#willie lynch letter

[momentswithmani]

Why black men being colorist is problematic.

In this generation of modern day black men, who look up to red pill podcasters such as Kevin Samuels and Andrew Tate, it’s become a phenomenon for them to cosign the idea that dating 20 shades lighter + a different race is better for their relationship they choose. In their perspective, they label it a “preference” when they believe that light skin girls are more attractive than dark skin girls. Meanwhile, colorism benefits light skin girls because it defines as favoritism towards lighter complexions, while mistreatment towards darker complexions. Do you see a difference, or are they similar to you?

Keep in mind, I’m prepared for the backlash that black men are choosing to give me. I’m also prepared for their denial, and for them to think I have hatred towards them. I’m also prepared for any black woman to debunk all of these claims. At the end of the day, this is what comes with speaking your unpopular truth.

Let’s start with the colorism of black men….. from time to time, I hear + see the commentary along the lines of “lighter women are easier to deal with, darker women are difficult to deal with”, “lighter women are soft, darker women are aggressive”. “Black men deal with trauma from darker women”.

For one, if you are educated on your history enough (which I doubt black men are), you would know that our skin complexions were to be promoted + reinforced to have different meanings. Lighter meant good, brighter, and feminine. Darker meant bad, darkness, and masculine. The lighter slaves worked in the house, while the darker slaves worked in the fields. All of which was promoted by the Willie Lynch letter, that we perpetuate on each other today.

Now, let’s look at the beauty scale when it comes to the standards that black men have for the women they choose to date… 9/10 they don’t want to choose a woman who is “dark” like them. Their subconscious mentality equates the darker complexion of a woman to her character, how toxic the relationship will be, and how traumatized he will be (a reminder of his upbringing). Meanwhile, it equates the lighter complexion of a woman to how easy she’ll be, how “submissive” she’ll be, how at peace he will be, and how little problems they’ll face.

This becomes a rule that they apply across the board, due to the women they avoid based on her skin complexion, which leads to the preconceived notions they make about those women. I sometimes wonder why black men easily gravitate to lighter women, because they are seen as “more attractive”. What makes lighter women attractive, that doesn’t make darker women attractive? Is it her skin color? Her looks? What they assume her character is?

You know what this reminds me of? When lighter women vocalize being stereotyped as being better than everyone else as a child growing up. You know what I notice? Black men never speak on that stereotype, because deep down they believe it. You know what I also notice? Black men are likely to cosign negative stereotypes about darker women, because their trauma labels it as “truth”.

Something else I would like to bring up, is that black men like to emphasize looking for a wife based on character, but I beg to differ. If you prioritize looking for a “wife” based on her skin complexion, you are choosing a woman based on your internalized colorism. Skin complexion doesn’t correlate to one’s character, unless you allow it to.

Do you believe that your skin complexion correlates to your character? Do you believe that your skin complexion makes you more masculine, or less desirable? Do you believe that your skin complexion correlates to the negative stereotypes that society has always imposed on you?

What I believe about black men choosing based on skin complexion, is that they’re choosing from a place of self hatred, and the wrong heart posture. They’re also choosing from a superficial place. I’ve never witnessed a black man choosing based on looks, have the same respect for other women that they have for the women they pedestalized.

What I also encourage black men to do [as leaders], is to rely less on other black men’s perspectives/experiences on black women + tune more into their own perspectives/experiences on black women. Statistics don’t always equate to your own personalized experiences. For instance, a statistic can state that dark skin black women are more likely to be abusive people who end up pimping out men for lifestyle purposes than every other shade of women. Another statistic can state that light skin black women are likely to be healthy and submissive wives to the men they marry. In your area(s), you notice/observe that black women of all shades have successful jobs, are in healthy relationships, and their demeanor comes off kind + down to earth.

One thing that I tell black men of today, is that I speak based on experiences and never statistics. I don’t have to rely on statistics when it comes to how black men communicate, who I see them befriend, how I get treated, how loyal/committed they are, how consistent they remain, how they behave, let alone how much hardships they endure when it shapes how they view the world as they get older. I never think to myself “let me look up the statistics of black men who are in 3 different types of relationships, the money they earn, and the jobs they succeed most at”. You know why? Because all of this varies from location to location, person to person, circumstances to circumstances, and upbringing to upbringing. I call it experiencing life. Experiences will always beat statistics.

To conclude this statement, I’m unimpressed with black men normalizing their internalized colorism. I’m unimpressed with their lack of awareness to why their “preferences” are inaccurate and ignorant. I’m unimpressed with their assumption that lighter women are “safer” for them to deal with. I’m unimpressed with them rebranding colorism as a preference.

