OCTOBER 2016
MELANIN EXPRESS THE FEMINISM ISSUE
EQUALITY IS A MYTH! THE TRUTH ABOUT THE CORPORATE WORLD AND ITS INTOLERANCE FOR FEMALE ENERGY.
THE REIGN OF THE “BOOTY” AN INSIDE LOOK ON SOCIETY’S SKEWED BODY IDEALS, THE MISOGYNISTIC NATURE OF MODERN MUSIC AND
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!
WOMEN IN THE WORLD OF DANCE.
WITH ERYKAH BADU
FEMME FILMS YOU NEED TO REVIST THIS SPRING! FOR COLORED FIRLS, BLENDED AND OTHER FAVOURITES.
EDI-
OCTOBER 2016
TOR’S NOTE ____________________
The Team
Our team (Melanin Express) has compiled a digital magazine mainly based on Gender Equality fixed towards black women in the media. We are extremely honoured to be working towards publishing our digital magazine globally. This will open a lot of portals of opportunities and it will give us a huge exposure with diverse crowds of unique ethnic backgrounds.
Editor-in-Chief Lilitha Jeremiah
Researcher Liyabona Tshuta
Overall it has been a delightful rollercoaster (a VERY hectic rollercoaster as well) to collate this digital magazine. On behalf of our team: We hope you enjoy our melanin journey full of creativity and our over-opinionated critiques.
Art Director Aza L. Mbovane
Copywriter
- LILITHA XOXO
Nande Mavume
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Melanin Express’s corner for self expression!
POET’S CORNER
Want to be featured? Send your poem to poetscorner@melaninexpress.co.za
DEAR DARK GIRL BY LILITHA JEREMIAH
The sun has loved you more than the rest of us Leaving deep kisses of cocoa spread across your body, The roots of your hair crowned into spirals of beauty. Oh, your full lips darling carry the sweet melody of supremacy. And there you are born a Dark Girl. I should warn you Dark Girl The world will loathe the love the sun has showered on you The world will burn your roots with chemicals that will strip your individuality The world will oppress your supremacy darling Beautiful Dark Girl, Let them kisses be your only tattoos Your roots your only tiara And your lips the messenger of your empress soul. 2
POET’S CORNER CRY OF A WOMAN BY LIYABONA TSHUTA
Why am I in the deepest despair, because I am not what society sees as fair Am I not intelligent, brave or relevant enough to compete as an individual that does not feel oppressed? Does the agony not suggest the puddle of perspiration slowly dampening my unlikely success Is the wrapper of my womanly flesh too tender to be considered better? I am who I am because of what I am Not because of my inability to perform at the same level as the other Not because of my nurturing nature that is deemed as weak Not because of melanin complexion that once was stretched, and abused over miles and miles of blood bathed grounds Little do they know that my heart is a beating drum No excuses can excuse my femininity that still exists But the strength that still lives in with me will echo through the fields of the unheard The sound will ignite those that thought they could not bring life Those that could not fight back for their rights And then I shall salute, dear soldiers And the rivers that once were, shall solidify with light 3
EXPRESS’S FEMME FILM FAVES You’ve probably seen these films before and loved them to bits, but Melanin Express gives you another reason to love them even more: feminism.
OUR FILM CRITICS REVIEW: BLENDED | FOR COLORED GIRLS | THE HELP
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THE MOVIE ‘BLENDED’ WILL HAVE YOU BLENDING IN WITH THE TELEVISION
By Liyabona Tsuta
Rating: 4 / 5
“Blended” is certainly a comic hit. With countless jokes and awkward scenarios, who wouldn’t enjoy this light hearted family comedy? The director Frank Coraci definitely executed his vision of incorporating family dynamics in an exquisite African setting.
Through the progression of the film, the different obstacles that they have previously faced allow them to develop an understanding of each other’s lifestyles.
This incredibly entertaining production is certainly worth the watch. It depicts serious issues in a very humorous manner, which is a mandatory device used in comedies. Adam Sandler executed his witty character exquisitely and was by far the most entertaining character.
