Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts

Sunday, January 28, 2018

#MeToo- Art and Feminism Now (Full Video)



Krista Suh and Yareli Arizmendi get to the heart of the matter at #MeToo- Art and Feminism Now
photo by MarySue Heilemann
On Saturday, January 27th 2018 a vibrant panel discussion on #MeToo - Art and Feminism Now was held from 1-3pm at the Santa Monica Art Studios. 

We gathered as artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers and more to help discuss ideas on how to build a path forward. 

Kathleen McHugh, Chair Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media at UCLA, Moderated the panel discussion.

The panelists included:

Actress/Writer Yareli Arizmendi (Like Water for Chocolate, A Day Without a Mexican) More at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0034976/.Artist/Activist 

Michele Pred (Represented by Nancy Hoffman Gallery) More on Michele Pred at: http://michelepred.com/home.html.“Ms Pred's work is an important offering for its relevance to the times."- Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor 

Krista Suh - Krista is a feminist, artist, Hollywood screenwriter, and co-creator of The Pussyhat Project. She's based in Los Angeles. Her new book, DIY Rules for a WTF World: How to Speak Up, Get Creative, and Change the World will be released in January. Krista will be selling and signing copies of her new book after the panel discussion. More on Krista Suh at http://kristasuh.com/.

Kim Schoenstadt Contemporary Artist "This event was an opportunity to take a snapshot of all the female and female identifying working artists in the LA contemporary art community. It was an opportunity for us to capture a moment where we stood with each other in all of our diversity." More on Kim Schoenstadt at http://www.kimschoenstadt.com/about/ and https://www.nowbeherela.com/.

Organized by contemporary artist Gregg Chadwick http://www.greggchadwick.com/.

Kathleen McHugh, Krista Suh, Yareli Arizmendi, Michelle Pred, Kim Schoenstadt with her daughter at #MeToo - Art and Feminism
photo by MarySue Heilemann

Friday, January 05, 2018

Beyoncé - ***Flawless ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie





Yep!

The story behind Beyoncé's Flawless here:  'Flawless': The Full Story



Your challengers are a young group from Houston
Welcome Beyonce, Lativia, Nina, Nicky, Kelly, and Ashley
The Hip-Hop Rappin' 'Girls Tyme'


I'm out that H-town, coming, coming down
I'm coming down dripping candy on the ground
H, H-town, town, I'm coming down
Coming down, dripping candy on the ground

I know when you were little girls
You dreamt of being in my world
Don't forget it, don't forget it
Respect that, bow down bitches

I took some time to live my life
But don't think I'm just his little wife
Don't get it twisted, get it twisted
This my shit, bow down bitches

Bow down bitches, bow bow down bitches (Crown)
Bow down bitches, bow bow down bitches (Crown)
H Town bitches
H, H Town bitches
I'm so crown crown, bow down bitches

I'm out that H, town, coming coming down
I'm coming down, drippin' candy on the ground
On the ground

H, H town town
I'm coming down
Coming down
Drippin' candy on the ground

(Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
We teach girls to shrink themselves
To make themselves smaller
We say to girls
"You can have ambition
But not too much
You should aim to be successful
But not too successful
Otherwise you will threaten the man"
Because I am female
I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that
Marriage is the most important
Now marriage can be a source of
Joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don't teach boys the same?
We raise girls to each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments
Which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings
In the way that boys are
Feminist - the person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes


You wake up, flawless
Post up, flawless
Ride round in it, flawless
Flossin on that, flawless
This diamond, flawless
My diamond, flawless
This rock, flawless
My Roc, flawless
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn

Momma taught me good home training
My Daddy taught me how to love my hater s
My sister taught me I should speak my mind
My man made me feel so God damn fine

You wake up, flawless
Post up, flawless
Ride round in it, flawless
Flossin on that, flawless
This diamond, flawless
My diamond, flawless
This rock, flawless
My Roc, flawless
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn

The Judges give champion Skeleton Groove 4 Stars
A perfect score
And the challenger Girls Tyme receives, 3 stars
Skeleton Groove, champions once again
Congratulations, we'll see you next week




Chimamanda Ngozi , We Should All Be Feminists

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Jimmy Carter Stands Up for Women's Rights

Losing my religion for equality
Jimmy Carter
July 15, 2009
from The Age

Deep Song
Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.


I HAVE been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.

This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries.

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.

In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.

The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.


A Persian Vigil (for Marjane Satrapi)

It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices - as we are seeing in Iran where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.

I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy - and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.

The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a statement that declares: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."

Speed of Life

We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.

The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.

I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.

The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.

Jimmy Carter was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981.