Black feminists for Palestine, Cherelle Parker's historic mayoral run, how Congo and Sudan conflicts impact women
Black feminists for Palestine, Cherelle Parker's historic mayoral run, how Congo and Sudan conflicts impact women
Plus, The Wakeful attends the first Black Sound Healer summit, a deadly month for Black trans women, UK's first refuge sanctuary for Black women, a defense of Jada Pinkett Smith's memoir & more.
“Black Women Are Leading the Charge”: Celebration and Recognition at the Inaugural Black Sound Healer Summit
Last month, The Wakeful attended the inaugural Black Sound Healer Summit at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
Organized by meditational leader and author Zentola, the first-of-its-kind event gathered dozens of wellness enthusiasts of all ages to celebrate this meditative practice in an inclusive and welcoming environment through an unapologetically Black lens. “Black women have been doing tremendous work in this space,” Zentola told The Wakeful, crediting Black women’s “intuitive” capabilities and life experiences. “A lot of Black women are leading the charge.”
A brief awards ceremony recognized several Black women for their work in destigmatizing wellness and mindfulness in communities of color, like Toshia Shaw of The Flowing Lotus Center, the recipient of the Community Impact Award, and Jennifer Franklin of Bloom Holistic Healing, who received the Trailblazer Award. “I never would of thought I’d be making this big of an impact being able to teach and train and to help my community heal from the inside out,” said Shaw in her acceptance speech. “Use your gifts, use your trials as a testimony for our people, so we can heal. We’ve been through a lot.”
Attendees then took part in an hour-long sunset sound bath led by more than a dozen Black women sound healers from around the country. Denise Reese Johnson, a pastry chef based in Meridian, Mississippi and friend of Franklin, had never heard of a sound bath before that evening. Now, she wants to replicate the event back home, even if that means training in sound therapy and healing herself. “I recommend this to anyone, please,” Johnson, 61, said. “If you’ve never had a sound, you need to come and check it out. It’s very very good for your mental, your body, your spirit.”
— Patrice Peck, The Wakeful founder
THIS WEEK IN BLACK WOMEN NEWS
25 stories across global and national news, entertainment, crime, literature, health, technology, music, beauty, and more.
Black Feminists Are Standing Up For Palestinians — No Matter The Cost
Refinery29 Unbothered, Brea Baker
“Poet Aja Monet, singers Kehlani and Amerie, and activist Tamika Mallory are just some of the prominent Black women who have lent their talent and platforms to mourning the more than 8,000 Palestinian people who’ve been killed in the last few weeks and who are calling for an immediate ceasefire to prevent more death in Gaza, and in Israel. My timeline, too, has been filled with the impassioned support for the #freePalestine movement from Black women of all walks of life: world travelers, teachers, community organizers, writers, and artists. Many of them remember the support of Palestinian people during the Ferguson uprisings of 2014, but this current wave of Black feminist defense of Palestine didn’t start in the 2010s – the solidarity has a rich history.”
'The Sisterhood,' on a '70s collective of Black female writers
The Los Angeles Times, Lauren LeBlanc
“In 2004, as a graduate student, Courtney Thorsson learned about a snapshot taken of some of the greatest American writers. No, no one captured Phillip Roth, Saul Bellow and John Updike hobnobbing with the Jonathans. The writers in question included Toni Morrison, June Jordan, Alice Walker and Ntozake Shange. This was an intimate image of friends at the end of a Brooklyn party where they had dined on gumbo and sipped Champagne. Each smile glows with pride, openness and joy. It was the first gathering of the Sisterhood.”
‘We all should be worried’: Black entrepreneurs, business leaders say conservative legal challenges could hinder progress
CNN, Nicquel Terry
“The AAER’s legal challenges have left civil rights activists and Black business leaders anticipating the conservative group’s next lawsuit and whether Blum will continue to target programs that exclusively serve people of color. Black business leaders told CNN the lawsuits, if successful, could stand to undo decades of progress toward leveling the playing field for Black and brown people in the workplace and small business sector. ‘It definitely opens up a Pandora’s box,’ Trigg-Jones said. ‘We all should be worried.’”
