Brown Girl Laura Chinchilla is Costa Rica's New Prez!

CNN reports that Costa Rica elected its first female president, as the ruling National Liberation Party claimed a historic victory. "I want to thank the pioneering women who years ago opened the doors of politics in Costa Rica," Laura Chinchilla said Sunday to flag-waving supporters in the capital, San Jose. "My government will be open to all Costa Ricans of good faith."  Read the full CNN story here.

Reactions:

Our Family Wedding

Reactions:

The One Brown Girl Challenge

Respect Others.

It's Black History Month in the United States & Canada.  What better time than now to consider the diversity of Blacks in the United States and to perhaps (for some) even consider a different point of view?  Black immigration from Africa, The Caribbean & Latin America have forced Black US comunities nationwide to confront issues of intraracial diversity.  Respecting the different historical and cultural traditions that people bring to the table from other countries plays a critical role in how US Blacks view African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latin and multiracial peoples.  An Eritrean immigrant that defines herself as Eritrean and not Black should be respected; a Caribbean or Venezuelan family, the same. A multi-racial Brown Girl that defines herself as multiracial should not be forced to identify with one specific culture or be poorly looked upon because she doesn't.  Black is not an identity to many immigrants and offspring of immigrants and people in the US that define themselves as Black or African-American should not take it as a personal attack when someone does not share her/his point of view.  And while some might not always understand or agree, respecting another person's point of view, their history and cultural traditions is the first (and potentially most critical) step to coming together as a nation.  Respect others and you will earn respect too.

Reactions:

The Brown Girl World: Rachel's Story

In The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, a debut novel by Heidi W. Durrow, Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy.  With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring mixed attention her way. Growing up in the 1980s, she learns to swallow her overwhelming grief and confronts her identity as a biracial young woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white.  "When Aunt Loretta says Mama, I think of saying Mor and how I don't get to say it anymore. I am caught in before and after time. Last-time things and firsts. Last-time things make me sad like the last time I called for Mor and used Danish sounds. I feel my middle fill up with sounds that no one else understands. Then they reach my throat. What if these sounds get stuck in me?" Meanwhile, a mystery unfolds, revealing the terrible truth about Rachel's last morning on a Chicago rooftop. Interwoven are the voices of Jamie, a neighborhood boy who witnessed the events, and Laronne, a friend of Rachel's mother. Inspired by a true story of a mother's twisted love, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky reveals an unfathomable past and explores issues of identity at a time when many people are asking "Must race confine us and define us?"

Reactions:

Spotlight on One Brown Girl

Spotlight on Henrietta Lacks

[Photo above courtesy of the Smithsonian via The Lacks Family]

Henrietta Lacks' cells were essential in developing the polio vaccine and were used in scientific landmarks such as cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization.

"Medical researchers use laboratory-grown human cells to learn the intricacies of how cells work and test theories about the causes and treatment of diseases. The cell lines they need are 'immortal'—they can grow indefinitely, be frozen for decades, divided into different batches and shared among scientists. In 1951, a scientist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, created the first immortal human cell line with a tissue sample taken from a young black woman with cervical cancer. Those cells, called HeLa cells, quickly became invaluable to medical research—though their donor remained a mystery for decades. In her new book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, journalist Rebecca Skloot tracks down the story of the source of the amazing HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks, and documents the cell line's impact on both modern medicine and the Lacks family."  Read this Smithsonian article in its entirety here.

Reactions:

It's Black History Month!

[Photo credit: LaGrange.edu]

"Black history is American history." -Actor Morgan Freeman

Black History Month remembers (!) the contributions of African-Americans to the United States and celebrates heritage and culture. In the United States and Canada, Black History Month is celebrated in the month of February and in the United Kingdom, it is celebrated in the month of October.  The remembrance originated in 1926 and was created by historian Carter G. Woodson as Negro History Week.  Later, sleeping car porters brought the idea north across the border into Canada. It was initiated in Canada by the Ontario Black History Society, which was founded in 1978.  Black History in England was first celebrated in 1987.  The month of October was selected because it coincided with the Marcus Garvey celebrations and London Jubilee.  America's Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.  [Source: Wikipedia & BlackHistoryCanada; DiscoverBlackHeritage]

Reactions:

Brown Girl Caressa Cameron Wins Miss America 2010!

[Video above] Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron winning the 2010 Miss America crown!

A broadcast journalism student at Virginia Commonwealth University, this fabulous 22-year-old African-American Brown Girl from Fredericksburg, Viriginia won a $50,000 scholarship and the crown in Las Vegas on January 30, 2010.  When asked during the interview portion of the competition her thoughts on fighting childhood obesity, Cameron said parents should curb television and video games.  "We need to get our kids back outside, playing with sticks in the street like I did when I was little," she said. "Expand your mind, go outside and get to see what this world is like."  Amen, Brown Girl.  Amen.  [Source: MSNBC.com]

Reactions:

The One Brown Girl Challenge

A message from OBG creator, Tracey Friley

Of course you don't need me to tell you that Haiti needs our help.  I have personally committed to collecting gently worn shoes in the community I live in to help Soles4Souls on their quest to send 1,000,000 pairs of shoes to Haiti and I would like to challenge you to do the same.  Please.  Go into your closet and select at least one pair of gently worn shoes (in any size, including children's, men's, etc.) and take them to your local Finish Line before February 20, 2010 (dates may be different at different store locations).  As a bonus, if you email a picture of yourself donating at least 10 pair shoes (at a Finish Line store only), I will personally send you a small gift of appreciation! 

Here is an excerpt of an email I received from a lovely woman who took me up on the challenge.  She is a true testament to the power of giving.  (Warning: Get out your box of tissue.)  "When I learned of [OneBrownGirl.com®'s] shoe drive [challenge], I thought what better way to give back and help others in need. What’s more it inspired me to have the strength to begin cleaning out my Mother’s belongings [who recently passed away]. While it was very painful to pack up her brand new and gently worn shoes, I realized that at least 50 women would be walking in her shoes. So even though she is in Heaven, I know she would have been proud to donate shoes to help those in need. Indeed my Mother’s legacy of community service will live on through those few blessed in Haiti to receive shoes from [OBG's] shoe drive [challenge].  God Bless your organization for your endeavors and bringing attention to this wonderful cause."

With dedication, commitment & love,

Tracey

Reactions:

India's Brown Girls are a Bankable Asset

Photo credit: Pankaj Nangia/Bloomberg

Chanda Kochhar, [pictured] above, is the chief executive of Icici Bank,

where women make up 40 percent of the senior management.

From the New York Times:  "In New York and London, women remain scarce among top bankers despite decades of struggle to climb the corporate ladder. But in India’s relatively young financial industry, women not only are some of the top deal makers, they are often running the show."  Read the article in its entirety here.

Reactions: