We Speak Entertainment
Beyonce’s Dad and Quincy Jones Highlight America’s Colorism Problem
On Feb. 12, 1988, Spike Lee released his second feature film. The acclaimed director from Brooklyn had become one of the most buzzed-about new filmmakers of the ’80s after his 1986 debut, She’s Gotta Have It, and he was following that indie hit with an ambitious musical depicting life on a historically black college campus.
School Daze was, like She’s Gotta Have It, a uniquely black perspective on the nuances of the black experience. In this case, Lee examined the varying degrees of classism and colorism in the world of middle-class black social circles and academia. One of the more memorable elements of School Daze is a rivalry between two female factions on campus: the light-skinned sorority girls The Gamma Rays, aka the “Wannabes,” who are dismissive and derogatory to the darker-skinned non-sorority-affiliated women, who they call the “Jiggaboos.”
Lee’s film was controversial—it was famously skewered by activist/scholar Amiri Baraka as depicting HBCUs as “brown-skinned Animal House”—but it was one of the first mainstream films to directly address colorism within the black community and how it shapes our perceptions of ourselves, how it determines who and what we value. Colorism was once again a topic of conversation this week after an excerpt from a Mathew Knowles interview with Ebony magazine hit the web.
“When I was growing up, my mother used to say, ‘Don’t ever bring no nappy-head black girl to my house,’” Knowles explains. “In the Deep South in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the shade of your blackness was considered important. So I, unfortunately, grew up hearing that message.
“I have a chapter in the book that talks about eroticized rage. I talk about going to therapy and sharing—one day I had a breakthrough—that I used to date mainly white women or very high-complexion black women that looked white. I actually thought when I met Tina, my former wife, that she was white. Later I found out that she wasn’t, and she was actually very much in-tune with her blackness.
“I had been conditioned from childhood. With eroticized rage, there was actual rage in me as a black man, and I saw the white female as a way, subconsciously, of getting even or getting back. There are a lot of black men of my era that are not aware of this thing.”
We Speak Entertainment
Zaraye Sets 24 Hours of Peace Ablaze with Show-Stopping Performance
Newark, NJ– The 24 Hours of Peace event, hosted by Mayor Ras J. Baraka was nothing short of electrifying. As the crowd funneled in, in droves, Newark’s own Zaraye took the stage and would deliver a performance that had the crowd and social media buzzing.
You felt the crowd’s palpable anticipation as some of us had first-row seats to watch her rehearse in the background before hitting the stage– and Zaraye more than lived up to the hype.
Making an immediate statement with her eccentric fashion choice– a sleek black leather jacket and top paired with a striking lime green plaid skirt. Zaraye’s edgy leather and vibrant plaid combo came together perfectly to showcase her unique style, fashion background and ensured to turn plenty of heads before she even dropped the beat to her first song.
Kicking off her set with her eagerly awaited single “23 Remix”, produced by Jersey’s own Kamillion, her vocals excited the crowd. As she and her background dancers, mirrored in her lime green and black color palate, delivered the high-energy, precise choreography crafted under the direction of her creative director, American rapper and choreographer, Sharaya J, phones shot into the air as fans were eager to capture every moment of the captivating routines.
The momentum continued to build as she transitioned into “Bougie”. Between Zaraye’s confident delivery and the dancers’ dynamic movements, the energy was on another level, showing an undeniable connection between Zaraye and her audience.
By the time her performance ended, social media was already buzzing and one thing was clear, she had made a positive impression on those attending the 24 Hours Of Peace event. The crowd raved about her standout moment with praises from her style to her stage presence and the electric atmosphere she created.
“I came out to the 24 Hours of Peace event to see one of my favorite artists, Honey Bxby. I was left excited to follow the journey of Zaraye. I think she will be a star soon too, Jersey stand up” said Jennifer Richardson– a 25 year old woman from Newark.
Zaraye’s performance was an amazing showcase of her amazing blend between music, fashion and choreography. She truly showcased herself as not only an upcoming talent but a formidable artist on the rise in the music industry. As videos of her performance continue to spread online, it will be pretty clear soon, her name will only get bigger from here.
The 24 Hrs of Peace event that took place on Friday and Saturday culminated a Peace Week in the city of Newark that started Friday, Aug. 17 and included an Artist Against Violence concert Wednesday, Aug. 21 at Newark Symphony Hall’s Terrace Ballroom on Broad Street.
“We fuse the power of hip-hop music and spoken word to lift, heal, and inspire peace in our city, empowering every resident in that process, and bringing healing, hope and happiness into everyday life,” Baraka of 24 Hrs of Peace said in a statement. “During this 24 Hrs of Peace, we celebrate the reality that women are at the center of our city’s evolution as a model of peace, progress and prosperity.”
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