Oh Fuckin’ Great, As Though We’re Not Already Knee-Deep in Gentrified Shit

And there goes the neighborhood…

I found out today that Real World is going to film its 21st season in Brooklyn this summer. While they did not disclose a particular location, there seems to be rumors that it’s going to be a strategical location. Kevin Powell, a cast member of the first season of Real World, is running for New York’s 10th Congressional District this Fall, which major neighborhoods consist of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, and parts of Fort Greene and Williamsburg. I prefer the theory of a strategical location, as the part of Williamsburg that is in the 10th District primarily consists of Williamsburg’s Hasidic Jewish community and they would not tolerate that shit (thank the gods). And we all know that shit would not be filmed in East New York nor Canarsie.

Considering the usual format of the show (big cast, one token cast member, big crew, ample space, “non-threatening” population outside of the house, yet still have a whiff of “ohhh, diversity”) I guessing that it’s going to be the western-part of Bed-Stuy, as it is a neighborhood known for its big townhouses. Even though Brooklyn Heights has a significant number of townhouses, there’s pretty much no minorities left. Bed-Stuy is “up and coming,” yet still invokes a sense of “diversity” and the “masses are living together in harmony” and there is a variety of lovely ethnic restaurants to choose from because, as we all know, that’s a great indicator of tolerance </sarcasm>.

Yes Sean Sweeney, You Are a Racist

Via the Village Voice

Lola restaurant has been scrutinized by the SoHo Alliance in their attempts to obtain a liquor license, as well as to legally have live bands perform at the restaurant. Sean Sweeney, executive director of the SoHo Alliance, has been very vocal in his opposition to Lola’s attempts to get these documents.

Towards the end of the article, he claims not to be a racist.

However, when people say and do things like:
1. “I don’t think you need a martini to go with chitlins and collard greens. What wine goes with jambalaya? I can’t think of one,” when it’s quite obvious that they have not looked at the menu, because jambalaya and chitlins are not on the menu (collard greens is offered as a side). Even if they were included, Sweeney is obviously dismissive of Soul Food, African American and Louisiana Creole cuisines.

2. Even though Sweeney claims that he nor the SoHo Alliance had nothing to do with this, fliers have been placed around the neighborhood that claim that “Lola’s r&b music would bring “unruly crowds” and “more crime” to the neighborhood.” Umm, I wonder what “unruly crowds” these fliers are referring to?

3. Say that one is not a racist because “[Gayle Patrick-Odeen] is from Barbados. She’s a British subject; she’s not African-American. She didn’t suffer Jim Crow, Reconstruction, lynching. . . . For her to exploit the true sufferings of African-Americans is disgraceful,” which suggests that:
a. Racism, in his book, can only affect African-Americans, so I guess everyone else is fair game;
b. However, by his description, the majority of African-Americans cannot experience racism now, because the Jim Crow and Reconstruction Eras occurred decades ago (insertion 5/10: although many of the practices, behavior and acts reminiscent of those eras, both at the institutional and social level, are still present today; just needed to make a note of this);
c. Therefore, racism is dead and one cannot be a racist anymore, so everyone is fair game; hooray for colorblindness!

Well guess what Sean, this combination of factors and the other actions mentioned in the article is racist behavior.

Lola can expect my patronage soon!

Fox News is Ridiculous, Fr. Mike Pfleger Puts Them in Their Place

Found via Feminocracy.

Fox News is ridiculous and full of shit. Fr. Mike Pfleger demonstrates exactly why.

Side Effects of Gentrification: Lack of Accessibility to Affordable Quality Food

New York City lacks supermarkets and accessibility to quality food. According to a new report from the NYC Department of City Planning, three (3) million NYC residents live in neighborhoods, primarily communities of color, that have a high need for supermarkets and grocery stores.

Many NYC residents finds themselves having to buy food from local convenient stores and drugstores that do not supply fresh produce or meats. For many, the nearest supermarkets or fresh food markets are a significant distance away. Modes of transportation and one’s ability to transport bags of groceries by one self, particularly the elderly, affects one’s ability to obtain quality food and groceries. Food shopping and preparation is still viewed by many as a gendered task, so this disproportionally affects women as well.

Feminist/Mujerista/Reproductive Justice Publications and Organizations Looking for Submissions/Applicants

The following publications and organizations are accepting submissions and applications for upcoming issues and projects:

Chica Luna is accepting applications for their F-Word Project. The F-Word Project is a “multimedia justice project for young women of color 18 years of age and over. The F-Word is a program whose objective is to build the next cadre of socially conscious media makers by recruiting a number of young women of color of diverse racial, sexual, economic and linguistic identities, throughout the five boroughs to cultivate their perspectives as media activists. For 18 months participants take part in weekly workshops on media literacy, filmmaking, organizing & advocacy skills and self-healing.” The last day to apply is May 15th!

Feminism for Freaks - is a new anthology project, and there is a Call for Papers. The requested information is as follows: “Academic, non-fiction and creative work will be considered–the call is broad, and we’re willing to accommodate new and interesting work by freaks of all kinds. Please submit abstracts of up to 250 words and a short bio by May 31st to estrangedcognition[AT]hotmail[DOT]com and suzanmanuel[AT]gmail[DOT]com.”

