the answer to a girl like me

Justice For Tamla Horsford! Unfortunately her story never made the national news, she was murdered last year. Please take some time to SIGN her petition to help get her case reopened: CLICK HERE 

Also please READ about her case: CLICK HERE

I’ve been seeing a lot of this shit lately.

Apparently bergamot is getting popular. I figure now’s a good time to address the issue.

Bergamot is a citrus fruit that smells amazing, so a lot of people like to make essential oils out of it and put it in candles and stuff.

However, this should NEVER go on your skin. It has the same effects as Giant Hogweed (& some other wild carrots like Queen Anne’s Lace) and will give you nasty rashes and chemically hyper-boosted sunburns by making skin highly reactive to sunlight.

Remember this?

I personally have had friends who were seriously hurt by putting bergamot essential oils on their skin. It sucks.

In case you don’t want to look it up yourself:

Don’t use or make bergamot soap. Don’t use or make bergamot lotion. Don’t use or make bergamot anything that goes on your skin.

Just don’t put bergamot on your skin.

This brave Black woman was injured in the attack and needs help - as she’s also left the job after being traumatized by the incident. Help her and her family out here: ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ CLICK HERE

Her attacker is HIV-positive and she sustained cuts during the attack. She’s currently on antiviral medication in the hope that immediate treatment will keep her from contracting a debilitating lifelong illness. Part of the reason she needs to raise so much money is the cost of these medications–antivirals (as opposed to antiretrovirals, which are “you have it and we’re trying to mitigate it) are mostly experimental.

Just as an example to explain how expensive they are, a few years ago I had the flu and was prescribed the antiviral Tamiflu. It cost me $119–AND I HAD INSURANCE. And that’s for a medication for a relatively straightforward viral infection–imagine the cost for preventing HIV. (I know PrEP is well over $1000.)

This is Megumi Igarashi

She’s a Japanese artist

Japan, the country with some of the most fucked up pornography and the penis festival

Where the vagina is basically illegal to talk about 

So she did a bunch of art featuring 3D sculptures of her vagina, including this kayak, and was put in jail for it

She was indicted again in December on obscenity charges for selling vagina art to crowdfund for the kayak and could spend two years in prison

In Japan, women’s vaginas are treated as though they are men’s property. The trains here usually display pornographic advertisements. As a woman, I find that blatant objectification to be humiliating. I’m disgusted by it. My body belongs to me. So, with this project I wanted to release the vagina from the standard Japanese paradigm. Japan is lenient towards expressions of male sexuality and arousal, but not so for women. When a woman uses her body in artistic expression, her work gets ignored, and people treat her as if she’s some sex-crazed idiot. It all comes back to misogyny. And the vagina is at the heart of it. The vagina is ridiculed. It’s lusted after. Men don’t see women as equals—to them, women are just vaginas. Then they call my vagina-themed work “obscene,” and judge me according to laws written by and for men. [x]

She plans to turn her trial in to a manga comic. She seems pretty sure she’s not going to do any jail time but if you’d like to help her pay for her inevitable fine and court fees, you can check out her online store. There are little glow in the dark vagina characters.

hello everyone. Soraya, this little angel baby who I painted back in 2016, passed away on Sunday. I am having a sale on my tictail shop to raise money for her funeral. please consider buying something if you can. (most things are 50% off or more). 

if you’d rather donate straight to her family’s gofundme here is the link: https://www.gofundme.com/help-soraya-duckworth-heart-fund

Hi my name is Jessica me and my 3 month old son have been homeless for 2 weeks I really could use some help I do not want to have to give up my son some help with food would be a blessing. There are no homeless shelters in rural areas like where I live, I have WIC but I can’t warm up his formula. We are staying in my car. If anyone could donate it would be much appreciated. God Bless. 

These photos were taken around one year apart.  One year.

Can you imagine living your life without teeth?

https://www.gofundme.com/toothless-and-desperate

Have a brief example of what you’d experience:

- Unable to eat properly, your health and physical well-being suffers significantly and this shortens your life over time.  If you’re like me and have weak jaws, you’ll likely not be able to chew well; you’re going to be swallowing lumps of things, which is uncomfortable, gross, and unhealthy.

-Eating can be very painful, to the point you’re going to be eating soup, mashed potatoes, or cream of wheat for at least a few meals.

-Self-confidence tanks, and so can your mental health; this has really f*cked me up, leaving me intensely depressed to the point where I’ve pretty much cried for entire days, not to mention trying to adjust to this nightmare that has become my life.

