Kaneno's Inspiration Board

Forever a favorite!

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:48:56 -0400

Forever a favorite!

lovelyandbrown: just enough for the city.

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:11:29 -0400

lovelyandbrown:

just enough for the city.

vintagenatgeographic: A vendor peddling wax prints in Lome,...

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:01:05 -0400

vintagenatgeographic:

A vendor peddling wax prints in Lome, Togo

National Geographic | June 1994

Beldina Malaika - Swedish/Kenyan (or Kenyan/Swedish if, like me,...

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:18:37 -0400

Beldina Malaika - Swedish/Kenyan (or Kenyan/Swedish if, like me, you want to claim her as your country-woman). She has a beautiful voice, Naomi Campbell legs, and a really cool “coverstories” series on Youtube.

iseeadifferentyou: Pimville Zone 4, Johannesburg South...

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:53:09 -0400

iseeadifferentyou:

Pimville Zone 4, Johannesburg

South Africa.

@ISEEDIFFERENT

I SEE A DIFFERENT YOU

Their tumblr is SO cool.

blackgirlsbirthedtheearth: thepeoplesrecord: The troubling...

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:01:32 -0400

blackgirlsbirthedtheearth:

thepeoplesrecord:

The troubling viral trend of the “hilarious” Black poor person
May 7, 2013

Charles Ramsey, the man who helped rescue three Cleveland women presumed dead after going missing a decade ago, has become an instant Internet meme. It’s hardly surprising—the interviews he gave yesterday provide plenty of fodder for a viral video, including memorable soundbites (“I was eatin’ my McDonald’s”) and lots of enthusiastic gestures. But as Miles Klee and Connor Simpson have noted, Ramsey’s heroism is quickly being overshadowed by the public’s desire to laugh at and autotune his story, and that’s a shame. Ramsey has become the latest in a fairly recent trend of “hilarious” black neighbors, unwitting Internet celebrities whose appeal seems rooted in a “colorful” style that is always immediately recognizable as poor or working-class.

Before Ramsey, there was Antoine Dodson, who saved his younger sister from an intruder, only to wind up famous for his flamboyant recounting of the story to a reporter. Since Dodson’s rise to fame, there have been others: Sweet Brown, a woman who barely escaped her apartment complex during a fire last year, and Michelle Clarke, who couldn’t fathom the hailstorm that rained down in her hometown of Houston, and in turn became “the next Sweet Brown.”

Granted, the buzzworthy tactic of reporters interviewing the most loquacious witnesses to a crime or other event is nothing new, and YouTube has countless examples of people of all ethnicities saying ridiculous things. One woman, for instance, saw fit to casually mention her breasts while discussing a local accident, while another man described a car crash with theatrical flair. Earlier this year, a “hatchet-wielding hitchhiker” named Kai matched Dodson’s fame with his astonishing account of rescuing a woman from a racist attacker. But none of those people have been subjected to quite the same level of derisive memeification as Brown, Clark, and now, perhaps, Ramsey—the inescapable echoes of “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife!” and “Kabooyaw,” the tens of millions of YouTube hits and cameos in other viral videos, even commercials.

It’s difficult to watch these videos and not sense that their popularity has something to do with a persistent, if unconscious, desire to see black people perform. Even before the genuinely heroic Ramsey came along, some viewers had expressed concern that the laughter directed at people like Sweet Brown plays into the most basic stereotyping of blacks as simple-minded ramblers living in the “ghetto,” socially out of step with the rest of educated America. Black or white, seeing Clark and Dodson merely as funny instances of random poor people talking nonsense is disrespectful at best. And shushing away the question of race seems like wishful thinking.

Ramsey is particularly striking in this regard, since, for a moment at least, he put the issue of race front and center himself. Describing the rescue of Amanda Berry and her fellow captives, he says, “I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway!”

The candid statement seems to catch the reporter off guard; he ends the interview shortly afterward. And it’s notable that among the many memorable things Ramsey said on camera, this one has gotten less meme-attention than most. Those who are simply having fun with the footage of Ramsey might pause for a second to actually listen to the man. He clearly knows a thing or two about the way racism prevents us from seeing each other as people.

Source

Now that you know this is a thing, please stop sharing these memes. Poor Black people speaking candidly about various serious incidents isn’t a hilarious joke.

I BEEN sick of this shit. It burns me UP to hear white people say that sweet brown shit.. and now this? This man just saved these girls lives and you make a joke of it? White people aint shit.

And I keep thinking about Anton Dobson too, about how he saved his sister. You wouldn’t know that from the media attention he gets with that auto tuned song. It overshadows the real situation to makes black people look like idiots.

