OneBrownGirl.com®’s Best & Worst List of 2009

BEST DISPLAY OF GRACE UNDER FIRE

The Honorable Justice Sonia Sotomayor

“She faced a lot of controversy on past rulings as a judge during the confirmation hearings.”

-Temecka Sandifer

"In spite of the opposition using her own words against her,

 she remained graceful and humble.”

-Dee Johnson

“Judge Sotomayor could have turned the tables on a lot of her critics,

but she maintained the high road at all times.”

–Juanita Harris-Braxton

Runner Up

Lou Jing of Go! Oriental Angel
"I think I'm the same as all the girls here, except for my skin color. We share the same stage and the same dream. I've tried my best, so no matter what happens, I'll hold onto my dream."

To see the rest of OBG's Best & Worst List of 2009, please click here.

BEST SPEECH / BEST MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN'S BOOK / BEST CORPORATE COMEBACK / BEST SONG OF TOLERANCE / BEST CAMPAIGN / BEST REPRESENTATION OF CLASS & STYLE / BEST BREAKOUT STAR IN FILM / BEST REPORTER OF THE NEWS &/OR CURRENT EVENTS / BEST FEMALE PHILANTHROPIST / WORST PRODUCT / WORST DISPLAY OF CHARACTER / WORST JUDGES' DECISION / WORST TREATMENT OF A HUMAN BEING / WORST BOOK, STUDY OR REPORT

Thanks go out to OBG's Facebook Advisory Board:

Juanita Harris-Braxton, Dee Johnson, Tangelia Plazz & Temecka Sandifer.  Special thanks to Andrew Morrison.

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2009-2010 Youth of the Year

The Boys and Girls Club of America named Carolina Correa its 2009-2010 Youth of the Year, the first Latina to be named in 63 years.  Click here to see the full story.

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Happy Kwanzaa!

Filmmaker M.K. Asante, Jr. discusses The Black Candle narrated by Dr. Maya Angelou

and Winner / Best Documentary Africa World Documentary Film Festival on the CBS Early Show.

Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It is celebrated for seven days from December 26 - January 1.  Each evening, a family member (usually the youngest child) lights candles in a special candleholder (kinara) and discusses one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. On the sixth day, which falls on New Years Eve, family and friends get together to enjoy a large feast and to celebrate their history, culture, and the upcoming new year.  Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, during the period of US history in which African Americans were involved in struggles for their civil rights.  Dr. Karenga wanted to create a holiday that would bring African Americans together in celebration of their black culture. He was inspired by the "first fruit" or harvest festivals that were celebrated throughout Africa.  In fact the name he gave to the holiday, "Kwanzaa," comes from the Kiswahili phrase for "first fruit" - matunda ya kwanza. (Kiswahili, or Swahili, is the largest spoken language on the African continent and thus the language of Kwanzaa).  The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa are: Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity.  Success starts with Unity. Unity of family, community, nation and race.  Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-Determination.  To be responsible for ourselves. To create your own destiny.  Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility.  To build and maintain your community together. To work together to help one another within your community.  Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics.  To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.  Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose.  To restore African American people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants).  Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity.  Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better than what you inherited.  Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith.  Believing in our people, our families, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness of the African American struggle.  [Source: Holidays.net]

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Merry Christmas from OneBrownGirl.com®

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Christmas in Bethlehem

Greek Orthodox procession in the Church of the Nativity. Photo © Damon Lynch.

As one might imagine, Christmas in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was [said to have been] born, is a major event. Some of Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations would be familiar to Europeans and North Americans [as] the streets are strung with Christmas lights, there is a Christmas market and Christmas plays are performed.  But other events, which are the most important religiously, are special to Bethlehem and in keeping with the traditions of the Holy Land. These consist of multiple services and processions led by many different Christian denominations, including Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian, Armenian and more. Most Christmas processions pass through Manger Square, the plaza outside the Basilica of the Nativity, which stands on the traditional site of Jesus' birth. Catholic services take place in St. Catherine's Church and Protestants often hold services at the Shepherds' Fields.  Bethlehem Christmas celebrations stretch for a long period, as different denominations celebrate Christmas on different days. Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on December 25; Greek, Syrian and other Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6; and Armenian Christians celebrate Christmas on January 18.  [Source: Sacred-destinations]

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Christmas in the Phillipines

"Maligayang Pasko Sa Inyong Lahat" means Merry Christmas to Everyone !!!