Most importantly, if none of these statements resonate with you, you may keep scrolling. The message can still resonate with others.

[ausetkmt]

Who Invented white People?

"Who invented white people?" You heard of the Willie Lynch letter? The pseudo letter that so many people believe was true about how to make a slave. Well, I bet you never heard of the "Making of a white man" letter. Michael Harriot got his hands on it, and he is going to read it to you.  

[dixiedingo]

Wanna do a thing on rage propaganda bc I can't think of a more important time to educate people on the concept of infighting.

To give you a relevant but not so recent example, there was a Virginian slave owner named Willie Lynch who was summoned bc some slave owners were having trouble with rebellions. In a letter, he outlined the fact that the best way to keep minorities at each other's throats was to "take their differences and pronounce them; pit the young slave against the old slave, the dark skinned slave against the light skinned slave."

That in mind, it's critical to keep in mind there's a lot of nazi and nazi aligned folks who will do acts of Islamophobia in the name of antisemitism and vice versa. So please, if you're reading this, I implore you to not only become aware of antisemitic tropes, but Islamophobic tropes and palestinian myths. If not for the movement, do it to create a safe space for the people around you.

[renegadeurbanmediasource]

Meet The Author Of The Willie Lynch Letter Dr Kwabena Ashanti : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[walkgleeshwalk]

books to read

becoming supernatural

willie lynch letter

gotta do my affirmations and yoga

gotta get back into Pilates too

[weprincessblog]

Straight from the playbook of the Willie Lynch letters! Thoughts⁉️🤔💭

[rainybirdcherryblossom]

The Willie Lynch Letter... ⚠️ Sad To Say But This Is The Answer To All Y...

[talkieguru]

The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of A Slave PDF

The willie lynch letter and the making of a slave pdf: Willie Lynch letter is referred to as the speech deliverd by a slave owner named William Lynch. William Lunch was a slave owner in the West Indies and was considered to be very good at it. In 1712, in a city called Virginia slave owners failed at controlling slaves. Due to this, there has been an increase in the slave revolts which put slave…

[edtumbled]

THE WILLIE LYNCH LETTER EFFECTS BLACKS MORE THAN A DRUG DEALER "ON THE B...

Yep.

[rebeleden]

Student-Teacher Dismissed For Teaching 'Willie Lynch Letter' to 4th-Graders

CC LAZY ILLITERATE FAUXTEP LIES AND BS

[athena411-blog]

The continued “plantationization” of South Los Angeles

Does ““plantationism” affect the psyche ? Listen to how the Willie Lynch Letter’s principles are used in South Los Angeles. 

Click on the link below…..

https://pinecast.com/listen/913a4214-17d3-4a34-9842-3161b9d05ef5.mp3

[kwameafrica]

The Willie Lynch letter (1712)

“This speech was delivered by Willie Lynch on the bank of the James River in the colony of Virginia in 1712. Lynch was a British slave owner in the West Indies. He was invited to the colony of Virginia in 1712 to teach his methods to slave owners there. The term "lynching" is derived from his last name. December 25, 1712.

“Gentlemen: I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies, where I have experimented with some of the newest and still the oldest methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome's would envy us if my program is implemented.

As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasions. I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree, a couple miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, You suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed. Gentlemen, you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them. In my bag here, I have a foolproof method for controlling your black slaves. I guarantee every one of you that if installed correctly it will control the slaves for at least 300 years [2012].

My method is simple. Any member of your family or your overseer can use it. I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves and make the differences bigger. I use fear, distrust and envy for control. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On top of my list is "age" but it's there only because it starts with an "A." The second is "COLOR" or shade, there is intelligence, size, sex, size of plantations and status on plantations, attitude of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, course hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust and envy stronger than adulation, respect or admiration. The Black slaves after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self refueling and self generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Don't forget you must pitch the old black Male vs. the young black Male, and the young black Male against the old black male. You must use the dark skin slaves vs. the light skin slaves, and the light skin slaves vs. the dark skin slaves. You must use the female vs. the male. And the male vs. the female. You must also have you white servants and overseers distrust all Blacks. It is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect and trust only us. Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. If used intensely for one year, the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful of each other. Thank you gentlemen“ “

