Music Monday: Zap Mama

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Do you know Zap Mama? If you don't, you should get acquainted. Here's one of my favorite songs, called Damn Your Eyes. Enjoy.


For all of you fans, what's your favorite Zap Mama song? I'm listening.

Peace!

Say What? Wednesday: A "Nigger" Cake is Served in Sweden

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Has anybody out there heard about this scandalous story regarding the minister of culture in Sweden eating a "nigger cake?" Say what? You heard me, dear readers. That's what the cake is called and it was in the shape of a naked African woman. The cake was frosted with dark chocolate icing and upon cutting into it, a red velvet cake was revealed. Here's a link for more about how the story was initially portrayed. Prepare to be outraged.

Now dear readers, I am not so ignorant as to think that the entire country of Sweden is run by a group of gleeful racists who like to eat offensive cakes. So, I tried to find the true story behind this cake. Apparently, the cake was a piece of performance art meant to bring attention to the practice of female genital mutilation. Here's a link to an opinion piece penned for Ebony.com that explains the artist's intentions as well as the success or lack thereof of his work. There's a video on that link to show the artist at work. And over at racialicious.com they've got a brief interview with the artist, Makode Aj Linde, who happens to be an Afro-Swede. In other words, he's Black. He stands by his work and said, "it's sad if people feel offended."



What do you think, dear readers? Are you offended?  Did Aj Linde succeed in his mission, or was this an epic fail?

I'm so listening.

Peace!

One Last Lesson from Wangari Maathai

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

If you recall, I posted here when Wangari Maathai passed away. I noted that her goddaughter, N., is the godmother of my children. Well, N. just returned from Ms. Maathai's funeral and memorial service in Kenya and passed along this beautiful story that Maathai liked to use to inspire people.

I hope it inspires you too.



Peace!

13 Ways to Look at A Black Woman

Today I babysat for my friend. She had a job interview and needed a favor. While I was "on the job" in her home, several workmen were there finishing up some repairs in her kitchen. The foreman introduced me to the rest of the crew as the "housekeeper," even though my friend had told him the night before that her best friend from college would be watching her chubby-cheeked, blue-eyed son. I guess he forgot and just decided I must be the housekeeper. Not the babysitter or the friend.

Later today, a very high-end public relations firm contacted me because they wanted to handle the publicity for my new book, Kinky Gazpacho. They came looking for me after they read a positive review of the book in Publisher's Weekly magazine.

Yesterday I worked a shift as a waitress in a cozy little restaurant near my home. One of my customers, a distinguished-looking White man of a certain age, waited until he'd had enough to drink and his wife wasn't looking to plant a wet slobbery kiss upon my face and whisper nonsense in my ear with his hot, stinky, breath. Ugh.

When my children see me come to pick them up from school they yell "mommy" and jump into my arms, safe once again.

In the eyes of the world I am so many things. I am a servant, a potential gold mine, a whore and a mother. I do not get to speak to define myself. I am a Black woman in America. I am so many things. I am nothing.

Does anybody else feel this way?

Peace!