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She Was An Unexpected Martyr Of The Racial Tension Of The Day

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Thurgood Marshall Was the Right Man at the Right Time

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Thurgood Marshall’s historic appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the nation’s first African-American Justice, Marshall exemplified an unyielding commitment to the fight for equality for marginalized groups. Throughout his twenty-four year tenure on the Supreme Court, Marshall championed Civil Rights issues and made tremendous strides, combining legislation and political activism. Upon being denied entry to University of Maryland Law School due to his race, Marshall’s first-hand experience with racial discrimination prepared him for a life of dismantling injustice and intolerance. Of the 32 cases he argued before the Supreme Court, he prevailed in 29, which made him the most winningest Justice of all-time up to that point. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Marshall appeared to always be on the right side of history as seen through his involvement as legal counsel for the NAACP and his impressive voting record in major cases. Marshall proudly sided with the victors in the famous Roe v. Wade case protecting women’s rights to abortion. Most notably, he spearheaded one of the most important cases of the 20th century, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Marshall’s ingenious use of the U.S. Constitution to refute the “separate but equal” doctrine and undermine years of racial segregation cemented him as one of the nation’s greatest legal figures. It is truly unbelievable that 50 years have passed since Thurgood Marshall began his remarkable career as a Supreme Court Justice. Though his compassion for disenfranchised communities was unmatched by his peers, he fearlessly pressed forward without their support. The fact that none of his Supreme Court decisions have ever been overturned clearly reveals the permanent impression Marshall left on the legal field. The undeniable impact of his work on race relations in America solidifies his place among the most influential Civil Rights pioneers of our generation with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. The post Thurgood Marshall Was the Right Man at the Right Time appeared first on PushBlack.

Natural Hair and Hotcombs: The Challenge of Selling Out

The goal of many entrepreneurs is to grow such a large customer base and generate an upward trend of returns such that their company is acquired by a larger company. But at what cost? Natural hair care lines that were once remarkably successful within communities of color have transitioned to corporate (read: White) ownership, leaving the consumer to wonder who is truly targeted for and benefitting from the product. Carol’s Daughter, founded by Lisa Price, was created in a Black woman’s kitchen. To many of us, it represented a brand name success story to the homemade concoctions passed down from our grandmothers and mothers alike. Though the product line experienced initial success, tension over marketing strategies that transitioned to focus on the “mainstream,” “polyethnic space,” or a definition of beauty [that] is now colorless,” impacted the bottom line between 2010 and 2011. But through a series of press interviews and celebrity influencers, including Jada Pinkett-Smith, Carol’s Daughter was able to bounce back and has now been acquired by L’Oreal. Morgan Jenkins, the author of “The Whitewashing of Natural Hair Care Lines,” reported on Raquel Savage’s experience at a recent hair expo. According to Jenkins, Savage felt a “dilution of Blackness” and drew concern from Carol’s Daughter sales reps who said, “the textures that work best for these hair [products] are curly to wavy to very curly, as opposed to saying it’s for ethnic and women of color.” “The transformation of marketing natural hair care lines is a strong testament to what Black consumers gain and lose when their beloved products became [sic] a part of larger corporations – ‘mainstream’ can be a loose euphemism to erase Blackness altogether.” To Jenkins, her experience at the expo demonstrated a shift from the company’s original narrative and she wasn’t pleased. medianet_width = "728"; medianet_height = "90"; medianet_crid = "176368458"; medianet_versionId = "111299"; (function() { var isSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; var mnSrc = (isSSL ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//contextual.media.net/nmedianet.js?cid=8CU946134' + (isSSL ? '&https=1' : ''); document.write(''); })(); But even if there was no measurable change in marketing strategies, this wouldn’t be the first – or last – time that a Black-owned company was accused of potentially “selling-out.” In 2010, Madame Noire reported on “7 Businesses that went from Black-owned to Corporate,” with notable brands like Rocawear, Phat Fashions, and Soft Sheen making the list. Additionally, News One has reported on “Top 10 Things You Thought Were Black-Owned But Aren’t,” including BET and Mark Ecko. But is casting a wider net really a problem? Some Black entrepreneurs insist that Black people don’t buy their products, or enough of them. But with Black buying power set to reach $1.7 trillion by 2017, we wonder if a wider appeal is truly necessary for our Black-owned companies. Attempts for Black-centric marketplaces have tried and failed, while others have sought to shift focus from products-based to service-based r in hopes of maximizing our buying power. Though no single formula exists, PushBlack encourages its family to make ardent efforts to buy Black when possible: supporting Black-owned businesses, organizations, and professionals so to build a collective empire. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The post Natural Hair and Hotcombs: The Challenge of Selling Out appeared first on PushBlack.