We are taken into a roller coast ride highlighting the very parallel lives of two characters Jim Friedman (Adam Sandler) and Lauren Reynolds (Drew Barrymore) who initially despise each other. They involuntarily end up on the same African adventure where they are forced to get along.
Liyabona Tshuta is currently a high school student in grade 11. She enjoys watching films in her spare time and describes them as her “specialty”. Her other hobbies include dancing, road running and actively participating in school life.
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IF YOU LOVE RAINBOWS AND MELANIN, ‘FOR COLORED GIRLS’ IS THE PERFECT MOVIE TO FREE YOUR JUICES, LITERALLY ...
By Lilitha Jeremiah Rating: 5 / 5
For Colored Girls is based on a dramatic play: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide - When the rainbow is Enuf designed by Ntozake Shange and it is produced by Tyler Perry. Better get your tissues ready, ladies!
The lovely Lady in Yellow who is full of joy and love for dance falls victim of rape by the man who she trusted to be heavenly sent who was always showering her with gifts and dinners. This specific scene shows how men portray women as ‘sex toys’ where they can freely invade a woman’s inner peace to feed their ego and show how superior he is more than the woman.
This phenomenal production that shook the world, and me, is hinged on black women who each represent the colours of the rainbow and their daily obstacles that they face within their lives. This was set in a modern era basically the 2010s in a predominately black community.
The Lady in Brown, a mother of two, with a spouse who physically abuses her- illustrates how she is extremely timid except when she refuses to marry the father of her children resulting in a tragic moment of him throwing the kids out the window down from the fifth-floor. This scene shows the effects of gender Iiequality in such a manner where women are physically and emotionally abused by men who regard them as subservient.
This movie consists of nine unique and beautiful main characters, which is actually quite a profusion of ladies. Therefore I am going to elaborate on three characters that kissed my soul. Tangie Adrose as the Lady in Orange (Thandie Newton), Yasmine as the Lady in Yellow (Anika Noni Rose), Crystal Wallace as the Lady in Brown (Kimberly Elise.
This movie is extremely powerful and informative because it paints an image of events that affects not only black women but other women as well. I think this movie is where you should glue your eyes on and also bring a lot of tissues while you at it!
The movie starts off with Tangie ironing her clothes while a man who is half naked, approaches her- which is quite obvious that they were intimate but the Lady in Orange told him straight up that he got what he wanted and he had to leave immediately. Well, this is how men would have treated a woman after they have got what they wanted right? Tangie is basically ‘thinking like a man’ to show that women are as equally capable to conduct such a motive.
Lilitha Jeremiah is a Grade 11 student, who fully supports feminism. She loves reading books and overdosing her mind with music.
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NOTHING LIKE HAVING ‘THE HELP’ TO RAISE YOUR KIDS By Nikita Nande Mavume
Rating: 4 / 5 This movie set in the 1960s right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement touched many hearts , including mine. Yes I wasn’t born during the time of when there was high racial tension between black and white Americans and during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. But it had really got me to think about the little things that we all take for granted when growing up.
The maids played an important role of Skeet’s development during the movie as they helped her open her eyes to the struggle of the civil rights movement as well as the struggle that the maids of her friends had to go through to earn a decent income during the time of the Civil Rights movement. They also opened her eyes to the level of discrimination that her family and friends had raised her with. They played a role in her path to women empowerment as they encouraged her to chase her dream of becoming a writer by writing a story that wouldn’t be approved by the white society.
This drama was very inspiring because Skeeta Jones, played by Emma Stone was a young,white educated young woman who who was brave enough to take a stand against the discrimination that was happening amongst the black and white Americans despite the challenges of losing the respect of her friends and family because she is going against the unwritten code of the civil rights movement by helping negro maids with the use of her education that she knew she would face.
This film taught me not to take too much for granted and not be ignorant to the wrong things that we are exposed to on a daily basis. I personally would recommend it to girls of all races and mothers. The MPA rating I would give is PG-13. Its a definite must see as it inspires women and children to also realise how , kind , smart and important they truly are.