Read the complete Wille Lynch letter here:

https://archive.org/download/WillieLynchLetter1712/the_willie_lynch_letter_the_making_of_a_slave_1712.pdf

source: https://archive.org/details/WillieLynchLetter1712/page/n1/mode/2up

[diallokenyatta]

After years of debunking the historicity & accuracy if the Willie Lynch Letter here comes KoonYe giving that bullshit another boost.🤦🏿‍♂️ Also, Ye is a Christian Fascist who has the never to attack Leftist.✝️ Remember, 🦝-ing is Contagious, so if you fuck with Ye you're a 🦝 too. #WillieLynchIsFiction ��️‼️ #KanyeDoesntCareAboutBlackPeople 🖕🏿 (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbGmg7Guxgm/?utm_medium=tumblr

[akuasucc]

bitch i picked ethnic studies for one if my classes ans our first assignment is about the willie lynch letter.. that shit not even real like wdf

[tiakennedy-beecher]

Art and Design Contexts and Research

1. Fine Art, Film and Cinema

Fine Art:

Elizabeth Catlett, Target, 1970

In 1915, Elizabeth Catlett (the granddaughter of freed enslaved people) was born in Washington, D.C. and unflinchingly depicted the violent reality of racial injustice throughout her career. Catlett’s decision to focus on her ethnic identity, and its association with slavery and class struggles, was bold and unconventional in the 1930s and 1940s when African Americans were expected “to assimilate themselves into a more Eurocentric ethic,”. She confronted the most disturbing injustices against African Americans, including lynchings and beatings, as she was confident that art could foster social change. She also portrayed civil rights leaders — Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis and Malcolm X — as well as the courage and resilience of everyday African-Americans, particularly women. She “always wanted my (her) art to service my (Black) people — to reflect us, to relate to us, to stimulate us, to make us aware of our potential,”. She believed that “We have to create an art for liberation and for life.” Target and Black Unity (1968), a raised fist carved in mahogany, are two of the most iconic and lasting artworks in the continuing movement for civil rights.

The signifier is the cross hairs of a rifle sight framing the head of an African-American (Black) man mounted on a block of wood. It was created in response to the fatal shooting of two Black Panthers, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, by Chicago police officers. The signified is to highlight the fact that research shows that young Black men are far more likely to be killed by police than other Americans. It also dates back to the Civil War era when rifle scopes entered into widespread use or to the present day where more up to date weapons are used as well as choke holds and physical restraints. I have discovered that artwork can have an ever lasting impact on the world as it can still be very much relevant years to come. The research has helped me discover the potential in possibly creating a symbol or action that can be used in/to identify a protest in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project. Film:

Martha Rosler, Semiotics of the Kitchen, 1975

Martha Rosler’s video is a grainy six minutes that spits in the face of America’s gendered social hierarchy. In a kind of parody (or perhaps anightmarish version) of Julia Child’s cooking shows in the 1960s, Rosler stands in a kitchen, wearing an apron and walks through the alphabet, assigning letters to various objects found there (“A” for “apron,” “B” for “bowl,” “C” for “chopper”) as she holds these objects up to the camera with an eerie lack of expression and emotion. Her movements become increasingly contrived and violent as the video continues on. By the time she gets to “fork,” she’s stabbing at the table aggressively with the utensil. When she arrives at the letter “R,” for “rolling pin,” she thrusts the object at the camera. By the end of the alphabet, she’s brandishing other kitchen tools like weapons, stabbing the air. The video ends with the artist offering an exhausted shrug, an ambiguous gesture that feels less like a resignation of fate and more a way of asking, “What is wrong with us?”.

The signifier is a woman wearing an apron reciting the alphabet while demonstrating objects in the kitchen that correspond with the start of each letter. The signified is to highlight America’s gendered social hierarchy. It also demonstrates women’s frustration with society’s expectation of them being housewives therefore they feel that they are unable to dream big due to being trapped in a cage. I have discovered that artwork can have an ever lasting impact on the world as it can still be very much relevant years to come. The research has helped me discover the potential in possibly creating a symbol or action that can be used in/to identify a protest in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

Cinema:

Ava DuVernay, When They See Us, 2019

When They See Us is based on a true story that gripped the United States of America, it chronicles the notorious case of five teenagers of colour, labeled the Central Park Five, who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The four part limited series will focus on the five teenagers from Harlem (Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise). In the spring of 1989, when the teenagers were first questioned about the incident, the series will span 25 years, highlighting their exoneration in 2002 and the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014. When They See Us was created by Ava DuVernay, who also co-wrote and directed the four parts. Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey from Harpo Films, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh from Tribeca Productions executive produce the limited series alongside DuVernay through her banner, Forward Movement. In addition to DuVernay, Attica Locke, Robin Swicord, and Michael Starrburry also serve as writers on the limited series.

