Ballet Teresa and Barbie....

 This photo was recently taken in a Louisiana Walmart. It seems as though Ballet Teresa here has been discounted to half of her price of her counterpart, Ballet Barbie. Why you may ask, is this a big deal....Walmart is just trying to hit their numbers...it's called inventory management. So, this led me to thinking...do we literally look at everything as color and race, or is this truly a major ordeal? I went to the toyrus.com website, and also found this Superstar Barbie on clearance for $3.00....I also got to pondering about the dolls my daughter plays with...I still have yet to find that perfect doll for her, even among the "mixed" dolls, there still seems to be the usual suspects....so my quest continues...and as for my daughter: i noticed that she has a fair share of the rainbow coalition in her Barbie line-up...and she plays with all of them: even those with missing limbs...and haircuts...=)

Check it Out!!

I stumbled upon this website this morning, and felt compelled to share. It is a new up and coming magazine that is devoted to all races. It will circulate in select newspapers around the country, ( just like Parade, for example). This magazine is a great way to showcase diversity and focus on the positive and uplifting ways it can bring us together! Here is their website: http://www.usariseup.com/index.cfm Chow!

Mixed Families....Different but the Same

What a great weekend! Even though it's about to be Monday soon, at least I am comforted by the thoughts of a short work week, thanks to July 4th. Add that to my doctor's appt. on Thurs., and we are sittin' pretty with a 3.5 day work week! Yeah!!

This weekend we had a bday party to attend for our good friends' 2 year old twins, who are absolutely adorable. It was wonderful to see a lot of our friends there, we always have a great time hanging out within our "circle of friends." As a few of my gal pals and I were sitting around the table chatting about life, kids, and marriage, it was brought to our attention that all of us are in some type of "mixed" marriage; resulting in at least one child. It's so ironic that within this close knit group of friends, that race or color is or has never been a focal point or issue. It brings me to the phrase..."Different but the Same." Because that is what we represent: black, brown, white, and the spectrum between, different cultures, backgrounds and races. We are a sacrament to the American Melting Pot. What makes this group so different than anybody else?
We all are hardworking, caring, dependable, loyal, respectful, funny (well, maybe not everyone.. :) honorable and dedicated to our families. Wait a minute, where exactly is the difference? ...... Point in case...we're not. What's different: color, race, ethnicity and backgrounds. And that my friends is the beauty of friendship, bringing together differences and similarities. The yin and yang of life. Chow!

What’s the Word

It’s finally Hump-day! Thank God! We have been doing an incredible amount of swimming over the last few days, and my daughter is golden brown. She held up her arm the other night, and said: “Look mom, you’re red, and I’m tan.” She thought that was hysterical. I totally burned like bacon in this heat. That’s one of the first references to color that she has made. In her mind, she refers to herself as “tan.” We haven’t had any significant discussions about race yet. We like to point out that she is a beautiful mix of both mommy and daddy, so we will see if that resonates for awhile :)

Frustration

The frustration behind checking the infamous box of : race. I recently just registered my daughter for kindergarten, and of course in the paperwork, you must check race. I decided to choose black and white; being that that’s what my daughter is. When the administrator was going over the paperwork, she immediately told me that I had to pick just one. I am not allowed to check both. I should have known better, but how can you deny one parent completely? I ended up check marking black, but leaving the office feeling very disheartened. It was like i didn’t even exist. I’m sorry ma’am, but she can be only one race, even if you did carry her for 9 months. When will we ever catch up to the 21st century?

BrownGirl Byte

BrownGirlSpeak… What does it mean? A voice, a thought, a passion; a…. Long Time Coming. This blog is dedicated to ALL racially and ethnically diverse or “mixed” girls who are BrownGirlSpeak; it is a forum that is open to all parents who are raising a beautiful brown girl, and the joys and challenges that we as parents face in today’s world.