How Sista Grrrl Riot Made Room for Black Queers in Punk
Interview Magazine, Laina Dawes
“And that’s the beauty of us coming together, right? Because it’s like we could have a soft place to land. Everybody understood what we were going through. It wasn’t a mystery. It’s like you try to have these conversations with people and they don’t, they really don’t understand. They don’t understand how you’re a musician. You have your credits, and you have your experience, and folks are mansplaining to you all day, even if you know they are undermining you. Your name is on the marquee, but the sound person wants to talk to everybody except you.”
U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar Fighting To Establish National Office For Missing Black Women And Girls
Essence, Rayna Reid Rayford
“We’re getting people to sign on, and we’re still trying to build momentum.” “This effort is vital in saving the lives of Black women and girls. The most helpful thing people can do to help us get this legislation passed is reaching out to their members of Congress telling them to support,” Rep. Omar continued.
Rep. Omar’s home state of Minnesota has been a pioneer with this issue. ‘In 2021, Minnesota enacted a law creating the nation’s first Office of Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and became the first state to fund research into this crisis – research that was led by directly impacted community members,’ per a one-pager for the legislation.”
There’s Still a Black Maternal Health Crisis in 2023 — Here’s How Black Women Can Protect Themselves
SheKnows, Nefertiti Austin
“Black birthing people often do not know enough about their bodies before conceiving, so Dr. Hines suggests getting their vitals checked before getting pregnant. ‘How is your blood sugar? Weight? Are there any heart issues? These three are the main factors that contribute to postpartum death in Black women.’
‘It is worth the time and effort to make excellent plans for pregnancy,’ stresses Dr. Hines. ‘Get your blood pressure or blood sugar under control, start prenatal vitamins three months in advance, get insurance, deal [with] anxiety and depression issues, and educate yourself about complications like deep vein thrombosis, advanced maternal age, and high blood pressure, as these can show up after giving birth.’”
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“Texas to get four new maternal health research centers amid mortality crisis for moms,” The Texas Tribune, Eleanor Klibanoff
The newest leader of the Philadelphia zoo wants to redefine urban zoos
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Earl Hopkins
“I’m a zoo aquarium professional. I was born and raised in Chicago, and most of my career has been spent at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. I spent a couple of years at Shedd Aquarium heading up their education team, and left four years ago to be the director of the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, which is the Saint Louis Zoo’s new campus. I was brought there to help design, build, and operate the campus which will open in 2027. That was pretty exciting.”
There's a nationwide shortage of Black sperm donors. A new cryobank in DC hopes to solve that problem
WUSA, Marcella Robertson
“When Reproductive Village Cryobank opens its doors, it will focus on recruiting Black sperm donors, and will look to answer the question of why Black men aren't donating. The percentage of Black sperm donors at cryobanks in the U.S. ranges from two to four percent, according to a recent analysis from The Washington Post. WUSA9 found the same results in our own search through donors of the four major sperm banks in the country. Hundreds of options turn into just a handful when you narrow your search to Black donors. The shortage is troubling for some Black women looking to expand their families. It forces them to make a difficult decision between having a baby of a different race, or not having a baby at all.”
Cherelle Parker hopes to join growing class of Black women elected to higher office
WHYY, Sam Searles
“The primary win of former Councilmember Cherelle Parker in the race to become Philadelphia’s 100th mayor is historic. Parker’s nomination comes after a hotly contested Democratic primary, and her political success is part of a bigger, national trend — Black women running for office. Forty-four percent of Philadelphians are Black, and Parker could be the first Black woman elected as mayor. Holli Holiday is the president of Sisters Lead Sisters Vote, a group dedicated to advancing Black women in public office. Parker’s win, Holiday said, could have nationwide ripples.”
RELATED:
“Ninety-nine mayors — and finally one who looks like me,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jenice Armstrong
Young, successful Black women like Sexyy Red can have babies if they want to
The Grio, Monique Judge
“Some have asked why she would get pregnant while her star is still shining so brightly. Others have predicted that her pregnancy and the subsequent birth of her child will be a career-ending situation. And then there are those who openly say she is making a ‘mistake.’ This isn’t the first time we have heard these things said about a young Black woman who has made the decision to become a mother. Keke Palmer faced similar scrutiny when she announced her pregnancy.”
There Aren't Enough Black Transplant Surgeons. This New Program Is Trying To Change That
Essence, Rayna Reid Rayford
“‘I can’t give you an exact number of Black women transplant surgeons, but I can tell you that it’s less than 20 and that’s nationwide. There’s a serious lack of representation in this field,’ Dr. Dinee C. Simpson, Northwestern Medicine’s chief health equity officer and director of the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program, told ESSENCE.
