manage to stroll around New York City with skyscraper-like heels like it's nothing. I don't regularly take cabs nor do I have the luxury of being driven around in a town car so, in my NYC experience, there's a lot of walking involved. Plenty of commuters (specifically those commuting to and from work) slip out of the heels and into something more practical until they've reached their destination, but I guess what the truth comes down to is this: some women are just pushing way past the pain.

Well, on tonight's episode of Bravo's new hit reality television show Blood, Sweat and Heels, former video model Melyssa Ford admitted she's one of those women. But as her boss brazenly told her, if you really wanna get stuff accomplished, stop trying to look cute and get some flats, girl. So I'm assuming (rather, hoping) that the women strutting around in heels have already paid their dues in flats.

Demetria (center, left) was our featured speaker
back in 2011 (I'm on the far right in bright yellow!).

Okay, I'm jumping into this a little fast. Let's start from the beginning. BSH premiered last week on Bravo to the highest first-time ratings in the network's reality-focused history. It features six women balancing success and their personal lives in the Concrete Jungle. Admittedly, the only two I know are Melyssa Ford and Demetria Lucas. Demetria, of course, is a journalist, blogger and author whom, a few years back, my organization hired to speak at our event when I was still at Temple.

We all knew her as an editor of Essence magazine and as the "Black Carrie Bradshaw" (a title bestowed upon her by the very own Washington Post) so we were excited that such a prominent figure in the media industry was even giving our little start-up the time of day. Demetria and I met again a week ago (she remembered!) when she threw a premiere viewing party in Brooklyn. I had made it from MD -> Philly -> NYC following her formula and she was as fabulous and pleasant as ever. We hugged, she gave me some advice and we even high-fived about being honest

Reunited a little over 2 years later at
the premiere party of BSH in BK.

journalists who don't hold back and don't apologize for our audacity.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Demetria was on the show, it honestly would've probably slipped under my radar. After all, when you premiere three new shows a week, it becomes a bit much and the quality starts to lack, Bravo. I still have mixed reactions to it but, so far, I can't say I'm disappointed. One of the things that stuck out to me was how real the girls are. When there are reality shows in existence called Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, you start to get the feeling that these shows are here only to remind you that you're a bum and other people eat meals that cost more than your rent.

It was nice to see on tonight's episode that nobody was putting on airs about the lifestyle they live. Melyssa Ford, especially, has been a pleasant surprise. She's a very likable woman and is clearly not one to stir the pot. She also has the potential to be making a lot of money on her name but is instead choosing to turn over a new leaf and do it the hard way. After a break-up with a high-rolling rapper, she's honest that she's in a tight situation with money and is learning to live within her newly-defined means. As a writer trying to make it in the proverbial Big Apple, I completely identify with living #thestruggle and I'm glad it's finally being addressed realistically.

BSH is on Sundays at 9pm ET on Bravo.

Geneva Thomas opened up about hustling in the media business only to make peanuts (tell it, honey!) and she also admitted that money is also tight for her. Two of the women on the show (Brie Bythewood and Daisy Lewellyn) come from wealthy backgrounds already but, all in all, these women are not housewives.  They're a modern representation of todays' women and living embodiments that success comes primarily through connections, a lot of elbow grease and opportunities. I'm sure, just like all reality shows, there will be fresh weaves, new sets of teeth, and grandiloquent homes for all the women involved as the seasons continue. But for now, they are definitely putting their heels--or should I say, flats--to the pavement and making it work.

kNOw Justice, kNOw Peace

Oh, I was going to get to this sooner or later. I held my tongue when Lupe came out with "Bitch Bad," a song that was supposed to hold a mirror up to Black society and preach about the abomination it's turning into, but was instead met with "Oh, shut up, Lupe." I didn't say a damn thing about the ignorant backlash regarding "Hunger Games" star Amandla Stenberg (a mulatta) playing the part of Rue, who readers had (mistakenly) thought was a precious White girl. Enough is quite enough.

Amandla Stenberg

Before you proceed, please heed this caveat and abstain from getting the idea that I am lumping any race into one category. When I say Whites, I am speaking of a very specific group of White people: those who perpetuate intolerance and/or ignorance. Back to your scheduled program.

On Sunday, Jamie Foxx was presented with the 2013 Generation Award at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards (which I don't go out of my way to catch anymore). As he walked onstage, he gave the cameras, and the world, a clear shot of his t-shirt: an homage to Trayvon Martin and the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Above a big portrait of Martin were the words "kNOw Justice" and below the photo the words "kNOw Peace." Surrounding Martin's massive portrait were smaller photos of the children who perished at Sandy Hook. 

