Window Seat

I've never been a huge Erykah Badu fan. While I do like a few of her songs and I consider myself pretty liberal and free-thinking, her music and views have always been a little bit much for me. She is one of the artists that I've thought try too hard to be "artistic." So when I heard about the controversy surrounding her public nudity in the "Window Seat" video, I assumed I'd probably think it was too much and typical of her over-the-top style.

After watching the video, however, I found myself thinking...a lot. The wheels in the sociological part of my brain that were set in motion in college after taking some sociology classes starting spinning overtime.

Here's the run-down on the video: Badu is walking down the street in Dallas, the same street where President Kennedy was assassinated. As she walks, she slowly takes off her clothing, one item at a time, until she is completely naked. As soon as all of her clothes are off, she is "shot" right near the spot where Kennedy was assassinated. You then hear a voice over of Badu saying:

"They who play it safe, are quick to assassinate what they don't understand. They move in packs, ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel more comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are us. This is what we have become, afraid to respect the individual."

I'm glad that I did watch the video, because it's really gotten me critically thinking. I think she brings up two controversial issues that are rarely truly addressed: 1, the human body, nudity and sexuality, and 2, our society of conformity. I could go on and on, but my main thoughts are these: Badu was inappropriate. In the world we live in, public nudity, especially in the presence of children, is inappropriate. But the question is: why? Why is nudity inappropriate in our society? Who determines and how is it determined what is acceptable and what is appropriate and how can this be changed or challenged?

I think these questions being raised must have been a big part of why she did the video in the first place. The not-so-subtle word scrawled on her back "Evolving" brings up yet another question: are we evolving as a culture and as a society? Will we, and can we, ever evolve past a society of conformity, where expensive things, skinny bodies and celebrities are what we aim for? Will the left-wingers among us ever succeed in achieving change and moving us forward, or are we actually doomed to continue moving backward?

I think Badu definitely achieved her goal, because–as is apparent by the possible laws, lawsuits, and internet buzz–I know that I am certainly not the only one she got talking and thinking...

Phenomenal Women

I don't know if it's because I've found myself in a work environment full of strong women, or because I know that I am growing into the woman I want to be myself, but in the past year I have become fascinated by the stories of successful, powerful women. There is just something about estrogen paired with a success story that truly inspires me. Whether it's reading through a biography in the library or in magazine articles, there are certain women whose stories have just captured my attention and shown me that there is no one path to success, and no obstacle is insurmountable. In addition to the women in my personal life, like my mother and my grandmothers, here are some of the women who I find inspirational, fascinating, and, well...phenomenal.

MICHELLE BACHELET

The first woman president of Chile, Bachelet is an amazing example of the power of a woman. Overcoming the adversity of losing her father to the regime of Augusto Pinochet and experiencing personally the torture and brutality of his reign, Bachelet went on to become a successful doctor before becoming the first ever female Defense Minister of Chile, followed by President.

She was a passionate leader of a country that needed that passion, with a large focus on the health problems plaguing her nation. I find her story inspirational not only because she was the first woman to hold such a post, but because of the challenges she didn't let get in her way of changing the world.



MAYA ANGELOU

I'm a writer, and so it's probably no surprise that Maya Angelou has inspired me. Beyond her poise and wisdom, it is purely her way with words that moves me.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" to the poem "Still I Rise," I have never encountered a piece of her work that didn't make me want to close my eyes and envision, dream, and think.






DIANE SAWYER

While I was a fan of Sawyer on Good Morning America, it was always her interviews and work on Primetime and 20/20 that fascinated me most. As a budding journalist, I loved to watch her intensely interview everyone from Fidel Castro to President Bush.

When I watch her interviews, it is something about her fearless traveling and inquisitive and firm line of questioning that makes me sure I picked the right profession.


GLORIA ESTEFAN

Apart from the fact that Estefan, along with her husband Emilio and the rest of the Miami Sound Machine, can be credited with making Latin music and sounds mainstream in American culture, Estefan's life story is motivating.

An immigrant who was forced to migrate as a young girl with her mother from Cuba to Miami in the early years of Castro's dictatorship, Estefan went on to be an award-winning singer and performer with the Miami Sound Machine. Along the way, however, she faced incredible hardship again. After a serious bus accident, she was critically injured and told she might never walk again. How could I not find inspiration in the fact that ten months later, she was not only walking again, but back on tour and went on to sell millions of hit records?

Post-racial? No Thanks, I'll Take the Melting Pot, Please

A young President Obama with his white grandfather.

Most people who know me know that when the issue of racial identity comes up, I can go on for days. So it's no surprise that the headline of a front page article in today's USA Today caught my interest.

"Multiracial no longer boxed in by the Census."

The article talked about how the upcoming Census is likely to reveal more people than ever listing themselves as multiracial, because of a rise in mixed race marriages and a new generation of people who may now choose to identify as multiracial. All of this seemed to lead to the point that the U.S. is getting closer to becoming a "post-racial" society, and the article ended with a quote from a biracial person who said she thinks that eventually, races will continue mixing and we will all end up as one color anyway. Overall, the article had a very hopeful note for a possible post-racial society where all races will mix happily because more people are identifying themselves as multiracial.

