Not Quite Black And White

Written By: Imani Jones—“We’re not in Birmingham, Alabama, Dorothy, but there are traces of racism in our interactions with others. It’s not racist, it’s racistish.” Nicole Parker-Jones.

. . .

“Do you live here?” the concierge asked as I sauntered past his front desk with bags of groceries in my hand. At first, I didn’t know whether he was talking to me. Maybe someone new to the condominium building that I called home had snuck in behind me as I walked by, and the concierge was talking to the trespasser. I scanned the lobby: no one was there except for me, and the concierge, who was waiting for a response to his question. And so I politely responded, “Yes, I do” and proceeded to carry on with my day. I immediately wondered, was he racist? Maybe the concierge carefully monitors everyone who comes to the building, and asks everyone who walks past his desk whether they belong in the building. If that is true, I should give him the benefit of the doubt and move on. But what if the concierge singled me out because I am a thirty-something black woman, living in a high-end condominium, and based on his beliefs about thirty-something black women, I couldn’t possibly live where a two-bedroom condo commands a one million dollar asking price—surely, I would be in the wrong place if he believed that. Except, I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am a thirty-something black woman who can afford the mortgage on her one million dollar condo, and after living in said

apartment for five years, but continually being mistaken for a trespasser, I cannot help but wonder whether Kanye West got it right in All Falls Down when he lamented, “even when you’re in a Benz, you’re still a n***** in a coop.”

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Not Quite Black And White.

(Photo Credits: © Ocean Photography / Veer)

Africa + Me

Written By: Nkeiru Oruche—I wear a t-shirt that boldy proclaims “SPEAK YOUR MOTHER TONGUE.” That’s an idyllic goal (I would know, I designed the t-shirt), but it brings about mixed feelings. What is my mother-tongue? I recently learned that the answer to that question is complicated to say the least. Read on to find out how so.

. . .

I love meeting other Africans. I have this fantasy of visiting other African countries for at least two weeks to any number of months at a time per country, and giving myself up to total submersion of my fetishized appetite for their dance, music, language and food. I’ll totally be that Anglo person that I criticize all the time. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I have this ongoing far away obsession relationship with Congolese, Cameroonian, and Ivorian dance and music. And I think it is the ultimate shame that I have been to various countries around the world, but not one other African country aside from Nigeria. And now I'm beginning to have a mild obsession with the Caribbean and Latin America ... and South Asia ... and ... sigh.

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Africa + Me.

(Photo Credits: © PunchStock / Brand X Images)

MIMI's Poetry Corner: Arise Black Man

Written By: Thobani Khumalo—I see the presidency of Barack Obama illuminating like he holds the

globe giving everybody hope. A man arose from a black nation to pick up the cross for Jesus; a universal mission was then achieved. Fact or fiction I descended on the side of Ham. White became Sire while I black became a pariah.

But to this day I still stand.

Arise black man conquer and devour. Arise black man plan and strategize, for you are a beloved of God.

My dark skin is a vessel that keeps a champion inside. No more will a black man be called by the name of his master. I told them perseverance is encoded in a black’s man DNA. I watch the portrait of Mandela and gain wisdom of words, stereotypically known to be poor and shallow minded, through the “I Have A Dream” speech oppression ended. Bombarded by foreign languages, my soul is wrapped in bandages, because my culture is diluted. I keep up, defending my roots like a king holding his throne.

Read the rest of this poem in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in Arise Black Man.

(Photo Credits: © iStockPhoto / Kupicoo)

World Party

Written By: black lily—Question. What do an Aussie erotic-pop artist, a Rwandan hip hop connoisseur and a British independent filmmaker have in common? Well, they are all members of Society HAE (SHAE), an online collective of artists described as a “point of convergence for the creative community across the globe.” Across the globe is right.

Founded in May of 2009 by a forward-thinking Brooklyn boutique owner named Ngozi Odita, Society HAE features members from more of the world’s major metropolises than you can shake a map at. We’re talking Paris, London, Tokyo, Madrid, Amsterdam, Toronto and New York—just for starters. And, in addition to the usual bubbling cauldrons of creativity, some of the talent finding its way to this unique virtual community is originating from far less obvious locales—Romania, The United Arab Emirates, Montego Bay and The Philippines.

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article World Party.

(Photo Credits: © Image Source Photography / Veer)

African Celebrities Building Empires

Written By: Mazuba Kapambwe—When South African VJ, model and actress Nonhle Thema became the first African spokeswoman for the global hair care brand Dark & Lovely in 2009, it seemed like the turning point for African celebrities to start building their empires and building brands which they identified with. The pairing of Miss Thema and Dark & Lovely was genius in that she is a well-known celebrity as she is seen on television screens across Africa via Vase TV on the Multi-Choice Dish Network. Add the fact that she has been on the cover of major magazines such as True Love and FHM (South Africa) where she was voted one of the sexiest women in South Africa. If there were one woman who could sell a product, it would be her.

