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The BluePrint 8 October 2013 SpelmanPaper@gmail.com OPINIONS Her Black is Beautiful: A Look at the Sexual Objectification of Black Women in Pageants By. Sarah Brokenborough, C2016 Black beauty pageants have different origins than most of the mainstream pageants, such as Miss America and Miss Universe. Black beauty pageants have history ingrained with rich traditions because they have served as a source of empowerment, racial pride, solidarity among the black community, and as a form of protest against racism. The NAACP’s Miss Black America’s judging panel once consisted of Shirley Chisholm, Former Chair of the Congress of Racial Equality; Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X; and Clifford Alexander, former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, among other notable, outspoken black leaders of the time. The black community fought racism through beauty pageants by promoting the concept that black women are not only beautiful, but elegant and intelligent as well. Black pageants institutionalized expressions of black pride. Parades of black beauty queens sought to nullify the white exclusion of blacks from mainstream beauty pageants. Miss Black America, for instance, served as a source of empowerment for blacks by providing young African-American women with a positive role model. The overall theme of black beauty pageants was “Black is Beautiful.” The Miss Black Beauty Contest in Harlem prohibited lipstick, penciled eyebrows, and false eyelashes. Contestants’ hair had to be in its natural state. Those regulations were created to celebrate the most essential aspects of black women. Black beauty queens demonstrated black women’s natural beauty and sought to give the public a positive representation of the African American woman. The purpose of pageants once was to judge women on their character rather than their physical appearance. However, this theme is quickly changing into one that instead sexually exploits black women’s beauty. Sexual objectification is neither a form of entertainment nor a step towards progressiveness. Women should not be used as sexualized symbols of their communities. There is a difference between embracing sexuality and sexual objectification. It is impossible to ignore the dedication and talent involved in not only participating, but also organizing these pageants. There are women who participate in pageants in the AUC who are excellent role models and have very detailed plans for how to improve the community and lives of students. They should not, however, be objectified in pageants for the mere reason of entertainment. To avoid aiding in the objectification of black women in pageants, ask whether the contestants accurately represent the people whom they are trying to lead. Who judges these pageants you are attending? How are the contestants judged? Are the winners chosen before the pageant even begins? Do you think the winner deserved to win? Are their platforms relevant? Are contestants trying to improve AUC campus life? Or is the pageant simply about confirming women’s sexual significance and existence by handing out titles? Ladies, be radical, be beautiful, and defy the often toxic and oppressive norms of beauty presented to us in pageants—and in life. Black Names: Feeding into the Stereotypes? By: Naima Bakari, C’2015 We all know people with stereotypical black names—or we have them ourselves. At the utterance of these names some people cringe, look at one another, and shake their heads. “How could someone do that to their own child?” As African-Americans, we are always hyper-aware of how we are viewed—and judged—by others. As a result, many of us code switch; we adjust our behavior and speech depending on our environment. In the presence of other races, or seemingly educated and wealthy people, we may limit our use of black vernacular speech, speak in a different tone, or try to avoid reinforcing stereotypes that are associated with being black. Schools, teachers, peers, and employers will see or hear a name and make assumptions as to whether the person is male, female, or of a certain ethnic group. When a person has what some would call a “ghetto” name, it is as if the very nature of black stereotypes is infused into her or his essence. It is unfair and wrong to judge individuals for a name that they did not choose. Often times individuals with “black” names go above and beyond to dispel any preconceived notions others may have about them. It is not the names of the individuals that need to change to accommodate such ignorance, it is society. You should not—you do not—have to change who are because of society’s ignorance. People will still judge you no matter what. Our names are just one representation of black peoples' uniqueness. Be proud of who you are and of the name you were given; your name doesn’t define you. You define you! INDIQUE BOUTIQUE ATLANTA! INDIQUE offers a variety of premium hair textures and a unique consultation experience you won't find anywhere else in the industry. You truly get to know our products with what we like to call a little TLC: Touch, Look & Choose your piece! Stop by soon to consult with a friendly, knowledgeable Indique expert to find your perfect hair! GET'ALL THE INFO ON THE BOUTIQUE AT INDIQUEHAIR.COM/ATLANTA 312 N. Highland Ave. NE I Atlanta, GA 30307 I 404.974.4680 M--F: 1 lam-7pm I Sat: 9am-5pm I Sun; Closed ARTS & Entertainment bones should. Amon Cunningham is a junior at Morehouse College majoring in business marketing. He is also a rapper on the rise. Cunningham, who