Christmas in the Philippines, one of two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia, is one of the biggest holidays on calendar. The country has earned the distinction of celebrating the world's longest Christmas season, with Christmas carols being heard as early as September and the season lasting up until Epiphany, a Christian feast day that falls on January 6 which celebrates the revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. Traditionally, Christmas Day in the Philippines is ushered in by the nine-day dawn masses that start on December 16. Known as the Misa de Gallo ("Rooster's Mass") in Spanish and in Filipino as Simbang Gabi, or "Night Mass", this novena of Masses is the most important Filipino Christmas tradition. Christmas Eve ("Bisperas ng Pasko") on December 24th is celebrated with the Midnight Mass, and immediately after, the much-anticipated Noche Buena – the traditional Christmas Eve feast. Family members dine together at around 12 midnight on traditional Noche Buena fare, which includes: queso de bola (Spanish: "ball of cheese"), Tsokoláte (a hot chocolate drink) and hamón (Christmas ham). Christmas Day in The Philippines is primarily a family affair. The Misa de Aguinaldo is celebrated on December 25 between sunrise and 10 a.m. and is usually attended by the whole family. In the Roman Catholic and Philippine Independent Churches, it is the main means of celebrating Jesus Christ's birth.  [Source: Wikipedia]

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Japanese Santa?

It is estimated that less than 1% of Japan's population is Christian; however, many Western customs related to observing Christmas have been adopted by the Japanese. In the past thirty-five years [or so], Christmas festivities have grown to enormous proportions. The observance is mainly commercial and closely tied to the American urban Christmas. Carols are sung in Japanese, Christmas trees are decorated with lights, turkeys are fattened, and mistletoe and holly are hung.  It's a Japanese way to celebrate Christmas Eve by eating Christmas cakes and although bonenkai (forget-the-year-parties) are different from Christmas parties, these gatherings are also held among co-workers and friends. Christmas Eve has also become a night for couples to go out and spend a romantic time together at fancy restaurants or hotels, similar to Valentines Day.  Instead of adopting the American Santa Claus, the Japanese looked into their own tradition to find someone with similar characteristics. This was Hotei or Hoteiosho, an old Japanese god. He was originally one of the seven gods of good fortune. An amiable, serene and contented deity, he is often represented as a Buddhist priest with large ear-lobes. His distinguishing feature is a huge stomach believed to be a symbol of his large soul.  He is always depicted as joyously laughing, whether alone or surrounded by children. He holds a fan in one hand and carries on his back the linen bag (hotei) from which he derives his name. He carries the ‘Precious Things’ in the bag, the gifts and toys which he gives to good children. He doesn ‘t need a helper to check on the children’s behavior because they’re told that he has eyes in the back of his head.

[Source: Christmas-source.com, About.com]

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An Orthodox Christmas in Ethiopia

Photo Source: Britannica.com

Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa. It still follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. It is a day when families attend church.  The day before Ganna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. Then everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. In a celebration that takes place several days later, the priests will dress in turbans and red and white robes as they carry beautifully embroidered fringed umbrellas.  The foods enjoyed during the Christmas season include wat, a thick, spicy stew of meat, vegetables, and sometimes eggs as well. The wat is served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera, which is flat sourdough bread. Pieces of injera are used as an edible spoon to scoop up the wat.  Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. The children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups they belong to. The grown-ups wear the shamma. The priests will now wear their red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.  Ganna and Timkat are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. If a child receives any gift at all, it is usually a small gift of clothing. Religious observances, feasting, and games are the focus of the season.  [Source: Howstuffworks.com]  A MUST SEE:  Photographer Karoki Lewis recorded [an] all night ceremony at Bet Maryam (Church of the Virgin Mary) in Lalibela, Ethiopia, as they celebrated Orthodox Christmas in early January 2009.

