My Wonderful Granny - Interview #2

1. What is your name? Maiden and Marriage (if applicable)

Annie Grace Stapleton

2. Where were you born?  Simpson County (Puckett, MS)

3. Where did you grow up? South of Puckett MS

4. What were your parents names and occupations?

DAD – ‘LilBill’ Stapleton Jr. // MOM- Lilly Puckett-Stapleton

(both were farmers)

5. Do you have any siblings? Yes or No, names?

1- W.P. Stapleton (brother)

2- Ruby Jane Stapleton Ducksworth (sis)

3- VelMarie(sis)    

4- Lilly Jane (sis)

6. What was your life like growing up as a black girl in _Puckett, MS_?

Hard work farming (cotton and many vegetables) and working and taking care of white children.  Later worked in the house take care of white children.

Her dad was a sharecropper-à farmed on white folks land but got paid annually about $200 or $300.

7. Did you ever encounter racism? Explain? Lots of racism. (Didn’t want to go into detail)

8. What privileges or setbacks do you feel that you experienced growing up as a black female in the North/South?

Many set backs with jobs and having to keep switching from white families to take care of their house and families for only .60 Cents/ day.

(When I said privileges she laughed.)

9. What, if anything, do you remember your parents telling you about race?

(MOM)Nothing because she passed when she was 2 years old

(DAD) Always stand up for your own family. He had respect from white people because he told them to not touch his kids because he’ll handle them. For him to have spoken with such authority and no-nonsense in his voice would make them do as he said.

10. What did your parents tell you or instill in you regarding being a woman, specifically a black woman?

Nothing really specifically toward being a woman just being a strong person.

11. Did you attend school? Yes or No, why or why not? 

12. Talk a little bit about those days...

*Yes, but a lot of folk couldn’t until the cotton was all picked.  School started in November and her dad worked very hard with shoes laced with wire to ensure all work was completed so they could go to school on time and be as smart as they could be.

*Had to take full responsibility by 9 because she had learned how to cook and how to take care of the house. She didn’t have to go out to work in the daytime because of her house duties.  

*They tried to split up her brothers and sisters but her dad fought hard to keep the family together.  They used to all sleep on the hay mattress but then they got a cotton mattress. 

*One day the man who owned the land, his son tried my granny and she said if u do it again I will tell my daddy and he got really scared because her dad was very

*said her dad was smart though he didn’t get a formal education

13. What was it like in school for you as a black female? 

*If a black woman/girl was pretty she didn’t have to work as hard

 "Also if you look at whites they all the same, but we all look different some even look white, we are a wonder, but they never recognized it."

14. Did you graduate and attend college?

‘I was grown and had children and went back to school to get my GED so I could work out of the state hospital’. She was working as a clean up lady. Then took a typing class because James C. Stubbs, director of the MS State Hospital recommended it. He was a white man and wanted success for Ms. Stapleton.  She went from housekeeping to secretary (16yrs here) after treating her wrong for many years she ended up leaving. Before having another job set in stone, she was then blessed and hired in the Jackson Public School. Government money got a few teachers in. She remembered the man over the project was saying, “come on darkie and help me”.  A white lady asked her why she wanted to teacher, Ms. Stapleton replied, “Because I can”. She doesn’t like for people to run over her or talk down to her, she wont allow it.

15. Did you get married?  To who?  When?  [Ask about the circumstances]

Earl Purvis -> 1949 (1^st husband)

16. Did you have any children? Yes or No? How many?  Why?  Was this a choice or just happened?  If no children, you could ask them why they chose not to or was it medical reasons.

17. Where did they work as an adult?

*Miscarriage of twins

Joyce(RN/ military), George (pastor), Willie(Electrical engineer/military), Mearl (news caster), Don(preacher/military), Teresa(computer technician at Jackson Heart Study), Ricky(police officer/military), Linda(military), Sharon(RN/military)

18. Ask them about their adult life and what it was like living as a black woman? 

It was hard and she worked for all she has.

