Exploiting black women in photography

What you note is relatively insignificant in context. Women being victimized and exploited and getting HIV / AIDS is a much much bigger problem in South Africa (worth addressing). Also, what you note is minor in context to the exploitation of Black women in the USA (in image). The hip hop video 'ho is worshipped. Little girls are growing up actually seeking to be hip hop video 'ho's. Don't you know it was Black people, Bob Johnson and BET that did more to exploit Black women in image than anyone in the world? Bob Johnson and BET brought the Black Hip Hop Video 'ho 'ho to your home for crissakes, and there's been plenty-o-ass out jigglying in G strings in the AM hours on BET! Black women in America sexualize themselves in image volunatrily daily with the use of lipstick, high heels, short skirts, push up bras, hair weaves, breast implants, etc (all which there is no shortage of at the very school you attend, Spelman). In fact you've not said or observed a single thing that others could not say about a sector of American Black women. I know a whole lot of Black folks grew up with elders who refused to let Soul Train be watched on the family TV (with all those tight clothes, short skirts, high heels, grinding, sexual expression, etc.) Summer's coming, and so will lots of Black American women wearing jeans so low on their hops they will proudly be revealing the crack of their ass (and thong, if they're wearing one). Books, cleavage galore will be served up by Sistahs all over America too! What's the difference? An Amish person from Pennsylvania can come to your campus, Spelman, and say every single word you have, about what they will see on the campus of Spelman (from their perspective). Well if it makes you feel any better, I am a Black man, have been to plenty European beaches wear white women go topless and it's a total non-issue, yes, I have taken photos.

I think that many in the West don't consider Black women to be fully human. Therefore just as they don't require an animal to be clothed to be photographed, then as well they don't think it's necessary for a Black woman to be clothed. I remember watching an ABC News piece about a beach on the Riviera. The nudity there can be considered indigenous nudity and yet they blurred out the breasts of White women. This same network has also shown pieces where Black women on the African continent are in various states of being naked, and never blurred the film.

