letter writing

The following black face image appeared in an editorial piece for i-D Magzine featuring American Apparel clothing,

Being that advertising is my day job, I'm extremely sensitive to imagery from advertisers and media outlets. So when I saw the above picture for the first time, it struck me as odd and in poor taste. As I continued to examine the concept and wording of the piece, I began to find it offensive and inflamatory. At that point I made it my personal mission to do something. What did I do? Friday I wrote a letter. I wrote a letter to American Apparel to let them know I wasn't happy with the imagery I saw in i-D Magazine. I also emailed the above image to my entire email list which includes over 200 people. I encouraged them to write letters as well, and many did. I also contacted as many woman and civil rights organizations as possible. And just like that, a campaign was born.

This past Friday I received a letter from American Apparel letting me know they had nothing to do with the creative direction of the above photoshoot. Here is a small piece of what that letter said.

The offensive image that you referenced is not an American Apparel ad, nor did American Apparel have anything to do with the creative direction. Since we have no creative input on any fashion editorials produced, I would express your understandable concerns with this recent fashion editorial to i-D magazine. - them

I replied back with the following email.

We now understand this was not an ad created by your company.

However, the fact remains, your products are a part of that racist image. Therefore, to not denounce i-D magazine's immoral use of your product is to stand by it.

Unless and until American Apparel has gone on record to distance themselves from I-D magazine's creative interpretation, we will continue to push forward with our awareness campaign to let people of color know of the types of racist images still being generated, and the names of the companies that condone this type of imagery. - me

Well, American Apparel wanted it to be known that they hire diverse people and the above image is in no way representative of their business ethics or hiring practices. In fact, they called the business office of 3rd Eye Open to speak about it. They were contrite, and let it be known they would be publicly distancing themselves from this editorial piece. We'll now be focusing our attention on i-D Magazine and their irreverent level of sensitivity.

Now, I know some of you are like, come on, this is much to do about nothing. Well, I don't see it that way. I believe that true activism is about doing more than TOLERATING things we don't like. It's about actively pursuing an end. Whether that is an apology, education, a firing, removal of images, or simply to drawing attention to an issue. And nothing communicates our angers and frustrations better than letter writing. I am not a trouble maker. I am a citizen of the U.S. willing to yell, kick, and scream for issues close to my heart. Over the years, I've written tons of letters to different organzations, politicians, executives, and newpaper writers. Through this dialogue we can force a change, see Imus. If more of us wrote letters and protested, our current president wouldn't be in office. But that's another issue altogether. The world is full of wrongs. And one of the best ways to right those wrongs, is by WRITING. So why aren't you? Power to the people, one luv.

YOU

hey YOU.

YOU don't smile enough. or even think to.

YOU have eyes, that hold tears filled with unaswered questions, memories and frustrations, that subside when YOU cry, but always come back to eventually bother YOU.

YOU don't believe enough. in yourself. in others. or your ability to simply believe.

YOU only feel misunderstood, because YOU misunderstand the importance of communication.

don't blame other people for not being YOU, for not thinking as YOU would, or acting as YOU would.

YOU are loved.

YOU are as different, as you are alike, all the rest of us. sometimes that comforts you, other times it just makes you feel overlooked, ordinary, and alone.

YOU think i don't know YOU. the truth is, everyone who has ever known YOU, knows YOU well enough to know how special YOU are, even when they don't act like it.

there is someone YOU love, that you have been preparing yourself to lose. and still, when YOU finally lose them, YOU won't be prepared.

the world spins to your rhythm, YOU just don't know it.

God watches YOU. even when YOU stop looking to God.

no one will ever take a chance on YOU, until YOU take a chance on somebody.

it's okay to really love who YOU are, YOU deserve that.

the YOU you were yesterday, is not the YOU you are today. YOU are better.

YOU are smarter than you'll ever know.

stronger than you'll ever know.

more magnificent than you'll ever know.

in fact, YOU remind me of someone very special.

ME.

bruce lee says...

Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.

Simplicity is the key to brilliance.

If you think a thing is impossible, you'll make it impossible.

Truth has no path. Truth is living and, therefore, changing.

A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.

If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of.

As you think, so shall you become.

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

The highest technique is to have no technique.

To see a thing uncoloured by one's own personal preferences and desires is to see it in its own pristine simplicity.

