Femme Noire by Tabitha Chester

Femme Noire

Volume 1. Issue 4.

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

We want to dedicate this Zine to all the black women who have never seen an ounce of appreciation. This is for you.

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4. The theme of our magazine is culture appropriation. We are ex pressing why culture appropriation is such a big deal and why it needs to be addressed. Enjoy the commentary that we have writ ten for you guys!

A Message From The Writers

Amilia Tsegai: I am a sophomore on Denison campus and I am majoring in Communication and minoring in Black Studies. I am from the north side of Chicago. The course Womanism and Black Feminist Thought is a course that I find interesting to me because it’s a course I can actually relate to being a black women. Marshae Gamble: I am a sophomore, and I am also a Psychology and Women's Studies major. In my spare time, I love to write slam poetry. I was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago. My push for the empowerment of young black girls has been a passion of mine since my freshman year of high school, and taking this class has continued to help light the passion inside of me.

Abdoulaye Dia: Hello, my name is Abdoulaye Dia and I am a freshman here at Denison University. I am originally from Mauritania, West Africa but lived in West Philadelphia most of my life. My hobbies her on campus are basketball and soccer and I am a huge spoken word fan. Here is a part from a spoken word piece that I started. “Good intentions but bad judgment’s based on the color of my skin. You tortured my ancestors and expect me not to get revenge? Nah, I’m getting mines! But not through violence, but by the way that I use my mind. I understand that that shit happened centuries ago, but that shit fucking with my conscience. What kind of devil tortures, beats, rapes and kills a race because of their skin color? Devil’s advocate at its best huh?”

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

What is Black Culture? By: Abdoulaye Dia

What is Black Culture you may ask? Well let me tell you. Black Culture is the pain and suffrage that blacks have been through since slavery days back in the 1800s to police brutality today in 2015. Black culture is the joy and happiness that blacks had during the Harlem renaissance by revolutionizing blues music to Queen Latifah, Run – DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and N.W.A dynamic hip hop outbreak. Black Culture is the agony and torment encountered during the civil rights movement lead by Martin Luther King. Black Culture has been demeaned and belittled, but black culture is turning all of that hate and pain into success for our future generations.

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

Iggy Azalea vs. Azealia Banks By: Amilia Tsegai

What has to be the craziest and onesided fights in twitter-beef history has to be between Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks. There has been major controversy between Azalea and how she has been appropriating black culture when it comes to her “rapping”. She is a young female rapper from Australia who adds a “blacent” (which is the way she believes is how black people would rap). She also got surgery in her butt to make them bigger. Another way in that she culture appropriates. She mimicked the way a black women looks in order to do well in the music industry. Her accent when she raps and when she normally speaks is completely different so it caused many problems with people. When being confronted on the issue by Azealia Banks and she completely avoided the bigger picture which is that Iggy Azalea doesn’t bring up issues with the black community but happily takes our culture when it comes to music. Its very problematic because

she gains so much popularity when cultural appropriating but doesn’t get into the hard facts. The way the media portrayed this fight is that Azealia Banks is angry black woman who is picking on this poor white girl but that is not the case. Azealia Banks is very opinionated and comfortable with expressing on what’s an issue with her. She said in the interview with Hot97, she says something that is incredibly important “And when they give these Grammy’s out, all it says to white kids is like ‘You’re great, you’re amazing, you can do whatever you put your mind to’ and what it says to black kids is “You don’t have shit, you don’t own shit, not even the shit you create for yourself’”. This is the important message that needs to be addressed. All the hard work black people have done to create their own music; they don’t even get credit for. That negative message to black kids is what is one of the things that are wrong with culture appropriating. 5