It was my impression that other African celebrities would look at what Nonhle had done and start calling their publicists to negotiate similar campaigns so that they could also be named as the new face of an international brand. Nigerian singer D’banj seemed to get the memo because the same year, he announced his venture in television. Millions of fans watched the Koko Mansion, which was collaboration with Hi TV, and saw twelve girls living in a mansion—Big Brother style—with “diva” tasks to perform. The ultimate prize was being named D’banj's “kokolette” for an entire year and accompanying him to high profile events within and outside Nigeria. In addition, the winner was gifted with a car, a diamond ring from designer Chris Aires and five million Naira. In essence, this show was meant to be the Nigerian version of the American show The Bachelor except the fans knew that though D’banj is a sought after bachelor, like his fellow recording artist TuFace, he doesn’t seem like the type to settle down and fall in love (no pun intended).

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article African Celebrities Building Empires.

(Photo Credits: © moodboard Photography / Veer)

Book Excerpt: Metamorphosis

Written By: Ola Laniyan-Amoako—How doth life change us so? Situations raping us of our sweet innocence, slowly cooning our pure elements. Love, hate, death betrayal morphing us into this bitter existence. How harsh the metamorphosis of life.

. . .

It was the night they had all been waiting for. The reunion. It had only been a year since some of them had graduated, yet it seemed like a lifetime. Hugs and kisses. Introductions and tales of woe. Beyoncé playing in the background. Drinks flowing. The atmosphere was nice.

A young lady walks in, tall, slim, ebony toned to perfection. Long black hair, beautiful, big eyes. Her deep cut top emphasizes her c-cup breast and the little paw prints sitting above them. She is gorgeous.

Continue reading an excerpt from Ola Laniyan-Amoako's book, Metamorphosis (published by Urbantopia Books) in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue.

(Photo Credits: © Imagesource / Punchstock) (Models Used Solely For Illustrative Purposes)

Book Excerpt: The Only Way Is Up, The Journey Of An Immigrant

Written By: Folake Taylor—I came to this country with three hundred dollars to my name! Even though I had graduated from medical school and been through one year of rotational internship in my country of origin, the exchange rate of our currency to the dollar left much to be desired and my pocket wanting. After paying for my airline ticket to the United States and stopping over in my country of birth for a week, that was all that was left. Little did I know that people depended on cars so much in the United States. This is quite unlike the situation in Europe and other places where affordable public transportation is the main means of transport.

I need to make one distinction here. My country of birth is the United Kingdom and that is the citizenship with which I made my entry into this country. And while that helped me in some situations, it did nothing for my immigration status. I was just another non-American.

Continue reading an excerpt from Folake Taylor's book, The Only Way Is Up, The Journey Of An Immigrant in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, and to order a copy of the book for yourself, visit www.TheOnlyWayIsUp.net.

Before You Get Hitched

Written By: Ekene Agabu—I am at that point in life where if I am not at a wedding, I am either coming from one or going to one. Most of my peers have supposedly found their life partners and are ready to make it legit, in other words, legitimize their union religiously and legally. Everything leading up to the wedding day is usually exciting, but many at times there’s that 3 AM phone call I get 6 months after the wedding that tells me we might be closer to the courthouse than we were to the church.

I’m sure you’ve heard phrases like, “He’s the one’ or ‘I’ve found my soul mate.” Ok, if that’s true, why are you looking for a way out from ‘the one?’ Don’t get me wrong, I believe in love and finding the ONE, but more so, I am a bigger believer in the path that leads you to the ONE. You’ll come to realize that as individuals, we have more control over the path we take than the actual destination. Most times, the path has a way of revealing what the eventual destination will be like. You must understand that there is only one ONE, and that ONE is YOU. Until you become the one, this process of finding the other one may lead to quite a number of errors, and in some cases, fatal errors. There are 5 things you must consider before you get to the altar or courthouse especially if you want to make it your last trip.

Read Ekene Agabu's tips in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Before You Get Hitched.

(Photo Credits: © Oceanphotography / Veer) (Models Used Solely For Illustrative Purposes)

First Comes Baby

Written By: Nicole Parker-Jones—What happened to the days when a family structure comprised of mother, father, and child(ren), was so engrained into our fabric that we would sing about it as young girls? You know, the days where like in our elementary poems we believed that we'd meet a boy, fall in love, get married, and then have a baby complete with a baby carriage? Somewhere between the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. and the baby, things changed. We have all heard the rhetoric backed by credible statistics that marriage and as a consequence family is disintegrating, particularly in the African American community.

At first blush, it is all too easy to categorize this issue as involving "other" black women; to be sure, campaigns targeted at educating women about family are typically messaged to "at risk" teenagers, and the women associated with such campaigns are "at-risk" women (read: young teens growing up in low income single-parent households with limited tools to survive the concrete jungle). But when I look within my circle of friends comprised of an eclectic group of African and African-American women with one thing in common—a solidly middle class upbringing—I see these very statistics replicate themselves. Without exaggeration I can say that half of my middle class black female friends with children are single mothers—some by virtue of circumstance (e.g. divorce) but more often than not, by virtue of a conscientious choice. None of my friends fit the "at-risk" profile—they are self-aware free spirited creatives, type-A educated high powered achievers, and everything in between—yet they too, save the income disparities, find themselves similarly situated to the stereotypical “baby mama”: raising a child in a single parent household.

