The Oreo Archives

December 26th - January 1st As an African American, I have never actually celebrated Kwanzaa, and damnit, I have been missing out! With so many members of the black community coming together this year to fight injustices and stand up for the rights of all, I made a vow to learn more about this holiday and participate in a historical, yearly celebration of my heritage. So, of course, I decided to share the background on my blog as a step  (trying to cross off my Kujichagulia and Kuumba...see below) . Kwanzaa is a holiday that honors our African heritage (here in the US, and across the world) with a week-long celebration after Christmas. The name " Kwa n zaa "  is derived from the Swahili phrase " matunda ya kwanza ", meaning "first fruits". This represents the origination of the celebration as the first harvest to the home, celebrating the bonding, appreciation, gifts, and values of our people. The holiday consists of:  The Seven Principles  (The N...

Legs, legs , legs ! Likely the first thing we notice when watching the Annual Victoria Secret Fashion Show. That, and the drop dead gorgeous models, award-winning musicians, and best of all, the glamorous, winged costumes of bras and panties. Who could be unhappy looking at that for an hour?? This year's biggest cause of unhappiness or topic of concern: cultural appropriation . The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines 'appropriating' in three ways: "to take exclusive possession of; to set apart for or assign to a particular purpose or use; to take or make use of without authority or right" I'll agree that the ladies of the fashion show owned/took possession of that runway and worked the hell out of those extravagant costumes; VS leaders set themselves apart to show success and innovation in the lingerie and fashion industries; and the designers most likely didn't ask any ambassadors or natives of the cultures that some of the costumes represented...