i continue to feel completely and totally sick, sick, sick about this.

I found a comment on another site that really articulates for me quite well the various levels why this artists "performance" went wrong despite whatever his intentions may have been. Here it is: "Primarily I find this work disturbing even after reading the context and the artist's take on it. I think he is incredibly lazy for a number of reasons. The use of Sarah Baartman and blackface conflates two completely separate geographical and cultural symbols that on their own already stand as reminders of the pain inherent in historical black experience. What is the purpose of using Baartman's name and body? A woman from South Africa, (where there is no known practice of FGM) who experienced mental and emotional mutilation in Europe. Is he aware of the politics surrounding black/female/bodies? Did he research any of this? There is nothing about this work that aims to even investigate the nature of FGM in a sincere sense, what it means and the realities around this ritual for the girls/women involved. He took an incredibly sensitive subject and manipulated it for his own ends. Nothing avant-garde here, just perpetual ignorance."

The artist who created this is a man of color who identifies as a person of African Descent. Others have said that he is half Swedish and half African. I don't know the particulars of his heritage. If one googles him, in his photos his appearance is more that of an African descended person. I have done a little bit of research on the artist as a result of this story breaking. This piece is very much in alignment with much of his art. He sees his art as very much being in the tradition of socially extreme art that is designed to shock people into seeing various horrors in the world. From the little I have read with his words,he sincerely seems to believe that these works of art of his including this cake are his authentic expression of confronting racism. In this piece he believes he is confronting both racism and sexism and raising conscious awareness around the issue of FGM. Do not kill me. I am merely the messenger here. I am only presenting the information I have thus far found regarding the artist and what he seems to sincerely view as his motivations.

Have Mercy on us all of the Goddesses and Gods and Healing Energies of the metaverse. May you be with us. May you guide us. And may you help give us the strength to persevere. And So It Is! Ashe'

With all due respect, sugabelly, your logic here, in my opinion, is not sound.

In what other circumstances do we allow those who perpetrate a potentially abusive or destructive act on another human being be the ones charged with the responsibility of determining if said act is indeed abusive or not? Do we allow a rapist to determine if his or her acts of violence and violation against another are indeed that or something more benign? Do we allow bullies to be the ones to determine the scope and effects of their actions? Racists? Homophobic people? People who are the ones trafficking in human slavery and child prostitution? No. People who perpetrate acts of potential violence against others are not the ones who can be trusted, in any such circumstance, to be the ones to make these determinations. For surely they will almost always dramatically downplay the severity of their actions.

In this case, like it or not, it is child therapists, psychologists, counselors and other professionals in related fields who are the ones who are best suited to make these determinations. I am an African American clinical psychologist. So I know the glaring historical problems with letting mental health professionals make these determinations--historically, these are the same type professionals who once upon a time said that separate but equal was a sound educational approach with regard to the educating of black and white children, who sanctioned the horrifying Tuskegee experiments, etc. So I get the mistrust of such professionals within the African American communities. But the professionals are not the only avenue by which wisdom can be obtained. Just examine what the underlying message of those who defend corporal punishment (as well as capitol punishment, BTW) are really saying. What such people are really saying is this---using violence against another is the way to teach that other and society ad a whole not to be violent. You yourself used of version of this logic in your above post when you stated, "A sharp smack will stop a toddler from a potentially life threatening action...much faster than any dialogue can" Really? Really? Re-read those words. Does that make any kind of real sense at the end of a truly *sane* day? My answer? No. No it certainly does not!

Thank you for this piece. Surely you were aware that you would be stepping into the void with this one, Renee.

The prolific endorsement of corporal punishment as an appropriate form of punishment for parents and guardians with regard to the children in their care, within the African Descended and African American communities around the world, is nothing less than a complete cultural abomination in my view. Both Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou have spoken on this issue and often the take away sentiment they each conclude with is, "when we know better, we do better." Problem is, a lot of African Descended people do not seem interested in knowing better when it comes to this issue. They are content with remaining stuck in the old paradigm and come up with countless excuses and convoluted and ultimately very problematic rationale's for their stances. The arc of the universe does eventually however, bends toward justice, I do believe. And when it comes to the madness around this issue of corporal punishment---this too, at some point in the future, will pass...

This blog never disappoints. It especially never disappoints to reflect the humanity of those some believe have little to none. Thank you Womanist Musings!

Word!

wonderful!

wonderful!