The Beauty that is Maya Angelou R.I.P.

China suspends officials, apologizes ‘after’ photos of woman forced to abort child at seven months spark outrage

©ourtesy of  National Post | News

BEIJING — China suspended three officials and apologized to a woman who was forced to undergo an abortion seven months into her pregnancy in a case that sparked an uproar after graphic photos of the mother and her dead baby were circulated online. The moves appeared to be aimed at allaying public anger over a case that has triggered renewed criticism of China’s widely hated one-child limit. Read more

Related articles

• Forced abortion sparks fury in China (cnn.com)
• Photo of forcibly aborted 7-month fetus causes outrage in China (wantchinatimes.com)

Time to ‘chill’ with Aretha !!

©ourtesy of eatcakey: dc-via-chicago & mekhismind

Aretha Louise Franklin: The Queen of Soul (..love this pic)

Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Barbara (née) Siggers and Clarence LaVaughn Franklin. Her father, who went by the nickname, “C. L.”, was an itinerant preacher originally from Shelby, Mississippi, while her mother was an accomplished piano player and vocalist. Alongside Aretha, her parents had three other children while both C. L. and Barbara had children from outside their marriage. The family relocated to Buffalo, New York when Aretha was two. Prior to her fifth birthday, C. L. Franklin permanently relocated the family to Detroit, Michigan where he founded the Baptist church, New Bethel. Franklin’s parents had a troubled marriage due to stories of C. L. Franklin’s

The Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s-30s.

©ourtesy of newmanology: & mekhismind

newmodelminority:

Aaron Douglas was an artist and muralist who came to fame during the years of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s-30s. Although he’s most known today for his paintings, he did a lot of illustration work back in the day for various book covers and magazines, especially The Crisis and Opportunity, as well as the cover of the 1926 publication of Fire!!. (You can get a full-sized reproduction of Fire!! here.) Here are some favorite Aaron Douglas magazine covers (and one playbill cover).

Because I just saw the top one @ the Shomberg, I bought it. It feels peculiar to have Zora Neal Hurston’s words in my hands in this form.

Memorable Days of U.S. Black History

©ourtesy of Vy Higginsen shared For Harriet

Sheroes: In Celebration of These Women who were Former Slaves

#BlackHerstory: This photo was taken in Washington, D.C. in 1916 at the “Convention of Former Slaves.”

Pictured from left to right: Annie Parram, age 104; Anna Angales, age 105; Elizabeth Berkeley, 125; Sadie Thompson, 110.©ourtesy of National Photo Company Collection glass negative. (Shorpy)

– – “The First Decoration Day” by David W. Blight, Yale University

Religious fortune: How does one Seperate?

©ourtesy of citizensofculture

The ASIAN Persuasion of the 60s

©ourtesy of vintagegal, rihannonn, bbook

Japanese Youth in Revolt, 1964

 Photos by Michael Rougier for Life Magazine (via)

Casa Susanna: Photos of a 1950s Transvestite Hideaway

©ourtesy of DarkSilenceinSuburbia, damnitamber, mydarling

Cross-dressing refers to the act of wearing clothing and other accoutrements commonly associated with the opposite sex within a particular society. Cross-dressing has been used for purposes of disguise, comfort, and as a literary trope in modern times and throughout history. It does not, however, necessarily indicate transgender identity.

Nearly every human society throughout history has expected distinctions to be made between males and females by the style, color, or type of clothing they are expected to wear, and likewise most societies have had a set of social norms, views, guidelines, or even laws defining what type of clothing is appropriate for each gender.

The term “cross-dressing” denotes an action or a behavior without attributing or implying any specific causes for that behavior. Some people automatically connect cross-dressing behavior to transgender identity or sexual, fetishist, and homosexual behavior, but the term itself does not imply any motives. – – continued on Wikipedia

Three gallant freedom fighters join the ancestors

©ourtesy of  Herb Boyd of AmsterdamNews

I was still reeling from the news that one of Detroit’s most remarkable freedom fighters, General Gordon Baker Jr., had joined the ancestors when in rapid succession, like a machine gun of sorrow, word came that the author Sam Greenlee had expired and that the uncompromising voice of Vincent Harding was stilled. Then, as if there was no end to the sadness, the phone was alive with messages that the beloved Elombe Brath was no longer a breathing icon of commitment—and all of them departed as we celebrated the birthday of Malcolm X.

The day before, I had written the obituary of William Worthy, whose name I had not heard in years but whose radical journalism is forever remembered. I hope there’s space in these pages for readers to gather some notion of his courage and audacity in defiance of the restrictions imposed on his freedom of expression.

ART: Dreamy Portrait Series by Antonio Mora

©ourtesy of wetheurban

Photo Art by Antonio Mora

Spanish-based artist Antonio Mora, also known as #mylovt, uses the web to craft his surreal works. He looks through online databases and finds images that he later combines into unconventional portraits. – – Read More