As I flip those glossy pages....

I love to read magazines.

I will look through other magz but Ebony, Essence, Seventeen, Vogue, and Teen Vogue are the main ones.

As I flip through each glossy page I noticed something: there are NO magazines targeted towards YOUNG BLACK WOMEN.

While I love reading Ebony, Vogue and Essence, some things aren't targeted towards someone in my age range (I'm 21). As a young adult, I would like to read about topics that are more relevant to me, not my older sister (no offense, lol).

Vogue is known to ignore Black models all together but I they're making strides by putting JHud and Michelle Obama on the covers...i guess.

Then comes Seventeen and Teen Vogue. This magazine covers topics like, sex, health, education and fashion (Seventeen on a budget; Teen Vogue high-end). Fine. But most of it is targeted to white girls. Yes, white girls.

Seventeen does waaaaay better at being diverse than Teen Vogue, that I must say. However, they may have an article about hair for black girls and all we see are women like Beyonce (who wears lace fronts and other women with relaxers O_o). We, as black girls, are tooo diverse when it comes to hair/makeup to put us in one category. Sorry.

Then there's Teen Vogue. As a monthly subscriber, I've noticed that the ones that reoccur in the magazines are Rihanna, models Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn, Keke Palmer and the one random black model that they put in every spread so it can be diverse. O please. Even in The Teen Vogue Handbook there were like three Black people in the (that's including Chanel Iman).

After reading each magazine every month, I am left with a void. No, really. Because there are soooo many smart, classy, fashionable Black girls out there and no one is giving them a voice. There should be a a magazine target towards Black teens and young adults. Maybe even two, to separate the two age groups. There we can discuss things that are universal to girls (i.e. boys, clothes, friend drama, and school) and things that are unique in the Black community (i.e. hair styles for natural girls, skin issues, whether or not to attend an HBCU).

I think it would be great if Essence or Ebony started their own little-sister magazine. But why wait? I should start one myself.....

Until next time,

LeonaDee

All Done Up

Today I was looking at Clutch Magazine Online when I spotted an article called "Trend Watch: Would You go Earring-less?" Apparently, the writers at Clutch spotted celebrities like Janet Jackson and Estelle going on the red-carpet with bare ears.

Many people left comments saying they could never go with out earrings. One user said she knows she looks better with them. My question is, why are we, as females, afraid to be our natural selves, with no adornments?

Now you can say this is just a simple question about earrings, but its not. We go to the nail shop and get our crystal nails, pedicures, individual lashes, eyebrows plucked, hair weaved, bleached, colored, permed then we weigh our necks and wrists down with chains and bangles, get 1 or 2 holes in each ear, and a cute little tattoo to top it off.....did I miss anything? O_0

Once my BF asked me why did I get my hair done in a glue-in weave (he wants me to get locks). I pointed out that I liked the look. [The look being a close cropped cut without the cutting of your own hair that you can't get with a sew-in]. He then said, "hair weaves are expensive. Glue pulls out your hair. Fake eyelashes pull out your real lashes and fake nails damage your real ones. Ya'll girls complain about these things but you guys do it to yourself."

What my point is, is that underneath all these things we are hiding ourselves. But why? One can say it's self hate. That we don't appreciate the skin we're in so we do all these things to ourselves to make ourselves "pretty". You can also say it's society forcing us to be this way. With all the light-skin, long-haired, made up blacks girls with euro centric features on every advertisement, music video, and television show. Who's to blame?

Or who is to say that there is a problem? What makes a woman wanting to make herself [more] attractive, wrong? That's something to think about.

I do not hate myself.

But I go and primp, pluck, paint and perm.

I know I shouldn't but I'm a victim. Yes, a victim. To this notion that we aren't cute enough, girly enough. Than without lipstick and hair weaves we are just Plain Janes. But until I can get out of this bad habit, I will continue to get myself all done up.

Lovers Rock

So I've been having this weird thing going on with me where I'm listening to musical artist that I wasn't interested in before. My current obsession? Sade.

You think I'd leave your side baby?.... You know me better than that.

