"Be Giving" by Kadir Nelson
A few links, images, and other online ephemera from our favorite sites this past week:
- Have you seen Kadir Nelson’s remarkable illustrations for Coke’s Black History Month promotion? The image above highlights the theme, “Be Giving,” and I love the expression on the woman’s face, the detail in her cupped hands, and the nod to Aaron Douglas in the picture on her clothes.
- Have you read Danielle Belton’s powerful essay, “On Little Black Girls, Beauty, and Barbie Dolls” at The Black Snob? Inspired by Malia and Sasha Obama, it is heartfelt and ends with a call to action. Read it along with Rebecca Walker’s thought-provoking piece on “The Making of Man” for Newsweek about President Obama’s “enlightened masculinity.”
- Have you heard Lucille Clifton’s marvelous “homage to my hips”? Go read about it in this terrific series, “Black Things I Love” from Afrogeek Mom and Dad.
- Have you purchased the graphic novel, Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans?
WriteBlack has a review of this important publication (updated to include Obama).
And, an off-topic plea for help: My darling two-year-old daughter is afraid of monsters and has not slept through the night in weeks. Any suggestions?!?! We’ve tried night lights, talismans, and every ritual dance you can imagine. We’ve ignored the monsters, gotten angry with them, and playfully coaxed them out the front door. As to where she learned about monsters as “scary” (as opposed to the friendly Sesame Street variety), I’m at a loss. When does this phase pass? These days the only monster in our house is me.
Posted by Wilhelmina Jenkins on February 7, 2009 at 5:14 PM
One upon a time (otherwise known as the late ’60s – early ’70s) I thought that our daughters wouldn’t have to go through the same struggles with hair issues and color issues that we had to deal with in my generation. We’re now in my grandson’s generation and it’s the same old nonsense. Belton’s excellent essay just breaks my heart. Will we ever reach the point where our beautiful daughters can just be seen for the wonders that they are.
Posted by susan on February 8, 2009 at 4:57 AM
Love this. I’m a new reader of yours. I have your blog listed at both of my blogs. I’m adding this particular link to our Little Lov’n Monday feature at Black-Eyed Susan’s.
No suggestions. Hope you find a solution so you can sleep.
Posted by Carleen on February 11, 2009 at 4:30 PM
I’m so happy to see that Nelson did those illustrations. I’ve been loving them in the mag ads I’ve seen.
Your daughter is probably too young for Monster’s Inc. but maybe she’ll respond to the idea: monsters go away when you laugh at them. Good luck!
Posted by jo on February 14, 2009 at 7:40 PM
ha. thought your daughter was three! my suggestion: take her in your bed. and no, i don’t have kids!
Posted by jo on February 14, 2009 at 7:56 PM
i was too fast to click the “submit” button. the disclaimer about not having kids is about the fact that women who don’t have kids seem to be regularly disqualified in saying anything about kids. i get this from my family a lot. especially, paradoxically, my mother.
i was scared a lot at night as a kid (pretty damn fearless during the day, though). i wish my mom had considered the possibility of snuggling up with me. i remember clearly stopping to be scared at night at about 15. by that time, of course, i had stopped bothering people about being scared and i simply toughed it out with perfect immobility and held breaths. i wonder if some night-cuddles would have spared me a decade of night terrors.
this is totally about me and totally not about your daughter, whose fear of monsters i can’t begin to understand, since i don’t know her! just thought i’d share anyway!
great links!
Posted by Claudia on February 15, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Thanks for these great comments, everyone! And I appreciate the suggestions for my daughter (who is technically 2 years and eight months old, jo – LOL!!!!)
I might give Monsters, Inc. a try and as far as night-cuddles are concerned, we’ve really tried hard to get her adjusted to her own bed. She never had any problems sleeping before, not even as a baby, so I think we’ve gotten spoiled.
Posted by Edi on February 21, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Wonderful post. I spend hours on the ‘net, yet miss such high quality information. Thanks!