The backlash was immediate and unfiltered. People (specifically, White people) on Twitter were pissed. How dare he wear a controversial Black face so proudly near his heart? What nerve he had to make Martin's face bigger than the innocent (mostly White) children. The audacity that he can't just let it go, that he's standing in solidarity with an important face of the Black struggle, the Black injustice, the Black truth.

Jamie Foxx at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards

Because that's always been a problem, right? It's seen as unity and comradeship when Asians help their fellow Asians, when Hispanics look out for their fellow Hispanics and when Whites support their White brothers and sisters. But when Blacks have each other's backs, we're being exclusive. We're racist. It's a problem. It's scary. That's why we've always been divided, isn't it? They love seeing us fight each other. They bring out their popcorn and enjoy the show, the gaping fissure they've created that causes tension, even hatred, among Blacks. The second we start getting along and banding together, we must be stopped. Stopped before we become too powerful. Before our voices are heard and the truth rings free, out in the open.

Some of the tweets that were publicized in reaction to Foxx's statement t-shirt were just ignorant and others were downright hateful and meant to be degrading. It doesn't surprise me that racial tensions are at an all-time high. In fact, according to a Huffington Post article I read a while back, the percentage of White racists today is higher than it was right before Obama was elected into office. Now, don't get me wrong, we've come a long way. And I have tons of White friends who couldn't care less about race. But in this day and age, we should be a little further along than we are collectively.

Then again, we are in the age of the Internet. Where people are free to say as they please. I believe what these people do is put out this vitriol under the cloak of anonymity just to ruffle feathers, just because they can. But they spend so much time doing so, they really begin to get sucked into the contempt they put out; they become the hate they create. Perhaps so much so, that they begin to live the atrocity that they had previously preached only for a reaction.

Most of the tweets that were highlighted in the article referred to Martin as a "thug," a "nigger" and a "criminal" who got what he deserved and was rightfully wasted from this world so that he could no longer carry out crimes that CLEARLY all Black men exclusively are bound to commit. They even called Foxx a racist who "wouldn't be wearing that shirt if Trayvon Martin were white." Again, standing up for each other is "racist." Would Jamie Foxx have worn that shirt if Trayvon Martin had been White? Honestly, probably not. Not because he's a racist, but because of the cultural significance the Trayvon Martin case had in America.

Just some of the Twitter backlash in response to
Foxx's shirt (Photo courtesy of Public Shaming Tumblr)

Black culture is riddled with adages made popular by 90s hip-hop like "fuck the police" and "the White man's always trying to keep the brothers down." Of course, many people have chosen to turn a blind eye to the injustices done to African Americans both through individual racism and systematic racism. These ideas have been brushed off as conspiracy theories and excuses made by the Black community to justify their servile standing in society. Imagine the guilt that would befall White people if they had to admit that the system was really designed so that Black people have to work ten times harder just to have a remote chance at the American dream. It's comfortable to live in ignorance. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss. 

If we didn't flip the channel every time a poor child in tattered clothing in a third world country showed up on the TV screen, we'd be forced to think about the things we take for granted everyday. We'd have no choice but to rot inside at the thought of living our hedonistic, gluttonous, ostentatious lifestyles. So it's comfortable not to know. Because there's a certain discomfort that arises, a guilt, if you will, when our actions don't match our beliefs. This feeling of unease is cognitive dissonance. In order to alleviate this vexation, we pretend we don't know so that we don't have to readjust the way we live to match what we actually do know to be the right thing. 

Trayvon Martin wasn't harming anyone. Nor did he have any intent to harm anyone. What he may or may not have done at any point before that night had nothing to do with the fact that he was merely walking down the street minding his own business. What happened could have been avoided had George Zimmerman followed police instructions and stayed put. The consequences of his actions exposed on a national scale what Black people had been saying all along: we're targeted simply for being Black and in the wrong place. In a place we are not welcome.

Yet still, while most of America conceded that his murder was undeniably wrong, certain people sought any reason to demonize Martin. They dug up any dirt they could to assuage the guilt of witnessing the slaughter of a teenage boy who was armed with nothing but a few snacks. Rather than calling him a "guy," "young man" or a "person," they refer to him as "thug," "nigger," "criminal." Anything that takes away his humanity and replaces it with bestiality. And they wonder why Black people get so riled up about this.

