Remembering Sarah Baartman and the Rented Negro

On June 6th, 3 Black women stood in New York's Union Square holding signs that read," You can touch my hair." The photos were posted across social media and debated in the days to follow. (#youcantouchmyhair)
In 1810, Sarah Baartman stood on display while her buttocks and other parts of her barely covered body, were examined in a sideshow. Europeans flocked to marvel at her exhibition, pointing and staring at her exotic parts.
Sarah Baartman had little to no choice and was persuaded to make a "living" being on display until her death in 1816. She was posthumously on display and dissected in France until her remains were finally sent back to South Africa in 2002.
While it is clear from the articles and discussions in the past week that "Un-ruly's" exhibition was meant as a social experiment and as a way of examining the "tactile fascination", as they described it, with black hair - I was still (as many black women were and are), a little bit...disturbed.
Upon seeing the discussion on twitter and then viewing the photos on Instagram, I immediately thought of Sarah Baartman.
Black. Woman. On Display.
Voluntary or involuntary, they were being examined, just as Sarah was. They were being looked at and rented, as Damali Ayo might have put it.

You see, the other place my mind went after learning about this "phenomenon" was the bottom of a dresser drawer, where lay a t-shirt that read, "touch your own hair".

Pretty simple.
I bought this particular shirt during my Afro days, my "say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud" days when I needed everyone to know how Black I was. I purchased it from "rent-a-negro.com", Damali Ayo's web-art-performance that allowed people to apply for rental Negroes. The site is now "out of business", but the shirts are still available, as well as the book version of the site.
In another time (pre-motherhood), I might have stood alongside the women with my t-shirt juxtaposing their signs and behavior.
The best I could do as a response was to post a photo of the shirt.
Looking beyond race, how age appropriate is it for adults to run around touching each others hair. You don't see 9-5 professionals groping each other at the office, in fact, there are rules against that.
My response to un-ruly might not be congratulatory, but I'm not furious at their exhibition. It did what I believe it was supposed to do. Spark Discussion. Most people might be shy to openly discuss Black hair when asked, so if an exhibit is in a public space and everyone else seems to be doing it. It must be ok...right?
In a time where Kim Khardashian's baby is at the top of our lists, it was at least refreshing to see a more intellectual debate trying to surface for longer than a week.
Black people throughout the Diaspora are no longer for sale or rent. These days of putting ourselves on display should be coming to an end. I believe discussions of race in this country need to continue and maybe factor in other things, like economic status.
I believe the few non-Blacks that showed interest in touching Black hair were genuinely curious, but ...curiosity killed the cat, and if you want to touch my hair, like I said - become a hair stylist.

RE: Charles Isherwood and the Sputtering Starlet (NyTimes Artsbeat - Theater Talkback)

The craft of acting is to be taken seriously for those who can only dream of one thorough role a year, or every couple years - it is the difference, for example, between the original Millennium Series in Swedish and the Hollywood re-make.

It is talent and stamina. Mind and body - putting one's energy into an exhausting role for that one "take" versus putting yourself into that one role over and over for weeks and months (even years) on end.

A "starlet" on Broadway is like reality television - except we don't often spend an ungodly amount to watch those train wrecks.

Imagine for a (very) brief, unrealistic moment that Kim Khardashian decided to call herself an actor and found herself thrust upon a stage to do whatever it is that she does. Ticket sales would likely be through the roof if not sold out - but for how long before she and the audience wanted out.  I don't mean to diminish the actual work of Hollywood actors who have attempted to make a way for themselves among the greats of Broadway, but it might seem as ill a match as the above mentioned Ms.(...er Mrs... er...) Khardashian on the stage.

Hollywood doesn't fit well in a place as honest as New York - where you can see imperfection on the stage - we like flaws here.  New York also likes perfection... over and over again, something you only have to do in Hollywood once.

Elaine Stritch said it well on her "retirement", “I’m just sick of the competition in New York, the feeling that I always have to rehearse to keep up my performance. [...]" (Patrick Healey).

The starlets who flock here are maybe looking for a notch in their belt. The runs are usually limited because neither their stamina nor their persona could handle it for more than a few weeks. That "perfection" that Ms. Stritch spoke of achieving and being expected to achieve on a more than regular basis.

Unfortunately, Broadway is often about making money - New Yorker's know that.  While it may often be the tourists' playground, as the box offices from many of the shows Isherwood mentioned demonstrated, even they tire of the letdown of seeing their favorite movie heroine up close and personal in a play they only came to see because he or she was in it.