When I hear her voice two things come to mind; black velvet and my boyfriend :)

I can listen to her alto all night, her words taking me to this place

For those of you who are looking for good, quality music, look no further than Ms. Sade

O Baby

Lately there's been some controversy over Sandra Bullocks's adoption of baby Louis, an African American boy from New Orleans.

I've seen people comment on different sites that Bullock [as a white, single female] will not be able to raise Louis be able to deal with society, who is clearly against the Black male. But isn't it better for her to raise him than for him to age out of the cruel foster-care system?

For years, we've seen celebrities toting around the "token Black child" in designer clothes. At one point, I saw it as a trend. But what about the middle and upper-middle class white couple looking for a chocolate baby to call their own? We would be dead wrong to say their intentions are wrong and that they shouldn't adopt children of color. Actually, I applaud them. While they may not be able to deal with issues that a Black child may face (i.e. racial comments from white school-mates, identity issues, stereotypes, hair) they have their hearts in the right place, providing a brighter futures for these children.

Now what about the Black folks? Are there any Black couples stepping up to the plate? The answer is a definite yes, but at what rates? While I was reading the June 2010 issue of Ebony magazine (the one with Niecy Nash on the cover) there was an article highlighting adoption [The Chosen Ones p. 68 by Corynne L. Corbett]. According to one private adoption agency, only one third of adoptions are by Black familes. The article also notes that, in major U.S. cities, the percentage of Black chilredn in foster-care can be up to 90%. NINETY PERCENT.

And that's in the United States.

Children overseas, while it may not be someones first choice, needs to be adopted, too. After the earthquakes shook Haiti, thousands of children were left parent-less. And who hopped on a plane to pick up one, two and even three children to call their own?

Please don't get me wrong. I'm ot saying that Whites should not adopt Black children. Nor am I saying that Blacks don't adopt. What I am saying is that instead of complaining that White couples always have a Black or Asian baby with them, step up.

I've never seen a Black person with a White child. And I'm sure we all know why. As Rev. Al Sharpton once said, " Jim Crow is no longer around. Instead we have his son James Crow II, Esquire." But that's a whole new topic.

I hope that people will be more open-minded and consider adopting and those that already did, will spread the word.

Heyy

Hello Guys &nd Dolls,

It's almost been a month since I've posted and now I'm back. I've been REALLY busy with school and as you college kids know, the end of the semester is a KILLER!

Currently, I'm at a CC and I only have 5 classes left to take before transferring to a university. I'm going to bust those out this summer and be on my way :)

So basically my summer will be spent in the hot rooms (------O SHOOTS! one of the windows key popped off my keyboard,*sigh*----like i was saying) of ECC instead of cooling w/ friends and fam, o well, gotta do what I gotta do, right?

I will, however, try to post something every other day or so. There's so many things in this world I'm interested in, that my blog is not in one specific category. Maybe somewhere down the line I may have a focal point but until then, it's just the random thoughts of Ms. LeonaDee ;)

Until Next Time

Dropping In..

Hey guys...I only have one more month in school and its getting quite hectic. It's crazy how a professor will give you tons of assignments knowing you're taking other courses. Who am I kidding...that's college for ya. But honestly, I'm stressed. I'm trying to transfer out to a university..(I'm in community college now) and I'm getting hassled every in every way. To top that, I found out I have to come back in fall for ONE COURSE....ugghhh

Sorry for venting....

Soon as I can find some free time I will keep on posting

-with love, LeonaDee

Denim &nd Books

Ok so today I went to the mall and hit up two of my favorite stores...h&m and barnes&noble.
From b&n I bought 3 books:


1. Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
2. Shining Thread of Hope by Darlene Clark Hine & Kathleen Thompson
3. Black Bourgeoisie by E. Franklin Frazier

I cant wait to start the first book!

and from h&m....
One was $34.95 and the other was $29.95...but both were $15 off...what a steal! lol..I also bought a few accessories..
Anyways...today was lovely at 67 degrees....spring is here and I'm loving it!