One of my favorite books is Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, about a Black man trying to find his way in a society that consistently degrades him until he is forced to become a recluse and live outside the law. From that book comes one of my favorite lines: "To whom can I  be responsible, and why should I be, when you refuse to see me?" A perfect example of what sociologists refer to as the labeling theory. If you tell someone they are something enough, eventually, they will believe it and become the very thing you've labeled them as. You tell a woman she's ugly enough, no matter how scientifically beautiful she actually is, she will begin to see ugly every time she looks at herself. 

This is what Black people have succumbed to. So long have we been told we're not good enough, we're not worthy, we're not beautiful, we can't make it, being brutish is in our nature, that we actually start to believe it. Many of us either stop trying, dumb ourselves down, act out violently or start trying to live up to White standards of perfection. For example, Nicki Minaj, who fancies herself a "Barbie" and models her look after a European aesthetic (blond hair, blue contacts, light make-up, etc.). So essentially, White people paint a picture of who they think we are, we subconsciously live up to it, and they're provided with more ammunition to say "I told you so." It's like asking someone repeatedly to slap you in the face and then getting upset when they actually do it.

Great quote from a very wise man (Photo courtesy of
Interracial Dating Facebook)

When is it going to be okay for us to stick up for each other? We've been pitted against one another for so long because they fear that when we stand together, we will become a force. We will be powerful beyond measure. But we've bought into it. Light skin vs. dark skin, Black Americans vs. Africans vs. Haitians, upper class vs. lower class. We divide ourselves up into any category we can squeeze ourselves into. It has to be okay for us to come together. It's not a matter of gathering an army so that we can take over, but so that we can merely stand next to our brothers and sisters of all races and ethnicities in equality without any struggles for power and superiority.

I wish I could relay that message to these Internet gangsters. These people who feel so safe behind the veil of a computer screen that they can so easily spit quick, reckless, spontaneous bits of venom that spread like wildfire and become immortalized in the vast abyss of the World Wide Web. But I know many of them are far too proud, too resistant, too set in their ways to listen to reason. But I want them to know anyway, that we will continue to wear these bold displays of support for all of our brethren who have been wronged, be they Black, White, Asian, Green, Red or Blue. If there is no justice, there will be no peace. And until we know justice, we cannot know peace.

Reaction to the Boston Marathon Explosions

The statuses and messages I've seen throughout the day regarding the tragedy at the Boston marathon has been overwhelmingly synonymous: look for the helpers. Don't think about the lowlives who did this; think of those who are pulling together to fix it. In all other tragedies I've lived through,

A popular photo currently making the rounds on social media.

Columbine, 9/11, Virginia Tech, Aurora, and Sandy Hook, to name a few, the reactions were all shock, horror and disgust in the realm of "What kind of monsters would do such a thing?" and "What kind of a world do we live in?" 

Today, most people didn't bother to ask. They ceased to ask these questions that prove to be counterproductive and instead their instinct was to help, to do something. To answer one of the questions above, we live in the real world. A world that has never been devoid of tragedy, horror and villains. And it is tempting to focus on the villains because we cannot comprehend what would possess someone to do this. We, with our golden hearts, who would rather create and heal than destroy and break. It's moot trying to rationalize the actions of such cancerous psychopaths. Some things are beyond comprehension. 

I think the most important thing is to show them that they can't so easily break us. We may bend and get shook up, but we mustn't break. No matter how far removed we are personally from these incidents, we should take the perspective that if it affects one of us, it affects us all. We need to reach out to our neighbors and help strengthen them so they feel less like victims and more like warriors. I believe that if we rally together in this way, then, and only then, will these perpetrators learn to fear us rather than us loving in constant fear of them. They will want to shake and rattle us. Let them shake and rattle us, but let us not stir or stumble.  Let us stand firmly as though our feet are nailed to the ground. Let them know that they can stand with us or against us, but it is in their best interest to stand with us because together, we are a force. Together, you really don't want to piss us off.  

Today, I heard the voices of people who have had enough. Who know there is more to come and are willing to fight and start focusing on the positive in order to make the negative feel more insignificant. Today, I saw the faces of people who did not hesitate to lend a hand in any way they could, who did not let their shock keep them on the sidelines. Today, everyone was on the front lines, and although I still feel a heaviness in my heart, I still retain faith in humanity.