19.  Ask them if there are any specific stories that they would like to share regarding their adulthood life and being a black woman

She was treated so different; one white girl got to play with her until white people came around.. they were playmates until they grew up and that was when her family said it was no longer allowed for intermingling.

20.  What were their relationships like with other women?  Specifically ask about white and black women.

Black women- worked with them, but they would get distant from you if your relationship with white women was pretty decent.  They would turn on you and call you “a white folks nigger”

White women – worked for them and they would be friends with you only in private.

21.  Would they consider themselves friends with white women?  Or do they have friends that are of another race?

‘I don’t have anything against them but I am aware of what has happened. ‘

22.  What type of relationship do you have with black men?

‘I don’t trust them’. Married 3 times and none of them treated her that good.  “My 4^th husband was sent from God, he was some kind of man and when God made him he must have broke the mold”.

23.  What do you think is the role of both black men and women in relationships and inside of the home should be?

Respect, trust, and love will keep it together as well as a whopping of everyone understanding their place in the family.

24.  What do you think about people dating outside of their race?  Black men marrying white women and black women marrying white men?

I don’t judge but I do wonder “what the hell for”. I don’t have any problems with white people and no matter how much I went through because of them I’m still ok.  “Every morning and every night when I get on my knees, I pray for blacks, white, and all”.

25.  What issues do you think most affect black Americans today?

They let the relationships fail. Also there is no much hatred in the world today and unity heals wounds but it seems it’s getting worse towards each other.  

“I will die b4 I let anyone walk over me ever again”

 I interviewed my Grandmother because she is amazing.  At 79 she is still going strong and has a beautiful and healthy garden she has brought up herself.  She still volunteers and cooks amazing meals every chance she gets.  She is such a wonderful person to have in my life and I knew she would be perfect to give me the real deal of the past.  Throughout the interview she kept saying, ‘you know I’ll never lie to you baby’.  I believe her and I always will.

A Black Woman's Smile

There have been many readings I have been made aware of and a conglomeration of them is definitely placed in this spoken word video.  This is a sad pile of what has been revealed to me and it makes me smile as it tells what is the key to a black woman's smile is.  Its evidence lies in Quicksand (partially), The Gilded-Six Bits, Their Eyes were Watching God and more.  Just  give it a listen and you too shall see.

Nighty Night,
LiV Right

Stereotypical Giggle!

Baby!!! This video was sooo funny and we've been so serious, here a joke, sad true but WHATEVER!!!
Have a great evening!
LiV

Yeap! Mentally Equal??

Due to a classmate’s post, something popped in my mind.  The world is a very flippant place.  Once upon a time black women were ridiculed because they wanted straight hair, used creams for lightening of spots of their faces for smoother and maybe lighter skin, and wanted to be considered ladies.  Because they wanted these simply things or made these simple changes they were thought of as white-women-wannabes!

WELL! How about now you look around.  White women are slick trying to be like us!  They get their lips injected for that thick pout of the black women, they get their lower areas injected with “the shot” or do relentless Pilates in order to get that nice round butt that we know is a BLACK woman’s trait. I’m not trying to get riled up but honestly why are we all constantly talking about how one wants to be the other???

We all at the end want the same thing whether we claim to or not!! You know what that is… ACCEPTANCE.  We want society to open its arms out to us because it feels good to be acknowledged positively!  So I just close by saying stay true to ya darn self and quit worrying about someone who’s taking what’s yours. Because if they take it, well I hate to break it to you sweetheart, but it was never yours to begin with.

Have a great evening lovies!!

