newsies-girls-week

[newsies-girls-week]

Hi! I’m a writer. I often write Medda as an adoptive mother to Jack/a few others because it’s what I saw when I first came to the fandom and I’ve always liked it. I don’t want to fall into the stereotype or be part of the problem though. I saw that you were talking about it and wanted to know if either you or your followers have any advice? I don’t want it to seem like I think of her as just a mother figure because I don’t. I love Medda and I want to do her justice in my work. Thank you!

Sorry this is such a late response. This got shoved to my drafts after a first rendition of an answer. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to get back around to, but that’s what I get for forgetting my drafts. I’m also very white and don’t know a whole lot so I’m trying to do my best with the things that have come to my attention! This is also! A mess of me trying to explain my thoughts after it got brought to my attention so I apologize that its not super put together. I don’t wanna come off like I know more than anyone else.

I think the most important thing to do is to take a look at what the mammy stereotype IS and the main things that it affects with Medda’s portrayal. The Motherly Figure part. Ferris.edu’s description of it made me think of a lot of things with how I write her personally that I had NO IDEA about previously.

“The caricature portrayed an obese, coarse, maternal figure. She had great love for her white "family," but often treated her own family with disdain.”

... Yeah... Except she’s not even shown to have her Own family. Just how she interacts with the Newsies.

Yes, Medda is willing to offer her theatre to the newsies for nothing for their rally. Though, we have to remember that she built her name from the ground up by herself. She is hardworking through hell and back and I think a lot of her care for the newsies is less seeing them as her children and more understanding what its like to be there?

She also doesn’t get to talk to any of the other girls too, maybe bridging that gap may open new opportunities to explore her character! Let her feel, let her have emotion, let her have passions and hobbies and treat her just as you would anyone else! Give her a background! Give her a family! We come up with 80,000 backstories for every single newsie up to their adult years, we can come up with a few things for her.

With her being an adoptive mother to Jack- I can see how it becomes a little bit trickier. As someone who didn’t know Livesies was a thing for a while, I think I’ll always see her caring a little bit more about 3 specific newsies ( Jack, Blink, and especially Racetrack but thats because her 1992 scream hurts me every rewatch ), so I understand where you’re coming from. Again, I’m white, so I can’t really draw the line out clear because I myself don’t have the life experience of being a PoC. Still. Let her be her own person. Her life does not revolve around taking care of the newsies. Let her own the theatre and be busy with other things. Her life is not Just the theatre either. Look up the mammy sterotype, look up other stereotypes. Educate yourself. Talk about her life as Her Life, not just in what it relates to the newsies with. If that makes any sense? Im possibly not making any sense.

THAT BEING SAID.

If any people of color can help comment on this that would be wonderful! I’ll be keeping a closer eye out for things related to Medda’s portrayal in fan works so hopefully I can boost it! If I’ve said something wrong or spoke a little too much in some places, please let me know so I can fix mistakes and do what I can to avoid repeating them.

I also wanna encourage looking up what’s going on with Aunt Jemima right now because that’s got a lot of information regarding the stereotypes about black women!

[newsies-girls-week]

My Girlsie OCs!

(Picrew belongs to @/poika on Twitter!)

@newsies-girls-week​

Winnie!

-Full name is Winifred Fredrick.

-16.

-Lesbian.

-Leader of Queens.

-Friendly, excitable, and snarky.

-Has a girlfriend that she loves very much.

-Can play the violin.

-Is very popular in school in modern AU.

-Jack’s ultimate hypewoman.

-Women want her, fish fear her.

Bunnie!

-16.

-Full name is Akai Goto.

-Pansexual.

-Queens newsie.

-Is Winnie’s girlfriend.

-Quiet, sweet, and reserved.

-Her newsie name comes from the fact that she really likes animals (and volunteers at an animal shelter in modern AU!)

-Really likes history.

-Cries at the drop of a hat.

-I love her very much.

[newsies-girls-week]

By the skin of my teeth; newsies girls week; everyone else. This is a homage to the Brooklyn OC, Freckles, from a newsies oc server. She mentioned having a change purse in one rp and I just had to make it for her. Freckles if you see this, let me know your blog so I can @ you properly

[newsies-girls-week]

Final day!! Free space :3

Have some mood boards for my superpower au! Both Kath, Sarah, Sniper, and an oc Honey :)

Kath

Sarah

Sniper

Honey

(Info about Honey if you’re interested :p)

Keep reading

[newsies-girls-week]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Newsies - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Smalls (Newsies), Flute (oc), Noah (OC) Additional Tags: Period-Typical Sexism, i guess?, It’s small lmao, Smalls is ready to fight y'all, Girlsies, Girlsies Week 2020, look at me, actually completing a ‘challenge’/week thingy for once Series: Part 7 of Girlsies Week 2020, Part 9 of News clippings Summary:

Spot Conlon isn’t the only one who has to fight to command respect as a leader.

Girlsies Week Day 7: Free day!