I think casting Starlets or Hollywood actors is common because of the money the theatre community hopes to make. Plays are only so popular these days when everyone's attention span is less than a macro-second.  The theatre is not what it was and stars bring a boost.   If we see a boost in "big names", it might signal that the "money people" are looking to make a few more dollars or are low in the first place.  Either way, it's a money problem.
On the other hand, what Isherwood (and many of the comments) have shown is that this boost is only temporary because no one is really fooled and the shows close (even before originally being scheduled to end).

So Hollywood - Back to The Hill and "The Method" you go!

_________________________

In Response to Theater Talkback: The Season of the Sputtering Starlet ~Charles Isherwood~ NYTimes Theatre Arts Beat - March 21, 2013

The Artist-Parent-Parent-Artist Balance...

In a January blog for The Public Theatre, J.Julian Christopher touched on his experience as an artist making ends meet through freelance work and then balancing his creative life once attaining a position in Academia (a wish for many artists not wanting a "9 to 5").

He wrote about his regimen for maintaining that "work-creative life" balance that so many artists struggle with. At the end of his post, he stated that a relationship would only make that more difficult... I chuckled when I read that as it rang more than true! (especially as I sit here in the dark finishing this blog on my phone).

Where does your creativity come in when one's life is both parent and artist.... wait ... did I just say that? Being a parent is one of the most creative things to happen to a person - if you are already an artist, it only adds to your creativity...in my opinion. BUT - Where does one find TIME to be creative as a parent balancing "life" when your livelihood cannot always be determined by your art.

The Washington Post published an article last week about work-life balance for single people - and feeling guilty for having to find pet care vs. childcare, for example.  Balance affects everyone. It's real.

Personally, I often feel like my mind is going to explode from thinking before being able to accomplish anything (Procrastination / Over-thought). I lie awake lost in the minutia of motherhood and wife-dom, writing bits of dialogue / monologues on my iPhone. I am habitually nocturnal (... perhaps genes have something to do with it as well) and struggle between going to bed and getting up early or staying up late... (and still getting up early-ish).

Long gone are the days of wallowing in one's own problems before others...my own little family puts things in perspective. When someone is tugging at your trousers /skirt while your cooking, it's hard to think about the lunch date I should make with friends.

My husband's more structured IT background has led him to marvel at the often inconsistent manner in which I behave. There are days I know exactly what to do first and other days ... Not so much. Being a mother and wife is my first priority and it only helps my creativity, but knowing where creativity comes in is the challenge.

I tend to do some of my best thinking in the middle of the night!  I have wild dreams of red carpets and magazine articles (I can't even believe I'm telling you this).  I've finished multiple plays and am writing in Paris (I would elaborate on Paris - but that is an entirely different blog post / novel... but let's just say... no... I can't... LATER).  By now, you've probably come to the conclusion that I'm either scattered, unorganized, or just plain ol'messy.  I would venture to say that I'm a little scattered - but that it aids in my creativity...


Getting back on track and away from my tangent...

• I work in the middle of the night because everyone is asleep.  The house is silent and I can focus.


• The iPhone has some great apps that I purchased early on because I knew in the beginning I wouldn't be able to sit at my computer a lot (especially while nursing).  I use "Write2" and things upload to my dropbox, so it make is very easy.  I also have, for example, the wordpress app for my blogs (yes - I have two others...).


• I do the shopping I can on-line... Soap.com / Diapers.com have apps that are more than helpful and they ship the next day.

With that said, I would definitely recommend using the technology around you to aid in your creative / parent life.  I know there are more apps out there and if I discover them, I will share!

So has any of this helped me...yes, a little...  I produce with a group - Harlem9 - we have an annual 48 Hour Play festival in Harlem, I still run my reading series for Black Playwrights "Blackboard Reading Series" at the cell, where I worked before having my daughter and am now still involved through the series and as a resident artist...., I had a short play in a play festival in November "The Decision Fest" and was part of an online film festival encouraging people to vote (and I won one of the prizes).

ok... so maybe I'm being a little hard on myself... but since I have this image of where I want to be and where I am, I still work hard on the balance.  I can't JUST write or work all day... there's a baby to take care of, a husband, a house... I'm balancing, I am... the artist in me wants to sit, do yoga and write; the mother in me want to go to every mom and me-class available; the wife in me, wants to make the best french cuisine possible in a dress, apron and full make-up...  they're all extremes... so the thing about balance is doing a little bit of each extreme in order to fulfill those parts of one's life.

And then one day, you're kids will have all grown up and you'll have this other life to figure out...  :)

But I can't even think about that now!

Harlem WHA!... 21st Century Blackface

All this talk of Yahoo and Mommy-life, I completely missed the "Harlem Shake" business over the last few weeks.

