Multicultural Men Take A Stand To Prevent Violence Against Women

Dear Readers,

I'm not even going to pretend that this video doesn't put a GIANT smile on my face. I stumbled upon it just a little while ago on a RT of a post from @iluvblackwomen and have watched it multiple times since.

More than the fact that it's great to have men of all cultures talking about what makes their partners beautiful, I appreciate the purpose of the video to have men uplift women as a stand against domestic violence.

 
I continue to be a proponent of organizations that empower boys and men to advocate against all types of violence toward women. One such organization is Men Stopping Violence (MSV) whose mission for the past 30 years has been working to create a community-centered response to domestic violence that will discourage men from using violence or abuse in their intimate relationships.

Part of our mission here at EIRIC™ (in our shop Made in The World™) is to make a profit to make a difference. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), in 2007, there were 248,300 victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. (These figures do not include victims 12 years old or younger.). It is our belief that an effective means of combating this statistic is to train and empower boys and young men to be agents of social change against sexual violence. The goal is that if it's done early on we'll end up with fewer cases such as that of former IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn who stands accused of sexually assaulting the West African maid at his NYC hotel. We want to raise men who will shape the minds of younger boys (be it sons, nephews, cousins, students, etc...) to respect women. 

Hopefully with your support we can raise the funds to make this a reality. 


Yours,


E

Sister, Sister Star Tamera Mowry Weds Fox Correspondent Adam Housley

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Happy couple after tying the know. Love those petals.

Pregnant twin sis Tia shedding tears of joy

The many shades of beauty

More pics at People.com

Happy Haitian Flag Day!

Dear Readers, 

Today I celebrate the flag day of my country of birth as I sit here in the country I was raised. 

To share this celebration with you, this post captures a brief history of the flag. 

Hope it enlightens you.

Yours,

E

Brief History of the Flag:

The first Haitian flag was created on May 18, 1803

Catherine Flon, a seamstress in Archahaie (a town outside of Port-au-Prince), stitched together the first version of the flag

 Flag Day is a nationally recognized holiday in Haiti

Army General Jean-Jacques Dessalines made the first rough draft of a flag by grabbing France's red, white and blue, ripping the white stripe to pieces and joining the blue and red together.

This makeshift flag symbolized the union of the mulattoes and the blacks against the colonialist, pro-slavery France.

The arms are composed of a palm tree surmounted by the Phrygian cap of liberty and ornamented with trophies with a banner across the bottom saying "L'Union Fait La Force" (through Unity there is Strength). 

In 1805, after Dessalines proclaimed himself emperor, the Haitian flag colors were changed to black and red bands placed vertically, respectively.

After his death in 1806, the country was divided into two republics for 14 years. Henri Christophe and the northern part of the country retained Dessalines' flag.  

The southern and western parts of the country, led by Alexandre Petion, went back to the 1804 blue and red flag. This time a square patch was added to the middle that included the country arms and the L'Union Fait La Force motto.

The flag was in use until 1964 when Papa Doc Duvalier modified Dessalines' version by adding the arms of the Republic.  

After the fall of the Duvalier regime in 1986, the people took back the flag. They changed it to two-equal sized horizontal bands, a blue on one top and a red one underneath. The coat of arms of the Republic remained in the center. 

This is the version of the flag that is in use today.  

Catherine Flon

 

 

The version of the flag that is in use today. 

Arab American Crowned Miss USA!

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Ridiculously gorgeous Rima Fakih, Miss Michigan, was crowned on Sunday, May 16th as Miss USA 2010. Ms. Fakih, a Lebanese American, is the first woman of Arab descent to hold both the Ms. Michigan and Ms. USA titles. Congratulations Ms. Fakih! We can't think of a more beautiful face to represent the U.S.  

Source:
http://tv.yahoo.com/the-2010-miss-usa-pageant/show/46500/news/tv-news.en.ap.org/tv-news.en.ap.org-20100517-us_miss_usa

http://www.arabdetroit.com/news.php?id=960

Have you seen Arranged?

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Rochel is an Orthodox Jew, and Nasira a Muslim of Syrian origin. They are both young teachers at a public school in Brooklyn...each going through the process of arranged marriages through their respective religions and traditional customs. How do they handle it?

To learn more: http://www.everythingiric.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=1836&Itemid=2
Source: 
http://arrangedthemovie.com/

Crappy weather got you down? Need a laugh? Meet Subtle Sexuality!!!

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Ms. Kelly Kapoor and Ms. Erin Hannon - the delicious interracial diva group known as Subtle Sexuality who can do it all: sing, dance, act and wear shiny gold spandex. You can catch them on NBC's The Office or visit their website below. Grab a hair brush, lock your doors and sing along with their hit Male Prima Donna.

Source: 
http://www.subtlesexuality.com/main.shtml 
www.hulu.com

R.I.P. Ms. Lena Horne (1917 - 2010) - A Class Act!

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
In the 1940s Ms. Horne was one of the first black performers hired to sing with a major white band, the first to play the Copacabana nightclub and among a handful with a Hollywood contract. To her fans (and some of ours), one of the most memorable moment is her 1973 performance with Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street. Ms. Horne, who dealt with a very color-conscious world during her career, was appropriately tapped to help Kermit come to the conclusion that 'green is just right for him and just what he wants to be.' For your viewing pleasure, please see below for "It's Not Easy Bein' Green."

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_horne 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPvZR6DTbq8

Have you met the I am ... Indigenous project?

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
The project seeks to change perceptions forged by stereotypes by showcasing those who inspire us to be better human beings.

Click below to read the profiles of Juliette Blackhawk, an Ojibwe language teacher; and Nick Sherman, a talented gracious musician.

Source: 
http://iamindigenous.blogspot.com/

Have you met actress and author Victoria Rowell?

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Ms. Rowell (known to a lot of us Soap Opera fans as Drucilla Winters from the Young and the Restless) is an advocate for foster care children. The daughter of a white mother and black father, Ms. Rowell grew up in Maine and was a child in the foster care system for 18 years. If you haven't already, learn more about the foster care system and what you can do to help. The following link will take you to Ms. Rowell's foundation - The Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan (RFCPP).

-L to R: Jasper (V's son with Jazz great Wynton Marsalis); Radcliffe's daughter, Victoria, Radcliffe Bailey (V's new and 2nd husband); Radcliffe's son; Maya Fahey (V's biological child from her first marriage)

Source: 
http://www.rowellfosterchildren.org/ 
http://www.everythingiric.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=1824&Itemid=2  http://www.blackcelebkids.com/2009/07/15/victoria-rowells-wedding-a-family-affair/

Who are you to judge our crush on the pillowy host of Bizarre Foods?

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
If you haven't met Andrew Zimmern, it's past time that you did. Follow this NYC Jewish foodie on his cultural adventures around the world. The video below explores his time in Cambodia. Weak stomachs need not apply. 

The Visitors by Samina Akbari

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Nisa keeps her [white] boyfriend a secret from her [Thai] family. As mice invade their apartment, she is forced to face what she’s really hiding from.

Source:  
http://www.thevisitorsfilm.com/
http://sundance.bside.com/2010/films/thevisitors_sundance2010 

Have you met country music star Darius Rucker?

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Darius is the former frontman of the mainstream pop/rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, who made their mark in the mid-'90s. He is now a solo artist who recently had his first country album – Learn To Live – debut at #1 on the Billboard charts.

The 'It Won't Be Like This for Long' video (seen below) features his adorable biracial (Black AND White) children – Cary, Dani and Jack – who inspired the song. His lovely wife Beth is featured below.

Amazing Hybrid Animals

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Ligers, tigons and grolar bears, oh my! The most interesting form of cross-and-inter-anything that we can think of.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ygreen/20100427/sc_ygreen/sixamazinghybridanimals

Some Girls. My Life in a Harem.

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Introducing Jillian Lauren, author of the Some Girls memoir about her time spent in Brunei as a Harem girl.

Jillian is the wife of Weezer member Scott Shriner. She and Scott adopted Tariku, the most happy little boy (check him out on the drums) we’ve ever seen, from Ethiopia.

Source: 
http://www.jillianlauren.com/blog/?tag=tariku-shriner 

To purchase her book: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452296315?ie=UTF8&tag=evinanin-20

Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry - End of the Road

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
Gabriel Aubrey has confirmed that he and actress Halle Berry have split after four years, and daughter Nahla, together.

For more details: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36887536/ns/today-entertainment/#ixzz0mjnIBaLz

Native American Images on Film

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:
The films and introductions will explore a different topic each night, including the evolution of Native American depictions by director John Ford (May 4), non-Indians in Indian roles (May 6), Indians as enemies (May 11), white men living among Indians (May 13), Indians as “noble savages” (May 18), Native Americans facing racism (May 20), Native American actors and filmmakers (May 25) and images from outside Hollywood (May 27).

Source:
TCM

Sandra Bullock’s Secret Adoption

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:

 Dear CIA, take note. Sandra Bullock managed to adopt a baby boy without ever appearing on the paparazzi’s radar. If she can do that, surely you can find Bin Laden. Anyway, congratulations Ms. Bullock and have fun being mom to 3 ½ month old cutie pie Louis Bardo. Louis is now joining the ranks of the estimated 28% of adopted children who differ in race or Hispanic origin from their adoptive parents.

Source: 
http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/censr-6.pdf
People Magazine

Aaron Landry Explains Arizona’s Immigration Law with Crayons

Dear Readers,

I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.

Yours,

E

Post:

Too funny for words!

Source: 
Aaron's Hotlinks on Tumblelog

NY Times Mixed America's Family Trees

Happy Tuesday Readers!

It's still a cold, dreary, rainy day in NYC. Hopefully it clears up soon. I miss spring.

While on my random morning research run, I was excited to discover this interactive feature on the New York Time's site titled Mixed America's Family Trees.

The description for the site reads:

The United States is in the midst of a demographic shift. Driven by immigration and intermarriage, multiracial and multiethnic Americans — usually grouped together as “mixed-race” — are one of the country’s fastest growing demographic groups. Examine the mixed-race family trees submitted by readers and listen to them describe their families, then submit your own.

I especially love the trees with the audio files attached. Take a look and listen to actor Lou Diamond Phillips Family Tree.

This is probably the extra motivation I needed to go back to tracing my ancestral line. I took up this task in college but quickly gave up as I kept running into brick wall after brick wall. Multiple natural disasters and coups in Haiti do not make for expert record keeping.

I'll keep you posted on this journey. If you end up posting your tree on the site, please let me know. I'd love to feature it. 

Yours,

E 

Source: 
NY Times 
Google

Black IS Beautiful. Psychology Today article, where's the science?

Dear Readers,

You've pretty much been living under a rock today if you haven't already heard about the Psychology Today article Why Are Black Women Rated Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women, But Black Men Are Rated Better.  

The article by Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa has since been taken down. The move of a coward, if you ask me. Either you stand by it, or you don’t. And if you don’t because you felt that you were wrong – APOLOGIZE. 

Dr. Kanazawa is apparently known for controversial, racist bull in science clothing. Why Psychology Today and, apparently, the London School of Economics, would want to associate themselves with him is quite puzzling. 

I’m not offended by the study, per se. My issue is more on the fact that he’s touting these results as fact when his methodology doesn’t lend itself to being factual. At least what little was included in the article – which was actually nothing. While I did sleep through most of Psych Stats, I do recall the importance of sample size, effect-size and random sampling on statistically significant results. All things that were not made clear in the article.

Adults can read the study and come to their own conclusions about the truth of it. However, that’s not the case for younger girls. What he’s saying is NOT anything new to black women. However, labeling it as scientific truth simply makes it even more difficult for parents to continue encouraging their little girls to see the beauty in themselves that this country tends to ignore – see any magazine rack for confirmation. 

There’s a deep seeded issue about the attractiveness of typical African features – darker skin, wide nose, short hair, etc...- that has plagued the black community for years. From reading lots of actual scientific research, anecdotal reports, and my ownexperience, I say that a good percentage of the girls who fall in this category have dealt with – and possibly continue to deal with – self-esteem issues because of this topic. 

There’s been a real push in the African American community to ensure that all shades and features of black are celebrated. However, it’s a tough battle to win (especially for people raising young girls) when so many messages say otherwise. It also makes it difficult that some of our own people share the same view as Dr. Kanazawa. I can think of many instances growing up when I heard the statement "you'd be so much prettier if you weren't so dark," or "stop staying out in the sun so much. Do you want to get even darker?"

This issue is one that will continue to exist until we force it out. The next time someone makes a comment (innocent or not) like "she's pretty for a dark skin sista," it might be worth having an open dialogue (don't attack!) about the sentiments behind those words. 

As for those of you who are raising young black children (especially girls and especially adopted black children in non-black families), I can't stress enough the importance of celebrating their full beauty - everything from intelligence to physical features. The more you do, the better your child will be armed to fight the words of the Dr. Kanazawas of the world. 

Yours,

E