Nicole Barden, this message is from Sudanese-born novelist Kola Boof. I have always posed topless on the back of my books, which was crucially important to me--spiritually, historically and as an African artist-- and I have described my reasons as the following: _______ "I am topless to honor my mothers and grandmothers, my own African womenfolk who were always bare breasted in the sun and who gave birth to this whole world. They created and sustained the natural world. They were naked not because they were backwards and didn't know any better…but because they had done nothing wrong. They were not dirty and soiled by man's greed and violence. They were naked because it pleases God…and I do believe that it's an abomination against God for any woman's breasts to be covered. So I have it written in my book contracts that I must appear topless on the back covers of my books. I also do it because it's not Christian and it's not Islamic. I truly want to plant a seed in favor of women creating their own institution of religion, because that's all religions are-institutions." (taken from Kola Boof's official website ---"NAKED AT THE FEAST" page) _______________ Ms. Barden, There are many "westernized, Judeo-Christian" and Islamic AFRICAN women who are ASHAMED of Purist African culture--they deny their mothers and grandmothers went topless and they suck their teeth and roll their eyes any African woman who doesn't conform to European or Arabic freight. I am not one of those African women. And my advice to you is that perhaps you should go on a crusade against "BLOND WEAVES" and "FAKE EYES"--a far more dangerous exploitation of the SOUL--before you administer your "SHAME" and "Judeo-Christian" social values in helping to tear down and misrepresent the cultural values and "FREEDOM" of traditional African women. I also believe that WOMEN are supposed to have "sexual power" within the society, and in AMERICA, you notice that the only woman who is not allowed to have "sexual power" within the society is the Black American woman who "looks black". Even the Mulatto/Half-Caste/Whatever is allowed to enjoy some measure of "sexual power", but not the Authentic Black Woman of America. As a Nilotic person from Blue Nile Acculturation, I have a huge problem with YOUR TYPE of feminism --because it imposes White Men's "rule of Christian Shame" upon my black skin. Being sexy, being desirable, having the right to "GRIN UNNATURALLY" in UNIVERSAL flirtation (something that Marilyn Monroe often did) and having OWNERSHIP OF ONE'S OWN BODY AND SEXUALITY--Ms. Barden--is also part of the joy of woman's power as a woman. It doesn't matter how others PERCEIVE or respond to a woman who behaves like Marilyn Monroe did. What matters is that WOMAN is free to value, flaunt and luxuriate in her own sex for her own amusement and closeness to GOD. Yes--closeness to GOD. I am so tired of WESTERN (or Black American) women, women who often spend their whole lives HIDING BEHIND "the church" and using the Bible as a "Whip"...coming to defile "MY OWNERSHIP" of my sexual power and replacing it with cautic European Judeo-Christian judgements about "exploitation" and..."what will the white people think." There is NOTHING WRONG with images of Naked South African women being printed and posted all over this planet!!!! You are the ones attaching shame and placing validation of your WHITE MASTER and his RULES in judging something that is quite literally ABOVE AND BEYOND your re-memory to use Toni Morrison's word. In fact, if we could replace the blonde-fake eyed images of TYRA, Keyshia Cole and LIL KIM with photos of dignified Naked corn-rowed Black Women, Authentic African Mothers of the bloodberry, then that would be a GRAVE IMPROVEMENT to both our spiritual character and our mental well being. But no--your crusade is against what is natural instead of what is fake. I have nothing but complete love and understanding for the history and suffering of Black American women in this country, Nicole Barden. I was adopted and raised by two Black American women--Claudine Johnson and my Nana Glodine. But one thing I don't appreciate is the misguided "CLINICAL" and "WHITE FEMINIST" approach that you apply to African women's acculturation and traditional way of being in the world. Just as a man can "rape"---a woman has the power to "kill", to manipulate and to order the minds of men. WOMEN have MANY types of power--one of them is "Goddessa", the sexual power. In fighting against "exploitation", Ms. Barden...please DO NOT take away Black Women's right to be GODDESSES. Do not reduce us to PRUDES and fat whales in a Church pew who HIDE BEHIND "the Church" because we're afraid to be defeated in a White Supremacist Culture that negates and disallows our beauty. Just STOP being ashamed. STOP being reacting to Black Men's "self-hatred" by transforming ourselves into "imitation" White women. Since "BET" television has always had a policy that "disallows" the images of Authentic Black Women and promotes the idea that only "Mixed race Women" or "Non-Black Women" are worthy of our black sons desire, then we should not be watching or supporting "BET" in the first place. BET is a "COON" network straight off the plantation bible. MARI EVANS has a poem: "I am a black woman --look on me and be renewed." That is why I was topless on my books, because Black children need to see images that reaffirm the "naked truth", value and beauty of the black woman's womb and her power to bring all of us...into being. Whenever I read that poem, I immediately think of Africa and the bare black woman's breast. I think of the KORAN saying "woman is impure" (and how you're basically saying the same). I think of the Holy Bible saying "woman on her period should be 'shut away' for seven days." No--the woman's blood is the circle of life. So is her breast. The body of woman is GOD. The body of GOD is black. The word "eternity" means black woman. Everything that is living...comes from Black Woman and was weaned on her breasts. So many of us "BLACK WOMEN" need to re-educate ourselves and re-impower ourselves with natural love for what is nature and STOP saying, "I feel dirty, I need to be buttoned up." HELL NO! We do not need to be buttoned up. Like I tell Black American women all the time. I am NOT a "strong black woman"--do not call me that. I am a LIVING woman. I live my life. I am NOT a "woman of color", that title doesn't do me justice. I am a "Black" woman. I don't walk around STUPID ENOUGH to think other women with a smidge of coloring in their skin feel some "sisterly solidarity" towards me--no they do not. Truth be told, EVERYONE has betrayed, lied on and demonized Black women. WOMEN OF COLOR and WHITE WOMEN are often the biggest abusers of Black women. Not because they are naked, but because they are BLACK. STOP being ashamed! Stop trying to run from your own mother! Stop trying to disallow and kill your own mother! Stop hating black women! You want to crusade? Then crusade against African women's self-hatred. Blond hair weave (and all it stands for) is a much bigger disease than this B.S. whining over what is absolutely the most powerful image in the world---the image of a topless black mother. ___________ Unfortunately, Ms. Barden, I will not be able to come back and read or respond to any future comments. KOLA BOOF