The best aspects of this movie was the fact that Stone’s character refused to accept to live according to the Southern code of denying the rights of black Americans and decided to use her education for a good cause, which was to stand up against the wrongs of the government of the time. She made good friends with the housekeepers Abilene Clark (Viola Davis) and her best friend Minnie Jackson (Octavia Spencer).
Nande Mavume is a 17- year old professional film critic who lives in Cape Town South Africa. Currently Attending Parklands College in Grade 11. Her hobbies are watching films and reading books.
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ON THE PHONE WITH ERYKAH BADU The Queen of Soul talks to Melanin Express about her creative process and black women in the music industry. Interview by Aza Mbovane
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Thank you for joining us this evening for a quick interview Ms. Badu.
2016 has probably been the best year music has seen in a long time. Which female neo-soul artists do you recommend we keep an eye out for?
The pleasure is all mine. And please! Enough with the formalities. Call me Erykah.
I feel like soul music’s evolving into something beautiful - nothing I would have ever expected but something I think is happening for the better. Syd Tha Kid [lead singer of The Internet] is going to make it big. I genuinely think she’s the bridge between now and the future of soul music. She’s also opened a lot of doors for female artists of the LGBT+ community to feel freer speaking out about their sexuality. Wilough [Willow Smith] and SZA are other strong, black women whom I see will eventually be dominating the music industry! Their music doesn’t just touch the surface - it touches the soul, and that’s what soul music is. They deserve more airplay. Their music is music that needs to be heard. So much is capable through music and it awes me how these women are already using their voices in attempt to change what some people see as the impossible.
So Erykah, your latest mixtape You Caint Use My Phone was a massive hit! It was also the first music project you had released to the public in five years. Could you let us in a little bit on your creative process? What stopped you from releasing music? There’s nothing extravagant about my creative process, to be honest. I’m just always writing. I never stop vibing with the frequencies around me, so that way I’m always somewhat inspired. It takes a while for an artist to learn to pick up what’s around with them when they cannot find it within themselves, and I think my time off allowed me to perfect this ability. It just takes a lot to go into the studio and record all the time, you know? I just felt a desire to catch up on some living. Besides, there are lots of upcoming females on the soul scene that kept the seat warm while I’d been gone.
I totally agree! Thank you for sharing some of your wisdom with us tonight. Don’t go disappearing for another five years, you hear? Not a chance! Thank you so much for having me.
Erykah Badu is best known for her soulful music style, showcased on albums such as the Grammy Award-winning Baduizm and 1997's Live. Taken from biography.com, written by biography.com editors.
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IS BLACK REALLY BEAUTIFUL? Wonder why black women in the media are being advertised with a lighter skin complexion than their normal melanin coated skin? Or why they never wear their hair natural? Or why all of a sudden their physique are bigger in places considered as ‘assets’? The media is the reason why black women are pressured to appear like ‘sex dolls’ to satisfy the male audience whereas the media encourages black men to be the best that they can be.
An article by Lilitha Jeremiah
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Majority of black women have had self esteem issues in their lives due to being divulged to the media where they are always barred to women who are portrayed as being skinny, light-skinned, long straight hair, big bosoms and having a huge behind as well. It’s quite an emotional baggage to carry when even your fellow black brothers belittles you if you don’t have Beyoncé’s body or dressed fully clothed. When a girl has strong, deep features of a black woman such as Viola Davis - she is quickly labeled as ugly or too ghetto.
“THE DARKER WE ARE, THE UGLIER WE ARE.” “The absence of women of color in images of beauty is even more disturbing when you realize that when the industry does advertise to women of color, it often includes telling us we should have lighter skin. This one-way colorism shows up in the beauty industry, telling women of color that the darker we are, the uglier we are.” Says Maisha Z. Johnson in her article called 10 Ways the Beauty Industry Tells You Being Beautiful Means Being White.
