Times are a Changin'

Because I’m going through a transition time in my life, I’ve decided to discontinue this blog.  I hope to start blogging again soon but possibly on a different platform that will allow me to express who I am more easily! Keep you posted. Thanks for everything guys!

Happy Women's Day! 20 Inspirational Quotes From Badass Feminist Trailblazers

It’s March 8th which means…Happy International Women’s Day! But don’t even try to limit us women to just one day of celebration! You may not know this but March is also Women’s History Month, that means you get 31 full days to delve into the history of women! To be honest,  that is by no means enough time, but  it may be just enough for you  to learn something about the women of this world that you didn't know before! 

In honor of today's very important celebration, my friends over at BUST compiled a list of awesome quotes from our favorite feminist trailblazers. You know, the badass ladies who impacted (and are impacting) our history in unforgettable ways. From Jane Austen to Malala Yousafzai, these women have inspired us to stand up and fight for what we believe in. And here’s to many more years of celebrating YOU, lovely readers! Because, well, you rock and are totally inspirational for us as well.

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"At some point I was a happy African feminist who does not hate men and who likes to wear lip gloss and high heels for herself and not for men." 

2. Beyonce

 "We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead."  

3. Cheris Kramarae“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”

4. Malala Yousafzai"We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”

5. Annie Lennox“We all fight over what the label 'feminism' means but for me it's about empowerment. It's not about being more powerful than men - it's about having equal rights with protection, support, justice. It's about very basic things. It's not a badge like a fashion item.”

6. Audre Lorde“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

7. Gloria Steinem“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”

8. Hillary Clinton“Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard.”  

9. Maya Angelou“I’m a feminist. I’ve been a female for a long time now. It’d be stupid not to be on my own side.”

10. Betty Friedan “No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor.”  

11. Mindy Kaling"I always get asked, ‘Where do you get your confidence?’ I think people are well meaning, but it’s pretty insulting. Because what it means to me is, ‘You, Mindy Kaling, have all the trappings of a very marginalized person. You’re not skinny, you’re not white, you’re a woman. Why on earth would you feel like you’re worth anything?"

>>> Continue Reading All 20 Quotes at Bust.com 

About BUST: With an attitude that is fierce, funny, and proud to be female, BUST provides an uncensored view on the female experience. BUST tells the truth about women's lives and presents a female perspective on pop culture. BUSTing stereotypes about women since 1993.

The Rise of Ava DuVernay & The Black Female Film Era

Ava DuVernay is the Black female director that has recently received a lot of buzz for directing the critically acclaimed movie Selma. But  way before the bright  lights were cast on her; I looked to her as a role model. I hold her in high esteem because she is one of the only Black females who are making waves in the film industry. She is an example of the type of person many of us Black women I aspire to be.

About four years ago I heard a short segment on National Public Radio about some female African American filmmaker that was receiving attention for a couple of her films. The moment I heard the words Black- Female-Director I was astounded! Never in my life had I heard those words together in one sentence! I did a Google search; I visited her website, her Wikipedia page and viewed the trailers of the few films she had made. I was curious about her story, I continued to repeat “wow this is the first time ever I am hearing about a black… female… director” and it seemed to me as if she would really have a  shot at a successful career.

I was right. The next year (2012) she was interviewed on National Public Radio again, this time to celebrate becoming the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival for her film Middle of Nowhere.

Seeing Ava become the first Black woman to win that award felt amazing but at I was also thinking seriously - it took this long?  I realize that there are not  many black or female filmmakers out there. Let’s be honest, if you ask people to name successful black directors they may only come up with two names Tyler Perry and Spike Lee. Ask them to name females and you might get Kathryn Bigelow (the director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty [yes a woman directed those film]) There should be more out there! I know there are more out there!

Being an artist, creator, someone who likes to lead and wanting a career as an actress and director, Ava is a huge encouragement and guide that it is possible. She is not just influencing African Americans and those within the film industry, she is also  opening the eyes of society and making it acceptable to watch films by black or female filmmakers.

Over my past four years in high school I have watch Ava DuVernay rise. Just as I am getting ready to graduate so is she. As the director of the critically acclaimed movie Selma, nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar, she is headed for the film equivalent of the Ivy’s. It is very exciting! It is like watching a family member win the lottery.

For the first time in film history I have someone that represents me and someone that I see myself in. The fact that society is now able to say, although you don’t look like Steven Spielberg or Quentin  Tarantino you are going to make it, we will support you, you will do great things - it is a huge sign of progress. As Lupita Nyong’o said last year at the Oscars “your dreams are valid” and Ava DuVernay’s success affirms that. We are making amazing progress and I am so excited to be alive at a time like this. I hope to see more women like DuVernay take the lead, and I hope that one day I too can be an example for young black women as she has been for me. 

Like many of you, I am extremely disappointed that DuVernay was not nominated for an Academy Award!!! But With Lupita Nyong’o’s  Oscar win, Uzo Aduba’s Emmy, and the success of Shonda Rhimes I still have hope that we are  not far from an African American Female winning Best Director sometime soon.