Earlier this year I said that Mambu Badu was the freshest thing since Honey Magazine. The Quirky Black Girl magazine from 2000 that articles on Lil Kim and Lauryn Hill. The articles seemed to reflect a vision of Black girls that wasn’t as focused on racial uplift, natural hair guides, and finding a “good Black man” in the way that say- Essence is.
Mambu Badu is significant to me because it appears to be made with the explicit intent of centering the lives and art of Black girls. Where else is that?
Furthermore it is unique in that it doesn’t seem to be in response to an event. It appears to be an endin and of it self. That kind of work is powerful.
Disclosure, two of the creators are my homies @alice_wonder and @dascruggs. The third creator is the awesome @kameelahwrites.However, the whole time they were working on it, I had not idea of the scale of it. I say they should do a limited printing of 100 copies and sell them.
On to Black Girl Problems on tumblr.
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This blog resists the erasure of Black girls and for that reason it is hella fresh.
Oh. Essence just got a White male managing editor. #Ummh. Talk about the importance of Black girl subjectivity.
You up on Mambu Badu? What did you think of it?
Black Girls Problems? Thoughts?
Giiirrrll… black girl problems had me cracking up in the public coffee shop. Not for the numbered problems, but because of her voice that shines mostly through the answers to the questions she receives.
In light of recently co-opted narratives, I hope it’s authentic.
*looks sideways at Essence*
I’m glad the internet lets Black girls be heard for exactly the nuanced humans we have always been.
Black Girl Problems is my new favorite thing. Thanks for putting me on.
And thanks for supporting Mambu Badu from jump. We have lots of things in store (I can’t wait to tell you!) and it makes me so happy that what we’re doing is really resonating with people.
As far as Essence, I read an article saying the managing editor wouldn’t have anything to do with editorial content, just production but (unless I’m not remembering correctly) managing editors make contributions to editorial content, do they not? And wouldn’t him changing the way production is handled affect the editorial content anyway? And is Essence thinking about what it means from a PR perspective for a publication that’s allegedly supposed to be by, for and about black women is hiring a white man in a very prominent position? Then again, they were bought out by Time Warner years ago. Whatever, Essence.
Hi Danny,
I am under the impression that Essence has always had white masthead staffers, historically. The issue for me is seeing Black women’s response in real time.
Similar to how they respond to the new tyler perry announcement.
I want us to understand that we own stories and it is our job to tell our stories. Essence was just a point of departure.