What’s going on? Here I share the diverse stories of the single mothers in my life.

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article First Comes Baby.

(Photo Credits: © Jodie Coston / iStockPhoto)

Looking Back On Sex And Love

Written By: Ellen Wanjiru—I'm in my late 20's and unusually anxious to shed the age of innocence and embrace my roaring 30's. I've lived quite the interesting life thus far and it is without a doubt that I can honestly say that I am officially ready to become a real grown up.

Who am I today? I'm a young lady with passionate creative goals and a clear and present vision. I pride myself on being extremely self-aware and ambitious about the things that truly matter. I think it's imperative to question ourselves, our thoughts and our actions in order to learn the intricate dynamics of our make up. Like Socrates so bravely put it as he stood trial, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Because I'm not the same individual I was five years ago, my wants and needs have obviously changed.

When did I look for SEX? Well, I thought long and hard about this, weighing in on my past experiences and thinking back to why I did certain things. I came to the conclusion that I looked for sex for a variety of reasons, as I'm sure we all do. I looked for sex when I was too busy to give anything more or when I was too afraid to commit my mind and soul.

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Looking Back On Sex And Love.

(Photo Credits: © Jim Jurica / iStockPhoto) (Model Used Solely For Illustrative Purposes)

Balancing Modernity And Spirituality

Written By: Siya Tiane—The debates on Muslim women’s wardrobe have been centered on integration in society. It is perceived that by donning the face veil (niqab) and to a certain extent the head scarf (hijab), Muslim women isolate themselves from society. However, what has been missing in the debate is Muslim women’s own voice on the matter. Furthermore, stakeholders ignore the perspective of women who choose to be veiled yet who are active and integrated into society.

My story is an unconventional one in this debate as I happen to be a young African woman living in West Africa, Black, Muslim, wearing the hijab, a graduate from prestigious western universities, well travelled and multilingual, a young professional working in the field of development/policy, an aspiring writer, a committed change maker and more importantly a servant of God the Almighty. As I aspire like everyone to be successful in my endeavors, I am also constantly trying to find a balance between modernity and spirituality.

As a “visible” Muslim, I am part of a minority group in African societies, one that is not always understood, but that increasingly finds its place in society. West Africa has the highest concentration of Muslims in Sub Sahara Africa. Yet, the practice of Islam is often times polarized, with the general view that on one hand, the study of religion is reserved to men (except for the basics teachings that women receive) who blend into society and practice their faith privately; on the other hand, those who choose to live their faith, exclude themselves or are implicitly excluded from society as they evolve only within their communities.

I believe there is a credible alternative to this dichotomy and this is what I represent.

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Balancing Modernity And Spirituality.

(Photo Credits: © Stacey Newman / iStockPhoto) (Model Used Solely For Illustrative Purposes)

Educating Yourself Out Of Marriage?

Written By: Nicole Parker-Jones—When I graduated from an Ivy Leage law school, my parents, like any proud African-American parents threw me a graduation party to celebrate my tremendous accomplishment. And as the one who went through four years of rigorous undergraduate studies, followed by three years of an equally rigorous juris doctorate program, and spent a summer memorizing the law to become a licensed attorney in one of the toughest jurisdictions to get licensed in—New York, I can attest to just how tremendous my accomplishment is. Many a party and social gathering were skipped so that I could hit the books, graduate at the top of my class, and secure my future as a corporate attorney at a prestigious law firm just like so many of my fictional heroes had done: Claire Huxtable (The Cosby Show) and Maxine Shaw (Living Single). That’s not to say that I did not have fun in college and law school—naturally when time permitted I spent time with my friends like any young person would do—but as a true nerd at heart intellectual pursuits were my version of fun.

At my graduation party in the midst of celebration and much fanfare, a fellow BUPPIE (black, urban, professional person) made a point to tell me: "I hope you're done with your education. You don't want to educate yourself out of marriage." Had a woman said that to me, I would have likely shrugged it off as cattiness and/or a case of the green-eyed monster, but coming from a male all I could think was "Ouch!" Good natured at heart, I laughed it off in front of him, but looking back five years later when the party has long been over and I am sitting in my fancy corporate office, in my fancy corporate suit, working for my fancy corporate clients, I wonder: with each educational pursuit I endeavored on, had I taken one more step away from marriage?

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Educating Yourself Out Of Marriage?

(Photo Credits: © Photodisc / PunchStock) (Model Used Solely For Illustrative Purposes)

MIMI Magazine Winter 2011 Issue: Love Africa, Always

Written By: MIM!—After a brief holiday hiatus, MIMI's winter issue, Love Africa, Always, is now yours to read. Versatile rock 'n love singer Inna Modja graces five different covers of MIMI, photographed by highly coveted fashion photographer, Mario Epanya, who also served as Editor-at-Large for this special issue. As Editor-at-Large, Mario sought to celebrate MIMI reaching its 5-year publishing milestone last year by capturing the Soul.Substance.Style of African women in the 5 different covers of Inna that he photographed. The result: a reflection of MIMI and Mario's Love for Africa—Always.

(Photo Credits: © Mario Epanya)