I can’t.

lifeontheraques: This nigga got on a kimono and a pair of blue...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:44:43 -0400

lifeontheraques:

This nigga got on a kimono and a pair of blue velvet bell bottoms!!! Tell me he ain’t fly and I’ll slap yo mama’s mama!!! Jimi fuckin Hendrix!!!

^this comment may be better than the picture itself

beingblog: From a 2011 Pew Research Center report, a graphic...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:42:00 -0400

beingblog:

From a 2011 Pew Research Center report, a graphic showing the median percentage of Muslims across seven Muslim countries who say each of these traits describes people in Western countries and median percentage of non-Muslims across the U.S., Russia, and four Western European countries who say each of these traits describes Muslims.

I highly recommend reading Michael Young’s op-ed “What Does Muslim-Western Relations Mean?” that gets at these ideas about values, characteristics, and identity.

~Trent Gilliss, senior editor

“A Syrian or Egyptian still regards freedom much as a Frenchman or an American does, even if the preferred social contract each will favor to protect those freedoms differs. Perhaps some will want more secularism, others more religion. But if the preferred social contract ends up undermining those same freedoms, then the chances are that new rebellions will occur at some stage.” - Michael Young.

pleatedjeans: via

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:41:35 -0400

pleatedjeans:

via

To Yonji. To all of us.

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:53:36 -0400

To Yonji. To all of us.

Why do almost all black superheroes have lightning powers?

Mon, 06 May 2013 23:52:03 -0400

remyd13:

irenigg:

beatmesa:

Static Shock.

Black Lightning.

Black Vulcan.

Storm.

The Yellow Wizard from Gauntlet.

Why?

we shock white people

^^^ HHAAAA

Life List

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:42:00 -0400

(subject to multiple iterations!)

Inspired by: Felicia of love.life.eat

Be well-traveled on my own continent. Top 10: Kenya (duh!), Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Zambia/Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Morocco/Tunisia and Egypt. Ok make that Top 12/13.
Rediscover my writer’s voice and experiment with short stories as well as opinion pieces.
Develop my interest in photography (see what I did there) and master my camera.
Visit Rome again – the first time was short and sweet and with my French host-parents. Go back on my own terms. Preferably with a lover. It’s that kind of city ;)
Spend at least two weeks in Japan
Become fluent in Kiswahili
Become fluent in French
Arrive at basic proficiency in either Arabic or Spanish.
Get strong: Yoga-stick to it and get bendy. Swimming – why did you let it go to begin with?!
Build my self-confidence. Without this, nothing else on this list will happen. Become as optimistic as I once was
Own and run a creative café/cultural-arts-performance-literature space/serve really good brunch food all day errday.
Let food, temples, small villages and a sense of adventure be my guide through South East Asia.
Let architecture, cafés and wine be my guide through Europe.
Visit the West Coast: Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego
Befriend a dog
Dance
Learn how to think strategically
Learn to be more generous of my time and possessions
Become a better minimalist: own only what I need and love
Mentor someone
Find/Own a place I could call home (and decorate it to my heart’s content!)
Fall in love with cooking again
Learn to cook something delicious
Seek out more opportunities, allow for more spontaneity
Learn Kikuyu
Learn Kidigo
Learn how to play my guitar
Politely speak my mind if something is offensive
Learn how to film and edit short video
Learn how to ride a bike. For real this time…(before I leave NYC!!)
Take my mama on a holiday
Become a teacher – formal or informal
Do not fear hard work: remember that freedom tastes best when paired with healthy servings of personal accomplishment.

"Producers: these people execute or maintain a repeatable process. This can range from simple things..."

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:38:36 -0400

“

Producers: these people execute or maintain a repeatable process. This can range from simple things like working on an inbound help desk and handling some transactional process, to more complex, like auditing the performance of a big system, writing code, or producing the monthly financial reports. Producers typically require training or advanced skills to be in a position to execute the process. To determine the appropriate Producer performance objectives, ask the hiring manager to define how any required skill is used on the job and how its success would be measured, e.g., “contact 15 new customers per week and have five agree to an onsite demonstration.“ This is a lot better than saying “the person must have 3-5 years of sales experience selling to sophisticated buyers of electro-mechanical control valves.”

Improvers: these people upgrade, change or make a repeatable process better. Managers are generally required to continually monitor and improve a process under their responsibility. Building, training and developing the team to implement a process is part of an Improver’s role. Improvers can be individual contributors or managers of teams and projects, the key is the focus on improving a existing system, business or process. A performance objective for an Improver could be “conduct a comprehensive process review of the wafer fab process to determine what it would take to improve end-to-end yield by 10%.”