One might assume that, because I am biracial myself and don't hesitate to let people know it, I would feel that way, too: hopeful that one day, we will all mix together happily as one American culture, leaving notions of individual races and ethnicity behind. But that's not actually the case–I don't hope for this at all. Honestly, I think that having a society where people can belong to and identify with different ethnic and racial groups is a good thing. Culture, and cultural pride, is so amazing to me–I can't imagine not having the culture and history that I was raised in and learned about growing up.

Is There Hope Not Just for Haiti, But the World?

As I sit here watching the Hope For Haiti telethon, I'm hit with the same emotions I was when I first heard about the earthquake. I was at work when I received a text alert about the earthquake from CNN, and for the rest of the day and night I was glued to my computer and CNN.com, checking back for the latest updates, watching videos and looking at pictures of the devastation.

But ever since–and I don't consider myself particularly political, but I am a thinker and a "wonderer"–there's a thought that keeps creeping into my mind. I see all of these celebrities, read about all of these big donations, hear about my friends and even myself donating money to help...and I can't help but wonder, where is all of this generosity, these funds, this compassion, during any other time? Does it take a devastating natural disaster to open our eyes to people in need? What about the millions of people in the world who are dehydrated, starving, homeless, and orphaned every day?

Love, Marriage and...Cancelled Subscriptions?

With the creation of sites like Blogspot and Tumblr, any and everybody can create a blog and call themselves a blogger. As someone who used to blog daily on other sites, instead of wanting a "blogger" label, I created this particular blog as a way to display some of my writing from time to time, and chose to write when I felt like something truly struck me.

And something has. My jaw literally dropped when reading about the latest controversy surrounding Essence Magazine's February cover featuring New Orleans Saints player Reggie Bush. The issue, which was celebrating black love and black men, displayed an eye-candy photo of Bush with an open shirt, with a coverline reading "Live Your Fantasy." Bush is a black man, who happens to be in a relationship with an Armenian woman, the notorious Kim Kardashian (of infamous sex-tape, reality TV and celebrity socialite fame).

So why is my jaw dropping, you ask? It wasn't, until I read the comments on the website from hundreds of Essence readers who are outraged at the fact that this magazine, aimed toward a black, female audience, featured a black man who isn't in a relationship with a black woman, on the cover of an issue about black love. So outraged, in fact, that they are canceling their subscriptions–some who have even been subscribers for years.

Um, what?

A Love Affair

It's been awhile since I've posted. And it could be because I've been getting used to the internship, transitioning from post-college life...but I have to admit, it's mostly because I've been caught up in a twisted, all-encompassing love affair.

With New York City.

Making the move to New York: the city of big dreams, big lights, big names, big prices. It's so easy to fall in love with the way the lights sparkle at night, the way each neighborhood can feel like a whole different world, the constant soundtrack of people living their lives, the smell of roasting nuts on the sidewalk and the unquestionable sophistication and glamor.

But then there's the other side. The smell of sewage, always looking over your shoulder, the train traffic, pushing through rude people too busy talking on their cell phones to care if they stepped on your foot, and the constant sight of the homeless that always seems to make you reach for your wallet.

But regardless, I can't help but love this city. No matter how small the apartment or how high the rent or how much more depressing the unemployment rate seems here. The city has left its mark on me, and I can feel that I was truly meant to be here. I know this is really the city that dreams are made of...my dreams, anyway.

photo courtesy of Getty Images.

The Next Chapter...Gratitude

Life is...full of surprises.

Sometimes, it's easy to be ungrateful. When things don't go my way, when life doesn't go as planned, when I have expectations that aren't met, I get easily disappointed. I tend to focus on the negative. But, with the direction my life has gone in the past few weeks, I'm learning how to change that tendency and focus on the positive and be grateful for what I do have.

In a perfect world, after graduation, I would have gotten offered a full-time job, Bachelor's degree in hand and a full-time salary with benefits in the pocket. But instead, it's September and I've just begun my second post-graduate internship. A few weeks ago, the idea of interning yet again was daunting.

But now I'm an intern at O, The Oprah Magazine. An incomparable experience. I'm surrounded by so many inspiring and influential women who are in places I want to be one day. I'm at a publication that is read by millions and is actually influential -- contrary to many women's publications out there, this is a magazine with substance that is well-rounded. And yes, it might not be a job, but I've decided that I want to take this experience and make the most of it, taking from it whatever I can. And in this job market, I've realized that I should truly consider myself blessed.

I have a great career opportunity ahead of me, I live in an amazing apartment, and at the end of the day, although I might struggle a bit, and I might have down days, I know that I have the support of genuine friends and family. And that is something to truly be grateful for.

So this is the next chapter of my life -- the post-grad, maturing, growing up phase. Fresh out of my alma mater, moved into my first New York apartment, bright-eyed and discovering this city, this industry, and myself.

Life is, simply...good.