A Message to Black Girls A Letter Written by Marshae Gamble

Dear Young Black Women, You are from a culture that is beautiful in every way. Do not let people tell you otherwise. You are brown, bold, and beautiful. Just because there are women out there who take advantage of your culture and get praised for it, it does not make you less of a person and it does not make your beauty any less beautiful. You are still amazing, beautiful, and confident. Don’t let the fact that people outside of your culture don’t appreciate your culture stop you from being proud of who you are. You are a strong black young woman who is destined for greatness. Just because they praise your Anglo-sized counterparts for trying to pay for the same features that you have naturally, does not mean that you are not beautiful. We just live in a society where blackness is viewed as shameful and ugly, but when the same features are placed on an Anglo-sized woman, they are praised. Well I am here to tell you that it is not. Just because society says that black is ugly, I am here to tell you that black is beautiful and should not be put down and diminished, but instead lifted up and praised. Don’t be ashamed because you may have a set of full lips, a full bust, or a voluptuous butt because society says that you should be. When they ask you why you look like that, say that you were gifted with bronze from the goddess. Embrace them because they are a part of what make you you, and you are beautiful.

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

#WHITEGIRLSDOITBETTER? By: Amilia Tsegai

Yes, you’re reading this right. This was an actual hashtag that was trending on twitter for a whole day. This hashtag came to a shock to a lot of people and the reason why is pretty much self-‐explanatory. Reading this what I was thinking was better than who? Better than men? Better than back men. But then it hit me. This hashtag meant white girls do it better than black girls. When you looked at the first couple of tweets it was made by white woman showcasing how great they were and how their features were so much better than black girls. It was a trend that was really offend-‐ ing because when looking at America’s history, during slavery, there was this constant comparison between black women and white woman. The white woman is seen as pure and superior while the black woman is always seen as animalistic and inferior to the white woman.

Twitter. Screenshot.

tag means more than just white people taking pictures of what they deem to be better This hash

than black girls. It sends a message to black girls that they will never compare to white women. Eve-

ryone wants a white woman. That’s the mentality this will give young girls. What is really ironic

about this hash tag is that the infamous Black Twitter came back with a vengeance and turned this hash tag against the people who started it. White girls started this trend to get praise but in reality they got so much shit for trying to gain superiority. (Twitter 2015)

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4. A Letter by Marshae Gamble to Miley Cyrus

#WHITEGIRLSDONTDOITBETTER

Dear Miley Cyrus, I am writing to you as a black woman who is not in favor of you or your misuse of black culture. Because you put black women in your videos, take pictures with them, or twerk with them, it does not mean that you understand the culture that they come from or the struggles that they are presented with on a daily basis. Your appropriation of the culture of black people, but then not wanting to understand where the culture of black people comes from and the boundaries that they had to break just to get to this point of black people being in the music industry and being somewhat respected, is ignorant. Your personal identity is the epitome of white privilege. You grew up steeped in it. Growing up in the industry and having your father’s name, you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth. You take advantage of the things that black culture has to offer such as certain hairstyles and certain wardrobe choices, and with that you are called trendy and up to date. However, when your black female counterparts take advantage of these cultural accessories that are specifically for them, they are told that they don’t look good or “they look like they smell like weed”. Miley Cyrus your use of black women as props or accessories to boost your authenticity because you want “something that feels black” demonstrates just how ignorant and careless you are. Your actions are not only harmful but oppressive, as well. You can act “ratchet” and twerk all day long, but at the end of the day, your “blackness” only lasts the few minutes that you are in a music video or are on the screen. After the video is over, you can take off your black cultural attire and yell cut and leave those black people that you use as props and go back to living your life of white privilege. However, black people cannot do that. They still have their skin color. They still have the history of oppression. There is no running away from the struggle of being an African American in a society like this one, and your appropriation of our culture does not make it any better. Therefore, stop making a mockery of our culture and using it to make yourself more “urban”. It is not fair to African Americans or the morals and values that we stand for.