LiV Right

WOMEN!!! WE ARE STRONG!!! (SEARCH TO 7:37 ON THE VID)

I listened to a friend the other day and I found out she was raped.  She’s not the first and wont be the last because people who rape are low down.  I have had a couple of friends who went through this same crap. It was just that hearing their stories made it more close to home.  We learned in class that basically black women were thought to be just some dirty rag for the even dirtier white men to cum in.  They weren’t seen as humans with hearts beating just as hard as theirs was to survive, along with all that human blood coursing through their veins.  The first time I got the privilege to hear Stacey’s words I fell in love with her.  Her demeanor and presence surround you with her overbearing and thick accent that screams out YOU WILL LISTEN. 

These two poems are great, but please FAST FORWARD TO 7:37 and enjoy her words.  This poem is wonderful to  me. I love you all, yes even you that doesn’t like me but hey, you’ll come around I mean ITS ME. I make u laugh whether you accept it or not and REMEMBER the only way we shall rise is by the beautiful word… UNIFY!

SMOOCHIES SWEETIEPIES!!!

LiV Right

Dahlak's Voice : A Peculiar Evolution

When I first got into poetry slams, this was one of the 1st ones I watched and fell in love with an outspoken, and intellectual black man.  He has some great words that are said here and my particular favorite is his break down on the word nigga! Open ya ears and shut my mouth and enjoy!


Kisses, 

Liv

I forgive 'the man'

On that last blog I ended with forgive and forget.  Well I believe that whole heartedly.  I refuse  to have a thing hanging over my head, or for that matter a person who has the power of making me sick by the mere sight of her or him.  I am the same with the white people.  I hate the fact that due to the richness of my people’s skin we were done so horribly.  We didn’t deserve it and I will never feel like it could be justified.  Those explorers were fearful of what could be if they didn’t chain down these people full of pigment.  I will only keep believing that God had a plan for blacks to rise above the oppressor and show how much His presence is worth, from whence we came to the level we are at now and will reach.  The history books state that religion was a big part of the movements and the courage that it took to be brave for the rise black people.  I forgive the white man for what he has done to my people and I because all of their children are not the same.  I refuse to look down upon or hate on sight a white person from what their sorry ancestors did.  Even those who sat there and watched knowing what they were witnessing was wrong, I wont be upset with them for their fear or lack of care.  I just know  I feel that my family raised me up in a way that I know the limit is not the sky.  I will continuously grow towards success and triumph because I ignore those boundaries. 

    In closing, I feel that I am like the bumblebee.  Aerodynamically, it should not be able to fly, but the bee doesn’t know that. 

Buzzin Off,

LiV Right

Interracial Kisses

I DESPISE how society has put interracial love in a dirty bucket.  Just like all else that relates to having blacks and whites mingle, it is shunned only by some and praised by others.  I am all for interracial relationships, as far as my parents go, a non black man wouldn’t be their first choice for me.  My father is all about  black uplift and being the best person—black person you can be.  I have dated outside of my race and I can’t deny that my mother was pretty upset, but his mother was livid.  He was kicked out of their house because he wouldn’t stop dating me. I overheard his mother on the phone one day while I was talking to him.  I remember her saying if he didn’t hang up on that trash then it would get ugly because how dare he date a nigga. Heartbreaking to me, a freshman, this was my first direct encounter to racism.  We broke up and we are still friends, but all I could do was pray for his mother because people like her don’t last very long in the sense of having a good life.

A question was posed in class today about why don’t black women get as upset about two black men being together as opposed to a black man getting with a white woman… I feel that as long as the reason they are together is love and not necessarily due to hatred or negative feeling towards the black woman, then by all means do what you want to because like everything else in life, it’s a choice. As long as its best for you then JUST DO IT as Nike says.  I live and will die by that because I have always done what was best for ME.  NO ONE will love or care about you as much as you can for yourself. I hate how recently I ‘ve been judged because I put myself and my future before others, I hate that bridges have been burned, but hey forgive and forget as God wants us to. 

