When I heard the news on Wednesday, April 20, I was stunned, saddened, and speechless, yet I knew, in my heart, that at 98 years old, she had finished her business and now the rest was up to us.

Dr. Dorothy Height, activist, educator, negotiator, mentor, leader, and servant to our sisterhood. She wore her titles and accomplishments graciously, like her grand hats and wardrobe, while beneath them was a woman, sister, and friend with a humble heart and a fierce dedication to our empowerment without compromise. She groomed greatness with an urgency that was persuasive and purposeful.

In 2008, I went to Dr. Height and the National Council of Negro Women, with the desire to share an amazing documentary, The Souls of Black Girls by Daphne Valerius. She not only supported it, she hosted its screening and later said it was “the answer to a prayer.”

Shortly thereafter, I came knocking again. This time with a vision to create a national dialogue with black women that would keep our concerns and issues at the forefront of our consciousness and active engagement. That vision was the National Black Women’s Town Hall Meeting. Dr. Height agreed to partner with me in this sisterly effort and the rest is history.

As black women, especially, we have a debt to repay to Dr. Height. How? In actions and efforts. I was one of the lucky ones who had the privilege of working with one of my sheroes, who also happened to be related to me through our African Mende ancestry. But most importantly, I had the opportunity to say “thank you” while she was living and in my presence.

How do we fit into her legacy? We each do that by walking in our own shoes, but being mindful of who bought those shoes. Dr. Height loved her hats, so I’m sure her shoes are matching her crown of glory!

I will forever be grateful for her willingness to support my dream, to share my burden, and make space for me to spread my wings.

- Blanche Williams

How can a successful, award-winning, acclaimed African-American Hollywood producer like Shonda Rhimes, get away with producing something titled, “Bitch is the New Black,” and then having the audacity to pitch that it depicts successful African-American women in DC? Have I lost touch with reality or has stupid become the new sanity?

Selling to the highest bidder has turned seemingly mannered, well-educated, and highly skilled African-American women, into unsavory, unscrupulous pushers of negative images that serve to diffuse and dismiss the advances that we have made to put First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House. Media and movies have become the new auction blocks of our black women; accomplished or not. For Shonda Rhimes, producer of Grey’s Anatomy, to have the nerve to call a movie, “Bitch is the New Black,” is a slap, punch, and knife to our backs.

We have the First Lady and many other power players in DC and we have Rhimes calling them “bitches” directly to their face. Is she unaware of the strides made or is that such a catchy title that it will sell white media on it? Is she unaware, though I doubt it, of the harm that a statement like that makes? I am appalled and quite frankly disgusted that a sister, at this level, would stoop or even kneel to this level of degradation.

Have we become so bamboozled, lost in the sauce, and miseducated that we can’t read through the lines? Are we so hungry for attention and approval that we will continue to chip away at our dignity, sell our souls, and rape our respect? Think beyond the obvious. Read between the lines. The fine print is what will ultimately undue what we have done. If you don’t believe me, look at our youth imitating reality tv, videos, and artful insanity.

The word bitch and black should not be in the same sentence, let alone a representation of successful black women. I don’t answer to that and I understand freedom of speech, but this classy and accomplished lady has the right to say, “Oh hell to the no!” I will not be disrespected and someone try to convince me it was a compliment!

Bitch, please!

If I’m over-reacting, which I doubt, explain it to me and all the young, middle and seasoned women who work hard around this country to be treated, seen, and spoken about with respect.

—Blanche Williams

Here’s the good news…It has been a great week for the advancement of
people of color within the current administration.  President Obama
continues to open the door to talented men and women of color; including
Sonia Sotomayor, nominee to the Supreme Court and Charles F. Bolden, Jr., administrator nominee to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Here’s something to ponder…Are these developments more critical from the gender or race perspective?  And with more people of color and women in positions of political, legislative, and administrative power, do you feel there will be a better chance of maintaining equality, full access, and justice for all?

Blanche Williams 5/30/09

Mary McLeod Bethune, in her Last Will and Testament, left us her incomparable legacy and her desire that we always have “a thirst for education.” This thirst has been quenched through the dedication of mothers and fathers; friends and family; teachers and preachers. 

Yet our broader thirst for knowledge exceeds the conversations we have in our homes, the lessons taught in our classrooms or the sermons spoken from the pulpit. 