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

Thank You For Being Our Voice By: Amilia Tsegai

Thank you, Nicki Minaj. Thank you for not changing who you are as a black woman. You were the voice of the millions of black girls that were offended by Miley Cyrus’ actions. Thank you Nicki, for still havin’ class while kickin’ ass. Thank you, Nicki, for always having the silenced black girls back. Thank you, Nicki for putting ignorant white people in their place when talking about culture appropriation. Thank you, for not holding anything back to get approval from the majority.

Thank you, Zendaya. Thank you for going against European standards and wear dreadlocks to the Grammys. Thank you for showing people that Black hairstyles can be beautiful at elegant events. Thank you for standing up when people were putting you own. Thank you for showing black girls that they are more than what society deems them to be. Thank you, Zendaya, for always telling ignorant people, in such a classy way, to respect people’s differences.

People to Follow: AMANDLA STENBERG!!!!!!! Amandla Stenberg is very out-‐spoken when it comes to issues such as culture appro-‐ priation. Her twitter is @amandlastenberg. Here video on YouTube is very informative when talking about culture appropriation and you should definitely check it out! The video is Amandla Stenberg: Don't Cash Crop On My Cornrows.

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

Let’s Not Culture Appropriate, Lets Culture Appreciate

By: Abdoulaye Dia The definition of Culture appropriation is

a joke. Its seems as though that’s all we see now a

when a dominant group adopts elements of a cul-

days with the “blackface” and other races trying

ture without acknowledging the existence of its

so hard to take on all the goods such as fashion

ture belongs to an oppressed group. Culture ap-

dancing,) without the bad (Police brutality, Rac-

propriation is currently a huge issue in our socie-

ism, Stereotype, Media negativity). America

ty. With the addition of social media and tech-

doesn’t love Black people, so why love our culture?

propriate from a distance because the person be-

when America loves blacks as much as Whites or

hind the keyboard knows that they won’t ever be

Black culture. Our culture is a reflection of our

body else or try to portray the lives of others. An

work, our demeanor, our pain, our love, our joy,

example of cultural appropriation would be when

our happiness, our friendliness, our commitment

Kylie Jenner had corn rolls, but never had one

to change, and our Blackness. If you want to be a

treated and killed by police officers or whites in

black culture.

original source, especially when the adopted cul-

(Clothes, hairstyles, swag), talent (hip-hop, rap,

nology, it is becoming much easier to culture ap-

Culture appropriation against blacks will stop

known. Now a days its ways easier to be some-

identity, our differences, our struggles, our hard

positive thing to say about black teens being mis-

part of black culture, you have to be a part of all

general. If you ask me, everything that’s going on

Culture appreciation is when one takes time to

difference is that the KKK are disguised as police

courtesy. Meaning that they approach and ask

officers, but let’s get back to the main issue here.

questions towards someone within that culture

Black culture is a genuine, rich, and, honorable

that is knowledgeable and not one of those igno-

with police brutality reflects the 1960s, the only

learn about another culture with respect and

culture that should not be tormented or viewed as

rant people who always provide false or opinion

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

Work Cited Azealia Banks Goes Off On TI, Iggy + Black Music Being Smudged Out. Perf. Azealia Banks. YouTube. HOT 97, 18 Dec. 2014. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. Boardman, Madeline. "Amandla Stenberg Addresses Cultural Appropriation After Kylie Jenner Feud." Latest News. US Weekly, 13 July 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. Bryant, Taylor. "Zendaya Responds To Giuliani’s Comments About Her Dreadlocks."Refinery29. N.p., 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015 Diep, Eric, and Edwin Ortiz. "A History of Azealia Banks' Twitter Beefs - Azealia Banks vs. Iggy Azalea." Complex. N.p., 18 June 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. Lacount, Amy. "Jay-Z and Azealia Banks Call Out Miley Cyrus On Cultural Appropriation; She Doesn't Get It." BUST: For Women With Something To Get Off Their Chests. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. Twitter. Web. July. 2015

Femme Noire Volume 1. Issue 4.

“Give it to a friend.

Share it with a professor. Leave it on a table.

Show your roommate.”