I’ll continue l8r loves,

LivRight

Quicksand: A life ruined by self hate

Helga Crane was one interesting character.  She was stuck in a rut created all on her own with a bit of help from society I guess.  She was a mulatto that DIDN’T necessarily look like one.  She had brown skin, yet she tortured herself mentally on her belonging to any certain group or area.  She felt as if she were above the blacks of America, from Georgia, to Chicago, and New York, the places she had traveled.  Helga worked at Naxos one of the best schools for blacks, yet because she disagreed with their ideas she left.  I would have left as well because the fact that they were drilling in those children’s heads that second best was just fine.  After her departure from Naxos in Georgia, Helga moved to Chicago in order to meet up with her dear and white uncle Peter. Much to her chagrin, Uncle Peter had gotten married and his new wife shooed Helga away and told her to never return.  Heartbroken and embarrassed, Helga took heed to what the wife said.  She went searching for a job, yet she felt she was too good for some so excluded those options.  She was blessed enough for one of the women whom she had interviewed with earlier, responded and offered her a job with another woman. Immediately Helga jumped for it.  Her new boss Mrs. Hayes-Rore, was a listening boss and wanted to help Helga out. She ended up setting her up with her husbands’, sisters’, son’s wife to stay with and got her a job at a black insurance company. For the most part, Helga like it here in New York, but she got fed up with the monotonous days and left after receiving a note from her uncle.  Because he wanted to keep his marriage afloat he had to agree with his wife and ask her not to return, but the money he was going to give her in his will, he thought she would be better off with it now.  This gave her the motive and the way to get to her Aunt’s home in Copenhagen who had always wanted and loved her.  Helga left for Denmark and was ogled at so much it was creeping her out.  She was a new and impressive thing and yet she felt she belonged.  She had spent so much time there that she was sick of how she was treated, like an exotic object.  Her hand in marriage was requested and she turned him down. He was an artist named Axel and she didn’t love him that way.  Her family whom she was elated to live with were trying to get her married but she said she wasn’t ready and wasn’t in love with anyone around. She then left Denmark when she received a letter from her friend, Mrs. Hayes-Rore’s niece, Anne.  She was getting married to a man whom Helga had a crush home so she went back to the states promising to return. What ended up happening was she turned him down in the end as he wanted to have an affair with her.  Due to her feeling she ruined it with him, she was losing her mind from it becoming clouded because she was heartbroken.  She ran and ran in the poring rain until she ran into a revival and they thought she was some jezebel from the streets.   

After all of the hoopla there, something mentally happened to her because she married a man she met there no too long after meeting him.  His name was Rev. Pleasant Green.  She ended up living in poor rural Alabama where she was a wife and mother of 3.  It was at this point she had been there for a long time, yet her husband was publically flaunting his received flirtations from women, and he was getting  more unattractive as he was lazy, and nasty.  She wanted to flee after falling ill during the time of her fourth child and after she was alright she was ready to run, but much to her dismay, she was pregnant again, and was forced to remain in her circumstances. 

Randomosity

Once upon a time my dad thought I was gay. True enough I did wear bball shorts n tees but that's just bcuz I was so nonchalant towards the fashion world at the time. Around this time though, he would notice how I would stare at certain blk women. Not n that creepy way but in the observant way. I wanted to simply get as much info on those blk women and their savvy and regal countenances. Though I'm still under construction, I love looking and upholding those ideals of the black educated lady WITH her swag intact. If we could re-instill that into the hearts of the youth and even these older women, then I know we would prosper even moreso. I'm simply saying dress for success and God'll handle the rest!  But dont forget its not always easy to pass the test!


Just a piece, 
 LiV Right

My Girl Fannie Lou!!

I read a piece that was spoken by Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer.  I knew the women was a hero in her own right by helping out her community and even branched out to help her state, but by her words I now see she had more spunk and fire in her than I could have imagined.  She had so many quotes, which I will be placing in this blog, that moved me and made me think! She was so strong and outspoken.  I really love the fact that she lived only 10 minutes away from my house.  When I go to her part of MS, Sunflower County, to visit my family I always see her street sign Fannie Lou Hamer St.  I had always wondered why she got not just her last name but her whole name and now I see why, because she was not a force to reckon with!