MONIE wrote: I remember watching an ABC News piece about a beach on the Riviera. The nudity there can be considered indigenous nudity and yet they blurred out the breasts of White women. This same network has also shown pieces where Black women on the African continent are in various states of being naked, and never blurred the film. KOLA BOOF: There you go reitering what white people "did" (blurring the image) and what white people "think." WHO WASTES THEIR WHOLE LIVES CARING ABOUT EUROPEANS? Nothing can be "more human" than our naked bodies. But because you are "OWNED" and "ENGINEERED" by White Slave master, you can't see anything but your Eurocentric value system. We now continental Africans with this same slave mentality. They wear blond hair, they don't eat fried chicken in public (what would the white people think?) and they want their children to be educated in Europe and marry white. TO BE MORE HUMAN--because AMERICAN God knows that only White people can bequeath "humanity." Not us naked Africans--who while naked--built up whole empires and civilization. Wearing European clothing doesn't make you human. I am disgusted, appalled and greatly insulted by the WHITE HATE that Black Americans have for all things African.

Dear Nicole Barden, I am a guest at Sister Naima's (Kola) house. You are my sister and I say this with utmost respect. If an African woman is walking topless through her village, then she does not give a damn who sees her. Otherwise she would not be outdoors. I have to concur with Sister Naima (Kola) that we should all stop being ashamed of our own mother and defend, as Naima has, her humanity and her culture. I am from Chad. I used to feel the way that you do. But after my mother died I came to see it as Naima does. Zolethi (pretty dimples)

I think that the whole topless thing has to do with America's prudish attitude towards sex and women. If they can make a woman a object and not a person by leering at her with or without a top on and creeping her out, that gives them power, and, that in the end is what has been the way to keep black women down, and, all women for that matter. Which is why women need to be in control of their bodies and the images they want to send out and reclaim thier own power, which is why I think that African women can do it thier way and would not be bothered seeing her topless, can see that on the beach here in San Diego.

Beyonce Knowles and her pimp Mama Tina Knowles are doing their own exploiting with the latest ads from their House of Dereon designs. They take you youngs and dress them up like whores. nypost.com/seven/05142008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/... - Cached