The media should immobilise how black women are advertised in the media especially in rap videos and reality TV shows, where men express freely how women are only used for their pleasures only and nothing else. What are they trying to communicate to the black boys that are watching their shows? Black women should have the ability to be who they are and look according to how they want to look like without being slut-shamed or forced to look like vixens to attract men.
References: http://cswr.columbia.edu/article/the-beauty-ideal-the-effects-of-european-standards-of-beauty-on-black-women/ http://www.beautyredefined.net/beauty-whitewashed-how-white-ideals-exclude-women-of-color/ http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/01/when-beauty-equals-white/
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An article by Liyabona Tshuta
INSIDE THE WORLD OF HIP HOP THE ‘IMMA BEAST’ COMPANY IS BREAKING BOUNDRIES!
It is unfortunate to admit that one of the most artistic forms of dance also experiences the excruciating inequality that people face in their everyday lives. Entering the dance field can be one of the most intimidating decisions that one could make solely because it is one of the most difficult industries to succeed in. Many people contest this idealism that overtakes all peoples interests in pursuing a career in dancing.
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The big issue that is still faced is that of gender inequality. Nothing could be more frustrating than working extremely hard, fully dedicating yourself to what you're most passionate about, sweating all the hours away, enduring sleep deprivation and expenses that would probably take years to repay. All this and then your reward is thrown straight into a pool of even more distress and unfair treatment. It is very obvious that many women are not acknowledged for their success in the hip hop industry. A great example is Youtube sensation Will da Beast who struggled to get to where he is now. He faced many obstacles to reach the pinnacle of his choreography career. Will has been fortunate enough to work alongside the biggest names in the music industry. He has been granted numerous opportunities to choreographType in onetoofenter the biggest dance shows in America, So You Think You Can Dance. He, along with his partner, Janelle Ginestra have made a huge success in the dance industry, taking Youtube by a storm. They have both developed the Imma Beast brand to reach new heights, however most of the limelight falls on Will. This is obviously not what the dancers who are part of the team have anticipated as they promote the sexism free revolution.
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“NO RACISM NO SEXISM JUST DANCE.�
Male hip hop dancers still remain the dominant sex in this particular style. It is however exciting to see women featuring dominantly in his dance videos. Unfortunately, it will take years before this ideal becomes a reality. Ganelle Jinestra and Will da Beast Adams In the Get Me Bodied dance video
Bibliography: http://www.juilliard.edu/degrees-programs/dance https://img.evbuc.com/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2 F17011750%2F159846706906%2F1%2Foriginal.jpg?w=1000&rect=0%2C 418%2C5760%2C2880&s=e9a5f922bef7ac30e4b4e234c0625b5a https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x5DZXLu7rCo/maxresdefault.jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wP6abotFw6g/maxresdefault.jpg 13
THE MALE PERSPECTIVE Bonga Mavume of the Oceana Group spills the beans to the Express about equal pay for women in corporate settings.
Interviewer: Nande Mavume
When women come to your office to file a complaint about about the amount of money that you pay them , how do you handle the situation?
Afternoon sir. From your perspective what do you define gender equality as? Gender equality is the process in the society where male and females , but takes you through years of regressing the imbalances of the past where male privileges dominate over female and are getting more privileges.
Once more it is all market related. Everybody must be paid according to what the market offers or what the market compensates with the person for the job so any complaint that comes. I’ll investigate it and based on the findings if there’s a discrepancy I will correct it whether the person is male or female it is completely immaterial.
In your opinion do you believe that men deserve to get paid more than women in the work place? I believe in equal work for equal pay. I don’t believe in that anyone must be paid more than the other. The compensation of work must be based on ones ability and what value a person at work brings to the business: whether that person is a male, female, tall, short, black or white.
How do you feel about the fact that there are limited women in the workplace? It’s a structural system that has created the imbalance not only in corporate,but it starts in the society where male are expected to do certain jobs. The jobs that male generally do are the ones that end up getting them in senior positions in the workplace, but I think that is something that needs to be corrected from the societal perspective and then also at the same time from the corporate perspective. In my view is that it’s corrected by the system of the structure and the society.