She called out the white women,” You had been put on a pedestal, and then not only put on a pedestal but you had been put in something like a ivory castle.  So what happened to you, we have busted the castle open and whacking like hell for the pedestal.  And when you hit the ground, you’re gone have to fight like hell, like we’ve been fighting all this time”. 

Also my favorite truth and one a friend pointed out (Quinn): “The point about it, the male influence in this country—you know the white male, he didn’t go and brainwash the black man and the black woman, he brainwashed his wife too…”

Mrs. Fannie Lou was fired up about the situation of her race and I applaud her for keeping it real, truthful, and VERY firm in her piece, The Special Plight and the Role of Black Women

MMm that was good huh,

LiVRight

Fear

If everyone sat around waiting on someone else to do something, I can guarantee you that nothing would ever change, evolve, nothing.  I thank God for those who took a stand, took a seat, took the initiative to DO SOMETHING.   The fearless get nothing but respect from me as it takes a certain amount of courage to not only do something for yourself or your close friend, but your entire race.  After reading the story of Rosa Parks, I feel like it was ridiculous to move for a single white man.  I had always had the story wrong!.  There were 3 other people with her on a row and the bus driver was demanding they give him the entire row, because no white person should have to sit on the same row with blacks. Oh no, we already have to share the bus… WHATEVER! However, the other row occupants got up. When Rosa stayed I could only smile as she was a courageous LADY as she kept a calm demeanor during a not so calm situation.

DOING ME,

LiVRight

Black Love the Gilded Six Bits

Normally I would look for an old school song to really exemplify the intensity of black love, but a while back I stumbled onto this couple.  I just get goosebumps when I hear this song.
Strong black love reminds me of a wonderful character, Joe Banks.  Zora Neale Hurston wrote a story, The Gilded Six-Bits, which showed how strong love could be.  Joe and Missie May were a married couple whom had a seemingly perfect marriage.  He would be sweet to her and give her treats.  They played, laughed, and just enjoyed one another.  Sadly, Missie May must have hit a weak spot because just for money, because she felt her and Joe didn't have enough, she slept with this man.  The crazy thing was, Joe caught them in the act.  A loving man who has to endure that, surely you already know how that played out. He attempted to be calm and just get the guy to leave but his demeanor sent Joe to swinging. Pretty much a single hit K.O.  Joe then went into a deep silent treatment.  How could the woman of his dreams do this to him?? He had love for her in his heart but she didn't deserve to see it.  She begged for his forgiveness and made a promise that it would never happen again and that though she had good intentions, she understood why she was in so much trouble with him.  Due to her feelings toward his mother, Missie made up in her mind that she would not be giving Joe's mother the satisfaction to see her go! So, later on in the story Missie May became pregnant.  A little hesitant to come around to her, Joe asked was the baby....well his give or take a few words.. The baby was born healthy and looked like Joe! He was elated and at the end of the story, he went back to his old ways of loving his wife and surprising her with treats.  I pray to God I get a man as sweet and forgiving as Joe.

Y Girl? Pt 2: Our Men

At the end of my last blog I told you I would return simply to tell you of the apple tree theory.  The good apples (men) are in the tree hanging a tough ten while being true to himself and good values. Then there are the apples (men) who have fallen from the tree. They are easily picked yet they have bruises from the landing.  These bruises are jail time, their abusive nature, quick temper, etc.  Many women and people period are always looking for the easy way out but you must remember, there comes a price with it. 

This reminds me of a joke that could correlate and connect my entire point: Ever noticed how all of women’s problems being with MEN? 

