coolcalmcommitted:

oldfilmsflicker:

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that even when you are the youngest person ever to be nominated for an Academy Award, many people will use the occasion not to hold you up for all of the amazing things you obviously are, but to tear you down for the ways you don’t look like them, the ways your name isn’t their kind of right, the ways you don’t remind them of themselves, the ways you are not blonde or blue-eyed, as if those things could possibly matter when set against the otherwordly talent and beauty and brilliance you possess.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you come into it already expected to be less than you almost certainly are, the genius and radiant darkness you possess already set up to be overlooked, dismissed or erased by almost everyone you will ever meet.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that even when you are everything, some people will want you to be nothing. They will look at you through the nothing-colored glasses they will put on every time you enter a room. And the bigness of you, the outstandingness, the giftedness, will be invisible to them.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world who is already, at nine years old, confident enough to demand that lazy, disrespectful reporters call you by your name, is that most people will not understand the amount of comfort in one’s own skin it takes to do that, will not be able to grasp the sheer fierceness of it, the boldness, the certainty, the love for yourself, and will not be blown away at seeing you do it, though they should be.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that your right to be a child, to be small and innocent and protected, will be ignored and you will be seen as a tiny adult, a tiny black adult, and as such will be susceptible to all the offenses that people two and three and four times your age are expected to endure.

But take heart.

Because the thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you are descended from people whose incredible strength and resilience are alive and kicking in you. 

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you are made from beauty and struggle and soul.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that when you have talent, you probably have more of it in your tiniest toe than most of the people who tear you down have in their entire families.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that if you are lucky enough to know your own worth, you know everything you need to know.

The thing about being a little black girl in the world is that you will be surrounded by other black girls who know. And they will hold your hand and braid your hair and laugh with you. They will tell you that you are a gift. They will let you be perfect and let you be flawed. They will rock you in their arms and protect your heart. They will whisper and shout about all that you are. And in a world that wants you gone from the very moment you are born, they will help you stay alive. Some of them will even help you get free.

We got you, girl.

With so much love.

The Thing About Being A Little Black Girl In the World: For Quvenzhané Wallis — Black Girl Dangerous

Wow. This was perfectly written.

(via veganemelda)

glitterlion:

So you have Seth MacFarlane sexualizing 9 year old Quvenzhané Wallis with the joke:

just to put it into perspective how young quvenzhane wallis is, it will be sixteen years before she’s too old for george clooney

You have The Hollywood Reporter feeling the need to publish the “brutally honest” ramblings of an Oscar voter who stated that they wouldn’t vote for Quvenzhané because they couldn’t pronounce her name.

I also don’t vote for anyone whose name I can’t pronounce. Quvez—-? Quzen—-? Quyzenay? Her parents really put her in a hole by giving her that name — Alphabet Wallis. The truth is, it’s a very sweet but immature performance from a 9-year-old. I’ve directed children. They probably did a thousand takes and put the best ones together.”

And it’s not limited to this one person.

And you have the Onion calling Quvenzhané Wallis a “cunt” because that’s apparently what everyone is thinking.

And I’m sure you can imagine what other lovely tidbits are floating around the interwebs from the white folks who outraged at the fact that she’s going to be playing Annie. Oh wait.

As Quvenzhané becomes more and more prominent in the media, the vitriol and ridiculousness will grow and become more prevalent and more targeted. I can only imagine what things I could find if I actually devoted time to trolling the internet or what words will be written when promotional media starts coming out for Annie.

And we’re supposed to believe that their isn’t an attack on Black women and girls in this country/world.

uh huh. okay.

(via brazilianveganfeminist)

thusspakekate:

A little white girl says the world cunt, and the world falls over itself to clutch its pearls and say she should be sheltered from such vile language.

A little black (who is even younger) actually gets called the same word, and everyone’s like, “come on you guys, lighten up. it’s a joke.”

(via veganemelda)

samspratt:

“Quvenzhané Wallis Study” - by Sam Spratt

AKA the 9 year-old best actress Oscar Nominee.

My accomplishments at Age 9:

• I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunchbox?
• End of list.

(via brieana90)

smartladieslovestuff:

Just about the cutest picture ever. Emmanuelle Riva and Quvenzhané Wallis, the youngest and oldest Best Actress nominees ever.

(via brieana90)

racialicious:

blkgirlblogging:

Quvenzhané Wallis for Entertainment Weekly’s annual Oscars issue

this is so charming.

One more Racialicious Seriously Cute for your Friday.

(via the-naked-joker)