This morning, I decided i wanted to look into fabric design, screenprinting, etc. I ended up on a site, that was filled with lots of info. There, I came across a link to the "South African Designers Guide."

I was so excited to see what this offered, as i know that the South African region has a looong history of rich, vibrant and intricate design.

What i found surprised me! Not only were there no bold, colorful, intricate designs, but NONE of the featured designers were Black. Not one! Now i know that S.A. is a very mixed country, but MOST of the people there are Black, so their exclusion was a bit suspect.

I mean, over the years I’ve seen some absolutely fabulous art and design that has come from South Africa. Some of it was "revolutionary art" that was in direct response to that countries racist history. Some was the celebration of the spirit that permeates oppressed people.

So how, in this guide, was none of that included?

And the comments!!! While there were many people who asked the same question that i am, there were some, that were downright disturbing!

Greetings Ladies,

So this is the situation... I've been doing this substitute teaching job since February ( at the request of my mother) and i absolutely do not like it. It's not only extremely challenging but it is also saddening to see how many of our children are coming out.

I'm typically a homebody, introvert type of person and working with the youth as a substitute teacher is just, well, the most challenging and humbling thing i've done. I am appreciative of the job, for it has taught me a lot about myself, including why I need to be the type of mother i am. It has also made me more sensitive to the needs of our community children AND the wisdom of our elders in how they raised children.

As an afterschool teacher, i have no problems. I can even teach the same youth that i have as a substitute very well, outside of the school setting. But as a sub, in-and-out, it just taxing.

So i tell myself, i only have to do this until June. Maybe over the summer.... But i gotta find another source of income so i don't have to be doing this next school year.

Greetings Ladies,

Thanks for your thoughts on this subject. You know the other issue that came to mind around this topic of Black people and Wellness was around the diversity of Black people in general. I almost felt like the sister who had become offended at the mention of "Wellness" in the AA community, was assuming that all Black people were the same and at the same place. While we are statistically, all Black folks, that does not represent the differences (extreme difference) within our communities. Many of us ARE dealing with our STUFF and thus wellness is very applicable. However, some of us are really just dealing with basic survival and safety issues, so so-called "wellness" may not mean as much. HOWEVER, even in those survival categories, WELLNESS, depending on how its defined, can still play a role in our healing.

So the question is how does a sister or brother, living in a violence and/or drug ridden community in say East Oakland, incorporate Wellness into thier lives and what would that Wellness look like?

Quesion?

Is the idea of wellness relevant to Black People? Or are we so jacked up, have so many issues (i.e. poverty, mental health, trauma, post traumatic slave syndrome, etc)that we can not even think about the word "wellness"? I was in a discussion today, where a white woman brought up the importance of Wellness in the AA Community ( and i agreed) but another sister disagreed (very strongly) stating that the idea of Wellness, rejeuvanation,renewal, etc. is not possible with Black Folks cause we got soooo much other stuff to deal with and that even the idea of "wellness" is an insult that seems to ignore all that Black folks have to deal with. What do ya'll think?

Peace and Blessings, Aishah
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