I actually ignored a suggestion from YouTube that I watch a Harlem Shake Video... It looked pretty silly to me.

But after running across a Melissa Harris-Perry link, I checked it out...

(beat)

Seriously...

(clearing throat)

My guess is that I'm not supposed to be offended by this and that it's all in "good fun"... right?

Shouldn't I just lighten up?

That's what one side of my brain is telling me - while the other side is ... appalled - offended - maybe even horrified.

I'm apologizing for being on a soap-box (Catholic Guilt again....), I don't want to be the person who rants all the time.... on the other hand, this "Harlem Shake" business looks absolutely ridiculous.
I'm just going to pretend that the Producers of the "Today Show" and every other news channel and show that spent airtime promoting this nonsensical display of 21st Century Blackface were the ones who forced their anchors to behave in such a manner.

To the college students on the airplane that made it on ABC news... I might have to just brush it off as college student behavior...

But to watch professional adults shake their bodies in a manner that seems to be mocking the real dancers of Harlem / Urban areas, I just can't watch. It's too much...

Looks like Blackface to me...



Even if there are white dancers in Harlem doing this dance, they surely embody it's spirit, whereas the non-urban and predominantly white versions (except for the Miami Heat version YouTube promoted) seemed like jerky versions of the original. It was awkward and as bad as when I let people call me an OREO...

I can't dignify this with more space on my blog... time to go read a board-book!

Dear Ms. YAHOO, Can I get a Nursery too?

I have spent the last year transitioning from Working woman to SAHM and fluctuating between that and a WAHM.

As I work towards my desired occupation as writer, I have searched for positions eager to have the flexibility to work from home and spend time with my daughter and husband. I know they exist and I know many women who choose to have a job with such flexibility.

So with that said, I was struck by Marissa Mayer's decision earlier this week - it may not be big news to everyone with more important things happening in Rome and at the White House even, but it directly affects women like me, looking to be at home and even at work, simultaneously.

I would like to take this discussion a step further however, because I don't completely disagree with Ms. Mayer - she should actually be commended for wanting to spend time with her baby instead of only having a nanny for her son. She had the means to build a nursery next to her office - so more power to her! Television Writer and Producer, Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, SCANDAL) has rooms for both of her daughters at her offices and also had the means to bring them to work with her. But no one is chastising her... (Is it because Ms. Rhimes is an writer, which is considered a more artistic occupation and Ms. Mayer is a business woman and we love to hate business women... )

Wouldn't we all (if it is our desire), like to bring our babies to work with us so that we can continue to make money alongside our spouse (if we are are a two-parent household), so that our households have two incomes instead of one, so that we can begin saving for the costly pre-K, Kindergarten, elementary school, high school and / or college tuitions we will have to pay in the coming years... Wouldn't we all like to raise our children under our own watchful eyes, and have them see us at work, so that they see from a young age, the value of working everyday in your chosen occupation.

It seems that parents these days are making decisions under much scrutiny, but there is so much we have to think about. With things like Newton, Conneticut happening at what seems a daily rate, might some of us be filled with a daily paranoia... On the other hand, these choices are just part of being parents. They are not always easy, but we make them out of what we feel is in the best interest of our child / children... and someone - somewhere will likely disagree or have something to say.

As usual, I digress... So my only "complaint" of Ms. YAHOO is that other mother's in her situation (with young children / babies) will now have to go through the sometimes lengthy process of securing a nanny / governess / caretaker for their children instead of working from home like they have been. If YAHOO were in New York, these parents would have to account for the $8 Monthly MetroCard fare hike to $112 that goes into effect tomorrow (Sunday, March 3, 2013); gasoline is still sky high (remember when we freaked that it hit $1.00), and now our federal budget is being cut...

Since other women at YAHOO are most likely not in the financial position to build a nursery adjacent to their cubicle, is there a solution for them? It has not been publicized yet - so my only hope is that YAHOO is still discussing how this affects the 1-2% of employees who worked from home. Maybe there could be a proposal for daycare, so other women could bring their children to work and have them at least in the same building. Lauren Ashburn of The Daily Beast said on Hardball with Chris Matthews that she would quit if she were one of those women at YAHOO. My husband said it was a personal decision since she used her own money to build the nursery, and we should stay out of her business.

But for someone as public as she is, personal decisions are not so personal...especially when they are "out of the ordinary".

Like I said, I love that Marissa Mayer is empowered enough to have a nursery built next to her office and if I had the means and the good fortune to have a television show, I am sure my children would know my office as well as home.

Because I notoriously play both sides. (I can't help it. I don't want to really hurt anyone's feelings... Catholic Guilt?) , I wonder what Ms. YAHOO is thinking (aside from trying to get her company back on its feet).  Where is she is in all of this?  Is she even listening?   

