Kadijah
School: Spelman College
Major: Political Science and French
Hometown: Silver Spring is my hometown and Dakar,Senegal is my country
Favorite writer: Sonia Sanchez
Favorite sex scene from a movie/TV/book: Darris Hall and Nina's first love scene in the movie Love Jones
Hidden talent: Reading upside down
Posts By: Kadijah
Understanding Obergefell v. Hodges
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments for Obergefell v. Hodges, a pivotal case addressing same-sex marriage. In preparation for tomorrow’s oral arguments. I wanted to share some facts surrounding the case. The case relates to the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee where same-sex couples have sued the state for refusing to recognize legal marriages in other states. Facts: Obergefell v. Hodges involves James Obergefell and John Arthur James from Ohio. John James Arthur was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 They were married in the state of Maryland on July 11, 2013. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Ohio, They wanted Obergefell to be named as James’ surviving spouse on his death certificate. The couple was issued a temporary order to recognize their marriage on Arthur’s death… Read more »
How are Jeans and Sexual Assault Related?
View image | gettyimages.com In observance of April’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, individuals wear jeans to bring awareness to sexual assault on April 23rd or 29th, 2015. How are Jeans and Sexual Assault Related? In the year 1992, a 45-year-old driving instructor picked up an 18-year-old driving student, Pagliuca Rosa for a driving lesson. I was able to find the name of the perpetrator, but will not use his name in this post. It is important to speak the names of survivors. Some articles I have read state that the perpetrator drove her home while other articles state that she was abandoned and found her own way home. For more information about the case refer to: 1. Why Denim Day? 2. Sex, Lies, and Honor in Italian… Read more »
Reflecting on #BlackGirlsRock
View image | gettyimages.com Last night, I watched the airing of the Black Girls Rock Award Show on BET. It was lovely seeing the women I look to as current icons of black women excellence in the world of entertainment. The quirky Tracee Ellis Ross, the funky Janelle Monae, the soulful Jill Scott, the mesmerizing Jada Pinkett, and the intelligent First Lady Michelle Obama. In the days leading up to the event. other hashtags like #allgirlsrock and #whitegirlsrock, emerged. Apparently, these same hashtags emerged two years ago in the lead up to the previous Black Girls Rock Award Show. The President and CEO of Black Girls Rock, Beverly Bond, addressed the hashtag in an article titled, “Exclusive: Black Girls Rock! Founder Hits Back at Insulting #whitegirlsrock“. She states: “As a… Read more »
7 Documentaries About Abortion You Can Watch Right Now
View image | gettyimages.com Because Women’s Herstory Month is coming to a close and because I am an URGE Student Journalist, I decided to create a list of documentaries about abortion. Some of these films are available on Netflix while the other films can be found on external sites. I for one, believe in the power of films to change perceptions, create new perspectives, and start dialogues. Here they are: 1. After Tiller (Available on iTunes) Directors: Martha Shane and Lana Wilson This film discusses the life and legacy of Dr. Georgia Tiller. Before his assassination in 2009 in Wichita, Kansas, he was one of five people in the United States still performing third-trimester abortions. Furthermore, the documentary examines the lives of women who seek third-term abortions. It also focuses on the… Read more »
Putting #Women on the Map
In recognition of Women’s Herstory Month, I wanted to acknowledge an organization called Sexualization Protest: Action, Resistance, and Knowledge (SPARK). Similar to URGE, one of SPARK’s initiatives is to develop and foster online dialogue to promote advocacy and activism. One of SPARK’s primary goals are to combat the negative sexualization of women and teach women about activism using the range of media at our disposal. As I scrolled through my Feedly, I came across an article titled “SPARK And Google Created An App That Highlights The History Women Made Right Beneath Your Feet“. On some days, Google celebrates historical moments, upcoming events, and political/social figures using a Google Doodle. It got me thinking. I never really payed attention to the lack of diversity in terms of race and color on… Read more »
Making Gender Equality A Reality: International Women’s Day
View image | gettyimages.com If you haven’t seen the South Africa Salvation Army’s take on the #dress controversy of last week that puzzled some, irritated some, and fascinated others, here it is: It’s #InternationalWomensDay on Sunday. We care for abused/trafficked women worldwide. Help us help them. #TheDress pic.twitter.com/tQvxQTnHib — Salvation Army IHQ (@SalvArmyIHQ) March 7, 2015 This was absolutely brilliant. #TheDress hoopla was used to draw attention to violence against women. It explores what catches our attention and the topics like abuse that some don’t want to discuss. I don’t know about you but the campaign makes me appropriately uncomfortable. It makes me want to move, to share, and to act. This campaign could not have come at a better time because the United Nations and the world observed International Women’s… Read more »
Art After Dark: Behind Closed Doors
View image | gettyimages.com Art After Dark, is an annual student -directed production encompassing the talents of students from Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University. Art After Dark t analyzes black love, sexuality, black beauty, and spirituality through dance, singing, music, spoken word, comedy, and acting. This year’s theme, Behind Closed Doors, critically demonstrated that beauty, pain, and spirituality related to love can be filled with awkward moments that we can all relate too. As with many productions that occur on Spelman’s campus, the spectators were friends of the performers and did not hold back. They yelled out the names of their friends with pride and the audience laughed at times of humor. Kudos to the performers for sharing their talents and using their bodies to relay well-received… Read more »
5 Reasons Why I Can’t Watch The Duff
View image | gettyimages.com From the moment I saw a trailer for the The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) , I knew I did not want to watch it. Granted, I have not read the book either. Even so, I know that The DUFFmovies is not for me. From what I understand, the story is about an adolescent girl named Bianca (played by Mae Whittman) going through the trials and tribulations of high school. An “attractive guy” in her class points out that she is the DUFF of her friend group. Her “unkempt hair,” lack of make-up, and aptitude for chemistry makes her unattractive and thus undesirable to others. I can’t find myself within this narrative. I am just not looking forward to finding a person of color serve as… Read more »
Tweets that Create Change
I have finally settled back in from the exhilarating, life-changing, and dynamic Creating Change conference hosted in Denver, Colorado. The conference, organized by the National LGBTQ Task Force, was a meeting grounds for college campus organizers, leaders in the LGBTQ movement, and other organizers dedicated to the intersection of LGBTQ equality with race, health and wellness, and religion. URGE, Planned Parenthood, Advocates for Youth, and several other non-profit organizations were in attendance. The conference also served as a healing space to grieve the loss of friends and family. In addition, attendees recognized some of the accomplishments made in terms of marriage equality and the setbacks like the repeal of sections of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 and police brutality largely aimed at queer communities of color. Silence is definitely… Read more »
5 Black Feminists you should know this Black History Month
View image | gettyimages.com Today is the second day of Black History Month. While I know that the accomplishments of the sung and unsung heroes that have helped advanced modern technology,share their music with the masses, and push the Civil Rights Movement forward should be celebrated everyday, Black History Month is a time to reflect on how far America has come. Black feminists have tried to create their space at an intersection between race, sexuality, gender, and class. They faced sexism in the Civil Rights Movement and other race movements and sexism in feminist movements. In honor of Black History Month, I have listed the names of some well-known and some not so well-known black women from the United States and abroad whose insight and actions has expanded my thinking…. Read more »
