the "other" box

Celebrating cultural diversity,ethnic ambiguity and a world of tolerance.

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NY Times Names ‘Race and Ethnicity’ Reporter

NYT staff reporter Tanzina Vega announced today via twitter that she's been moved to the national desk to cover a new race and ethnicity beat. Interesting stuff. 

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Comcast Deal Puts New Minority-Run Channels In Play

This deal gives a shot to new networks owned by African Americans, Latinos and others. I just hope the content is good (as in engaging, intelligent, culturally relevant and genuinely entertaining.) 

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Admittedly I don't know much about DeBlasios's politics since I live in Los Angeles and didn't follow this mayoral race as closely as I would have it were local (although, he is a Democrat), but I love the fact that he's part of an inter-racial family...and that his beautiful family is featured on the cover of New York Magazine. Not to be taken lightly. 

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Lovin these fab looks from Demestiks New York. 

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Ode to Frovember 

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From Interrupt Magazine: From Gaultier’s turbans to Balmain’s persian rug inspired tops to Bindi’s on seapunk internet girls to headdresses on pop artists: Until I see more peace in the East and brown girl models and designers in the game, I am ALWAYS gonna find it institutionally racist. The fact that dominant culture finds it trendy and creative to wear my people’s fashion ideas, but not respect my people enough to not bomb their homes.

If a standard cute white woman or man wears a turban it is so cute and trendy, but when my people wear it we get searched at airports and assumed to be religious and poor english speakers.

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Google celebrates International Women’s Day with a doodle of women from around the world. 

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"Girls" by Santigold for the season 2 Girls soundtrack. 'nough said. 

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Loving this cute "Kinks in my Hair" video by Malian-French singer Inna Modja.  Do like she says and "embrace yourself with pride". 

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Not new but fabulous Solange (Knowles) music video for LOSING YOU.

Love the eclectic fashion, vibrant colors, beautiful people, fun vibe. 

good stuff. 

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Loving this Pep Talk from Kid President. 

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Did you know?

As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, like W. E. B. Du Bois before him, believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. His hopes to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization was realized when he and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the effort.

By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. At mid–century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all color on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture.

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first African American History Month. By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations.

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get your taste buds ready. 

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First lovebirds. 

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First lady, Michelle Obama, looking fierce in Jason Wu.

Again. 

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More music from the gorgeous Laura Mvula.