We live in the real world. We can say all we want how we shouldn't have to teach our daughters how not to get raped and teach our sons how not to get themselves killed, but that's not how life works. In life, there are and will always be bad guys and good guys. Good guys are not those who refrain from delinquent behavior. They are those who risk danger to fight the good fight. Who deliberately try to restore the damage caused by the bad guys and bring them to justice. Teach your children that. This is the real world. It will get tough. You will cry. You will want to give up. But you won't. Because you're never alone in the fight. Because for every villain, there are multiple times as many helpers. 

Young Black Hollywood

     As many of you might have heard, seeing as it is kind of old news, Vanity Fair's March issue featured what they referred to as the stars of "New Hollywood." The cover featured nine beautiful actresses supposedly on the rise, but there was only one problem...it seems they took the word "fair" quite seriously.

     You see, it just so happened that all nine of those gorgeous ingenues were white. They represented the ideal physical beauty that Hollywood is known to perpetuate: young, fresh-faced, fair-skinned, and thin. Actresses Abbie Cornish, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Hall, Mia Wasikowska, Emma Stone, Evan Rachel Wood, and Anna Kendrick were apparently the only ones that Vanity Fair could think of. Some of these actresses I completely understand. Kirsten Stewart is everywhere, Carey Mulligan was exceptional in "An Education," Amanda Seyfried has made quite a name for herself, and Evan Rachel Wood is never too far away from America's conscious.

     But the magazine neglected rising stars like Gabourey Sidibe of "Precious" and Zoe Saldana when conjuring up their list. As I was reflecting upon this in disappointment, I wondered how long it would take for a major magazine to strike back with a cover full of ethnic, diverse women.

     Well, in August, someone finally decided to strike back. Publicist Arian Simone came out with her own, exclusively digital publication called "Fearless Magazine." On the premiere cover are eight of the most insignificant actresses in Hollywood.

     I know that may seem harsh, but they could have done wayyyy better. Lauren London, Monique Coleman, Tia Mowry, Tiffany Hines, Naturi Naughton, Kyla Pratt, Jennifer Freeman, and Chyna Layne are the eight black actresses gracing this cover, and only a couple of them are actually relevant. Many of you may remember Jennifer Freeman from the hit sitcom "My Wife and Kids," and most recently for abusing her NBA husband. I haven't seen Kyla Pratt in years, nor has Lauren London appeared in a film since giving birth to Lil Wayne's baby...you get the point. The point is...we failed to make a point with this retaliation.


  Who do you think should have been on Vanity Fair's cover?

Fantasia Barrino Continued...

     I apologize for the hiatus on my blog. As you may know, I am a college student and this week I served as a volunteer on campus to help welcome in the new freshman. So occasionally, I will be too overwhelmed with school and work responsibilities to update. But I'll try to get to it as much as I can.

     The reason I am doing this post is because my very first post was a comparison on how Fantasia Barrino and Alicia Keys, both allegedly in affairs with married men, were each treated by the media. In the post, based on an article I read on theroot.com, I mentioned how their skin color could possibly be one of the reasons Fantasia was treated much more harshly than Alicia. This article was a real debate-starter and got the wheels turning in my mind as well.

     Fantasia has just recently revealed in an interview with Vibe magazine that she believes the reason she was treated differently was because of her skin tone and ethnic features. In the interview, she takes it a step further, saying she believes her skin tone, ethnic features, and short hair also got her excluded from red carpet coverage spreads in popular magazines.

     In my opinion, Fantasia took something that the black media was saying in her defense and ran with it as far as she could. Now, while I do believe her skin tone played a part, it is very unlikely that was the whole reason she was treated differently from the Alicia Keys and Angelina Jolies. Fantasia claims that it was difficult being on American Idol, where everyone was "barbied out," as she she says.

     But she forgets to mention that she won the competition. Despite being a teen single mother, dark-skinned, and having a full nose and full lips, the American audience still voted her the winner. With all the pressure and embarrassment following her suicide attempt, I think Fantasia is now trying to play the victim card. And, in my opinion, all this press and all these interviews are putting her back in the spotlight conveniently close to the release of her album.

     Going back to American Idol, she is held to different standards than celebrities not affiliated with that name. And not only that, but her scandal, unlike the others, involved the possible existence of a sex tape. People want to know that the person they rooted for and voted for is not a sex-tape-making, shameless homewrecker. Alicia Keys got into this business on her own accord, and Angelina Jolie already had a reputation as a rebel. The American public feel like Fantasia was made into a star only with their support.

     Fantasia can use the race card as much as she wants, but there are many other factors involved that she overlooked in her haste to defend herself. And if there's one thing that annoys me, it's when people don't own up and try to play the victim instead. What do you think about the situation?
   

