Simone Leigh

Installed at WILD GIRLS, Exit Art through August 26th

www.exitart.org


Lazarine, terracotta, graphite and platinum luster

if you don't know, now you know

Here are 2005 Census stats for what college educated, 25 years and older Americans who work year round make.

White men 100%
Asian men 92%
Hispanic men 77%
Black men 76%
Asian women 74%
White women 70%
Black women 62%
Hispanic women 61%

Here is what Americans 25 years or older with a high school diploma or less working year round make.

White men 100%
Asian men 100%
Asian women 77%
White women 73%
Black men 68%
Black women 61%
Hispanic men 61%
Hispanic women 52%

check some sistas out

Terry Howcott, "a social commentator, willing dissident, community educator, a (lightly) seasoned professional and recovering-flautist," has a new, incredibly comprehensive site, Broad and Black. If you, like me, have an abundant amount of time to spend reading and looking in cyberspace, spend some time here.








Also, artist Sonseree' Gibson has a new site with her stunning photographic work. Check it out.

um, could it be because we keep Israel awash in money and weaponry?

I saw this cover on the newsstand today and the prejudicial language of it really got to me (though certainly didn't surprise me). Check out two great articles on BlackCommentator.com this week: "Israel's Terror" and "Israeli Apartheid."

New Mel Gibson Urban Drama to Be Spoken in Ebonics

That one made me smile and it wasn't even The Onion. Don't rule it out.

um...kevin smith? fuck you.

Okay, this is dumb shit--filmmaker Kevin Smith is pissed at critic Joel Siegel for loudly walking out of a screening of Clerks II--which I might have gone to see until I read this racist crap. It's insidious, people:

Smith was a guest on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show yesterday when they called the mustachioed critic at home. Siegel had to take his lumps from the director for declaring, as he stormed out of the "Clerks II" screening, "Time to go! . . . First movie I've walked out of in 30 [bleeping] years."

"You jackass. It was unprofessional," Smith yelled at Siegel. "If you were sitting there enjoying [Oscar-winning Ray Charles biopic] 'Ray,' as you did enjoy 'Ray,' and somebody got up and started shuckin' and jivin' and talkin' about how horrible it was, you would write about it the next day going, 'How could that dude be so disruptive.

see this film

The other day I went and saw this documentary about the murders of more than 450 women in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993. I highly recommend this film (it's currently touring the West Coast; check the linked subject line above for screenings). This film (there have been others though I haven't seen them), rather than treat the murders as a whodunit (as the forthcoming Gregory Nava fiction film Bordertown apparently does), really smartly draws the connections between these murders, free trade, maquiladoras, and narco-trafficking, thus positioning the crimes within a larger socio-economic system from which U.S. corporations profit and that shows no signs of changing any time soon.

The film itself is a little difficult to watch, especially if you need to read the subtitles--there's a lot going on on-screen at any given moment between the text, the quick edits, and the visuals themselves. Even so, it's definitely worth a look, as this femicide is ongoing, and not a single perpetrator has been convicted of any of these murders.

There's more info at:

http://www.wola.org/Mexico/hr/ciudad_juarez/juarez_updated_05.htm

http://www.ocregister.com/news/2004/juarez/index.shtml

are we in hell?

$1681.37!!!!

This is the amount we've collected so far for the cadre grant for visual artists, so one way or another we're giving out some money to artists this fall!!!

Please check out the site and if you have not, think about making a donation. We're only asking for individual donations of $10 (though many generous folks have given more, and we love you for it!) And if you're an artist, remember--if you donate, you can apply for a grant.

this ain't what you would call a rousing endorsement

I hate that snarky 'oh, come on, you're giving too much credit to Africa' tone, but an interesting review (thanks to Anna via Deirdre). See also http://carlagirl.net/blog/2006/03/is-it-just-me.html:

July 20, 2006

Museum Review

Museum of the African Diaspora Offers Anecdotal Evidence of a Homesick Humanity

By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN

SAN FRANCISCO — Museums are morphing. Once they were chroniclers or collectors, gathering objects and facts and putting them on display. Now many have become crucibles: places where a cultural identity is hammered out, refined and reshaped. Along the way they also have become community centers, where a group gathers to celebrate its past, commemorate its tragedies and convey its achievements to others.

That is what the Museum of the African Diaspora, designed by the North Carolina firm the Freelon Group, is meant to be. It is just down the street from two other such institutions being built here: the Mexican Museum and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. With its 20,000 square feet, the African museum’s $20 million building houses no permanent collection and promises no scholarly revelations.

Instead the museum describes itself on its Web site (www.moadsf.org) as a “collector of stories,” one that “promotes, explores and appreciates the contributions people of African descent have made across the globe.” It intends “to foster a greater understanding of human history and promote cross-cultural communication.”