[newsies-girls-week]

artist!Jack Kelly because i love it

the fact that the musical version of Jack Kelly is an artist is just something i really love? so naturally, headcanons :)

he always has paint everywhere– on his hands, in his hair, on his arms, on his clothes, whatever. it doesn’t even surprise the other newsies anymore

most of his clothes also have paint stains on them

he has this sketchbook.It would be more than one if he could afford it, but he cant

(until katherine buys him one as a gift that one time)

its old and ratty and the cover is ripped and covered in paint and ink and old sketches from over the years

and its filled with drawings and sketches and paintings dating from before, before his mother died and his dad died and before he lived on the street

he has a watercolor kit that he uses sparingly because it was his mom’s and its too expensive for him to buy more

oddly enough, jack really loves watercolor

whenever he draws his mom, he always paints her with her old watercolor set

Keep reading

[newsies-girls-week]

Anyway it's my babygirl's birthday

@all-the-lovely-newsies @irlkingofnewyork I know you like her!

Magpie is my first and favorite Newsies OC, and she's helped me through so much. She's been an art muse and the tree from which all other Newsies OCs stem from. I can't wait to see how she and I will grow in the future!

[newsies-girls-week]

The Elizabeth Home for Girls

In honor of @newsies-girls-week​, I have finally gotten around to making a post about the Children’s Aid Society’s girl’s lodging house- The Elizabeth Home for Girls.

The Elizabeth Home for Girls was opened on December 13th, 1892 (the image above was taken in 1895), and was located at No. 307 East Twelfth Street in Manhattan. As previously stated, it was owned and operated by the Children’s Aid Society (the same group who owned and ran the Duane Street Manhattan Newsboy’s Lodging House). It was the place where a young newsgirl or orphan without any other family likely would have stayed- girls did not stay in the same lodging house as the boys under any circumstances.

The home was built to replace the previous girl’s lodging house, which had been established in 1863 and was located at No. 21 or 27 St. Mark’s Place in Manhattan. It had four floors, each with a specific layout (which we’ll get into in a moment) and had about 58 beds in all.

The girl’s home was a bit different than the boy’s lodging house in that the girls who lived there were young adults as well as children and teenagers. The 1900 census lists the lodgers as being mostly between the ages of 14 and 21, in contrast to the boy’s lodging house which prohibited boys over the age of 18 from living there. The girl’s home was also intended to teach the girl’s specific trades, such as laundry, sewing, dressmaking, or typing. As such, the home had facilities for the girls to learn each of these skills.

The cellar of the home contained the trunk room, storage room, and the hot-water heater and water pump to supply hot and cold running water throughout the home. The basement (one floor above the cellar) contained two dining rooms, the kitchen, the lavatory, two bathrooms, the laundry room for the girl’s clothes, and a large room for ironing, washing, and drying “custom work” (the girls who lived in the home took in sewing and dressmaking orders as well as laundry orders to make money).

The first floor contained the classrooms for typing and sewing machine classes and a fitting room for dressmaking, as well as the home’s main office, a reading room, and a waiting/reception room. The second floor contained the matron’s room, a sitting room for the girls, two dormitories, and two bathrooms. The third floor contained five smaller bedrooms, one larger dormitory, a lavatory, a bathroom, and a workroom for dressmaking. And, finally, the fourth floor contained five dormitories, two smaller bedrooms, and three single rooms.

Not all of the girls who lived at the Elizabeth Home were newsgirls or match girls, although some very well could have been. Almost all of them were orphans or children who had been abandoned by their families, however, and many of them eventually left the city on orphan trains to go west and be adopted by farm families there.

The building itself was expanded in 1901 by the CAS when they bought and annexed the building next door, and in 1930 the CAS sold the home. However, unlike with the Duane Street Lodging House which was eventually demolished, the building in which the Elizabeth Home for Girls was once located is still standing today! The inside was gutted in the 1980s and I believe it’s just a private residence now, but it was named a landmark in 2008 and the outside of the building remains largely unchanged.

I hope everyone enjoyed this post, and that you learned something new form it! You may go forward now fully equipped to write about the girl’s lodging house in Manhattan in 1899, and if you would like to learn more about the boy’s lodging house in 1899 you can find the post I wrote about it here.

Sources:

http://nineduane.queenitsy.com/eliz.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/realestate/08scap.html

[newsies-girls-week]

I'm just going to make these for the rest of my life. and please Feel Free to suggest literally anything for newsies. literally anything. I am living. Anyways, here's Katherine.

[newsies-girls-week]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Newsies - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Katherine Pulitzer, Racetrack Higgins (mentioned), Albert DaSilva (mentioned) Additional Tags: Girlsies Week 2020, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting Series: Part 6 of Girlsies Week 2020, Part 8 of News clippings Summary:

Katherine had no idea what to write for her next article. Maybe some fresh air would help.

Girlsies Week Day 6: Katherine!

