what special was this he was in? or was this some regular interview he did
Lena Horne to Nikki Giovanni Lena Horne “ I didn’t have the strength to be with a black man”.
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what special was this he was in? or was this some regular interview he did
MischievousMonkey
Gor bu dëgër
@c
To bounce off of what you said, here's their OGs. This is not new.
I'm not sure I definitely agree with your take and it sounds like a bad induction to make... But shieet. It might be true b.
To bounce off of what you said, here's their OGs. This is not new.
About the Signares
There is a lot of information about the Signares on the francophone internet. Unfortunately, when I checked for english sources about these women, and ended up on articles written on sites such as nrp or even the dedicated Wikipedia page, I found out that some of this information got either lost in translation, or purposefully erased as a consequence of the effort of recuperation of this piece of history, motivated by the obvious goal to turn it as an icon for feminism. Even though the power accumulated by these women is indeed an important aspect of their story, erasing or attempting to muffle the undisputably controversial aspect of their activities doesn’t sit right with me. fukk that
To make a very long story short, the word signare comes from the portuguese word senhora which means « madam ». These African merchant women, some of few means, some of a lot, from Wolof or Lebou tribes, initially saw the arrival of the Portuguese on the region’s coasts as a possible come up. They linked up intimately, and founded together the first mixed communities in this part of the continent.
Aquarelle of Signare
Then, the English and the French pulled up, meddling with the Wolof kings’ internal beefs and turning the whole area into a war zone. The signare communities had no choice but to move towards the coastal Islands, Saint Louis and Gorée. There, they practiced the same strategy they applied with the Portuguese : becoming the wives of english and french men setting up in the island. Since these men weren’t planning to live there indefinitely, the signares often « wed » four or five consecutive european men in order to gain access to the ressources they brought with them. Of these unions, they not only obtained kids, but houses, capital and slaves. That’s how they first gain power.
Gorée Signare and her slaves
They associated to the point where their mulatto communities became large enough to allow the weddings to be predominantly between mulattos, as a way to maintain their status, culture and capital transmitted from mother to daughter through generations. At this point, when they married Europeans, it never was simple sailors anymore, but only those associated with the european bourgeoisie, so as to build a network of familial ties between Europe and their communities. This was in part done to gain protection from the brutal European slave traders operating in the islands as well as the rejection of black populations.
Signare in Touba with her slave in the 1840s. Apparently, the original piece being an aquarelle contributed to exoticize the Signare. Notice how it is described in what was 1861 as "a Signare and a Negress".
No need to say that with the continued french implementation through the decades, and way before that, these signares communities progressively separated from their african roots and integrated their own european-affiliated paradigm. History tells they threw huge parties, wore expensive and rich clothing and jewelry, parading through the streets with their slaves also decorated to show off their power.
Signare ball
The Jewelry they wore recreated
The abolishment of slavery, as well as other events, caused their fall. As colonization progressed, French men started to come to the continent with their wives and a renewed theorized racism, and got desinterested in the Signares. Their association with English men (needless to say that English and France were not fukking with each other) also participated in the sentiment that these women were traitors, but also women of little virtue, prostitutes with devious customs. It signed the end of the signares.
During the 60s, as the themes of mixing and melting pot in the context of globalism got popular, their image got a lil better. Scouring through articles now, I notice that there is an obvious attempt, from Occidental observers notably, to make these women a feminist symbol. A « women gaining power through their smarts and their looks, building their own society» empowerment story.
This npr article for example (NPR Choice page), about this white American woman collecting many of the jewelry the Signares wore (that were being destroyed by Senegal artisans to make new pieces with different motives), who opened a gallery about them and commissionned senegalese artists to produce more Signare art.
I advise yall to read the very short article so as to make your own opinion, but the longer one from her website (In Senegal, Female Empowerment, Prestige and Wealth Is Measured in Glittering Gold | At the Smithsonian | Smithsonian) is even more telling. You find nasty and pretty stupid rhetoric like this:
which is what happens when you let these people tell our history
cant have intelligent discussions because nikkas want to get off their dap pandering rehtoric, and some are trying to flip this on some "but black men did it to" shyt
what she said is interesting but not new, this is like a female version of what Harry Belfaonte said. You can see them as sellouts somewhat. But given the time and the fact that the avg person is not gon be on some Maclolm or MLK your gonna have stuff like this. Plus they did help with civil rights. So they werent on some "fukk them black people idc"
im conflicted so to me I just say. it just is what it is.
saturn7
Politics is an EXCHANGE!!!
It seemed like a regular interview on ABC. The whole interview was posted but I can't find it now.
Dameon Farrow
Superstar
I gotta admit...some interesting replies in this thread. Lena is getting a pass harder than a stack of bricks...I suppose because she is articulating it nicely. Or because dudes are just used to getting shyt on so much. I can't explain it......nikkas talking about she real for being honest about being a wench running from blackness. So so guess Malik Yoba real to.
Elle Driver
Veteran
She was running away from something like a lot of folks.
fukk what she saying and talking about. How are yall agreeing with that lame, cop out, docile shyt
cause the truth is most nikkas are looking for a way out, and will accept anything that sounds halfway reasonable to get em out. I mean what’s so courageous about admitting to that kinda cowardice? the only thing you can credit her for in my opinion is for being halfway honest. And I say halfway because lust probably played the biggest part, just like it does today.
Counter Racist Male
Retired poster and occasional lurker
Check the men out too
IR back then with black celebrities was worse then it is now
No way. You didn't have the average black getting married interracial like you do today.
serious Black people who are interested in the betterment of out race have to move away from a certain segment of Black people period.
fukkin weakest most pathetic gutless shyt I’ve ever seen
fukkin disgraceful the whole lot of these c00n ass hoes
fukkin disgraceful the whole lot of these c00n ass hoes
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Tell us why this bedwench should be celebrated then. Save your disdain, because we dont give a fukk.What the fukk is wrong with you people
She’s running from blackness
It’s tough black people’s existence in this country from like 1619-1965 was pure HELL..
shyt didn’t really start calming down for us until the 1970s
My mother used to make me watch all those movies like ROOTS, Medgar Evers Story and all that and that shyt just made me hate white people yo.
"the IR with Black celebrities."
Imagine dating and marrying White people when you're living in an apartheid state and not allowed to even send your children to the same school as White children.
Yeah like Serena.
But suga free told me you can't hide from yourself cuz everywhere you go there you are.
Not feeling any pity for her because there were strong black couples and leaders during the Jim Crow era who fought and died for the cause.
Just say you were interested in dating racist bigots and call it a day. I don't want to hear weak excuses from black people who date out.
Just say you were interested in dating racist bigots and call it a day. I don't want to hear weak excuses from black people who date out.