used to be called “Mah Name Amon,” has recently decided to just go by his first name, Amon. He says it’s both easier to tell people, and it sheds an element of youthfulness. Amon spends a lot of time recording in his room. Make no judgments on his preferred studio space; Amon has managed to pack an impressive speaker system and studio microphone into a standard sized dorm room. Through a process called mixing-and- mastering, Amon makes sure all of the levels in his songs are correct. He does all of the engineering to make sure everything sounds perfect. As he puts it, he does “all of the behind the scenes stuff.” You can feel that dedication in his music. “Once I set to do something, I don’t give up. I won’t sell my soul, but I know what I have to do,” Amon said. “When you work hard it pays off, maybe not in the next hour, day or month, but it will.” However, despite all of his talent, music was not always something Amon knew he was destined to pursue. “Skateboarding is my first love,” Amon said. “We’ve been down since 8th grade.” Amon broke his heel skateboarding during his senior year of high school. Needing something to do in his spare time that had once been occupied by mastering gravity-defying skateboarding stunts, he contacted a friend with recording equipment and started rapping. “Let’s just say that if I hadn’t broken my heel, I would’ve been really, really good [at skateboarding].” However, he did break his heel, and yet he is still really, really good—at making music. In the Spring 2013 semester, Amon won the Junior Talent Show despite his sophomore status. “I’m so quiet before I go on stage, I just get in the zone,” he said. “But I still went out there and did my thing.” Amon has the effect of a quiet storm in the sense that he works very privately on big projects and then suddenly drops them with a roaring presence. The only nuance is that storms pass, and Amon is doing his part in making sure that he lasts in an industry with a lot of turnover. “A lot of people think rap is just putting words together,” he said. “But I’m trying to last and have longevity. “I’m going to win a Grammy. I don’t know how, but I will. The speech is written. You have to set goals or nothing’s going to get done. If you don’t set goals, how are you going to score points and win games?” In the 21st generation music industry “points” are kept by YouTube views, and based on the 500,000 views on Amon’s hit song “Let’s Get Active”, Amon has scored his fair share of them. Amon coined the song as being the most fun song he’s ever worked on, and with its classic West-Coast party beat it’s hard to argue with him. “I was jumping around the house when I heard that beat,” he said. “I had the chorus in less than a minute.” Since Amon released “Let’s Get Active” a year ago, he has grown a lot as an artist. He studies old performances of music legends such as James Brown and Jimi Hendrix and tries to zone in on how they really connect with people. Amon will be performing at the Pre Hip-Hop Show at Clark Atlanta University Promenade from 4-6 pm on Oct. 21. He has just released a mixtape entitled “Dream Work” available on HotNewHipHop.com. 3 Arts & Entertainment Students You Should Know About By: Analisa Wade C’2016 Jasmine Hooper C’2016: Makeup Artist Jasmine Hooper fell in love with makeup in seventh grade. Constantly finding herself following her mother’s makeup routine, she thought it was time to begin a makeup journey of her own. Quickly Jasmine learned she had the skills to turn any face into an artistic masterpiece with the simple touch of a brush, so she decided to make a career out of it. Currently she does makeup for AUC and Atlanta pageants and fashion shows. Divalicious Browz and Makeup Bar is the official makeup artist for Miss Maroon and White and her court. Jasmineisalwayslookingfornewcustomers, contact her via email: makeupbyvalencia@ gmail.com or via telephone 510-952-7682 for booking or other business inquiries. Richard Mickles C’2016: Film Director Richard Mickles, the CameraMan and CEO of Cameran’adream Producfions, is a Morehouse student who dedicated his life to film at age 13. A few of his favorite works such as School Daze and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, inspired him to pursue a career in film. Fie fell in love with the idea of making people escape into another world through motion pictures. Starting with the show, It’s A Small World, he began shooting all around the AUC. Until the launch of his own show, Dreamers, Richard will continue to edit and film around campus. If one has a vision or concept for a video or film project, Richard has the skills and the tools to bring it to life. For Booking or other information contact him via email at Rick.mickles@yahoo.com Bria Henderson C’2015 and Maya Prentiss C’2015: Spoken Word Artists There is nothing like afemale duo, especially with a pair like Bria and Maya. These girls recite positive and influential pieces that will have any mind in deep thought. They speak on current issues in society and on their own personal experiences. Bria and Maya began performing in 2010 at their high school talent show. After winning at Recreating Poetry and placing 2nd at Sister Jam, they began to understand their true talent. They are inspired by Alexis Marie, Brooke Young, and Jasmine Mans. Bria and Maya have acquired a unique style with a harmonic rhythm that captures the attention of many. As of now they are consistently doing shows and eager to participate in as many events as possible. For booking or more information contact them via email at DOPoEtry@gmail.com /