The signifier is five teenagers of colour from Harlem, New York sitting in a holding room after being illegally questioned/beaten by NYC police. The signified is to highlight the fact that research shows that Black men are 3.5 more times likely to be falsely accused of a sexual assault crime they did not commit than their white counterparts. It shows how their conviction effected their lives before and after they were exonerated. It also shows how they were all pinned against each other, from the very beginning, just for the sake of convicting someone due to the cases huge media coverage gaining it public attention.

I have discovered that cinema can have an ever lasting impact on an individual as I, myself, and I’m sure many others can relate will remember scenes from this movies years to come and forever carry that anger and heartache for the victims (Antron, Kevin, Yusef, Raymond and Korey). The research has helped me discover the potential in possibly using real life stories of activism (preferably issues that physically or mentally affect us such as domestic abuse, racial injustice or mental health) to create a greater impact and deeper personal connection in result making an everlasting impact on the individual viewing in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

2. Graphic Communications, Advertising and Semiotics

Graphic Communications:

Hank Willis Thomas, All Power to All People, 2017

Hank Willis Thomas’s “All Power to All People” is an eight-foot-tall Afro pick with a Black Power fist raised to the sky as its handle. It is a response to America’s long history of erecting monuments to racist white men. It was first installed in Philadelphia’s Thomas Paine Plaza, not far from a statue of Frank Rizzo, the city’s former mayor and police commissioner. Starting in 1967, Rizzo presided over a police department that was known across the country for its unhinged racial violence, and when he was elected mayor in 1972, he only helped perpetuate and cover up this violence. The Philadelphia Inquirer cited a grim statistic that “police shot civilians at a rate of one per week between 1970 and 1978,” roughly the period in which Rizzo was running the city. Thomas’s statue was a remarkable rejoinder. Though it was only on view in the plaza for about two months, it has since become a kind of roving monument to equality. Versions of the sculpture have been shown at places ranging from Burning Man to the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign. Meanwhile, after protests over police brutality against Black Americans erupted across the country this summer, Rizzo’s statue was vandalized and, finally, taken down.

The signifier is an eight-foot-tall Afro pick with a Black Power fist raised to the sky as its handle and a peace sign featuring in the middle. The Black Panthers used the slogan "All Power to the People" to protest centuries of racial injustice against Black people in America. The Black Power fist is associated to the Black Power movement that began in 1960. It was a social movement motivated by a desire for safety and self-sufficiency that was not available inside redlined African American neighbourhoods. The signified is to highlight America’s long history of erecting monuments to racist white men. It also shows that white racist men are glorified and rewarded for their racism with a monument. This further adds fuel to the fire as it further adds to the on going disrespect and injustice of Black people.

I have discovered that historical objects (usually frowned upon or used to shame others) relating to ethic groups can be used to celebrate and moralise. The research has helped me discover the potential in using items that cultures were originally shamed for and then culturally appropriated by other races as a way to reclaim them as their own in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

Guerrilla Girls, Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?, 1989

Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of feminist. They are female artists devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world. In 1985, the group formed in New York City with the mission of bringing gender and racial inequality into focus within the greater arts community. The group employs culture jamming in the form of posters, books, billboards, and public appearances to expose discrimination and corruption. Members wear gorilla masks and use pseudonyms that refer to deceased female artists to remain anonymous. Their identities are concealed because issues matter more than individual identities, "Mainly, we wanted the focus to be on the issues, not on our personalities or our own work."

The signifier is a nude portrait of a women (in black and white) laying on a purple silk sheet while holding it and wearing a gorilla mask. The purple silk sheet appears as a sex toy on first inspect, on second inspect it appears as a feather duster due to the dark shadows and shape on the sheet creating the effect of bristles but once you take a closer inspection it is clear that the sheet has been made to look this way to truck the mind. Both these items, the sex toy and feather duster, are meant to degrade women and place a stigma around these objects. They are made to shame/put women (down) purely based on the decision they make. The signified is to highlight the fact that less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art Sections are women but 85% of the nude portraits are female.

