Open Letter to Katrina "Trina"Taylor:
In 1810, a South African woman named Sara Baartman aka "Hottentot Venus" was paraded across Europe as the epitome of a Chocolate Fantasy.
In 2008, the exploitation of black women continues.
Dear Ms. Taylor,
This letter is to inform you that you have just been selected for the 2008 Hottentot Venus Award for the most exploited black woman of the year. I have to admit that it was a close contest between you and that thick chick from the "Lollipop" video but that CD cover with a bullet perched, locked and loaded between your luscious lips put you over the top. I am sure that the cover will make a nice poster to hang on the walls of the bedrooms of thousands of abused black women across the country.
In case you're not hip to the Sista who the award is named after, let me drop this on you. Sara Baartman was a South African who was taken all over Europe in freak shows because of here big behind and large breasts. When they were through exploiting her, they left her broke and destitute. Even after she died at the age of 25, they put her remains in a museum in Paris. I wonder what the Trina exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute is going to be like ?
Now, I'm not going to give you some long history lesson about how the black woman is the mother of civilization and used to be queens in Africa because if "Ladies First" by Queen Latifa and Monie Love didn't get your attention in the 90's and the staggering HIV and teen pregnancy statistics of 2008 don't phase you, learning about Queens Nzinga and Candace, probably won't, either.
I know that this may seem a little strange coming from a Brotha but in the real world boys grow up to be men and eventually, the "junk in the trunk" becomes less important than what's under the lid. But who really loves the black woman the most, the Brotha hangin' on the corner holdin' himself yellin' "Shawty lemma holla at cha" or the Brother who tells you the truth?
Now, I know that they tell you that you have Freedom of Speech but did Ice T have Freedom of Speech when he wrote Cop Killer or did Young Buck when he was censored by the "lyric committee" for rappin' about police brutality. I guess speech is only free to inflict more pain on the already mortally wounded: a generation of young black girls looking for love and acceptance in all the wrong places.
Yeah, I know that a girl's role model should be her mother and all that but did Mama Jones raise her baby to grow up to be a stripper or were you watching Luke Skywalker and the 2 Live Crew videos while mama thought you were downstairs studying to be a lawyer ?
Trina, for better or worst, the realty is that you have a whole lot of little girls who look to you as a role model. Like it or not, you have more influence on some girls than their parents, teachers or politicians, combined. Unfortunately, many of the same young sisters who know every word to every song on your CD, can't tell you one thing that Michelle Obama said at the last Democratic Convention. So, you can have a thousand black first ladies and it won't do a thang to improve the self image of young black girls unless artists like yourself, accept some measure of responsibility for your actions.
So, Ms. Taylor, we congratulate you on being the "Hottentot of the Year" and as you prepare to take your victory walk, just remember that you have a generation of young black girls following behind you.
Min. Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation in Durham NC. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