If she is...

...Can I get a nursery too?...

Brownface - AAPAC and The Roundabout Theatre Company

I received an email this morning with the letter below and find it appropriate to discuss / post here.

I do not agree with Blackface and certainly do not agree with"Brownface" to depict Asian Americans. It seems that with the diverse acting pool in the city, The Roundabout would have found a way to use it.

As a playwright, I can respect the way a play is written and understand staying true to the script, however, we are no longer in the 19th century — people of color have more than a great deal of rights (we are all equal), so why do the play at all??

It could be a matter of personal taste and most likely a matter of subscribers.... this is the type of play they will attend, this is the type of play that puts The Roundabout as much in the black as possible.

I am a theatre artist, a producer, a woman of color.... I might understand why this play was chosen, but I don't have to like it.

If I get the chance to attend a performance, I will surely report back.

For now, read below and be your own judge.

____

AAPAC Opposes Brownface in Roundabout Broadway Production

After seeing The Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and receiving numerous complaints about the use of brownface in the production, AAPAC feels it is necessary to release the following public statement:

We were deeply disappointed to see white actors impersonating characters of South Asian descent complete with brown grease paint, appropriation of costumes and dance movements and relying on stereotypes in place of characterization. The obvious talents of the actors notwithstanding, the use of brownface had the effect of being extremely surreal and alienating, as if a joke was being told that was not intended for the Asian American community to hear.

We understand that the racism inherent in this musical is a reflection of the social mores within 19th century British panto and Music Hall traditions. Director Scott Ellis was being true to tradition, historical precedent, and to the story itself.

However, we would assert that if these characters came from the British colonies of Jamaica or Cameroon, and not the British colony of Ceylon (now present day Sri Lanka), blackface would never have been utilized in the same casual way. Today, you would never see a white actor in blackface playing the title role in "Othello" with the excuse of, “oh, well, that’s what was done in Shakespeare’s day.” We wonder why minstrelsy is acceptable when it comes to Asians?

The Roundabout production seems to show little awareness of the long history of Asian impersonation we are trying to put behind us or how racial politics and demographics have changed even in the 28 years since this show first premiered. There were a myriad of ways Mr. Ellis could have handled this issue with more sensitivity. For one, he could have hired actors of actual South Asian descent. Or, if he wanted to preserve white actors in these roles, the use of brownface would have been more ironic or satirical had the entire ensemble been cast multi-culturally. This would have been particularly effective since Hispanic-American star Chita Rivera was already in the cast. However, we have heard from quite a few members of the Asian acting community, including those with major Broadway credits, that requests from their representatives to secure an audition were denied.

The Roundabout Theatre Company does not have a good record when it comes to inclusive casting. Last year, we released a report looking at the percentages of actors of color hired at 16 of the top not-for-profit theatre companies in New York City over a five year span. The Roundabout made our list of the five theatre companies least likely to hire actors of color. In fact, they ranked second to lowest.

We are reaching out to the Roundabout to engage in closed-door discussions about these issues and are hopeful that they will accept our invitation. We are certain that their record does not reflect a conscious policy of exclusion and we hope that by bringing these issues to a more conscious level, the Roundabout can become an ally in an industry-wide commitment to more inclusive casting.

In the meantime, if you feel as strongly as we do, it would be very helpful if you take two minutes to send Artistic Director Todd Haimes a short missive via their FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/RoundaboutTheatreCompany.

Until there is conscious attention given to these issues throughout the industry, opportunities for American actors of Asian descent--and all actors of color-- will never be truly equal.

Yours in Solidarity,

The AAPAC Steering Committee

Pun Bandhu, Cindy Cheung, Kimiye Corwin, Angel Desai, Siho Ellsmore, Christine Toy Johnson, Peter Kim, Julienne Hanzelka Kim, Nancy Kim Parsons, Kenneth Lee, Allan Mangaser, Eileen Rivera

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View the Letter in Original Format

AAPAC on Faceook

AAPAC = Asian American Performers Action Coalition

Helmet Hair

Gabby Douglas made me think a lot this summer... I wrote this right before the Olympics wrapped... I suppose I finally have the guts to post it ...5 months later... remember my procrastination problem...

______________

Before my 1st communion in 2nd grade, I begged my mom for a perm. The other black girls in my elementary school had perms, and I wanted silky straight hair like theirs instead of my thick, almost unmanageable mane. Until then, my hair had been completely natural. For the first 5 years of my life, our nanny, Mary, would wash, blow dry and use a curling iron to straighten my hair with Vitapointe. Looking back, I wish that had been the case forever - I would have had the long hair I wanted... but natural. There is a photo of me with my brother on a “Slip and Slide” before my perm – my afro was large and in charge! How embarrassed I was to let the white girls at school see me like that. How proud I would be now.

