During my first Black History blogathon I kicked the expanded month off like this:
Well, I was all set to begin the first official day of Black History Month with an appropriately reverent post all about the theme of this year's observance. I have the draft of that post all set, just needed to look up and add a couple of URL links, upload an image--But that will have to wait until tomorrow.
On my way onto campus this morning I tuned into one of the radio morning shows and was treated to a more recent moment in Black History: The One-Year Anniversary of the (In)Famous Superbowl Halftime "Wardrobe Malfunction." If you somehow were on the space station at this time last year and missed this whole little episode and its fallout, then you'll just have to Google "breast" and "nipple" and "Janet Jackson" and "Superbowl" and research this yourself as no links will be provided by me.
So today, to kick off Black History Month 2005, I would like to direct you to an earlier episode of Western fascination with the Black female body, in the form of Saarjite ("Sarah") Baartman.
Otherwise known as the Hottentot Venus.
Today I'd like to direct your attention again to the blogging efforts of my "Blog of the Week" for this week, Diary of an Anxious Black Woman, who has an excellent post on Saartjie Baartman here as well as a follow-up about what she sees as a present-day re-enactment of Baartman's exploitation here.
More later...
| 32 Days of Black History is a blogathon celebrating Black History Month hosted by Mamalicious! and Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast. We are joined by WhatTamiSaid, Inkognegro, and The Dawg House. Check them out. |