Do you believe in that you achieved your success in your newly appointed higher position due to the fact that you are a man? If I say that I don’t believe that at all I would be biased or totally naive , because clearly in a society that is male-dominated females tend to viewed differently and therefore get more opportunities than females. I don’t think in my case I am immune to those privileges as you know there are as many biases in South Africa even today.
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An article by Aza Mbovane
Tupac did it. Biggie did it. Rappers long before their time did it too. But why is it only within recent years the receiving end of rap music has recognised the genre as one that only puts out music of a provocative nature that demeans women and their body parts?
#BootyGoals and Rap Videos The woman’s prolonged fight against fetishism in media!
REFERENCES: Mhlearningsolutions.com. (2016). Hip-Hop: The False Advertisement of Women | Commonplace. [online] Available at: http://www.mhlearningsolutiMhlearningsolutions.com. (2016). Hip-Hop: The False Advertisement of Women | Commonplace. [online] Available at: http://www.mhlearningsolutions.com/commonplace/index.ph p?q=node/3792 [Accessed 11 Sep. 2016].ons.com/commonplace/index.php?q=node/3792 [Accessed 11 Sep. 2016].
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The Huffington Post. (2015). What We Forget When We Talk About Hip-Hop's Women Problem. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hip-hop-misogyny-dou ble-standard_us_55cdf7b9e4b07addcb42a7b8 [Accessed 11 Sep. 2016].
“Unfortunately, corporate sales have taken over the content of hip hop music, motivating artists to take different approaches to selling music. Nowadays, popular rap music includes derogatory lyrics about women and videos typically showing women half-naked with the intentions of obtaining more listeners and viewers,” says Brandon Albert of the popular educational online forum mhlearningsolutions.com. The only reason why the provocative and inappropriate representation of women in music videos is suddenly being recognised is because the number of musicians conforming to this marketing strategy has increased! Mainstream rap artists like Young Thug, Tyga, Chris Brown and many more are guilty of falling into this money-making scheme, almost all of their music videos post-2012 containing overwhelming footage of half-naked women, raining guap and sports cars. The unfortunate truth to this matter is that sex sells, and because women are thought to be the “prettier sex”, they’re the formula to receiving 100 million hits on YouTube.
Not only are women being treated as accessories in these videos, but only a certain type of woman is being cast in them - the woman with a moderate breast size, tiny waist and a “big booty”. Nina Simone was the one that said the artist’s duty is to reflect the values of the society in that time. Another catalyst of the sudden influx of booty-worshipping music videos are the times themselves. Because of this century’s eruption in technology, exposure to information and acceptance of previously taboo material such as sexuality, money and pornography, they have become our society’s core. And with this new core, new ideals are formed as the result - the ideal woman being composed of round breasts, little waists and protruded butts, not to mention the ideal woman also normally has olive coloured skin, “on-fleek eyebrows, straightened hair and a pretty Instagram feed. This twodimensional image is problematic and damages the self-esteem of young women every day. The female body is no longer appreciated for all it can do, but is now only appreciated for how it looks.
This just goes to show the upper hand that males have in the music industry. Female rappers like Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Peppa, Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj whom are outstanding at their crafts don’t get as much air time, especially when speaking against matters like misogyny. Because of the genre’s male dominance and the lack of females willing to compete with hip-hop’s greats, the matter of demeaning representation of females in music videos is a matter that won’t be resolved until the playing field is even - that is, if such ever comes to be. 16
PUZZLES & THINGS
BY NIKITA NANDE MAVUME
*PRINT ME OUT AND FIGURE ME OUT!*
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H. a photoset by Aza Mbovane
A young photoset that sums up the last ten months: how I learnt to love. It flourished and it faded, but still remains a part of me - the lessons I learnt anyways. And the person too. Unfortunately. “This is not a love story. This is a story about love.�
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FIN.
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