Those are sweeping ambitions, which are only fitfully realized in the museum’s permanent exhibits; the tendency to “promote” often eclipses the goals to explain and explore. But the museum, which boasts of 40,000 visitors since its opening in December, also says it intends over time to shape an understanding of the “African diaspora.”

What does that term mean? The Greek word, which once referred to the exile of Jews beginning in the sixth century B.C., implies more than just dispersal. It implies an emotional quality of both displacement and attachment. In the case of Africa, it alludes to the spread of African people, ideas and cultures throughout the world, both through the brutality of slavery and the voluntary migration of populations. It also suggests a continuing yearning for what the continent represents.

The scope of the African diaspora is visible in the single most telling exhibit at the museum: an enormous sepia-toned mural that, unfortunately, can only be seen fully from outside the building at a distance (and is marred by window glare). It is a face of an African child photographed by Chester Higgins Jr. of The New York Times. Up close, awkwardly seen as you mount the stairs that cut across the image on the way to the second floor, the face is revealed to be a mosaic of smaller images constructed by Robert Silvers using more than 2,000 photographs solicited by the museum. They include portraits of Masai women, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, a Pangale elder, celebrities and anonymous soldiers, graduates, children, dancers, merchants, ballplayers. It is a fantastically detailed evocation of Africa’s worldwide demographic legacy.

Some of this variety is also meant to be captured in the community events and public programs the museum has organized (including an evening with an Ethiopian Jewish comedian) and its collaborations with other museums (which is to include, in 2007, a French photography exhibition about Africa).

But in the permanent displays, where the institution presumably presents its central vision, this concept of the African diaspora starts to break up into inconsistent fragments, like the mural’s poignant face. It splinters into miscellany, even as the museum’s vision of Africa itself becomes almost unreal in its bland uniformity.

At first the idea of the African diaspora is made as broad as possible. “When did you discover you are African?” is the question posed on the entrance wall facing visitors; the implication is that all visitors are African — even if they don’t know it.

In another display, human migrations over the millenniums appear as lighted paths on a global map, expanding outward from Africa where geneticists now believe Homo sapiens originated. We are all members of this diaspora. But this makes African identity so broad as to be meaningless.

In other displays, different problems arise. With only about 3,000 square feet of permanent exhibition space, and no objects or artifacts of its own, the museum seems to have at once too little material for its subject and too much ground to cover. Everything is simplified.

Africa, after all, far from containing a single nation or people, has been host to scores of tribes and kingdoms with vastly varying social arrangements and cultures. Yet all of that history and detail is ignored (as are contemporary realities). What unites the continent in our imaginations is the crippling yoke of slavery to which its many heritages were harnessed during the Western world’s modern history (as well as during periods of Arab domination). Here, the continent is recalled through the scrim of that exile, simplifying Africa, reducing it to a diaspora dream of a lost home.

In the first main exhibit, called “Celebration Circle,” a film is shown on a 180-degree screen in a circular room. Racially diverse speakers testify to the joys of families, feasts and celebrations. They then pay tribute to Africa as the primal source of human society and brotherly sentiment. This evokes a warm communal feeling of course, but it is a mythical image, portraying an entire continent as a realm of pastoral and celebratory bliss.

That image of Africa as a vague source of pleasure and plenty remains in other exhibits as well. One wall, titled “What You Wear ... and Who You Are, a World of Choices,” shows three human figures created out of a shifting collage of traditional African and contemporary dress, their video-heads morphing into a sampling of humanity.

Africa is, the wall implies, the source of much diversity as well as much celebration. But no information is given about these clothing styles, Africa’s varied cultures or their influences on worldwide fashion and customs.

More concrete information is provided on a wall devoted to foods influenced by Africa as push-button-display video slide shows. One screen revealingly suggests, for example, that one reason Southern recipes now use plenty of greens is that black slaves typically used these cast-off scraps of vegetables for cooking. But is the exaggerated suggestion necessary that the worldwide taste for eating greens on a regular basis “comes from Africa”?

This impulse to celebrate even weakens the museum’s most informative display: a wall of touch-screens surveying the rich African influences on world music, complete with examples, including tribal chants, ragtime, rumbas, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop.

But in the midst of descriptions, which should be tribute enough, come exaggerations. The importance of music to African social events and ritual, for example, is ascribed to “the values that African cultures place on inclusion” — except that music is central to every culture, inclusive or not. So eager is the urge to herald African influence that when it comes to European and American symphonic compositions, the exhibit ascribes almost every stylistic characteristic, including contrapuntal complexity and harmonic dissonance, to African influence (and makes other errors along the way).

This African romance may help spur a sense of connection and identity, but it ultimately interferes with historical understanding. A stylized short film about Toussaint L’Ouverture, made by Doug McHenry, filters out so much detail and eccentricity that this complex 18th-century leader of Haiti’s slave revolution becomes a cartoon martyr packaged for contemporary tastes.