Hermana Resist has extended their submissions deadline until May 15th. They also have ad space available. Hermana Resist is described as a “personal, political zine with literary tendencies which manifest in forms of poetry, free verse, haiku, short stories, journal entries, rants, raves, critiques, commentaries, photos, recipes and dreamy manifestos.”

SisterSong is coming out with a Reproductive Justice Anthology! SisterSong seeks to address and accomplish the following: “The struggle for Reproductive Justice and the well-being for women of color, young women, LGBTQQI individuals, women of the diaspora, poor women, and women with a range of abilities is a multi-varied issue/engagement.We would like to address the multiplicity and the polyvocality of this struggle by bringing together works from across our movements produced by women and individuals working in communities as well as at the academic level in order to birth this anthology. All contributions are sincerely welcomed and would greatly add to the understanding of the complexity faced by communities and as individuals.” The deadline for submissions is June 1st!

Update, Another Project:
Think Girl is starting a new project called “I Was There, Stories from the Feminist Front.” Think Girl is looking for “women of all ages, races and backgrounds to submit stories of their work as activists for women’s issues. (Think: A Radical Chicken Soup for the Feminist Soul.) These first person stories of strength, perseverance and courage will serve as inspiration to women and girls as they continue their work in or enter the movement.” Stories will be published weekly at their website and they are looking to collect and publish the stories as well.

Detailed information is located at the respective organization’s website.

Jotted Notes on Appropriation, Privilege, and Potential Allies in Positions of Privilege

Instead of being productive at a meeting, I was jotting down notes, thinking about what appropriation means to me in specific examples. This stems from the situation over Amanda Marcotte’s article on immigration as a feminist issue and the appropriation of women of color’s/people of color’s work. But the situation is bigger than her and this particular situation. The fact is that it happens all the time and this shit needs to stop. I apologize if the notes seem a bit spacey. Please also note that this is coming from my perspective as a Latina living in New York City, so these are very specific and centralized examples (except for the “Latin explosion” one). The list of suggestions at the end are in addition to the notes, and have been reiterated both in the blogosphere and out of it.

Update in Regards to Brownfemipower…

Brownfemipower wrote her final post, tying up the situation on her end

It’s devastating to me and many others that we will lose a brilliant star in the blogosphere. It’s selfishness on my end, but I don’t care, I don’t want to see her go. However, I do wish her the best of luck in her future projects. I know she will kick ass where ever, in what ever she ends up doing.

Brownfemipower, Adonde Te Fuiste?

It seems that one of my favorite bloggers has deleted the majority of her blog, again. And I’m left heartbroken, again.

I’ve never commented on her blog. I’m not one to usually get involved in a conversation, unless I just must or if there is rampant stupidity going back and forth. I’ve never needed to on her site; I just nod along with pretty much what she said. She always said what wasn’t say by many, or what wasn’t understood by many: that all intertwines and everything connects. One would be a fool to attempt to separate and analyze from solely one perspective without taking into consideration all perspectives that molds the situation, the place, the person.

Although I suspect what has happened, I prefer not to go not to go into detail. However, I wonder if her recent posts on the symbolism and significance of death was foreshadowing this and other changes. Again, I can’t be too sure.

However, if you read this, Brownfemipower, in my little cyber way: I love you, come back!

“I’m Fuckin’ Tired of the Primaries Already,” Part 1: The Cynical, Sarcastic, a la “Lewis Black” Edition

<cynical sarcasm>

My interest in the primaries has significantly dwindled and I want this process over with. I want who ever is going to win, to win already, strategize on how to properly beat McCain’s ass, get into the White House and start clearing out the shit that Bush and his cronies will leave behind.

“How can that possibly be,” one might say, “if you are daily surrounded by politics? Your job is perpetually affected/molded/scrutinized by politics, how can your interest just drop?”

It just has.

I’m tired of the “Race v. Gender” shit, because apparently a person can’t be both a woman and a person of color. Ohhh, no… what am I to do?

I’m tired of the “Latino Vote” lumpsum bullshit because apparently Latinos are unwillingly to vote for a black man, when it is most likely that the author of said article is thinking “Latino/Hispanic”=”a homogeneous ‘race’, probably all Mexican population, easily identifiable and classifiable” and therefore, it is impossible, unthinkable that there are Latinos who are of African descent. Again, ohhh, shit, crap, what I am to do?

And I’m tired of this…

If I Have to Recommend a Documentary to You…

It has to be Byron Hurt’s 2007 documentary “HipHop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes”. The front of his website and other sites simply identifies the film as a “riveting documentary that examines representations of gender roles in hip-hop and rap music.” Gender and Hip Hop, of course, is a topic that needs to be urgently addressed and tackled. However, the film goes beyond that. Considering that it is just under 56 minutes long, it comprehensively looks at multiple factors that is affecting the Hip Hop culture and community: homophobia, hypermasculinity, the glorification of violence in all facets of society, the big corporations controlling Hip Hop and that being a factor as to how Hip Hop appears now in mainstream media, and the breakdown of the actual consumers of mainstream rap. As noted in the documentary, 70% of the consumers of mainstream rap are young white males. Therefore, he raises questions on how the black community and other people of color are viewed and classified by white consumers, based on what is presented to them in mainstream media.