And ‘African Americans make up the largest group of minorities in need of an organ transplant,’ according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
Why Black women are rising to lead top theology schools
The Christian Century, Rebekah Barber
“But slowly, Black women are stepping into positions of power, overcoming the racism and sexism that stymied many who came before them. Nowhere has the trend become more evident than at the country’s divinity schools. The development goes back a decade, when Emilie Townes broke the color barrier at Vanderbilt University when she was appointed to lead its divinity school. Most recently, Marla Frederick was appointed to serve as the first Black woman dean at Harvard Divinity School.”
Surgeon Becomes First Black Woman To Hold Presidential Position For A Cardiothoracic Surgery Society
Black Enterprise, Stacy Jackson
“Wallace specializes in treating cancer patients at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell. As a thoracic surgeon, she also performs procedures for other conditions that involve diseased or injured organs. At the medical center, the doctor incorporates video-assisted or robotic surgery techniques. According to an article published by the Journal for Thoracic Disease, surgeons use the robotic approach to resect lung cancer.”
America's First Black Female Physician Cared For Patients From Cradle to Grave
Scientific American, Dominique Janee and Katie Hafner
“Many women and children, suddenly freed from bondage, were dying. She worked to dispel the myth that recently freed slaves were spreading disease, rightly pointing instead to poor living conditions. There are no known photographs of Rebecca Crumpler, but a Boston newspaper article describes her in her 60s as ‘tall and straight, with light brown skin and gray hair.’ Rebecca Crumpler was ahead of her time, promoting preventive medicine, and she paved the way for women of color in the field of public health.”
Lisa Love, a Black Trans Woman “Who Was Always Smiling,” Killed in Chicago
them, James Factora
“Tori Cooper, the Human Rights Campaign Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, said in a statement that it “appears that the last thing Lisa Love did before her death was visit a friend.”
‘She clearly brought joy to many others and deserved to continue being a bright spot in the lives of her friends and family,’ Cooper said. ‘We must end the epidemic of fatal violence viciously targeting transgender and non-binary people.’”
London Price, a Black Trans Woman Who Would "Give You the Shirt Off Her Back," Was Killed in Miami
them, James Factora
“Nedra Allen, Price’s aunt, told Local 10 that her niece would ‘give you the shirt off her back,’ and that ‘that’s kind of what put her in the situation to get her hurt.’ Price’s family told the outlet that Peyton had recently moved back into the apartment, and that the couple had previously had “trouble.”
According to Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, a blog that documents the murders of trans and gender-nonconforming people, Price was born in New Orleans and relocated to Miami after graduating high school. She enjoyed jewelry and music, and had recently shared photos from a trip to Disney World. Allen additionally shared details of Price’s transition with Local 10, stating that ‘She got her name change, passport, went to the court and got everything done the right way.’”
Dozens of mourners gather to honor A’nee Roberson, a Black trans woman killed in D.C.
LGBTQ Nation, John Russell
“On Wednesday, nearly 100 mourners gathered for a vigil in Washington, D.C. to honor A’nee Roberson, a 30-year-old Black trans woman who was killed earlier this month. Police say Roberson was assaulted near Nellie’s Sports Bar in Northwest D.C. in the early morning hours of October 14. As she fled her attacker, she ran into the road where she was struck by a car.”
Black horror fiction is having a moment. Thank Tananarive Due
The Los Angeles Times, Paula L. Woods
“Due’s reverence for Black history — and the trauma it inflicted on everyday people who lived through its horrors — infuses ‘The Reformatory,’ the suspenseful coming-of-age story of Robert ‘Robbie’ Stephens, a 12-year old in fictional Gracetown, Fla., who’s sent to a notorious boys’ detention center for defending his sister from a white teen’s unwanted advances. Inspired by the real-life loss of a relative in the 1930s at Florida’s infamous Dozier School for Boys, also the basis for Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ‘The Nickel Boys,’ Due started the novel shortly after her mother’s death.”