The most moving permanent exhibit has little to do with forging an identity or image. All celebration is silenced in a darkened room lined with benches. Original accounts of enslavement and liberation are heard, powerfully read; they dwarf the other displays with their historical fact and elemental humanity.

Perhaps, over time, given the ambitions of its new executive director, V. Denise Bradley (who was hired in September after the permanent exhibitions had been designed), such documentation may become more the rule than the exception. The museum, with an annual budget of $4 million to $5 million, may even overcome the burden of these permanent exhibits with community events and collaborations.

Later in July, for example, a visiting show, “Carrie Mae Weems: The Louisiana Project,” will use photography, narratives, videos and archival material to create an installation that evokes the mingling of cultures in New Orleans over the course of 200 years.

The museum may also provide a kind of laboratory to help refine planning for one of the largest museum projects of the next decade: the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington.

But in taking on the new role of cultural crucible, museums are assuming burdens undreamed of by traditional collectors. And so far this particular crucible still needs to be shaped.

Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

when fans have photoshop

Janet Jackson is currently running a contest for fans to design the cover of her forthcoming album 20 Years Old. This is one fan's submission. Um, seriously? You're a fan? I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and say sweetie, you ain't gonna win.

It got me thinking about some images I have received from site visitors who took my images, altered them, then sent them back to me. This was perhaps my favorite, because it was like a logo, albeit a porny one; see others below:

How or whether to protect one's images has been an ongoing question since the dawn of the Internet. I always wanted people to be able to download my images, and what I've figured out is that, even using Flash, if you can screen-capture it you can download the image. It seems a losing battle, but using Flash will certainly deter the casual viewer who's quick to right-click and save. Like, well, me.

If you were not afraid, what would you be?

Someone sent me this; it was part of a signature on an e-mail she received. A variant on the more ubiquitous what would you (attempt to) do if you knew you could not fail?

The only answer I could come up with: not working.

is it wrong that i'm perpetually uninterested in my own career?

Just saying.

Does anyone else experience this?

sometimes ish is true

You know how, for years, your cousin or auntie has been sending you all those dire forwards, sometimes inexplicably attributed to Camille Cosby, about how blacks are going to lose their right to vote in this country next year? Well...

Dear MoveOn member,

A group of Republicans in the Senate are preparing to hold up the re-authorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act—the landmark legislation that prevents partisan officials from denying minorities their right to vote. If the VRA is not reauthorized soon, it will open the door to voter discrimination in some of the highest risk areas around the country.

After the 8 hour lines, wrongly "purged" voter rolls and blatant intimidation many minority voters faced in Ohio and Florida in the last 2 elections, our nation cannot afford to make this problem any worse.

Next week, the NAACP is bringing over 2000 volunteers to Washington D.C. to walk door to door in the Senate making the case for the Voting Rights Act. You can help.

This morning, we're launching a petition asking the Senate to swiftly renew the Voting Rights Act. If you add your name now, we'll pass your signature and comments on to the NAACP volunteers to hand deliver to your Senators. Please sign today:

http://www.political.moveon.org/votingrights?id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5qpdNG2OTsZcdA&t=2

The 1965 Voting Rights Act is one of the greatest accomplishments of the civil rights movement. It ended the Jim-Crow era poll taxes and "literacy tests" that had been used since the civil war to stop African Americans from voting. It forbids intimidating minority voters away from the polls, and bans drawing district lines to divide and diffuse minority votes.¹

Though most of Congress supports re-authorizing the VRA, a right-wing bloc of Republicans managed to derail the bill for over a month in the House,² (a blockade that will finally end today).³ Now, the Voting Rights Act is headed to the Senate, where, as the AP is reporting, "The objections from House conservatives are being echoed by their colleagues across the Capitol."⁴ It's easier for a small group to stall things in the Senate, and a delay of even a few more weeks would push it off the Senate calendar for the rest of the year.

If the VRA is not reauthorized, several key provisions will simply expire. These include the requirement to provide multi-lingual ballots in relevant areas and special scrutiny for states and counties with a clear history of voter discrimination. Perhaps most importantly, the law allowing the federal government to investigate in high risk areas when there is specific evidence of voter intimidation could be wiped off the books—simply by continuing to delay.⁵

The NAACP, People for the American Way and other civil rights groups have made this their top priority, and they've asked us to join the fight. This petition will be unusually effective because we'll print out your signatures and comments and give them to NAACP volunteers to hand deliver to your Senators. This not only ensures that you will be heard right way, but it adds great power to the NAACP effort.

