And by the way, yes, I am aware that my last post was...insufficient.
It isn't enough to just repeat a snippet of dialog between me and my b'loved (the four and a half-year-old one) about the huge and difficult subject of what little girls of color think about themselves, about other little girls, about the world, identity etc. etc. I know that.
Working on this, talking through this and trying to give Adinah all the ammunition she will need to deal with these icky, awesomely complicated issues of self-worth, race, racism, gender roles, beauty ideals etc etc. is and will be a continuing project. Shit, getting the ammunition I need to deal with this stuff (or even begin to understand it) will be enough hard work for the rest of my life.
But tonight, I'm going to the CD shelves to make a mixtape. If only right here on this screen, I'm gonna make a tape for my future daughter. A mix for a girl who will one day realize blond isn't better. (I guarantee that all of the following songs actually exist and do slam, rock and/or tear the roof off the sucker.) So hear it in your mind, peoples, and enjoy!
"Stand Up"--Al Green
"Young, Gifted and Black"--Bob and Marcia
"Doesn't Make it Alright"--The Specials
"No More Auction Block (for Me)"--Paul Robeson
"Maintain"--DJ Krust
"Oh, Bondage, Up Yours!"--X-Ray Spex
"Let My People Go"--Diamanda Galas
"American Woman"--The Guess Who
"I Love my Baby 'Cuz She Does Good Sculptures"--The Rezillos
"Respect"--Aretha
"What is Soul"--Funkadelic
2 comments:
OK, I'm going to go download, "I love my baby cause she does good sculptures," and turn up the volume and humiliate the teens as the youngest and I dance to it and I tell her she needs to find a man who loves her for her wild creativity.
What about "Brown-eyed girl" for rockin your girls now?
Parenting is some heavy stuff, that's for sure. I think the best we can do for our daughters is to listen (even when it makes us uncomfortable) and to let them know we'll always... always... be in their corner, even if we can't fix things.
My song for my girls is `I'll Stand By You´ by The Pretenders. They both have a copy of the lyrics & it's in their iPod playlists (even if it's not in heavy rotation).
It doesn't exactly tear the roof off, but they'll always know where they stand with me.
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