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OBG Update: Go! Oriental Angel

Pictured above:  Lou Jing / Photo from CNN.com

This post is a further update to OBG's blog post of September 26, 2009 regarding the same subject.

Lou Jing was born 20 years ago in Shanghai to a Chinese mother and an African-American father.  Growing up with a single mom in central Shanghai, Lou Jing said she had good friends and lived a normal life. "When I was young, I didn't feel any different," she said.  But as soon as she stepped into the national spotlight on a Chinese reality television show called "Go! Oriental Angel," Lou Jing became a national sensation -- not necessarily because of her talent, but how she looked.  The reality show hosts fondly called her "chocolate girl" and "black pearl." The Chinese media fixated on her skin color. Netizens flooded Web sites with comments saying she "never should have been born" and telling her to "get out of China." Check out the CNN news report here and read the article here.  [Source: CNN.com]

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Christmas in Cuba

Pictured above:

In Christmas 1954-55, Cuba issued the world's first postage stamp depicting Santa Claus.

Christmas in Cuba is one of the most joyous occasions in the country and observed with great fun and festivity! Following the declaration of Cuba as an atheist nation in 1962, the [Christmas] festival was removed from [the] list of holidays of [the] Cuban calendar in the year 1969 when Fidel Castro decided it was interfering with the sugar harvest festival. Cuban authorities banned the public display of Christmas trees and nativity scenes, other than in places frequented by tourists, such as hotels. But in 1997, President Castro restored the holiday to honor, in honor of the visit of Pope John Paul II in the island. With Christmas coming back to its former glory, a large Mass is now held in Havana's Revolution Square. Thousands of Cubans worship at midnight Masses, as church bells ring out across Havana at the stroke of the midnight hour signifying the transition from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. Giant-sized TV screens are set up in the square outside Havanna's cathedral so that crowds can watch the Pope celebrate Christmas Mass at St. Peter's in Rome. Cuba also celebrates the traditional Feast of the Three Kings ("Los Reyes Magos") on January 6. Cuban children receive presents on both holidays; the little presents on Christmas and the big ones on the Epiphany (or 12th day of Christmas), which is closely related to the 12 Days of Christmas as referred to in popular holiday stories.  [Sources: The Holiday Spot, Review of Cuban-Americanblogs, Globalvoicesonline]

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Let's Say Thanks to Our Troops

The mission of Let's Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.  Let's all say thanks...

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The One Brown Girl Challenge

Stop...and smell the roses.

It's that time of the year when you might find yourself overwhelmed with holiday shopping, cooking & planning.  Or you might even find that you feel frustrated because you simply can't afford to go hog-wild handing out holiday gifts like you used to.  Either way, it is important to stop and take time to smell the roses.  Taking the time to reflect on what is truly important is a good way to quell those overwhelming &/or frustrating feelings.  Besides, roses are beautiful and smell delightful and the most important things don't usually come in a gift box anyway.

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The Brown Girl World: Llewelyn's Story

(Pictured above) Billboard in Manila, Phillippines

Everybody says, “Brown is beautiful.” But given the volume of whitening products in the supermarket today, I don’t think the Filipina believes it. Our billboards, movies and magazines are testimonies to our preference for the mestiza. Will somebody please explain to me why we are so obsessed with becoming fairer?  So far, I’ve only been able to come up with two theories to this obsession.  Read more here.

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Spotlight on One Brown Girl

Spotlight on Amy Hodgepodge

"For those of you who don't know, my name is Amy Hodges, but my friend, Lola, nicknamed me 'Amy Hodgepodge' because I'm Japanese, African-American, Korean and White.  I'm kind of shy-it's always just been me and my doggy, Giggles.  I'd been homeschooled my entire life, but when we moved to Dyver City, I talked my parents into letting me attend a real school.  Unfortunately, I got off to a rough start at Emerson Charter School.  Some kids were mean and teased me about looking different, which really made me sad.  But then I met a cool group of kids who became my new best friends."  To read more from the delightful childrens book series Amy Hodgepodge, please click here.