- Dentures generally need to be pasted into your mouth (the paste doesn’t usually last that well, and isn’t a fix-all.  It also tastes pretty foul.) and tend to cause anything from mild discomfort to bad pain.

- You don’t get to eat anything sticky, chewy, etc.; no more toffee, gum, unprocessed meat, salad (yes, even things like lettuce and spinach are VERY difficult to eat.  And, forget fresh fruit and veggies.  Too firm,

- No biting with your front teeth.  

- There is no real ‘resting place’ for your lower jaw - it’s uncomfortable and even painful to have your gums pressed together, and letting your lower jaw relax and ‘hang’ is almost as bad.

- Have you heard someone speak without teeth?  You’re liable to repeat things A LOT and feel self-conscious and stupid.

-People will shun you, or give you repulsed looks.

-Try looking for work when you look like I do, all gums and no teeth.  No way you’re getting an interview or a call back.

https://www.gofundme.com/toothless-and-desperate

Not to mention that your JAWS SHRINK and make it even more difficult to eat/speak and are prone to FRACTURING.

That’s why I am on my knees, begging and praying for the donations I so desperately need to replace my teeth with implants.

Implants act like REAL TEETH and I could eat/speak as before and my jaws would stop shrinking.  But, I live in poverty and am disabled.  I can’t afford it alone.  I’m scared this is going to be the end of me.

Hello! For those of you who don’t know, my name is Amira Hasib and I am a senior Film/Video major at Pratt Institute. I am current looking to film my senior thesis project, but I need your help! In order to bring this project, this idea I’ve had since high school, to life, I need to raise $3,150! This money will go to set design, costume design, art direction, securing locations, transportation, and feeding the cast! Everyone is working for free and donating their time so it is only right for this project to come to life the way I see it in my head.

If you support black women in film, check out the Kickstarter page as well as the details below!

The Story

Young, black and supernaturally gifted, Nightwatcher is the story of Leila, who at the age of 7, accidentally discovers she has the super natural ability to teleport when she is being bullied by classmates. Leila then realizes that this power only emerges when she feels she is in extreme danger and/or under extreme stress.

It isn’t until 14 years later, that Leila’s power reemerges when her best friend, Lance, falls victim to a racially motivated assault. After this event, Leila then has to choose whether or not she accepts this power and who she is along with it.

Why me?

I wanted to write and direct a story about someone who defies the standard conventions of what is acceptable. I wanted a hero that had every right to be a hero–someone who has always been persecuted, outcasted, and scorned simply for existing. I wanted a black girl to be my superhero because as black women, we are everything society rejects –female, and black– versus being white, and male.

Black women have always been the pioneers of social revolution and its about time we start being depicted as the super heroes that we are. That is my goal with this film as well as all media I produce–black women deserve to be nuanced, we deserve to be depicted in ways that are true and authentic versus stereotypical and one dimensional.

A glimpse of what’s in store…

Below (which is also on the Kickstarter page) is a test shoot I did of Nightwatcher two years ago. I’ve always wnated the main character to be a woman, this is just a take on the cinematographic style and narrative I wanted to test out.

So, all in all, we have 30 days to raise $3,150! I hope you all can help me get this film made! All prizes and further details are on the Kickstarter page! 

Please keep in mind, that me raising this money is ALL or NOTHING, and I pray you all believe in this project as much as I do and will ensure I can get it made! Thank you!

SUPPORT BLACK WOMEN IN FILM AND LET’S GO, GO, GO!

Donations kinda stalled but let’s keep this going. The sooner we raise the funds the sooner we can start production! It’s a joint effort and even the smallest amounts are appreciated and I am so thankful to everyone who boosted as well as donated to this production.

CALL YOUR REPS!

I think that people forget that condoms protect you from more than just pregnancy.

It’s called post exposure prophylaxis.

http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/prophylaxis/en/

If you’ve had unprotected sex and are afraid of possibly being at risk for HIV, please go to the emergency room and ask about POST EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS.

http://men.prepfacts.org/the-questions/

because Alexa WILL NOT call for help unless you’ve set it up this way first!

this woman was REALLY smart to do that, because otherwise the Echo thing would’ve done nothing. don’t think your Echo will respond to “call 911″ or “call the cops/ambulance/fire department” unless you’ve set it up with the numbers first, and certainly don’t think it’ll hear sounds of a struggle and call for help without a direct command. otherwise think of how many false reports it would make just from overhearing TV and movies being on! 

PLEASE READ AND REBLOG!!!!!

An Article from Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.