I have discovered that objects can be used to deceive the viewer into believing something completely different to what is presented in front of them (intentionally) in other words this would be seen as an illusion of some sort. The research has helped me discover the potential in intentionally deceiving viewers in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

Advertising:

Act Up (campaign poster), Silence = Death, 1987

In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, the US government and mainstream media infamously ignored the crisis. By the time President Reagan finally uttered the word “AIDS” in 1985, 12,000 Americans had already died. That same year, six men in New York City (Avram Finkelstein, Brian Howard, Oliver Johnston, Charles Kreloff, Chris Lione and Jorge Socarrás) began meeting to privately share their experiences of AIDS-related loss in the absence of public discourse. They were inspired to create something tangible that could spread awareness, they swiftly settled on a poster. They decided that it should have have little (if any) text. Frankielien belied that  “Sentences barely do (work). You need sound bites, catchphrases, crafted in plain language. The poster is exactly that, a sound bite, and vernacular to the core. The poster perfectly suits the American ear. It has a power. If you’ve ever stopped in front of one or turned your head for a second look, that power was at work.” The result of their collaboration was a hot pink triangle (an inverted version of the symbol Nazis used to label gay men) emblazoned on a black background above the slogan “Silence = Death”. It debuted in 1987. The six friends hired wheat-pasters to cover the East Village, West Village, Times Square, Chelsea and the Upper West Side (neighbourhoods chosen to reach both queer audiences and the media) overnight, and the city woke up to what became the most enduring icon of H.I.V./AIDS-related activism. Later that year, on April 15, members of the newly formed activist group AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (Act Up) stormed the city’s General Post Office carrying copies of the sign, solidifying its ongoing centrality to their cause.

The signifier is a black and white poster reading “SILENCE = DEATH” with a hot pink triangle in the centre of the page. The pink triangle draws the viewer in creating a central focus is to highlight the fact that the AIDS epidemic/crisis was infamously ignored by the US government and mainstream media resulting in 12,000 Americans dying before the issue was publicly addressed by the current President (Ronald Reagan) using the word “AIDS” to create a clear and direct message.

I have discovered that using little to any words and a play on historical icons previously used to dehumanise others can create a powerful effect on the viewer causing them to have another look and really focus on the subject matter. The research has helped me discover the potential in reclaiming objects that are used to oppress others and use short snappy catchphrases to grab the attention of others in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

Semiotics:

Dread Scott, A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday, 2015

From 1920 until 1938, the N.A.A.C.P. would mark lynchings by flying a stark black and white flag reading “A Man Was Lynched Yesterday” from its New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue. The was done to confront the residents of a northern city with the horrifying regularity of these murders. In 1938, the N.A.A.C.P. ceased flying the flag after the organisation’s landlord threatened eviction. In 2015, Dread Scott felt that the banner was just as grimly necessary in the present day United States of America as it had been nearly a century earlier. He produced his own version of the flag, updating the text to read “A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday” in response to the fatal shooting of Walter Scott by a South Carolina police officer. “During the Jim Crow era, Black people were terrorized by lynching…It was a threat that hung over all Black people who knew that for any reason or no reason whatsoever you could be killed and the killers would never be brought to justice,” said Scott. “Now the police are playing the same role of terror that lynch mobs did at the turn of the century.”. The piece became a source of national controversy when it remained on view above the street after a deadly sniper attack on police officers in Dallas, Texas, sparking a wave of threats to the of Jack Shainman Gallery from people who felt that the work encouraged violence against police. The gallery removed the flag and displayed it indoors following pressure from the building owner.

The signifier is a black and white flag reading “A MAN WAS LYNCHED BY POLICE YESTERDAY” hanging from a flag pole. The way in which the piece has been displayed shows a stark resemblance to the topic of discussion on the banner/flag. This is due to the fact that there is a clear link to the action/movement of what would happen to the victim when these acts of hate crime would be carried out. Furthermore, the use of black and white colours symbolise the two races affected not only that but it creates a stark contrast therefore grabbing the attention of others. The signified is to highlight the fact that “A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday” (something that has been and still is a common occurrence in America). It also highlights the horrific acts of hate crime and racism that is directed at/towards Black people on a regular basis throughout the world (but more commonly with the USA). These acts of hate crime have been around for centuries however they have changed in the way they are carried out and by whom they are carried out by. Despite this, one thing has remained the same…no punishment is never given. 

I have discovered that subtle visual links to the subject matter create a powerful impact. The research has helped me discover the potential in simplistic art pieces in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

3. Fashion Design, Photography and Promotion

Fashion Design:

Public School, Make America New York, 2017

Public School creative directors’, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, athleisure-focused show featured sweatshirts with the phrase, "We Need Leaders" on the back. Many of the models wore red baseball caps that parodied Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again" insisting instead that we "Make America New York”. During the finale, the song "This Land Is Your Land" played in the background.

