Brazil’s Anti-World Cup Graffiti and an Anthem by Stromae

While browsing through my blogroll today, I came across a captivating photoset on okayafrica.com which highlights some of the socio-political unrest surrounding the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. According to the post, Brazilian citizens are feeling the steep economic impact of the World Cup’s $11 billion price tag and the government’s preoccupation with bolstering the public image of 12 host cities at the expense of education, transportation and healthcare infrastructure.

Having visited Brazil recently, I was witness to the very real challenges that pose long-term concerns for the country post World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Having also lived in South Africa for 8 years, host of the 2010 World Cup, I see similarities in the challenges both countries face on an economic and social level. I am against poverty tourism, which is one of the reasons I chose not to venture into the favelas of Rio de Janeiro as a tourist. Living in Johannesburg, South Africa was a different matter, as the largely Black-inhabited townships or slums continue to form the backbone of one of Africa’s strongest economies in a post-Apartheid republic. Afro-Brazilian residents of favelas experience much the same marginalization as many Black South Africans have for years. The frustration behind this visual expression is a form of social activism that will be on display for thousands of tourists to see. 

   

In other news, Afro-Belgian, electro-hip hop artist (and my new obsession), Stromae has produced an anthem for the Belgian national team, Diables Rouges. His song titled Ta Fête features much of the same drum ‘n bass/house vibes present in all of his work and is delivered in this how-to video format made so popular by his other YouTube tutorials, or “les leçons.” In this demo, Paul Van Haver (aka Stromae) breaks down his beats and mingles with the Belgian team in a way that only he can. A short version of the song itself begins at the 5-minute mark, while the full version includes footage of Stromae’s live performance in a stadium.   

I am never disappointment by Stromae’s uninhibited use of colour, character and charisma in his videos. His tribute to the late Cape Verdean songstress Cesária Évora titled Ave Cesaria reminds me of the rhythmic chanting and percussion associated with the Brazilian martial arts dance known as capoeira. Aside from being an amazing vocalist and dancer, Stromae is also a genius with word play, often interchanging French and English translations to evoke separate meanings. An example of this word play would be his deeply emotional song titled Quand C’est?, which is in fact a ballad about cancer (French pronunciation). Another song is Papaoutai, for which he created a clothing line titled MOSAERT inspired by the prints in this video. The song is actually asking the question “Papa, où t’es?” or “Dad, where are you?” Other tunes I currently have in heavy rotation include Tous Les Mêmes, Alors On Danse, Bienvenue Chez Moi, Formidable and Te Quiero, to name a few. It’s just a bonus that I get to brush up on my French while listening to Stromae’s thought-provoking lyrics.  

     

Backra Bluid: Hybrid Identity

Stacey Tyrell exhibits provocative images of her “white” self at General Hardware Contemporary as part of the 2014 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.

Stacey Tyrell, Ismay, 42yrs, from Backra Bluid series, 2012

General Hardware Contemporary:

In Backra Bluid, Brooklyn-based photographer Stacey Tyrell portrays herself as a white woman by altering her skin colour and making subtle tweaks to her features. Backra is archaic Caribbean slang of West African origin that means “white person.” Bluid is the Scotch word for blood, as well as for kin. In this series Tyrell draws on her own family history—archaic and ongoing, Scottish and Caribbean—to explore how identities complicate and overlap. Critical of the dualism inherent in Eurocentric constructs of Whiteness and Blackness, Tyrell’s work suggests that most people in post-colonial societies are not easily categorized. Developed through fictitious avatars and dramatic sets, her approach privileges performance and theatricality.