We stayed informed, inspired, and captivated by reading the stories and seeing the faces of people who looked and lived like we did.  This is what Johnson Publishing Company, under the leadership of John Johnson, created when it first published the Negro Digest, which later grew into the world-renowned national publications, Ebony and Jet magazines. 

Serving as gatekeepers and historians of our lives, Johnson Publishing Company has created a dynasty that reflects the diversity, complexity, and majesty of the African-American experience.

In these tough economic times, many industries are suffering, including magazine publishers.  But when I heard that Johnson Publishing Company was close to financial collapse, my heart stopped.  I couldn’t imagine our world without Ebony or Jet capturing our images, sharing our perspective, debating our issues or celebrating our accomplishments.

We are in the beginning of the most significant presidency in the history of our nation, with the first African-American President, Barack Obama, being elected and the first African-American First Family.  Our historical view is paramount at this crossroads in our societal and political evolution.  We shouldn’t have to gain a president and lose the press that helped to spread the word, archive the conversations, and commemorate the occasion.

Our perspective, shared through the lens of our press, is critical to maintaining the authenticity and validity of our voice, presented in our way.  For over 65 years, Ebony and Jet have kept the pride and prestige of our community front and center in the hearts and minds of all Americans. 

Let’s exercise our cooperative economics or Ujamaa, to come together for a cause bigger than ourselves.  We should be buying up subscriptions, left and right.  Leave no magazines on the shelf anywhere.  As we integrate this effort it will become a more conscious habit. 

Ebony and Jet represent the lives and stories that helped pave the path for the stories covered today.  Since 1942, they has remained committed to bringing our struggles and successes to life through the stories of average and extraordinary African-Americans. 

So, I refuse to say goodbye to this voice.  I refuse to chalk it up to the economic recession, when many black folk are living large enough or some not so large, and are still spending money are non-essentials.  Let’s invest in our tomorrow, shared through the pages of Ebony and Jet. 

Black press is crucial to our political, social, and constitutional future.  Who cares more about us than us?  We are indebted to Johnson Publishing, and many other publishers, journalists, and broadcasters, for sharing our story without hesitation, without strings attached, and without fail.  We owe it to the stories that have yet to be told and the lives that have yet to be touched. 

With unwavering optimism the late John Johnson always said, “Like the bumble bee that defies all the laws of aerodynamics–we flew–and are still flying.”  With financial support, we can be the wind beneath the wings that help Ebony and Jet continue to soar to greater heights. 

Blanche Williams 5/23/2009

Critical thinking has become a lost art form filled with media’s attempt to persuade us to sidetrack our ability to come to a conclusion, based on the facts.

The majority of our lives have become soundbites and pundit or network-based propaganda.  While propaganda often has facts or fragments of truth interspersed, it is designed to further a particular entity.  You must always consider the source!

As kids, we often repeated information we “heard,” regardless of its truth.  We simply passed it on to those willing to listen or those unaware of its impact.  As educated adults, we are supposed to have learned how to take information at face value until we, ourselves, have the opportunity to dissect or discern its validity.

News media nowadays, tells you something enough times and enough ways that you will then begin to believe it.  By the time you hear or read something and try to fully comprehend the message, the ticker at the bottom of the page has moved you to the next thought.  Overwhelming citizens with constant information is considered a form of mind control.  We have to become better stewards of information by challenging ourselves to read more, research more and give less status to those who read teleprompters or simply give a limited perspective.

Ask “where’s the beef?” Where’s the meat of the issue?  I don’t just want the so-called “juicy details,” I want the meat!  I want to see all sides, not just one or two perspectives. 

How many issues that our nation is facing today, do you fully understand?  How many ways do you get your information?  Who’s voice do you trust?  Are you seeking the facts or do you just need a sprinkle of pundits and a taste of op-eds?  Are you seeking to be informed or entertained in this age of sensationalized and “soap-opera” news? 

We are so programmed to someone giving us the answers that its hypocritical and disingenuous for us to ask our kids to think for themselves and not cheat their way through life.  The cable networks are proud participants in this “Cliff Notes” Information Age.  Remember when you didn’t want or have the time to read the complete book in school?  You used the Cliff Notes to get the summary.  You may have passed the test but never fully comprehended the entire story, because you didn’t read it for yourself. 

Is it media’s fault?  No.  It’s ours.  We, the African-American community, don’t even have a major cable network, like BET or TVOne, that will invest in news from our perspective.  Entertainment rules.  If it doesn’t ”make money” they won’t do it.    This is a sad commentary!  But we seem to just be “happy” to have something.  In this case, something is nothing at all.  Demand gives way to more supply and unfortunately to our detriment!