Builders: these people take an idea from scratch and convert it into something tangible. This could be creating a new business, designing a complex new product, closing a big deal, or developing a new process. Entrepreneurs, inventors, turn-around executives, deal-makers, and project managers are typical jobs that emphasize the Builder component. Ask the hiring manager what big changes, new developments, big problems or major projects the person in the new job would need to address to determine the Builder component. An example might be, “lead the implementation of the new SAP supply change system over every business unit including international.” This is a lot better than saying “must have five years international logistics background and strong expertise with SAP.”

Thinkers: these people are the visionaries, strategists, intellects, and creators of the world, and every new idea starts with them. Their work covers new products, new business ideas, and different ways of doing everyday things. Ask hiring managers where the job requires thinking out-of-the-box or major problems to solve to develop the Thinker performance objectives. “Develop a totally new approach for reducing water usage by 50%,” is a lot better than saying “Must have 5-10 years of environmental engineering background including 3-5 years of wastewater management with a knack for creative solutions.”

”

- Lou Adler: There Are Only Four Jobs In The Whole World - Are You In The Right One?

A really interesting conceptualization!

"ushikamano power of holding together, tenacity, adhesion ushupavu strength, stubbornness, obstinacy,..."

Fri, 03 May 2013 00:56:48 -0400

“ushikamano
power of holding together, tenacity, adhesion
ushupavu
strength, stubbornness, obstinacy, vigor, toughness, tenacity”

- source: Google translate. Because I suck at my own mother tongue.

But still though, these two words are the truth right now. Because all the meaning they now hold for me are thanks to my mother and our long conversation today. This is what we will strive for. The mother-daughter motto, all day, err-day :>

hulu and netflix, alcohol and cigarettes, h&m and forever21,...

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:42:05 -0400

hulu and netflix, alcohol and cigarettes, h&m and forever21, pizza and corn puffs, all the ways I’m half-heartedly trying and failing to smack myself out of this funk.

raventailor: in lovvve

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:37:51 -0400

raventailor:

in lovvve

medgiadore: Afro I love with red lipstick!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:29:42 -0400

medgiadore:

Afro I love with red lipstick!!!!!!!!!!!!!

appleloniasway: memoirsofmikayla: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:20:02 -0400

appleloniasway:

memoirsofmikayla:

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

This makes me so proud to be a black woman. WERK WERK WWEEERRRKKKKK.

“You got to testify, coz the booty don’t lie”

identity

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:02:23 -0400

A few revelations from a group meeting tonight:

“Who am I” can be a pretty difficult question for anybody to answer. And when you have a mood disorder, you can never be sure that the “I” you describe today is as a result of just who you are as a person, or who you become due to your illness. Everything is, after all, distorted.

When you’re in the midst of a good patch you feel happy, positive, able to focus/think/plan for your future. And that’s great. That’s how I felt after graduating last spring. But what happens when you hit a depressive episode and you are suddenly incapable of even the most basic tasks? Hello September, Hello New York.

This is a source of great anxiety for me. I am afraid to commit to anything because, yeah sure I’m a star now, but I have no idea what will trigger the next meltdown. And I hate the idea of throwing myself into some amazing challenge only for it all to fall apart once that thick giant cloud of doom and gloom resumes it’s place on top of my head and turns me into a zombie.

And on the flip-side (especially for people with Bipolar Disorder who experience Hypomania) How many of you worry that your best achievements were due to your illness, and not your genuine disposition (whatever that may be)?

So how can you plan for anything, or make any decisions, when you don’t know who you will be tomorrow?

"Why is it so important that Martin Luther King Jr. consistently expresses respect for, and includes,..."

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:06:21 -0400

“Why is it so important that Martin Luther King Jr. consistently expresses respect for, and includes, his oppressors? For one, it demonstrates a penetrating understanding of human nature. Criticism doesn’t work as a tool of persuasion for a reason. People are afraid of their own guilt; it makes them uncomfortable and extremely defensive. You and I have seen this many times before. If you merely point out misdeeds, your audience will be guarded and deflective, less willing to accept blame. Moreover, they will strive to justify their wrong doings rather than looking at their actions objectively. Respect is necessary to open an audience’s eyes to the possibility of change. This is exactly the respect that Eve Ensler fails to extend to her audience in The Vagina Monologues.”

- Reframing the Rape Culture Debate - Kate Eberstadt

Yes.