Diva Feminism in Motion!?!?

How do we as feminists grapple with "booty politics" when thinking about black female bodies in motion? Let us imagine the possibilities of embracing gyrating black females bodies as both a site of engagement and empowerment. Now I know this can be difficult because of any number of factors: the exploitative nature of global capitalism, stereotypes of black female hypersexuality, the dominance of a patriarchal, heteronormative gaze on black female bodies as sexual objects... the list goes on.... With this in mind, does the elimination of economic gain (e.g. black female pornography actors, black female performers in music videos, or black female strippers) from black female gyrations such as those displayed in the African Soukous Dancer video produce a more "acceptable" context, in which feminists explore the potential for pleasurable objectification? And if so, are we limiting how we think about how black women derive pleasure from controlling/manipulating/exploring their physicality?

Black Entertainment Television banned Ciara's "Ride" video (the 2nd video), stating that "the visuals are too risque." One only needs to watch BET's flagship show, 106&Park to see/hear music videos with explicit sexual content and innuendo. So what in particular about this video resulted in BET deciding to wave the censorship flag? Would BET ban the video of Chantal, the African Soukous Dancer? What differs about her presentation of her body in motion to that of Ciara's? One could argue that the skill sets/levels differ, but what connects both performances is the presentation of the black female body, and in particular the moving hips and buttocks of black women. The performances of both Ciara and Chantal be situated within a black feminist performance aesthetic that simultaneously recognizes the inglorious history of the sexual exploitation of black female bodies AND the empowering potential of black women functioning as authorial subjects who use their bodies as sites of expressivity and engagement.

I know both of these videos inspire me as an artist and scholar. It will also be in constant rotation as part of my Diva Feminist fitness program!

Attention Femcees and B-Girls

Check out this wonderfully brilliant new video from Rapsody, The First Lady of Jamla! Produced by Grammy-Award Winning Producer 9th Wonder & Directed by Kenneth Price.

http://vimeo.com/12944318

Thinking Through the Intangible Cost of Wars of Aggression

http://vimeo.com/12061164

My cousin is currently on her third tour in the Middle East. After witnessing the horrors and violence of war, she has become more invested in peace studies and addressing local, national, and global violent conflicts.

As I think about the phrases like "Support Our Troops," I am struck by the emptiness of such a phrase in terms of us and our troops grappling with realities of the cost of war. This is not a new revelation, but this video has once again reminded me of the losses all families affected by wars incur. This video is not ground-breaking, but it does bring to light a particular experience had by many military families. Kudos to those involved with the production of this video and let us continue to support our loved ones by agitating and becoming vigilante about the true cost of war.

In Memoriam: Dorothy I. Height

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126128076

Swag, Sex & Cipha: Trans/forming Hip Hop in the 21st Century

Femcee Cipher!!!!

http://hiphopwired.com/2010/03/30/who-you-calling-a-bith-a-discussion-on-female-roles-in-hip-hop/

Check me out at Hip Hop Wired!!!!

Baby Got Back!

An interesting study about the health benefits of being "Bootylicious.!

http://www.essence.com/lifestyle/health/experts_say_your_booty_is_good_for_your.php