The "N-Word"...Again

     *Sigh* Countless discussions, debates, arguments have led nowhere apparently. I cannot recall how many times I have had this discussion with numerous people to no avail. And the word "nigger" keeps creeping up to the consciousness of our society again and again. This time, talk radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the bad guy who dared to not just utter the word, but blurt it out...over and over again. Eleven times, to be exact. After years and years of this issue being pummeled and beaten unconscious by society, it still has not died. In fact, I'm forced to accept that many white people, unbeknownst to us black people, use the word.
    
     Honestly, why should we blame them? Why are we being so hypocritical and childish, demanding that we have free use of the word to our hearts content yet no one else should have the audacity to merely think about using the word. Can't we just retire it completely?

     What do we really get out of using that word? A lot of black people defend the usage, saying they are reclaiming the word when it just appears to me that they are simply keeping it alive. When a white guy is listening to rap music in the privacy of his bedroom, do you think he skips over the n-word knowing that no one is around? And what happens if he then accidently blurts it out while no longer in the confines of his room? He's a racist, right?

     Some black people even now put their own twist on what the word means. I recall back in middle school I was friends with an Asian girl who was well-known among the black community as "one of us." She talked like us, dressed like us, listened to the same music, and lived in the same poverty. One day, as a group of us were standing around checking out the cute guys passing by she  shouted out, "Damn, that nigga is fine!"

     I looked around immediately, fearing that the black girls around her would be angry, but no one seemed to mind. I later approached on of my black friends who had witnessed the occasion and asked why that didn't bother her. "Who cares?" she said. "'Nigga' is just another way of saying 'good-looking guy'."

     It seems that every black person has a different  opinion about the word, and that's when the debate gets messy. After reading a post on theroot.com about the incident with Dr. Laura, I must admit they made a good point: Why do we give people like that the power to work our nerves?

     Dr. Laura has since quit her radio show because of all the backlash from the word, but why do we allow that word to get us so riled up? And it does give them an awful lot of power knowing that by merely uttering that one word, they can ruin our entire day. What people neglected was that in the same day, Dr. Laura went on to accuse the majority of the black population for voting for Obama only because of his race.

     People were so blinded by the word, that they failed to recognize how much more insulting that is to our intelligence and our integrity. We don't just vote for any black person who runs for office. Condoleeza Rice is a black person, however, she does not have much support from the black community. Why? Because black people tend to be Democrats and vote that way.

     I'm retiring this issue for now with this final thought: It's not that serious. Stop using it if you don't want to hear it. Enough already.

Alicia Keys Vs. Fantasia Barrino

     Hey, guys! So, this is officially my first blog post! I am no stranger to blogging, so I suppose it's not that big of a deal, but this is my first personal blog, so I am completely responsible for making it a good one.
  

     To start off, I would like to address two stories that have been taking the media by storm: Fantasia Barrino's appalling affair with a married man, and Alicia Keys' fairytale ending with a man who she allegledly began dating while he was still married. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen these stories plastered on the cover of tabloids galore. But an important question to ponder: these two ladies are in the same situation, so why are they being treated completely different by the mainstream media?
    
     As I was reading an article on theroot.com this morning, they dared to delve deeper into this by posing the question: "Is it that Keys is too pretty to be pummeled?"
    
     With this, the author carefully approaches the topic of beauty in our culture, considering that the reason might be Alicia's ethereal biracial looks compared to Barrino's tatted, dark-skinned appearance. Could it be that the media melted at the sight of a goddess-like, slightly tanned Alicia sealing the romance with a beautiful wedding in which she donned a gorgeous white dress and adorable baby bump as opposed to Fantasia sealing her romance with a tasteless tattoo of the man's last name on her shoulder?

     Or, the author suggests, is it the antithetic backrounds and rise to fame of the two stars? While both are extremely talented, only Keys has risen to superstar fame and is on the road to possible legendary status. Could it be that our culture respects Keys' struggle as she fought her way into the music industry like so many artists do? And although she was raised in Hell's Kitchen in New York by a single mother, it is notable that Keys did graduate as valedictorian in her performing arts school at the age of 16, going on to attend the prestigious Columbia University. All that while Barrino lived in poverty, being molested as a child, never having graduated from high school, barely being able to read, and being a teen mother. Yet, Barrino had an almost easy ride to the top, being catapulted there by a winning stint on American Idol.

     The article is truly an insightful and eye-opening one for those who have never given this issue much thought, and I encourage you to read it in its entirety.