[newsies-girls-week]

happy newsies girls week! here’s something for katherine day @newsies-girls-week

When she is eight, Katherine Pulitzer has her first crush on a boy. Or, at least, she thinks that she does, because he has nice brown hair, and big blue eyes, and he plays soccer very well, according to the other girls in her class. His name is Darcy, and he sits across from her in class. Most of the other girls spend hours on end whispering and giggling and pointing at him, so she does the same. She stares, and stares, at those big blue eyes, and she thinks to herself, this is what a crush is.

a better summary:

newsbians! javey! kath’s sexuality crisis! everyone being a big family! finding real family in your friends! domesticity! kath and davey best friends! wlw mlm solidarity!!!

[newsies-girls-week]

Katherine hcs For Day 6 (i think??) + another old drawing under the cut

Loves to work out!

She goes to the gym every second day and sees a personal trainer every Saturday

Girl has MUSCLES!

like you cant really tell until she flexes then HOO BOY

has made many a man and many a lady swoon

Can pick several people up and spin them around

Which surprises a lot of people cause shes usually shorter than them

Her favourite people to pick up are Davey, Jack and Race

Bc Davey is a tall beanpole boi and kinda freezes and gets all flustered, which Kath finds adorable

Jack is a MANLY MAN!!! ™ and is STRONG and BIG and is IMMOVABLE!! but Kath could juggle him and not break a sweat.

He once tried to pick her up and it took him a few goes and great effort, and even then he couldn’t hold her for more than 2 or so minutes

so he was sulky all day (don’t let him trick you though, he secretly enjoys it, but hes a MANLY MAN! and cant let anyone know)

Race just plays into it

What can I say? He’s a dramatic bitch

Throws himself back, flinging his hand to his head and reciting some dramatic over the top speech about his long lost lover or whatever topic he decided on that day

Kath gives Les piggybacks everywhere!

“Why’s Les on Kath’s shoulders?”

“He likes to be tall”

He likes to play ‘i spy’ or just point things out now that he can see e v e r y  t h i n g

Katherine’s work out clothes mainly consist of cheesy tanktops like “cardio is hardio” or “hustle for that muscle” or “everything hurts and i’m dying (but i can still kick your ass)” and her personal favourite “yeah i lift! Cookies to my mouth!”

Speaking of clothing

She has a favourite/best item of clothing for every occasion!

Dresses, shirts, jackets, pants, skirts, jumpsuits etc

Her favourite of favourites is her jean jacket that was given to her as a joint gift from Davey and Jack

Davey bought some really cool patches! Her favourite is the pair of resonably sized wings that rest on the shoulder blades

Jack painted the bottom half of the jacket

Patterns, small art works, stupid quotes.

Theres cityscapes and clouds and waves and song lyrics and poetry and just looking at it makes Kath all bubbly and happy!

While she does wear it often, she also makes sure she wears it out on very special occasions

Like lunch dates with important work-related people

It gives her a confidence boost :)

She also pulls it out when things arent going so great :(

Jack and Davey know she’s not feeling her best

She’ll take it out of her wardrobe, put it on and curl up in the beanbag in the corner of her room, covering herself with a blanket and falling back against the fabric

Davey or Jack will bring her a drink or snack about 15 minutes in and if Kath wants to talk they’ll sit with her and chat and help her calm down or work through her problem

And for that, Katherine is very very grateful

And yeah! I just really love her a lot :3

–

Keep reading

[newsies-girls-week]

Finished her just in time for Girlsies Week (For some reason it looks really blurry but if you click on it it's a lot better quality)

[newsies-girls-week]

Idk why it’s so hazy looking but I made another book mark for Kath. Because her hat wasn’t going to be done in time either hi yes what time management skills? Kath’s bookmark is made with a laceweight yarn, this is from the purple section but it also had pink and orange and a darker purple which encompasses all her newsies outfits. I can’t remember the brand, the name of the yarn, or the colour way because I haven’t added it to my Ravelry yet. The hat is a slouchy beanie made from a self striping yarn that is blues and pinks; again encompassing all of her outfits; the yarn is Lion Brand Just My Stripe in Island Punch.

[newsies-girls-week]

Newsies Girls Week Day 6: Katherine Plumber

[newsies-girls-week]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Newsies - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly Characters: Sarah Jacobs, Nettie (oc), Jamie (OC), Mush Meyers, Mush (Newsies), Kid Blink, Davey Jacobs, Jack Kelly, Blink (Newsies) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Jack and Davey would adopt, You can’t change my mind on this, Girlsies Week 2020 Series: Part 5 of Girlsies Week 2020, Part 7 of News clippings Summary:

Sarah knew how hard it was for Davey and Jack to leave but they deserved a date night.

Girlsies Week Day 5: Sarah Jacobs!

Once again this is late lmao.

[newsies-girls-week]

I know I’m a day late for Sarah Jacobs; stuff came up.

What I was doing for Sarah was making her a pair of slippers in sage green using this pattern:

But I didn’t finish in time.

It seemed like a cute pattern that she would enjoy wearing and Sarah strikes me as the type to hate cold feet in the morning and has enough common sense to wear slippers or socks. Katherine also hates cold feet but like me, she deals with it.

As for how she got these slippers, they were a gift from her mom or a friend; maybe one of the newsies? She adores them and takes good care of them, carefully washing them like she would her more delicate clothes and darning them herself with matching yarn when the soles get thin.