We have to learn to read and know more for ourselves about the world around us.  We went through the past 8 years with blinders on to the demise of our economy, our integrity, and to a large part, our future.  We didn’t fight hard enough for our ideals and our rights.  But in 2009, we have a president that speaks for transparency after years of secrecy.  But here’s the kicker…are we willing to take advantage of our constitutional rights to know what is going on under our noses?  Are we willing to speak out, do the work, decipher the information, and make the tough decisions?

I am, are you?

Blanche Williams 5/17/09

On the heels of Mother’s Day, our womanhood should be examined.  Do women know how valuable they are or are we content to have media and men tell us who they want us to be?

Women carry the heavy load of raising children; many who are boys that will become men.  The ironic twist is that those same men will ultimately forsake their home-training and choose to treat women as “less than a child of God.”  And what about those “fast” young girls shaking what mama gave them instead of shaping the world they wish to inhabit and lead.

Who are we as black mothers; as contributors to our global society, teachers of leaders, lovers of dreams, and keepers of the essence of our creator? We are valuable, brilliant, reflections of what lives inside; God!

As recipients of a mother’s dutiful love, we were taught to do better.  Sunday was her day to sit back and smile and for potential mothers to see what they have to look forward to, if blessed.   Mother’s Day is a day that spotlights what we know we should do every day.  We are given one mother, yet we expect endless opportunities to show her we actually mastered her countless teachings of respect, discipline, and integrity. 

Throw your arms around those women who gave birth to you and your dreams!  Throw your arms around those women who encourage and support your ups and downs.  God uses their love, motivation, and teardrops to deposit greatness into your life! 

Who are we black women?  Mothers… divinely designed!

Blanche Williams 5/10/09

Meeting online sounds fun but can turn deadly.  Another woman dead after an online encounter goes horribly wrong.  The phenomenon of online dating, blogging, instant messaging, texting and sexting, has become the playground for inappropriate and unsavory behavior.  Everyone is so frantic to reach out and be touched but instead many women are losing touch with the reality of danger lurking just a keystroke away. 

The statistics don’t lie ladies.  Cybercrimes are real!  We have to protect our minds and bodies.  You are only as powerful as your common sense. If something doesn’t sound right, it’s not.  If something feels uncomfortable, its probably dangerous.  Listen to your gut!    You can meet real people the old-fashioned way …by stepping out your door and living your life. 

Single, desperate, women are targets! When you’re online, you are taking your life in your own hands.  You never know who you’re talking to.  Craigslist CEO, Jim Buckmaster, made a great point when he said, “bring your common sense precautions” to every situation, online or off. 

Why would anyone meet a complete stranger in a private secluded location?  Ladies take your head out of the clouds and realize there are people waiting to do you harm.  It’s not personal, you just provide an easy opportunity.  Men will prey on the fact that you are desperate for a connection; remember everything that glitters isn’t gold.  That fantasy guy could very well become your biggest nightmare or worse could kill you!

Blanche Williams 4/24/09

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover would have been 12 years old on Friday, April 17, but instead of planning for the happy occasion, he took his own life on Monday, April 6.  Why would an 11-year-old boy with his whole life ahead of him and a family who loved him, hang himself? The answer is shocking! 

Carl was bullied to the point he felt his life wasn’t worth living.  From the day this bright student began the New Leadership Charter School in Massachuetts he was faced with constant ridicule and teasing by fellow students who called him, among other things, ”gay and feminine.”

This realization is a frightening and sad testament to the lack of civility and respect amongst our children and the lack of leadership in schools that would tolerate a student to endure constant abuse without addressing it head on.  Parents are also responsible to raise children with a sense of respect for others.   Did the parents of these bully’s know what was happening?  Could the parents have been more involved? 

What is the message and the lesson learned from the death of this child? Will the school takes steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again?  Will the students who bullied Carl get counseling?  Will the parents look at themselves and how they are raising or enabling a bully to terrorize other children?  

And don’t let the media make this a gay issue, because this is a child not an adult.  Anderson Cooper had the mother on AC360 and the gay coalition jumped in because it was an opportunity to further their cause.  The mother quickly reminded Anderson and the guest, this was an 11-year-old boy.  The principal and staff should have made more of an effort to intervene on behalf of Carl. His mother shared the child’s concerns daily.