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"Of Color" Holiday Gift Guide from the New York Times

The New York Times made its "Of Color" Holiday Gift Guide available to the general public a day or so ago and the Guide is creating quite a frenzy in some circles.  Some have even referred to the Gift Guide, aimed at consumers of color, as racist.  Details about the story can be found here.   Are the people at the New York Times who put together the Of Color Holiday Gift Guide racist because the Guide targets certain cultural groups?

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Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah!

Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which begins at sundown tonight.  The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night for the purpose of lighting the others, and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The "shamash" symbolically supplies light that may be used for some secular purpose. [Source: Wikipedia.com]

To find out about Jews from all over the world that we don't often hear about, please visit Scattered Among the Nations.

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It's Free-for-All Friday!

'Tis the season to be grateful

Fa la la la la la la la laaaaa...

Graphics by Ahmad Hassan

OBG Advocate Shea Rose is an angel.  Click here to see why.

OBG Advocate and Edible Arrangements* Owner Lauren Little

rocking her Blessed Brown Girl Tee with her buddy Mickey Mouse!

*Avondale & Mandarin, Jacksonville, FL 32205 & 32

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The One Brown Girl Challenge

Walk it out.

Need a little exercise but don't know where to start?  Grab your sneakers and go for a walk!  Whether you walk alone, with your children, with friends, with co-workers, or are training for a Walk-A-Thon, just walk!  Walking can reduce the risk of many diseases — from heart attack and stroke to hip fracture and glaucoma. Check with your doctor first, of course, and then use these tips to keep you on track:

• During your walks, you should be able to maintain a conversation. If you're breathing too lightly, increase your pace. If you can't catch your breath, slow it down.
• Walk around the local area after lunch or dedicate 15 minutes to walking up and down stairs. Climbing is an excellent way to strengthen your heart.
• At night, trade a half hour of TV for a brisk stroll around the block. Take a friend with you for company or get the whole family involved.

So go ahead and make like a Nike commercial, and Just Do It.
[Source:  AARP]

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The Brown Girl World: The First Lady's Story

First Lady Michelle Obama took her public policy message about food, growing gardens and eating vegetables to the (littlest) masses when she appeared....on the 40th anniversary episode of the beloved children's show, Sesame Street. After the segment taped, The First Lady described being on Sesame Street as "It's probably the best thing I've done so far in the White House."  [Source:  HuffingtonPost.com]

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Spotlight on Two (!) Brown Girls

Sonia Manzano

also known as Maria on Sesame Street

The Sesame Street character Maria Figueroa first appeared on the popular television show in 1971 and has been a staple of the series ever since.  She arrived on Sesame Street as a Puerto Rican teenager, taking a job at the Sesame Street Library. The library was later converted into the Fix-It Shop, where Maria was hired as Luis' helper. Luis promoted her to full partner in Episode 1563. She married Luis in 1988, becoming Maria Rodriguez and her mother came over from Puerto Rico for the ceremony. Later, Maria's pregnancy became a storyline on the show, and Maria and Luis had a daughter, Gabi, in 1989. Maria and her Sesame Street friends visited her family in Puerto Rico in 1979, for the first few episodes of Season 11.

Loretta Long

also known as Susan on Sesame Street

The Sesame Street character Susan Robinson has been played by Loretta Long since the show's debut in 1969.  Susan is married to Gordon, and works as a nurse. In season 17, Susan and Gordon adopted a son, Miles. Susan's parents are Dorothy and Lee. They live in Michigan and visited Sesame Street in Episode 2125. In the earliest episodes of the show, Susan was a housewife. By Season 2, she became a public health nurse, so that the character might serve as a better role model for young girls in the viewing audience. Among her projects was offering a Measles Vaccination Clinic in Episode 0343. She also headlined her own album, Susan Sings Songs from Sesame Street, and had minor roles in both Sesame Street movies.

[Source: Muppet.Wikia.com]

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