Pretty Brown Babies For Our Pretty Brown Babies

Last weekend my mom asked me to go online and find a really pretty black doll for my niece for Christmas. I said ok thinking it would be no problem. WRONG! Where are the pretty black babies?? I spent 2 hours searching the web for a nice doll. I wasnt interested in the $9.99 doll from Walmart or Target. Those are just white dolls dipped in brown paint. I want a really nice doll for her. Its important that she be black because we want my niece to appreciate her skin tone. Over the last few months we noticed she only prefers white dolls. Unless we promote positive images of black women and steer her in the right direction, she probably wont see many.
About 5 years ago my mom bought my little sister 2 beautiful black dolls. Each doll was about $35. They looked so real and precious. Well, I finally found the type of dolls I was looking for and they were $70+. Can you say "breaking the bank"? It was such a disappointment. Can the doll cook my dinner too? I mean, these aren't porcelain dolls. Just the soft, cuddly ones. It should not be this hard to find a nice doll. So I'm still wondering where are the pretty brown babies for our pretty brown babies?

Thanks, But No Thanks. I Dont Need Your Validation.

My friend had an interview today. She wore a wig to cover her natural coily, kinky hair. Her exact words to me were "I need to look more Anglo today. They might not like my natural hair". I told her that was ridiculous. Her hair has nothing to do with her work ethic. She replied "Whatever. I need this job!" I did not agree but I understood.

It got me thinking.

It wasn't crazy or shocking for her to feel the way that she did. People judge. If you need something bad enough you do what you have to do. It's disheartening. When will it be okay to be yourself in this world? When will it be okay to feel okay about being yourself? I'm no perfect being. I get self conscious at times but never enough to disown or deny any part myself. So when will it be okay to be yourself and feel good about it? When you no longer need the validation of others.

Last night I watched a TV show about a PR company (I think that's what it was). On the show the boss had just hired a woman and it was her first day. He told her she looked terrible and needed to step her game up. She was wearing flip flops, jeans and a tank with her hair in a low ponytail. That was understandable. The other women on the job were dressed very nicely. What floored me was the boss asked her to get lip injections. He set up an appointment and paid for it. After internally tussling with the suggestion she decided against it. In the end, she proved herself to be a good worker without the fat lips. I couldn't believe she even considered it.

Its not easy to get to a place of self-validation. It took me years. Sometimes I want to be validated because it feels good to know that someone approves of you. However, I don't need it. Neither do you. The sooner you all start living for yourself, the happier you'll be.

Peace and Blessings.

Aahhh, the National Black Arts Festival

I love my people! Today I went downtown to get a taste of this years National Black Arts Festival. Though I was definitely slow roasting in the sticky, Georgia heat I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was ecstatic to see so many brown faces, natural coils, mud cloths, black paintings and busts, ethnic jewelry, ethnic food,....the list just goes on. The live entertainment livened my pulse and had my hips swaying, knees knocking, neck rolling. Ha! It was lovely! There were so many beautiful women and men. I think what I appreciated about their beauty was that it so full of African culture and pride. I was glad that I had ditched the weave and rocked my hair au natural. I felt like I belonged. So often I am a "dark rock surged upon, over-swept by a creamy sea". (Those were Zora Neale Hurston's words.) It was great to see people who looked and felt like me. All working together and having a good time.

I saw some sista's with locs past their butts. I saw one woman with skin three shades lighter than jet black. She was stunning. I saw a father and son both wearing beanies packed full with their dreadlocks. It was so cute! People would randomly bust a dance or start singing. Women were shopping together, laughing, and trying on jewelry. A few men were gathered around drums. Children were playing and running. The art was AWESOME! It was all so visually satisfying. I wish it came more than once a year.

I loved to merging of African and African American culture. And there was no hostility or separation like there can be between us. We were all black people today and I LOVED that feeling.

I could have easily spent well over $300 but I forced myself to just admire. I'm sticking to my budget if it kills me. The festival was definitely a joy and I will be in attendance next year...with lots of money on hand.

This Oil Spill Ordeal

Its ridiculous how ugly this oil spill situation has become. Whats even worse is that its only going to get worse. Everyone is pointing a giant finger at Obama and its sickening. Yes, he is the president of the United States but everyone seems to be forgetting that he is ONLY A MAN. Humans cannot be in more than one place at one time. Humans need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Humans make mistakes. Humans can only give their full attention to ONE thing at a time. When Obama accepted his position, he did not lose his humanity. He cant do it all as much as we...well, you all, would like for him to. Dont get me wrong, I dont like that Obama has blamed others in the past for today's problems. Good leaders just pick up the problem and do what they can to solve it. However, seeing all the pressure thats been put on him to be a non-human super hero I understand why he took a seat at the blame game table. Why hasn't British Petroleum felt the same burn from the public that the U.S. has directed towards Obama? Beyond all the blaming, we know that this is a disaster of major proportion. Have you all seen that picture of the flailing bird drenched in oil? How about the baby turtle? I wanted to cry. The beaches are soon to be destroyed. The lives of the people on the gulf have been flipped inside out. Its heart-wrenching. In a perfect world all the problems would go away but the reality is they wont. Let me repeat, the reality is that they wont! Take a look at all the disasters that have taken place in 2010. Earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, a gaping sink hole, this oil spill. We're only half way into the year. Get your lives together. Stop fighting. Love one another. Be generous. The end may be closer than you think. My final thoughts: God, please bless those affected by this oil spill. Humans and animals alike. Amen.

What the heck is this Spiraling Dimension?

The spiral is my favorite symbol. Spirals hold so much meaning and can be seen almost everywhere. I did a Google search to find out exactly what a spiral symbolized. I found amazing results. Look at "the horns on the antelopes on the plains of Africa and the tusks on the narwhal, to the shell of a snail or nautilus and the cluster of petals in a rose, all the way to magnetic fields at earths poles...from the brain to the fingertip to the entire nervous system. Take a closer look at a DNA molecule and you'll see the spiraling nucleic acids, the classic double helix. According to depth psychologists, the spiral symbolizes our inner and outer journey to God and the Self". Do you see where I'm going with this? I am an ever evolving human being. I believe we should grow everyday and surround ourselves with those of like minds. The day I stop learning is the day I stop living. I am starting this blog because I have something to say to the world. Sometimes I'm silly. Sometimes I'm deep. Sometimes I'm religious. Sometimes I just want to be heard. No time for nonsense. Time is too precious. I wont limit this blog to any particular subject. I write about what's moving me. Don't be afraid to pay a visit to The Spiraling Dimension.