Kids are cruel, I know that.  However, kids mimic the society they live in and the families they are reared among.  Before sexual orientation it was race, gender, or religion.  There is always going to be a reason for cruelty and bullying against weaker children.   But there must be zero-tolerance for bullies, hatred, and cruelty!  Mind you, this isn’t the first suicide in a middle school this year. 

When did intolerance become the rule of the land?  Any anti-bullying policy is only as good as the teachers and administration who are willing to enforce it.  Everyone failed Carl! 

Let’s not fail any more children!  Know what’s happening in your schools.  If you know your child can be cruel, then guide and discipline them when appropriate.  Take the time to talk with and listen to your children.  Put yourself in their little shoes and understand how powerful and painful the perception of their peers is on their self-esteem, self-worth and self-value. 

We have this moment to make a difference!

Blanche Williams 4/25/2009

A 2009 study sheds new light on the dark shadow of health disparities that effect the wellness of black girls and women.  The results challenge the long standing belief that bulimia, an eating disorder, affects white girls exclusively.  But guess what, that perception along with the facts, may have been horribly wrong.

A study, Caught in the Bulimic Trap: Do Eating Disorders Reflect Addictive Behavior?, conducted by Michelle Goeree, a USC economist, reveals that African-American girls are 50 percent more likely to “exhibit bulimic behavior” than their white counterparts.  This  discovery changes the face and race of bulimia.

So how did this happen?  Goeree says, “One explanation is straightforward: Girls with an eating disorder who are African American or come from low-income families are much less likely to be diagnosed. Who goes to the hospital? Those who have insurance. Who tends to have insurance? Wealthier, better-educated people.”

The study surveyed 2300 girls from California, Ohio, and Washington, DC, over a 10 year period, beginning at around the age of 9 and 10.  They were asked not only about eating habits but about body image and depression.  The results are startling and eye-opening.   

So how do we correct this disparity in health diagnosis, treatment, and recovery?  Does this compound the numerous eating, weight, and health issues that African-American women have to face and fight?  Should this be addressed by the new White House Council for Women and Girls?

To read the full study go to: http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~goeree/GoereeHamIorio_Jan19.pdf

Blanche Williams 4/10/09

Black women appear one way but feel another. We have mastered the ability to mask our true feelings and put on a good face. We choose to camouflage our feelings of anxiety, depression, or anger, by acting as though everything is perfect, we are fine, and life is “peachy keen.”

The smiles on our faces tell lies that go to the core of our self-esteem and survival mechanisms. We have been programmed, as women, and especially, as black women, to be sugar and spice, to think twice and only speak nice.

But how does this affect our wellbeing and sense of self-worth? Do we learn to value our feelings or fake the funk? Being authentic, living in the now, and self-acceptance are concepts that seem to get lost in the translation. Media images punish the “real you” and reward the “fantasy you.”

In 2009, women have developed a schizophrenic, love/hate relationship with our looks and our lives. We’re educated but unfulfilled; providers but don’t feel provided for; empowered but depressed; lovers of food and fun but deprived of healthy lifestyles. This is out-of-balance ladies!

How does self-esteem and self-fulfillment affect your daily life? Does self-esteem affect your body image, namely how you see and treat yourself? Does self-esteem affect how you interact with your colleagues? Does self-esteem affect how you approach love and friendship? Does self-esteem affect what you eat and how much? I would argue self-esteem affects every aspect of your life because you are the common denominator.

Let me go a step further.

How many of you are living with a secret that you feel people will judge you for? Does this feeling affect your eating, loving, or lifestyle choices? There continues to be a stigma surrounding black women who admit to being less than what is so-called, “perfect.” If we are dealing with depression, domestic violence, breast cancer, bulimia, obesity, or a host of other issues, we feel compelled to suffer in silence. We allow ourselves to be swept under the rug instead of acknowledging the presence of our challenges and seeking assistance. It’s ok to ask for help and get it!

Can we support each other as we break our silence; as we break the strangle hold over our voices and choices? Silence only hurts you and your families. Silence perpetuates the sickness or perpetrator and strengthens the pattern of denial. Don’t allow silence to victimize you any longer!

Break your silence and be authentic and true to what’s healthy and harmonious for you! There’s nothing to lose, but the baggage, and much to gain, the glory!

Blanche Williams 4/3/2009