Nicole Barden writes, in part, "Take the picture? Yes? No?" You take this photograph and many more photographs. Then you display those photographs for all the world to see, with pride. You also add a note which proudly discusses the context of and the environment of the photograph. This is cultural nudity, not pornography. Nudity is not wrongful. This taboo on nudity is a direct result of organized religion. This taboo on nudity is one of the many acts of hypocrisy we suffer because of organized religion and we have been mentally conditioned to accept this hypocrisy as righteous. Here is a photograph from an advertisement I captured here at The Daily Voice. Mine is not a critique of Keith's website; he needs to bring in revenue. Mine is a critique of how both religion and corporations view average people. This advertisement pops up randomly. http://www.purlgurl.net/~stocks/misc/500.jpg Portrayed is an exceptionally pretty young black girl. She saves money on her auto insurance. She asks, "Now what am I going to do with all of that money?" This insurance company advises her to spend her saved money on a hairdo, on eyebrow waxing, on a facial and on teeth whitening. How stupid is wasting your money as suggested by this insurance company? Cosmetics are transient benefits. Cosmetics do not last and do not afford lasting benefits. A gal gets to feel good about herself for a few days, then her wasted money vanishes. This is exploitation, yes? "Save money with our insurance company and you will be beautiful!" We are exploited in a myriad of ways. Women are exploited. Men are exploited. Our minds are exploited for the sake of profits. There is an exception. Organized religion exploits our minds to effect control over our thinking and to effect power over us, along with relieving us of our money. Today, we wear clothes because religion teaches us our natural bodies are nasty, filthy and sinful. We certainly wear a lot less clothes today, but this taboo of nudity remains. Religion reached its height of taboo on nudity during the Victorian era. This taboo is greatly diminished today because people are not as stupid as they were a few centuries back. This religious taboo on nudity is senseless high hypocrisy. "God made man in his own image, then dressed this man for decency." Our family, we are social nudists and enjoy a lot good friends and enjoy a lot of social fun based upon our rejection of this taboo of nudity. We engage in all kinds of group activities in the nude, tennis, swimming, dancing, horseback riding, backpacking, camping out, all types of activities and we do this as groups and in the nude, old folks, adults and children alike. Of course, with so much exposure to sunlight we are beginning to look like dried out beef jerky. I invite you, the reader, right now, to stand up, strip off your clothes, then sit back down in front of your computer, completely nude. Do you feel uncomfortable? Are you worried your loved one, your children or someone else might see you? If so, you have been brainwashed by religious hypocrisy; you believe our bodies to be nasty, filthy and sinful. Are you naked? I think not. I am. Nicole Barden, you take your photographs then proudly display your photographs. Anything less is to succumb to this exploitation we suffer at the hands of the many. There is nothing wrong about natural nudity within a natural setting and within a natural environment. Okpulot Taha Choctaw Nation

Kola Boof, Zolethi, and Deena I thank each of you for your comments.

There's another side to this. I visited the Taos Pueblo once and, as we arrived, the two young Indians at the plaza asked if we had cameras. There was a fee for shooting pictures there. But, as we talked, I realized this was not an exhibit -- the people in the homes on the plaza really lived there. I told the attendants that we weren't going to be taking any pictures -- it was too creepy to go into somebody's home and start snapping photos. Since then, I've been told that the homes on the plaza are actually sought after, because the people there can sell corn necklaces and things like that to the tourists. But I'd have been more comfortable if they had set up those homes as displays and let pueblo residents take jobs working in those places. I've never felt so weird in my life as I did going into people's homes as if they were some kind of anthropological freak show.

Dear Nicole, It is a question of power. The one Bessie Head in Botswana wrote about. If you have not read the book pick it up, I am sure you'll fond a copy in South Africa. Two questions/conflicts confront you: a) cultural villages are shows, that's true. Did not your mother teach you that the only way to honour someone and their culture is to live with them, do as they do, sleep where they sleep, eat their food and ask for more, dress like them become a part of them. Hence a cultural village performance that required you to observe from behind a tourist bus will kill you, alongside with the victim of the lense. So why are you visiting cultural villages? Make friends and ask them to take you to their homes. b) There is an internal conflict we feel when we think about buying Chinese made clothes. The people who made them are slave wage earners. But if we stop buying the clothes the workers may die. So what do we do? The problem or the solution is indeed beyond you, as an individual actor. It requires a well coordinated approach and executed by a global collective. And the remedies will not come over night. I am not sure what you are studying at University, but I edge you to seek the suitable type of solutions and seek those who support them and spread them across the globe like wild fire. A renewed humanity needs its own AGENTS to replace overtime the current invasive and cruel hegemony.

On 2nd thought Nicole. Beware where you go. It looks like South Africans especially those living in poor areas have really turned demonic. What kick do they get from burning a human body that's already survived Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. There are deep deep deep spiritual scars in the collective pyche of South Africa. Of course Africa as a whole probably.