‘Bridgerton’ Star Says Netflix Did Nothing When She Had Two Psychotic Breaks
The Daily Beast, Helen Holmes
“‘When I went into hospital a week after shooting Bridgerton Season 1, it was really covered up and kept on the down-low because the show was going to be coming out,’ Barker said on the podcast of her first psychotic break. She continued: ‘In the run-up to the show coming out, I was just coming out from hospital, my Instagram following was going up, I had all these engagements to do...my life was changing drastically overnight and yet there was still no support and there still hasn’t been any support all that time. So I was trying really, really hard to act like it was OK and that I could work and that it wasn’t a problem.’”
Sudan: Violent Conflict in Sudan Has Impacted On Nearly Every Aspect of Women's Lives
AllAfrica, Hala Al-Karib
“I had the privilege to speak at the UN Security Council open debate last week on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), an important opportunity to reflect on the urgency of this work and why women's rights must be central to addressing any conflict or crisis. Sadly, my country, Sudan, which is currently going through one of the most gruesome atrocities in Africa, illustrates the consequences of failing to do so. The current violent conflict in Sudan is a result of decades of violence against civilians, violence that has impacted nearly every aspect of women's lives.”
'I Wanted to Scream': Conflict in Congo Drives Sexual Assault of Displaced Women
AP, Justin Kabumba and Zane Irwin
“Sexual violence by armed men against displaced women is increasing rapidly in eastern Congo as years long conflicts continue. The trend underscores the disproportionate consequences for women and girls in the region’s perpetual state of war. The Associated Press is not identifying survivors who spoke to journalists in the Bulengo displacement camp. In Bulengo and other displacement sites nearby, an average of 70 sexual assault victims each day visit clinics run by Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF.”
Women's Refuge Sistah Space On The Launch Of Its Specialist Sanctuary
ELLE, Ata Owaji Victor
“Sistah Space has announced the creation of the UK's first refuge to provide specialist support for women of African and Caribbean descent. Founded in 2016, in response to the tragic murder of Valerie Forde and her daughter, as the result of intimate partner violence, the charity has become a leading voice in the fight to bridge the gap in domestic abuse services for Black women and girls. Their vital work has also resulted in the creation of Valerie's Law, a campaign that advocates for mandatory cultural competency training for police officers and government agencies in the hope to better protect and support Black women facing abuse.”
Microsoft Appoints Sarah Bond As The New President Of Xbox, Making Her The First Black Woman In The Role At A Major Gaming Company
AfroTech, Ngozi Nwanji
“Prior to the promotion, Bond first joined the Microsoft family in 2017. Previously, she served as the leading video gaming company’s corporate vice president, heading up product and experience for game creators across all Microsoft software and services, according to her LinkedIn profile. In addition, she has been the leader of Microsoft’s Diversity & Inclusion Initiative as well as executive sponsor of Blacks @ Microsoft Employee Resource Group.”
Taraji P. Henson on hair-care line TPH, power of Black women
The Los Angeles Times, Marissa Evans
“Henson marvels at how far the natural hair movement has come. Long gone are the days of only a couple of shampoos to choose from; now Black girls and women have whole aisles of products that are Black-owned or -created. ‘We have proven our power in the economy because we were forgotten about and so just like the slaves did, they started inventing. That’s why I’m never surprised when someone goes, ‘A Black person invented that,’’ Henson said. ‘No one cared about our hair but us and now, all of a sudden, you got all these big brands, now they got natural [hair] commercials.’”
Lots Of Celebrities Write Memoirs. Why Did Jada Pinkett Smith Get Vilified For Hers?
Refinery 29 Unbothered, Kushie Amin
“Pinkett Smith’s behavior (hard to say what her most egregious offense is in the eyes of her haters; writing a memoir just like her husband did or daring to share pieces of her private life publicly, like so many celebs before her have) is described by the internet as ‘controlling’ and ‘emasculating,’ and these attributes are especially reflective of misogynoir. They align with historical stereotypes about Black women and express an inability to view them with compassion, unlike Will Smith or other men whose actions are excused and condoned. The backlash to Pinkett Smith reinforces the all too familiar ‘Strong Black Woman’ trope, where Black women are seen to be cold and devoid of emotion. We see how this exists on a systemic level, where Black women’s pain often goes ignored by healthcare providers and face exceptionally high maternal mortality rates, as they are four times more likely to die in childbirth.”
Have you seen these missing Black girls & women?
Please visit Black and Missing Foundation on Instagram to view these and other missing persons posters.