The signifier is a red baseball reading "Make America New York." in white font that has been unpicked creating a distressed look. This imitates the (destructive) style of presidency Donald Trump took on. The signified is to highlight the fact that Donald Trump did not follow the formal style of presidency previous President in America usually follow. It also shows how Donald Trump was unable to lead the country due to the lack of his leadership skills and only ever appeasing to his base in result leaving many Americans unheard.

I have discovered that subtle visual links to well known controversial political figures creates a powerful impact. The research has helped me discover the potential in parody art pieces in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

Photography:

Suzie Blake, Blood Mountain, 2019

Suzie Blake created a sculptural installation featuring a 3-meter high mound of red clothing and apparel. In the 3000 kilogram pile are T-shirts displayed slogans like “Girl Power” and “The Future Is Female” which peak out from the crimson clothing. It is displayed like a giant pile of landfill. The clothing is all in the hue of that liquid which runs through our veins and tarnishes our hands when we remain silent on serious issues. Blake created the work in the form of a mountain as it is considered the archetype of ascent and power  ( the bridge between heaven and earth). Her goal was to reimagine this archetype in the form of greed and waste. “Blood Mountain” asks, what is the environmental cost of bloated man-made structures? And what is the role of feminism within such structures? Also, whose empowerment does the current iteration of the feminist movement serve? And since when did we think it was acceptable for brands to piggyback on our movement?

The signifier is a sculptural installation featuring a 3-meter high mound of red clothing and apparel. The signified is to highlight the fact that the fast fashion industry is the second biggest polluter after oil. It also brings attention to the fat that most garment workers are women, or sometimes girls  (around 85%) who get paid on average $3 a day. It also raises a set of questions in the viewer’s head such as “What is the environmental cost of man-made structures?”, “What is the role of feminism within such structures?”, “Also, whose empowerment does the current iteration of the feminist movement serve?” and “And since when did we think it was acceptable for brands to piggyback on our movement?”.

I have discovered that pairing well known objects (that are associated with a topic) and subtle objects that imply the effect the topic has on humans creates a powerful and clear message while opening viewers’ eyes to situations that were overshadowed. The research has helped me discover the potential in direct but subtle art pieces in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project. Promotion:

Vivienne Westwood, Homo Loquax A/W 19 LFW, 2019

Vivienne Westwood is renowned for seamlessly amalgamating fashion and activism, having used her platform over the years to protest a whole range of issues, from fracking to austerity. Westwood had models wear clothes with slogans berating politicians while protests about the environmental impact of London Fashion Week took place. She sent models down the catwalk wearing aprons and tabards with anti-consumerist and climate change slogans.The show happened at the same time as environmental action group Extinction Rebellion organised protests at several of London Fashion Week venue's to highlight the throwaway nature of the fashion industry. Models also held microphones and spoke to the audience in a theatrical display, urging one another to buy less and pontificating on the consequences of consumerism. A model paused on the runway to say that Brexit was a crime, while another took a jibe at American foreign policy. The clothes themselves were as avant-garde as one would expect of a Vivienne Westwood collection.

The signifier is a collection of clothes featuring slogans berating politicians. The collection also featured a set of playing cards that illustrate a plan to save the world from climate change. The signified is to promote the dangers of climate change, Brexit and capitalism. It also shows that fashion is all about styling: buy less, choose well, make it last.

I have discovered that using a global stage to speak out on issues that affect the world as a whole can deliver a strong and direct message. The research has helped me discover the potential in using fashion as a political message/statement in identifying opportunities for progressing with the project.

[kashmerethedeusa]

books 📚

✨ three magic words by u.s andersen ✨ all about love by bell hooks ✨ the willie lynch letter by willie lynch ✨ art of seduction - robert greene ✨ sacred woman by queen afua ✨ think and grow rich by napoleon hill ✨ the four agreements by don miguel ruiz ✨ the alchemist by paulo coelho ✨ own your glow by latham thomas ✨ oneness by rasha ✨ gentlewoman by bereolasque ✨ vibrate higher daily by lalah delia ✨ the inward journey by howard thurman ✨ the well spoken women by christine k. jahnke ✨ philosophy and opinions by marcus garvey ✨ the goddess black woman by akil ✨ message to the black man in america by elijah muhammad ✨ how to be a great lover: girlfriend to girlfriend guide by lou paget ✨ man heal thyself by queen afua ✨ the art of war by sun tzu