BLACKBERRY: a magazine

"If I am a witch, then so be it, I said. And I took to eating black things - huitlacoche the corn..."

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:27:18 -0500

“If I am a witch, then so be it, I said. And I took to eating black things - huitlacoche the corn mushroom, coffee, dark chiles, the bruised part of fruit, the darkest, blackest things to make me hard and strong.”

- Sandra Cisneros, “Eyes of Zapata” (via jatigi)

Yes. Yes. Yes.

(via missjodie)

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Wed, 22 May 2013 11:31:02 -0500

This week’s Spoken Word Wednesday features...

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:30:49 -0500

This week’s Spoken Word Wednesday features “Commentation” by Ramona D. Pina:

I am Ramona D. Pina. I began writing poetry in second grade and it evolved into Spoken Word. I’m multicultural (Cape Verdean, Jamaican and African-American) and grew up in diverse Boston, Ma. I am also fluent in Spanish but it is not my native tongue. Hello.

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Tue, 21 May 2013 16:54:55 -0500

youngblackandvegan: Every part of me and my body is politicized My skin My hair My uterus My...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:53:31 -0500

youngblackandvegan:

Every part of me and my body is politicized
My skin
My hair
My uterus
My culture
Loving myself and valuing my humanity, in a society that sees me as nothing more than a commodity, is an act of political resistance

And loving those like me is an act of political solidarity.

thistr3reads: ablacktv: “Kia Speaks This picture of...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:51:37 -0500

thistr3reads:

ablacktv:

“Kia Speaks

This picture of Morehouse graduates drenched in rain yesterday has surprisingly caused quite a stir. Many are saying it’s indicative of Morehouse not having the money or common decency to implement a rain plan. If you see that when you look at this picture, I’m going to politely take the liberty to call you a cynic. To me this picture symbolizes the journey that so many black men endure everyday of their lives as they face countless obstacles yet continue to pursue success with unwavering determination. It is cynical to ignore the fortitude and thirst for knowledge in these men’s eyes for an opportunity to knock/shade/read Morehouse. Rain can’t stop the House, & life’s obstacles won’t stop these men.

FYI: Grads from major universities are soaked like this all the time with no controversy.”

Yep. I watched friends graduate in 2006 at UC Berkeley in torrential rain soooo…..

"The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while,..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:51:06 -0500

“The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave.”

- Assata Shakur: An Autobiography (via theuncolonizedmind)

"The Black woman is the most unprotected, unloved woman on earth…she is the only flower on earth…that..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:48:39 -0500

“The Black woman is the most unprotected, unloved woman on earth…she is the only flower on earth…that grows unwatered.”

- Kola Boof, Egyptian-Sudanese-American novelist and poet (via chelebelleslair)

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Mon, 06 May 2013 17:52:40 -0500

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Mon, 06 May 2013 17:51:16 -0500

Submissions still open for images

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:50:51 -0500

Submissions still open for images:

Still accepting artwork and photography for the next issue, “Time”.

Last few days to submit your work for the next issue.

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:40:44 -0500

Last few days to submit your work for the next issue. :

Next issue’s theme: “Time” BLACKBERRY: a magazine aims to be a premier literary magazine featuring African-American women writers and artists*. Its goal is to expose readers to the diversity of the black woman’s experience and strengthen the black female voice in both the mainstream and independent markets. BLACKBERRY: a magazine is seeking all forms of poetry, short fiction, non-fiction, artwork and photography. However, we are not interested in science fiction, fantasy, or derivative fiction. We are open to spiritual pieces regardless of faith, sect or denomination. We are interested in work that goes beneath the surface and touches the spirit. Your work should explore the universal truths of life while showing the diversity of our experiences. With all submissions please send a 50 word bio with a website you would like promoted if we accept your work. You may submit up to 3 poems not exceeding 1500 words, each in a separate document. All other forms: no more than 2 pieces not exceeding 4000 words. Artwork must be 2-dimensional, in color or black-and-white, 300 dpi or higher. If applicable, include captions. All submissions should be inspired by the issue’s theme, usually a key word or phrase, that is open to interpretation by the artist. *Submissions remain open until May 1, 2013.* Compensation is in the form of a digital contributor’s copy.

http://www.africanpoetryprize.org/press-release

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:38:08 -0500

http://www.africanpoetryprize.org/press-release

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Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:29:50 -0500

thoughtbinge: the best part about writing is watching someone read it the worst part about writing...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:28:32 -0500

thoughtbinge:

the best part about writing is watching someone read it

the worst part about writing is watching someone read it

BLACKBERRY: a magazine deadline coming up soon!

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:35:02 -0500

BLACKBERRY: a magazine deadline coming up soon!:

Next issue’s theme: “Time”

With all submissions please send a 50 word bio with a website you would like promoted if we accept your work.

You may submit up to 3 poems not exceeding 1500 words, each in a separate document.

All other forms: no more than 2 pieces not exceeding 4000 words.

Artwork must be 2-dimensional, in color or black-and-white, 300 dpi or higher. If applicable, include captions.

All submissions should be inspired by the issue’s theme, usually a key word or phrase, that is open to interpretation by the artist.

*Submissions remain open until May 1, 2013.*

Why Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" Video Makes Me Uncomfortable... and Kind of Makes Me Angry

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:25:34 -0500

jazzylittledrops:

So this video started going around my facebook today, with about a dozen of my female friends sharing the link with comments like, and “Everyone needs to see this”, and “All girls should watch this,” and “This made me cry.” And I’m not trying to shame those girls! I definitely understand why they would do so. And I don’t want to be a killjoy. But as I clicked link and started watching the video, I started to feel a slight sense of discomfort. I couldn’t put my finger on why that was, exactly, but it continued throughout the whole thing. After watching the video several more times, I have some thoughts…

Read More

theparisreview: “A good story is a thing to be heard and seen...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:48:08 -0500

theparisreview:

“A good story is a thing to be heard and seen and felt.”

To read more of this week’s staff picks, including The New Yorker Fiction Podcast, John Thorne’s Simple Cooking, and Terry Tempest Williams’s When Women Were Birds, click here.

blackcontemporaryart: “Black Friday” 2013 | Shikeith Cathey |...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:46:21 -0500

blackcontemporaryart:

“Black Friday” 2013 | Shikeith Cathey | 11X17 Archival Print on Canvas

Submissions close May 1!

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:44:49 -0500

Submissions close May 1!:

Seeking poetry, fiction, art, and photography for the next issue, “Time” : http://ht.ly/k0R0N #blackberrylitmag