The idea is that flowing water never goes stale, so just keep on flowing

The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.

bootie lies: the untruth about sex

"Dude, you know I hit that right."

"Ole girl? For real?"

"Oh hell yeah, killed that sh*t all night long. She a freak too..... Oh yeah, don't tell nobody."

Just like that, a bootie lie is born. We all know what a bootie lie is. I never heard more booties lies in my life than in the high school locker room. Something about testosterone concentrated in one place tends to make sex the main subject of any and every conversation. And anywhere there are men talking about sex, there are men lying about sex. No, men aren't the only ones that tell bootie lies, but men do it with such prowess that it's like we own the genre. I've seen guys tell bootie lies to seem more macho and to hide their insecurities, while others just do it to fit in and go along for the ride. What I always found amusing is, for the most part, you could always see a bootie lie a mile away.

Something about a bootie lie is always exaggerated. It's never just, "yo, I hit that". It always has elements that resemble a creative writing exercise. As if the teller of the lie is under the belief that, the more unbelievable the story is, the more they'll be forced to believe me. Instead it always has the opposite affect . Although some bootie lies will go down as some of the funniest things I've ever heard, for the most part, I look down on guys who lie about sex. I just think it's a pretty weak thing to do. I mean, anyone willing to sacrifice another person to make themself look good doesn't have much heart or integrity in my opinion. But a funny thing happens when you serve up a young man a strong dose of peer pressure. Chances are, no matter how much of an individual he is, he just may fall prone to wanting to "fit in". I should know, because once upon a time, I too told a bootie lie.

The year was 1992, second semester of my freshman year in college. I was hanging around some of the older guys and they were grilling us freshman about what girls we had slept with. Slowly they started making their way around the room, from one guy to the next asking him the same question, "who you been with". Didn't take much of a brain to figure out my turn under the microscope was coming up pretty soon. Instead of telling the truth, "I got with this senior, and that's it", I panicked. They viewed me as a leader to a lot of those dudes, different, cooler, more mature. And I did not want to disappoint. So what did I do? I told a booty lie. Not only did I mention the girl's name who I got with, I also offered up a girl who had been liking me a lot, Stacy. I think I felt like, one chic for the semester wasn't good enough for a playa-playa like myself, so I threw my homegirl under the bus. Stacy was a girl who I was cool with. We got a long great as friends, then she decided she liked me. We tried that for a minute, nothing came of it, and we went back to being homies. Why her name came out of my mouth of all people, I'll never know. But it did. And the minute those guys started going "ewwwwwww, this boy is a pimp", I knew I had made one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

Fast forward to the LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL. Picture me in the gym playing basketball. Picture Stacy walking towards the court with three or four angry looking girls with her. I'm hooping, and Stacy yells out, "I need to talk to you". I immediately knew what time it was, but I stayed cool. "Alright, when the game is over", and I kept hooping. Soon as the game was over. I stepped to Stacy with confidence thinking, "f*ck it, just tell the truth." But somehow, the truth did not come out. She asked me had I told people I slept with her. I said "no." She said, "you sure?" I said "yes", and that was that. She then proceeded to hunt down each and every guy who was there to ask what if anything I had said about her. Till this day, I don't know if they lied for me, or told the truth. Really doesn't matter. Stacy and I never spoke again. I've actually only seen her one time since that day, about three years later. I was at a club, and before I got a chance to go up to her and apologize, she rolled her eyes and walked the other way. Dayum that hurt. Believe it or not, that bootie lie has been eating at me for 16 years. I try to live my life in a way that I don't have people out there who hate me for no reason. And it hurts me deeply to know, there is a girl who hates me for a very good reason, because I lied on her. Well, a lot of time has passed, and I think it's unhealthy for me to keep carrying the weight of that mistake with me. So as of today, I officially forgive myself for that bootie lie.

I was eighteen when I told that lie, and I did what eighteen year old boys do, I lied about sex. That doesn't make it right, but it also doesn't make it the end of the world. It's time for me to move on. As for Stacy, if you're out there reading this, or if we somehow cross paths in the future, I just want to let you know from the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry for slandering your good name and throwing away our friendship over a bootie lie. I just hope enough time has passed that you finally accept my apology. One luv.