*MENstral cramps

*MENtal breakdown

* MENtal illness

*MENopause

*GUYnocologist

Now I think this is funny I mean hello as Sojourner Truth said, “Ain’t I a woman”!! Yet I’m by far NOT a male basher.  I love men and thank God for them, but some of them just like all things are subject to the exception rule.  I know what they like and I know how they like it.  No not sounding slutty but I was raised around 4 boys, they are still my best friends and I listened to them. None of us ever dated and they schooled me because we are family.  If we women would lay off sometimes on the attitude and understand MEN and WOMEN are different then relationships would be better.  We always want them to do see things our way but they are programmed different. SSoooo…Ill be the first to say as long as the man is doing right by me, I’ll understand and see things his way when NECESSARY.

All in the name of Love,

LivRight

Why Girl?

You ever notice how there is a weakness in we women ? Not in musculature but emotionally… We go on all day about how bad we are, or independent, but many of those women are the main ones toiling as they deal with their dramas daily.  I have a friend who happened to remind me of the character in Sweat.  She loved her man just as hard as Delia did Sykes. Obviously Sykes was less than dog shApoopy, but I understand love is blind but it damn sho aint stupid so why die unhappy? I heard that some black women will stay in the situation because of their family structure, and situations they went through. However, we black women and any women for that matter are too wonderful to deal with unnecessary bull as my friend did and Delia did. Foolish men seem to be a hot commodity since all I hear is negativity about them, but how about we take a second and look for the worthy man. I know yall know about the apple tree theory!? If not just wait for the next blog lol

Tood A loodals!!

LiVRight

Sweat --> Zora Neal Hurston

I read this book when I was younger and as an adult I’m trying to redo many things I viewed, read, or personally experienced.  For many things I have seen new meanings and hidden ideas that only an adult would catch.  I  once saw it was just a sweet lady with a bad husband who got what he deserved.  Now, it was a woman(Delia) who simply wanted to be strong in her marriage no matter the cost.  It was instilled then and now (sort of) that you make the marriage work, you got in it so stay in it. Today its not so much of a commitment; either they crave their freedom, cant stay faithful, or truly their spouse is crap or changed for the worse.  Any who, this man(Sykes) was verbally and was probably physically abusive, and she just wanted to please him.  Now, by this time he is just doing the most AND he was cheating on her, it was time for her leave and save herself.  I don’t care the time period she didn’t deserve that.  But in the end, I couldn’t help but be happy because God doesn’t like ugly. When the husband kept his wife’s fear right there at the door in the house no matter how much she begged him to remove it (a rattlesnake), that was the last straw.  That man didn’t love her and I wish she would have taken herself out of the equation, but lucky for her God stepped in.  He let the man get what he deserved and was killed by what tortured his wife.

Unfearfully yours,

LivRight

BLACK BETTERMENT

You ever just sit and think MY! How strong black women are!!!??? More than likely not, how selfish of you, but how can I, little adorable, strong black women, mother to the future to be get you to understand that: YES black women are amazing. Well 1st off it would be a great thing if the darn media would calm it down with all the spewing out of movies with us leaving our children and being weak by selling them for a tiny morsel of illegal substance... #Real Then also, I'm all for my black women to rise to the top and be WEALTHY not just right women; but all this rump shaking, girl I know there is more to you than just ass so do yaselves a favor and let your butts be still and shake up the world with some thoughts I know could be more beneficial than ya thought. Welp one major thing, which is the main reason I'm blogging at this moment is HELLO!! Why does society still have black men over women? We have the rights now... ya cant take them! We have a voice now...you listen (How do I know this...well your reading this arent cha ;) yea... I GOT YA!) BUT SERIOUSLY --> I may here tons of negativity towards women, but my Lord black men... get it together! If I hear another scenario of a black man: robbing, killing his peers for STOOPID stuff, going to jail when he was much too intelligent to get caught up in drug trafficing anyway..TAKE YO ASS TO BUSINESS SCHOOL...., child support because I dont know; YOU DONT SUPPORT YOUR CHILD, and many other random shenanigans men get in to I WILL SURELY LOSE IT! Guys I only tell you this because I have to marry one of you one day and my sister does to. So IN CONCLUSION, if I have to let society lie put you above me at least have your lives together and be what we need you to be STRONG BLACK INTELLIGENT MEN!