Together, we can make sure that when those volunteers stand up in Washington, it will be clear to everyone they meet that they aren't standing alone. Please add your name today:

http://www.political.moveon.org/votingrights?id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5qpdNG2OTsZcdA&t=3

Thanks for all that you do,

–Ben, Tanya, Marika, Carrie and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, July 3rd 2006

P.S. We're working with Color of Change, our sister organization that uses the internet to to empower Black Americans and their allies to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans, as part of a broad-based effort to protect every American's right to vote. Reauthorizing the VRA is a key piece in this protection, but there's much more to be done.

You can learn more or sign up for Color of Change yourself, at: www.colorofchange.org

P.P.S For more information about the NAACP volunteer drive (or to join it yourself) go to http://www.naacp.org

Sources:
1. United State Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/intro/intro_b.htm

2. "Voting Rights Act Renewal Divides GOP," Los Angeles Times, July 12, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1937&id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5qpdNG2OTsZcdA&t=4

3. "House to take up Voting Rights Extension," Reuters, July 12, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1933&id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5qpdNG2OTsZcdA&t=5

3. "House Takes Up Voting Rights Act Renewal," Associated Press, July 13, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1934&id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5qpdNG2OTsZcdA&t=6

4. People for the American Way has produced a great fact sheet on what's at stake in the Voting Rights Act re-authorization
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=20829#2

Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.3 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://political.moveon.org/donate/email.html?id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5qpdNG2OTsZcdA&t=7

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://political.moveon.org/?id=8210-170057-F7A6t_Uq5q

ignoring his comment about the "managing foreigners,"

which seemed suspicious in a post with this content,

(UPDATE: Rich explains: I was actually sarcastically projecting the sentiments in one of the T-shirts at the top of the post ("Welcome to America, Now Speak English!")

check out Rich's very creepy post regarding all the confederate merchandise for sale at the New Jersey shore:
http://fourfour.typepad.com/fourfour/2006/07/a_confederacy_o.html#more

where are the black women photographers' memoirs?

This was the really good question posed to me by a struggling young artist. Where are our memoirs? There's Carroll Parrott Blue's The Dawn at My Back, but that's the only one, I think. This artist also wrote :

I struggle to maintain my integrity and self respect everyday- I am just not the wine and cheese eating, smiling, pretentious, white man on my arm, black female photographer the art world wants me to be! And I have suffered for it.

I love her for writing that. And want her to know she's not alone and the art world doesn't have to be only that scenario (though she's dead-on).

Photographer, subjects, and opening unknown

http://www.newyorkstills.com/monkdogz/pages/IMG_2871.htm

what's wrong with this picture?

While the rest of the blogosphere is debating whether or not this Sony Playstation billboard image (apparently part of a trilogy) is racist (I'm gonna vote yes), I am reminded to put up this image which I came across last month in Southwest Airlines' in-flight magazine:







Can somebody please explain to me why, in an ad for Children's Cancer Hospital, this black boy is posed at the intersection of Plantation Valley Drive? Does he live there?

not everything in the corporate world is ugly

This glorious creature is Bruce; he's a guard in my building. Sublime at Pride in his whiffle ball dress.

Did you know 25 Million Africans are living with AIDS?

25,000,000 Africans are HIV positive.

Team Afrika will carry this message live to the beautiful people of San Francisco - at the 20th Annual San Francisco AIDS Walk on Sunday July 16th, 2006.

For 20 years, San Francisco has not lost hope to the HIV / AIDS epidemic, and for this reason alone - millions are alive to walk that Sunday. We dream of a day this will also be true for millions of Africans living with HIV, who have little hope of walking for another 20 years.

In the meantime, we walk in America and raise funds for HIV patients living amongst us: our families, neighbors, friends, co-workers and that young kid down the street. Given the reduction in US Government funding for AIDS programs, these fundraising events are critical.

Since late May 2005 Team Afrika has participated in 3 AIDS Walk events (Boston, Washington DC, and New York CIty). Together we have raised $13,403 from 354 individual donations.

For the first time, Team Afrika will be walking on the West Coast, and thus far we have 2 individual donations and $600 raised - which is a pretty good start ...

Can you help? Mark your calendar for July 16th - the rest is the future.

Maame Ewusi-Mensah, Team Afrika member who walks for her brothers and sisters on the continent


Go to this site and click My Team Page:
http://aidswalksanfrancisco2006.kintera.org/teamafrika

Or click or paste this in your browser:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=165792&lis=1&kntae165792=37C5C7E675444395983B14FCCD8390AB&supId=0&team=1358348&cj=Y

25 Million Africans
www.teamafrika.org

instead of reading that gossip blog...

A couple weeks ago we went to a screening of the 16 short films that were selected for the 6th annual Media That Matters Film Festival. They were amazing, and we discovered that they're all available online at http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/. I think my favorite was high school student Kiri Davis' A Girl Like Me (below; #2 on the site). All those beautiful, smart black girls.

It had me crying in the theater. You have to watch it. But they were all terrific. Even better, for each film, there are links to follow where you can take action on the subject presented.