Image of the artist, http://www.staceytyrell.com/about/  

Stacey Tyrell:

The images in the series are an attempt to interpret and explore these relatives from both past and present that I know are out there. They are also a reflection on my own perceptions and preconceptions of “Whiteness.” There is a dualism that is inherent in the Euro-centric constructs of “Whiteness” and “Blackness” in Western societies. It leaves little room for the reality that the majority of people in post-colonial societies are generally hybrids of its past and current inhabitants. Upon viewing my physical features, I am automatically assigned a racial identity by whoever is looking at me. Skin color often obscures and over-rides the features and markers of other races that may be present in my genetic make-up. By simply changing my skin color and making subtle tweaks to my features, I wish to show that if someone were to take a closer look at my face, they would see that it might not be that much different from their own.   

Stacey Tyrell, Mara, 17yrs, from Backra Bluid series, 2011

Backra Bluid

April 26 to May 17

Opening: April 26, 3 to 6 p.m.

General Hardware Contemporary

1520 Queen Street W.

Toronto, ON M6R 1A4

http://www.staceytyrell.com/

http://generalhardware.ca/stacey-tyrell/

http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/events/1742

Black Barbie: A New Look

While rushing to get ready for work this morning, I came across a fascinating segment on CTV Canada AM. Queen Cee customizes dolls to reflect the beauty and diversity of women of colour. Cee explained that she was frustrated by the lack of options available to her daughter in Canada. She decided to start collecting Mattel's 'So In Style' line of Barbie dolls because they came in a variety of skin tones. Cee customizes the dolls' hair to match the various textures girls and women of colour are more familiar with. Having one of Cee's dolls would have certainly helped me learn to braid my hair a lot earlier! I'm also glad to see that a few of the dolls proudly wear locs like me.

Read the full story.
  

On Celebrity: The Lupita Nyong’o Obsession

As a society, we are often fixated on the trends that Hollywood dictates worthy of our attention. Trending topics include fashion, personal style, talent and the people who embody these aspirational qualities. One such person who has come into the limelight recently is actress and director, Lupita Nyong’o.

  

Source: http://www.lovebrownsugar.com/lupita-nyongo-vanity-fair-skin-lightening/

Prior to her breakout role as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, Nyong’o, a Mexican-born Kenyan artist, attended the Yale School of Drama where she received her Master of Fine Arts in Acting. The multi-talented actress received critical acclaim for her performance in the Solomon Northup biopic. She was nominated for such honours as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and, perhaps most notably, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. With the Oscars set to air this Sunday night, I will be watching intently to see who wins in that particular category. Nyongo’o has the potential of becoming the seventh woman of African descent to receive an Academy Award. I might point out that, thanks to shows like Fashion Police, I will also be watching the Oscars to see what celebrities are wearing on the red carpet.   

  

It is this last point of interest that has catapulted Nyong’o into phenom status – a global obsession. From her stunning Ralph Lauren cape at the Golden Globes, to her winning blue Gucci dress at the SAG Awards, Nyong’o continues to top best-dressed lists. She is the subject of thousands of blog posts and has been featured in numerous magazines including W Magazine, Vogue, Vanity Fair, InStyle and New York Magazine. She was also recently cast in the Miu Miu Spring 2014 Campaign. On top of her raw talent, impeccable style and humble charisma, I am convinced that it is Nyong’o’s rich, flawless skin that attracts such intense admiration from her fan base. At times a point of controversy, it is Nyong’o’s dark skin tone that truly sets her apart within a North American and Western context in general. Women of colour have for too long been given a template of beauty that often excludes them or molds them to fit said template accordingly. Black models with conventionally “Caucasian” features are viewed as acceptable to an industry that typically favours a certain “look.” We’ve heard the phrase “like a white girl dipped in chocolate.” Nyongo’o breaks this mold with her edgy fade and ebony skin. Of course, there have been exceptions in the fashion industry with supermodels Alek Wek and Ajak Deng paving the way for a broader aesthetic; but the industry remains largely unchanged.  