Yea I'm Good ,




LiV Right ;)

Watching God

An Olivia Original...didn't know I was a poet o ok 


Their Eyes were watching God is one of my favorite books and now movies as emotion was pulled out of me for both works. I love that finally Janie was able to love and love hard at that.  Though in the end her world seemingly crumbled once her true love Tea Cake passed away, she was actually just free as a woman.  She had lived through two bad marriages and was ready to forget all about the standards society upheld.  Doing what her overbearing husbands had wanted her too was enough for her and after her Mayor husband passed she was still able to be her own woman which was what she had been craving from the start.  I love Janie's character how carefree she was; her hard-headed nature was refreshing to me as the other women in the movie (whom were probably like most women back then) were scared and simply talked about what they wanted to their peers rather than acting on their desires.  My favorite part of this was her taking charge of her feelings and giving the middle finger to what society thought a woman should do, and especially what a woman her age shouldn't do.  Tea Cake saved her and rejuvenated her, which is why I wrote the poem below.  


Enjoy it and remember, 
Liv Right ;)


Ageless Temptation 
Love is a Fight
To put the fire out when the gas around your heart ignites
Started w/ a single match strike
As they innocently played checkers in the evening light.
Trickling over her skin like fingertips playing gently in a lite rain
She liked it.
Soft giggles sent from between her lips 
As he caresses hers w/ his
After he did something different and after dark took her to go and fish!
Sighs released when his hands found her thighs
Silky touches begins the rolling of Janie's eyes 
Shakes and tiny tingles tantalized her,
  sending a sweet headache her way as she tried to grasp the confusing reality 
  that
  this
  was 
 LOVE. 
Confused as to what to do next because society, 
from her actions would surely be vexed.
He gripped her tighter as if they could possibly bcome one. 
She dared not look away from his gaze as  he may be gone as the people said
just as quickly as he had come.
Away like a thief in the night.
12 years older, he don't want you, they said 
Yet he was Tea Cake and Janie was ready to be fed.
He made her temperature raise matching her hearts intense pace.
I love u was more than a sweet nothing but an orgasmic truth 
But only when they came from those lips, those that belong to you.
Her body tried to steady itself to overcome the prescene of you. 
It's fighting, fighting, fighting, but 
She. 
Hopes. 
It. Loses!
Because she loves how it feels,
like fearfully watching God, 
it makes her woozy.

A Good Piece

After reading The Colored Girl by Fannie Barrier Williams I truly caught on fire! She made me feel such a prideful peace for being a black girl.  I felt empowered because many times in her words she said how black women did not want to do many things, but because they were strong and selfless they handled business.  Also she was explained the  nonsense black women had to endure ranging from not being hired even if we were the most qualified, and the low disposition our own men had for us as they tried to adopt the pitiful idea from the white men. Black women are hard working and outstanding and as Ms. Williams said, "the colored girl has already done enough for herself and her race to deserve at least the colored man's respect".  Having read such a strong piece of how we endured I just want to strive even harder in order to help our past never come back and be in our future.  I feel it was all so ignorant because black women were turned away when they could have been some of the best additions to different groups and jobs.  I'm still smiling from the regality of this work and as far as being en vogue goes, this is it.  Even today many black women are mistaken for less, but this work just keeps me thinking in the back of my mind that it is ok-- because those people have made the mistake of underestimating a strong, persistent colored girl.

Kisses,
LiV Right

Y so Serious?

