For the past few days, I've had a lot of things on my mind, but none more pressing than the present and historical misrepresentation of black female bodies. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not someone who pontificates heavy social issues all of the time. Seriously, it's not that deep. But if there's an issue bothering me, I tend to hold onto it and essentially obsess over it until some form of clarification or resolution has been provided. Remember that bookstore trip that I made earlier this week? As it turns out, one of the books that piqued my interest was the biography of an African woman named Saartjie (pronounced Sartkee) Baartman. Saartjie Baartman was born in 1789 as a member of the Khoisan tribe. Prior to her death in 1815, Saartjie had been transported to England and France to spend her life as a humiliating sideshow. She had what is referred to as steatopygia, a condition that distributes large amounts of fat to a woman's thigh and buttock region (it's characteristic for Khoisan women). Forced to perform nude, her body was paraded as a source of amusement for people who were curious about its shape. Adding insult to injury, those who dissected her body at the age of 25 concluded that they had "never seen a skull more similar to that of a monkey." Saartjie succumbed to what is believed to be cholera in 1815, but her dissected body (including her genitalia which was used for research) was displayed in museums until 1974. She was finally returned to her home in South Africa for burial in 2002, nearly 200 years after her death.
The first thing that I thought about after reading Saartjie's story was how she would be accepted had she been born 200 years later. Suppose Saartjie was born in 1989. That would make her almost 20 years old, an adult by most people's standards. Would she still be considered the freak of nature that she had been in the past, or would she be considered model material for King Magazine? Baartman's body type fits the description of what mainstream hip-hop artists objectify in their music (note: by mainstream hip-hop, I'm referring to the executive sponsored proliferation of ignorant hot trash that you incessantly hear on the radio, a la Plies). Supporters of such music constantly reduce women to nothing more than the shapes of their bodies and the ways in which they become vehicles for wanton sexual pleasure. I'm not saying that it would be certain, but it is my assumption that a woman of Saartjie's stature would be glorified. Think I'm wrong?
Upon taking this into consideration, we must now ask ourselves a very important question: what are we teaching our daughters? What kind of future are we establishing that will allow them to be recognized for their intellect before their anatomy? What I find most frustrating is that several purveyors of this misogyny in the music have daughters of their own. I have difficulty in imagining how Lil' Wayne's daughter will be able to reconcile the images of those women in his music videos to those who propel themselves into the echelons of academia and community involvement. Will Plies' daughter have to grapple with whether or not Michelle Obama trumps Melissa Ford as the better role model? Brothas, please. Out of respect for your grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, and daughters, stop making it so hard for those of us who are tring to perpetuate a more positive image of the Black woman. I prefer that no one's daughter is subject to these dichotomies, and I would highly appreciate it if we could get it together before my daughters get here.
Thanks, MGMT... PEACE
The first thing that I thought about after reading Saartjie's story was how she would be accepted had she been born 200 years later. Suppose Saartjie was born in 1989. That would make her almost 20 years old, an adult by most people's standards. Would she still be considered the freak of nature that she had been in the past, or would she be considered model material for King Magazine? Baartman's body type fits the description of what mainstream hip-hop artists objectify in their music (note: by mainstream hip-hop, I'm referring to the executive sponsored proliferation of ignorant hot trash that you incessantly hear on the radio, a la Plies). Supporters of such music constantly reduce women to nothing more than the shapes of their bodies and the ways in which they become vehicles for wanton sexual pleasure. I'm not saying that it would be certain, but it is my assumption that a woman of Saartjie's stature would be glorified. Think I'm wrong?
Upon taking this into consideration, we must now ask ourselves a very important question: what are we teaching our daughters? What kind of future are we establishing that will allow them to be recognized for their intellect before their anatomy? What I find most frustrating is that several purveyors of this misogyny in the music have daughters of their own. I have difficulty in imagining how Lil' Wayne's daughter will be able to reconcile the images of those women in his music videos to those who propel themselves into the echelons of academia and community involvement. Will Plies' daughter have to grapple with whether or not Michelle Obama trumps Melissa Ford as the better role model? Brothas, please. Out of respect for your grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, and daughters, stop making it so hard for those of us who are tring to perpetuate a more positive image of the Black woman. I prefer that no one's daughter is subject to these dichotomies, and I would highly appreciate it if we could get it together before my daughters get here.
Thanks, MGMT... PEACE
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