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California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: October 27, 2003
Latest Update: October 27, 2003
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

Commentary on the Naked Lady Mudflaps

Site Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors, October 2003.
"Fair use" encouraged.

On Thursday, October 23, 2003, Shannon Giddings, CSUDH, wrote:

Hi Jeanne...This is Shannon G... Hope you AND Pat are doing well.....I noticed, last Wednesday, she was awfully tired...Thanks for letting us go early...It was greatly appreciated only because I was tired and had a long drive ahead of me...Anyway...In response to that dreadful depiction of a naked woman, I had an idea of writing a poem, accompanied by a self portrait of the woman that I am...As you know Jeanne, I am not a thin woman by any means. Though my life has been riddled with taunting, (children and adults can be cruel) I still managed to overcome adversity through spirituality, family, and education. I wanted to share a poem with you that I've already done, but it's just about being a black woman, or walking in my shoes, so to speak. The poem and portrait I would like to create will deal with being a full figured woman and what "we" go through on a daily basis...How OUR bodies are censored but it doesn't stop me from doing what I need to do to get ahead in life. Does that sound like a good idea to you? It sounds great to me, and should be TREMENDOUS fun!! See you tonight....Here is the my first poem, hope you like it....BY the way, this was inpsired by Patricia Hill Collins and her concept on Afrocentric Feminist Epistemology...

I, The Black Woman…

I, the Black woman have lived a life
That no one knows about unless they have walked a day in my shoes.
I have the privilege of surviving in a world
That has been blinded by ignorance.
Eloquent words profoundly spoken by Martin Luther King Jr.
Remind me that I am judged by the color of my skin
And not by the content of my character.

I, the Black woman face challenges on a daily basis.
When it comes to education, don’t assume that my intelligence isn’t
as profound as that of great scholars,
Whose skin did not originate from Africa, and whose
Voices are not accompanied, once a month by PMS.
I can assure you that the BA degree I receive is not
My final journey through educationhood,
But the letters Ph.D. after my God given name will seal my
Unending destiny into the power of knowledge.

I, the Black woman may not be the owner of the company
That I work for, but that
Doesn’t mean I don’t deserve mad respect.
Should I be intimidated by the
Eurocentric Masculinist head honcho
simply because his name is on My paycheck?
No, for reasons so simple as
I work hard and strive for the best.
Not to mention the fact that his blood is of crimson red, as is mine.

I, the Black woman can relate to others on different levels.
Whether it’s talkin’ and hangin’ out with my friends
Hey, how u doin, it’s all good, don’t trip…
Or whether it’s during an interview for a teaching position at CSUDH…
Hello, my name is Shannon, nice to meet you.
But in the back of my mind I still wonder
If my excellent qualifications will out rank gender and skin color.

I, the Black woman, use diversity as my middle name.
I’m an individual with unmatched style
And grace that makes you wonder, "who’s that lady?"
Someone who’s beauty begins from within
And is enhanced by the unique shape of my figure.
According to this Afrocentric Feminist Epistemology
I’m like a hot cup of coffee with no cream,
Black, Sweet, and, Strong.

On Tuesday, October 28, 2003, jeanne responded:

Can't wait to see the project in the Fall Exhibit, Shannon.

love and peace, jeanne