[caption id="attachment_99" align="aligncenter" width="85"] ...my afro was large and in charge...[/caption]

As a child, I loved being light-skinned. I was comforted by the fact that I was closer to white. My hair, on the other hand, wasn’t quite there yet. My mother's curly and easily manipulated hair straightened with ease, while mine broke, burned and everything else if not properly cared for.

[caption id="attachment_25" align="aligncenter" width="196"] As a child, I loved being light skinned...[/caption]

So when I saw Gabby Douglas at the gymnastic trials in June, I got it. I didn't need any explanation for her hair, nor did I think it was any of my business. I was thrilled to see she and Elizabeth Price (the other Black teen who qualified as an alternate) on the team! The last time I watched so much gymnastics, Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes reigned supreme. It was wonderful to watch this milestone take place in the history books for so many young black girls and women (including my 5 month old daughter)! It was nice to be excited again about a sport I admired so much as a pre-teen.

I had my own Olympic hopes once, but as an equestrienne in dressage and show jumping. Not nearly as “hair-raising” as gymnastics, but nonetheless, a fine and decidedly “elite” sport. Even more misunderstood and still requiring training that can often be expensive. Unfortunately, my brother and I stopped riding before that dream could come true (or else my parents, like Gabby's might have been faced with similar financial difficulties). I stuck with and excelled at more artistic things: ballet, singing, and the flute.

[caption id="attachment_34" align="aligncenter" width="202"] "I had my own olympic hopes once, but as an equestrienne..."[/caption]

Remember the “kiddie perm” from 2nd grade? Well, I went swimming that summer – and my hair was badly damaged. My “large and in charge afro” - destroyed. By the time I went to band camp, the only option while away from home for so long was braids, so that my hair would stay in place and I could focus on my music. Feeling unsettled, I sported the braids and beads look that summer, around the same time as Serena and Venus Williams. But I wasn’t a tennis champion showcasing my fashion sense. I saw myself in the wrong body and I hated that style, as it did not fit my personality. I hated seeing my scalp and was so happy when a few braids in the back became unraveled and the girls in my cabin could see my “real hair”. I remember feeling so embarrassed, wanting nothing more than to have long flowing hair, preferably in the shape of a ponytail that swayed side to side like Abby, the blonde basketball playing twin a few years older than me in elementary and middle school  that I thought was "so cool".

The few sprinklings of black children and teens I encountered in my “elite” activities were not interested in bonding. We glanced at each other, gave a little smile, but mainly preferred to remain the only speckle in our group of friends - shedding light on being black and embracing our race when necessary.

By the time I went to my all-girls Catholic high school, I was absolutely certain I was in the wrong body, and to emphasize how alien I felt, nicknamed myself "Oreo", encouraging my white friends in my high school drama group to call me that (but somehow never letting my mother know).

The handful of times I sat at the black lunch table were both awkward and comfortable. I felt like I could fit in, but was afraid to fully embrace what sitting at the “Black table” meant... that I was Black.

But the one thing all of the black girls, oreos and non-oreos alike, had in common, that I was still not getting, was their hair. It always looked "tight". Mine was usually worn in a bun, pulled back... rarely down. But when it was - I got a lot of comments... seems that my thick hair really straightened well (after I learned to take care of it). I, like Gabby, loved it long and flowing.

All of this changed, however when I went to college and encountered Blacks in a collegiate setting that made me fully embrace who I was in my natural state. I “transitioned” back to my natural hair in 2003. I owe my transition in part to Carolyn, a woman one year above me who transitioned and had the most beautiful spirals. I had no idea that’s what natural hair could look like. After letting my relaxer grow out a little bit, I realized that I too had the same spiral texture. I was scared to completely embrace something I had been trying to fry for the past 13 years or so, but I knew that who I was would only fully come through once I was less concerned with fitting into a mold that included straight hair and a keen nose.

Gabby Douglas is an Olympic champion who has so energetically broken down walls and made her country more than proud. But she is still a teenager, in predominantly white environments, trying to fit-in, trying to focus, not wanting to be bothered and doing what most of the other girls around her are doing, which in her case, means throwing her hair into a pony-tail that doesn’t really sway, but is good enough to please her surroundings and get her through the day.

When we look to her in 2016 Brazil, she will be 20, have a few endorsements under her belt and most likely a “make-over” of some sort. Her story will have inspired millions and her hair... well, we’ll just have to see...