       

But is all this talk of fashion and skin tone superficial? Is the obsession with Nyongo’s (and Wek’s and Deng’s) dark skin a form of exoticism? For all of the criticism that Vanity Fair received for allegedly lightening Nyong’o’s skin, have other magazines not overemphasized her dark tone for added impact (Dazed & Confused)? Have we not, as a Black community, begun moving beyond the constraints of shadism? Surely, a phenom like Lupita Nyong’o serves as a reminder that beauty comes in all shades. She serves as a reminder that talent is not confined to a single set of expectations. Most of all, I look forward to seeing how Lupita Nyong’o continues to hold our collective attention both on and off screen in the years to come.     

Cheerios Brings Back Biracial Family for Super Bowl Spot

Back in May 2013, Cheerios aired a commercial that featured a young, mixed girl and her Caucasian mother. In the spot Just Checking, the young character, who we would later come to know as “Gracie,” questions her mother about the benefits of Cheerios cereal on heart health.

As her mother dutifully reads off the copy which positions the brand as a heart-healthy breakfast choice, Gracie acquires a knowing expression and runs off with the box of cereal to her African American father who is asleep on the couch. The scene cuts to Gracie’s dad waking up to find a pile of Cheerios scattered across his chest (and heart) in an unexpected and cute ending.

Unfortunately, not everyone agreed that the commercial was endearing. After the spot aired on YouTube, the video received a slew of vitriolic comments that revealed the sad state of racial affairs in the United States and in the world in general. Many people took issue with Cheerios casting a mixed race family in 2013. People directed their hatred towards Gracie’s character, calling her every name in the book. Youtube was eventually forced to disable comments on the video, creating a media storm around the ad. The YouTube comments remain disabled to this day.

In the aftermath of the negative comments, a parody of the video was created to further push the racial message while addressing another hot topic – sexual orientation. Eat it Haters went viral and received an overwhelmingly positive response.  

  

On February 2, 2014 as part of the $4 million-per-spot media buy for the Super Bowl, Cheerios reintroduced us to Gracie and her family. The ad, simply titled Gracie was pre-released on January 28 and features Gracie sitting at the breakfast table with her father. Gracie’s dad uses Cheerios to illustrate the point that she is about to become a big sister. In the background, Gracie's mother looks up from the counter, revealing her pregnant midsection. While contemplating the prospect, Gracie confidently adds another Cheerio to the group of 4 to represent the puppy she hopes will join their family. As her father confirms that it’s a “deal,” her mother looks on skeptically. 

Bravo to Cheerios for revisiting a concept that had received such negative feedback and for truly owning their message!

The State of Blackness: From Production to Presentation

During the 28 days that make up Black History Month this year, I am looking forward to attending this free conference being held at the Harbourfront Centre on February 22. The list of participants looks too good to pass up on.

The State of Blackness: From Production to Presentation is an interdisciplinary conference taking place at Harbourfront Centre on February 22, 2014 in association with the OCAD University Faculty of Art Innovation Fund and in partnership with the Ontario Arts Council. The conference is generously supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Karen Miranda Augustine, Miranda and Child (RaRa Rah), 2007 Mixed Media, découpage, found metal, tires, sequins, acrylic, oil sticks, spray paint, speaker, blunt and Kanekalon fibre on wood, 2.5 x 3 feet. 

Part of the Mercy Me series.

The event brings together artists, curators, academics, students, and multiple publics to engage in dialogue and, in effect, problematize the histories, current situation, and future state of black diasporic artistic practice and representation in Canada. The conference addresses and seeks to shed light on the dearth of cultural production and in turn, presentation activities by black artists who because of racial difference have historically been at the margins of traditional visions of the Canadian nation and its art production – particularly within the past two decades.

This conference includes closed working sessions prior to the public events designed to provide opportunities for artists, educators, curators, scholars and cultural workers to engage in intensive and critical collaborative discussions about the current state of blackness and the challenges and strategies employed to increase visibility. Emphasis will be placed on developing networks of engagement and knowledge exchange while developing methodologies and practices that inform the future of black Canadian artistic production and teaching. 


