Jill Scott Urges Better Portrayal For Women

I hope everybody had a fun and safe holiday yesterday. Mine was pretty good considering the fact that I almost caught an assault charge. Let's just say that I believe in violence.

Anyway, since the last post seemed to spark sometime of lame debate in the comments thread (yes, lame) I decided that this would be a lovely way to follow up on it.

The portrayal of black women in popular music and videos is too often degrading and the black community must find a way to change these images, best-selling singer Jill Scott said Monday. "It is dirty, inappropriate, inadequate, unhealthy and polluted," Scott said. "We can demand more."

Scott spoke before a panel that discussed the issue took the stage at the Essence Music Festival's empowerment seminars as part of the magazine's Take Back the Music campaign.
Actor Shemar Moore, rapper Common and former video dancer, Karrine Steffans, who wrote the book "Confessions of a Video Vixen," concerning her exploits, were part of the discussion. The panel addressed the dangers these images present to young girls and said education and self-esteem will help keep them from believing this is a proper representation of black women.

"Ladies you are queens and you need to believe it," Moore said. "What do you want and what are you willing to do to get it?" Steffans believes a lack of self-esteem allowed her to degrade herself in videos for virtually all the big names in hip hop. "I was always told I was ugly," she said. "I didn't realize my own power and my own worth." (continue) Thanks for the link Solitaire and ETS!