Thursday, October 21, 2010

Black Women and Style


Have you ever wondered why black women, a group that comprises such a small portion (less than 8%) of SIUE’s student body, manage to hold such a sizable presence among the fashion-forward on campus?

For instance, how could Cassandra, this young sophomore here, mobilize over 200 young women to consider self-esteem and modeling? Or, how do we make sense of the silent nods of affirmation among the “naturals” when they pass each other on campus?

You thought the Cards vs. Cubs was something? Please. The real rivalry questions revolve around how young women from St. Louis, East St. Louis, and southern Illinois will mount a stylistic comeback against Chicagoans like Chay and Aiesha, whose fingernails and shoes, respectively, have given a serious advantage to the away team?

My black studies crew and I have wondered about these questions for some time now. Our style, politics, and black women @ siue project constitutes one effort, in a series of ongoing efforts, to pay close attention to the diverse verbal and non-verbal statements expressed by the sisters here at the university.

Tuesday, Oct 26, from 10 A.M. to 12:30 PM and then again on Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 1 - 3, we'll host a small mixed media exhibit on our research so far in the EBR Reading Room (Lovejoy Library, room 3003). Check it out.

Related posts:
Style, Politics, and Black Women @ SIUE
Brief Lesson about the Politics of Fashion

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