Maybe its just me but I was just thinking-- forgive me my lovely ladies and my fellow chocolate sistahs especially but I feel like I need to speak on this...of course help me out if I'm wrong.  So I was thinking about my relationship earlier and I know how I am and how the women in my family are towards men.  We get so upset because our want us to be domestic, close to it or stay home.  I mean females proclaim loud and clear many times that they are too good for domesticity.  I agree that no I don't want to be seen as only good for domestic ways, but have you ever thought, (African American women especially) if our black men were simply looking out for us?  I mean back in the day immediately after we all became free  the men didn't really fight for we women to have rights. Im not mad at them because clearly we handled ourselves, thanks so much Sojourner and friends.  But honestly, maybe their logic was that we are finally free how about they the men finally get to do what they had been kept from doing and that was to take care of their own families.  I feel that it is in the man to take charge of the household, even the Word of God will back me up on this.  True, women are still powerful creations that have such a high position in how the world really works but I just feel like from time to time, we need to cut those men a little slack, especially the ones that really do have (in their hearts) our best interests in mind.

More for ya l8r,

LivRight

Sarah was Woman

Who could have ever thought that a physical variation could ruin a womans life.  Due to the fact that she had a large bottom Sarah Baartman was put on a pedistal as a freak of nature.  She lived only 25 years but her last 5 were full of touring around Europe so people could oogle at her huge bottom.  Even if she didnt want to 'perform' she did it.  Hurt was apparent in her spirit while she was in front of an audience.  She was of the Khoi Khoi people and plucked from her country to be made a 'star' in the worst way.  She was only a young girl who was developed with a certain extremity.  She was looked at as a grotesque anamalistic being that men found sexually interesting, yet they would never come clean about it.  She could never be thought of on the same level as the precious petitie Englishwomen, but its amazing how now attributes such as Sarah's are praised.  If you have a big butt and wide hips you are a hot commodity, to some.  But Sarah was torn apart as when she died they cut out her vagina.  It later became missing as well as what the findings were.  There is nothing that can be told me; she was a woman and if the facts had come out about it I feel things could have been different.  If women of color with different body formations could be accepted as genetically similar to white women, I'm almost sure the amount of melanin in her skin would not have ruined so many lives.

Sexploitation - Self Oppression pt 2

I had a freaking terrific spill to this but dammit my computer deleted it all so this shall be brought back up later.  I'm so bad with computers, this one is about to end up on the floor but then I'll be computerless again.
TTYL

TRYNA LivRight

Variations -Self Oppression pt 1

There are so many types of women of color on this earth.  In this song these women depict the stories of four women.  The slave, (black); the mixed girl who found it hard to fit completely in either world of race, (yellow); the woman longing just to be wanted by fulfilling the needs of men, (tan); and the child of slaves, (brown).  All of thier stories are different, but yet each woman is similar and have gone through the turmoils of the dark days of Slavery.  Even today we are all still like these woman spoken of, but we are always looking at the flaws of those who arent exactly like us.  But why? All of these skin tones are as beautiful as they are unique, however we oppress ourselves more than others do.  We women of color will never rise above the low level where society feels we are worthy of if we cant form a united way within our cohort.  Once we work it out amongst ourselves, then maybe we can get somewhere and bring awareness to society of how strong, noble, and loyal women of color really are.  All these years we have been oppressed and disrespected, the key to ending it can be found only within ourselves, but are we really strong enough to unlock our very own freedom?

Yep thats it,
LivRight

SIGHTful

They saw us in the 1600s; who you ask, black women no less. They saw the majestic woman worthy of the praise she was getting. Unfortunately, when explorer Richard Ligon saw her ugly cousin, not soon after he had seen Black Beauty herself, he threw away the entire notion that maybe such a new found flavor of people were beautiful. Strike one for our caucasian commrads or to be politically correct the English. This has leaked all the way down to today, in different ways. Statistically how many good things have you seen reported about the African American brothers and sisters as opposed to the plethora of bad? Both are seen but the majestic, prideful events are pushed aside for the ugly, shameful ones. Tragic but true just don't add more fuel to the fire and do shameful stuff that only brings down all of us. I could go on all day with examples but they are the same ones that are viewed daily, but it's going to continue because WE LET IT. Not fussin just letting my fingers speak through this keyboard.

Kisses Loves,

LivRight