"YELLOW FEVER"

Perfection is the Enemy of Greatness - Janell Monae

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In attending and participating in StoryMoja Hay Feastival in Nairobi last month, i had the opportunity to attend a dialogue series entitled "shadism" where i got to meet Ng'endo Mukii in person and watch her short film, 'yellow fever' featured and act as an entry point to discussions around race, identity, conceptions of beauty, blackness, self love, ownership, bodies....black/african bodies in particular. It was awakening for me to be surrounded by women of all body shapes, sizes, skin shades, hair textures and perspectives about their bodies and what it means/meant to be an African/black/woman of color growing up. The panel was buzzing, the stories were at times haunting, other times all too real and honest, most importantly, the topic laid at the core of how these women/us women come to view ourselves.

I recommend you check yellow fever out and support this illustrator/filmmaker and mind sparker. Her inspiration, her 8 year old niece who associated 'white/being light skin' with being 'comfortable'. Ah, 'comfortable' in one's skin, is this not the life battle.

I recall the dialect relationship i continue to have with my body as a 'lighter skinned' African woman, with a flat nose and softer hair in a body that is all too 'big' for many a 'festish' for others and 'oddly surprisingly non too 'imposing' for others. I take up space but most like to say ' you are FAT, but PRETTY too', as though to make up for my bigness.

we continue to interrogate the limits society places on our bodies, on the shade of our skin which determines power, influence and projectile. we continue to challenge one another for the choices we make even when we recognise the 'forces' at large that influence the choice we make to be 'lighter', 'thinner', or 'prettier' through various forms of enhancement whether it be skin lightening, brazilian weaves, fake nails, fake eyelashes, breast enhancements and the list can continue...

Mukii's film though for me does this.....opens the gates for discussion and in that inserts a perspective most of us are all so aware off....that is the beauty inherent in art.

I am back.

fambul dem, this is how we do...