Conference Participants:
Lillian Allen, Karen Miranda Augustine, Deanna Bowen, Sandra Brewster, Charles Campbell, Mark V. Campbell, Wayde Compton, Julie Crooks, Erika DeFreitas, PamelaEdmonds, DominiqueFontaine, HonorFord-Smith, Richard Fung, Sylvia Hamilton, JérômeHavre, EbonyL. Haynes, JohannaHouseholder, CamilleA. Isaacs, MichelleJacques, AliceMing Wai Jim, BettyJulian, Olivia McGilchrist, Anna Jane McIntyre, Megan Morgan, Charmaine Nelson, Abdi Osman, Michèle Pearson Clarke, SheilaPetty, Aboubakar Sanogo, Adrienne Shadd, Dionne Simpson, Rema Tavares, Camille Turner, GaëtaneVerna, RinaldoWalcott, GenevieveWallen, Syrus Marcus Ware, and NatalieWood.

Andrea Fatona, Conference Lead
Heidi McKenzie, Conference Coordinator
Ellyn Walker, Graduate Research Assistant

For more information about the presenters and a conference schedule, visit thestateofblackness.com.

On Mentoring

Apparently, January is National Mentoring Month in the U.S. I read a Forbes article yesterday titled The One Thing Female Leaders Should be Doing More Of, and in it, contributor Jan Bruce highlighted mentoring as a practice that fosters mutually beneficial professional relationships.

As someone who has recently taken on a mentorship role at work, I agree with Jan’s assessment of the benefits of sharing your time and experience (dare I call it wisdom?) with someone else. For my own benefit, I would like to review the reasons offered for why mentoring shapes better leaders – and future leaders.

Mentoring can relieve stress:

Aside from the fact that mentoring often involves assigning some of your own work load to a willing mentee (in the case of an intern or junior assistant), the act of mentoring itself is a “feel good” action. Mentoring provides you with the opportunity to get out of your own head for a few minutes and focus on someone else. You are devoting a portion of your day to another person’s personal and professional development. I am guilty of becoming so self-absorbed with my own stressors that it can become difficult to detach and re-align my focus on the needs of someone else. Mentoring also forces you to organize your thoughts and goals in a tangible and relatable way. Stress and anxiety are often a direct result of feeling “scattered” and disorganized. By having someone who relies on you for a calm and organized delivery, you are keeping yourself in check and essentially minimizing your stress levels.       

Mentoring can build resilience:

There may have been a time when you were in the position of being mentored by someone else. You may recall feelings of insecurity and incompetence. Although natural, these feelings diminish over time and with experience. Having the opportunity to mentor someone allows for a sense of confidence and resilience, not to mention the gratifying bond that is hopefully formed. As a mentor, you are a leader and leadership requires resilience in the face of challenges, big or small. 

Mentoring can remind you of how accomplished you are:

Sometimes we forget or minimize how much we’ve learned over the years. As someone who has many more years to learn many more things, I am definitely not overconfident in my level of expertise. Learning is a continuum. Still, it’s important to remember how far you’ve come. Mentorship allows you to share your knowledge and skill set with someone who is glad to receive them. It’s nice to be reminded of your value in that context.

Mentoring can give you a chance to learn, too:  

Although I am not much older than the individual I am currently mentoring (I was also a peer mentor during my undergraduate studies), sharing ideas is a great way to learn and grow. Sometimes, one method of doing things can be improved with a simple suggestion from your mentee. Being a mentor does not mean you are always right. You are, however, more accountable for your words and actions. Be open and willing to really listen to the person you are mentoring. That person's success or failure is in part a reflection of your guidance. Often, you will learn something about yourself and your leadership style in the process of mentoring another – such as that you are impatient, but thorough, firm, but fair (perhaps that’s just me).  

Mentoring can develop your sense of purpose:

Finally, mentoring reignites a sense of purpose. For me, that purpose manifests itself in the knowledge I continue to acquire and share. Without sounding too profound, your small contribution has the potential to have a lasting impact on someone else’s life and career – until it’s their turn to pay it forward.