Loving Me

I just finished watching the trailer for the upcoming film “Precious” and I had an interesting reaction to it. I found myself secretly giving mainstream media props for embracing someone who did not fit into the secret standard society has set as beautiful. As I watched the trailer, I found myself secretly applauding our media and our country for the steps it’s taking to throw out the standards and show people that it is okay to embrace yourself for who you are.

Last year, I released my second novel entitled U.G.L.Y. The idea for the book came to me in 2005 when I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about weight. As someone who has been on every weight loss program, exercise program, and fad diet known to man, wasting hours of my life discussing how much I hated my body and wished it would change was nothing new to me. I don’t know what it was, but something about that particular conversation woke me up and I realized that this was the millionth conversation I had had about my weight and the one hundredth millionth time I had talked down about myself and focused purely on the negative things. In that moment I realized it needed to stop. Yes, I am a big girl, but what does that really mean? Does my weight, the size clothes I buy, the way I dress make me who I am? Is that all I see when I look at myself? Is that all anyone else sees when they look at me? Am I truly just a ‘big girl,' or am I more?

Everyday we are inundated with commercials, magazines, songs, images, celebrities, an entire industry that tells us, what we are, what we have simply isn’t good enough. We can always be a little bit thinner, a little taller, our hair a little straighter, our nose a little smaller, anything to get us closer to that ideal, but I have a question. Has anyone actually seen this ideal? Has anyone met this magical person who is flawless and perfect, who sets this imaginary standard? My guess would be no, no one has met this person because she does not exist. Everyone has flaws, something about themselves that sets them apart and makes them unique. We are all special and beautiful, exactly how we are, but it isn’t until we embrace these so called flaws and learn to love who we are, exactly as we are that we will be able to acknowledge this. No matter what our background, where we come from, what we have been through, what we look like or what flaws we have, each and every one of us has something special and unique to offer this world. Each of us has a story to tell, a talent to offer this world to make it better.

5 years later I realize how much I needed that conversation. I realize, how much I needed to be teased and called all of those names and to be ignored all of the times I was passed over. I needed every single one of those moments because if it weren’t for those things, I would not have a story to tell. I would not have a message to send out to women, young and old, in our society to let them know that, it’s okay. Who you are, what you look like, everything you are, as you are right now, is okay. Be healthy, make wise decisions, because God made you exactly as you are, made you to be exactly who are you are right now, so I encourage you to embrace it. There is only one you in this entire world, so why not love her and appreciate her for who she is.

--Brandelyn N. Castine
Guest Blogger

Brandelyn N. Castine is the author of Everybody Plays the Fool, a novel; Spoken Silence: Life in Four Parts, a volume of poetry; and the novel U.G.L.Y.

Healthy Choices for a Healthy Life

I bet you didn’t know that September was Go Healthy Month. Don’t worry if you didn’t because I didn’t either until I started doing research for this post :) This month, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s empowerME movement is encouraging more tweens and teens to eat better and move more in order to wipe out America’s obesity epidemic. In honor of Go Healthy Month, Brownstone is helping you assess your eating habits and offering alternatives to help you live a healthier life.

The Fast Food Epidemic

University of Minnesota Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) researcher Katherine Bauer, M.S., found a significant increase in the amount of fast food that teens are eating today compared with the late 1990s. She also discovered increases in the amount of fast food the teens ate as they moved from middle school to high school.

Unfortunately in the last decade, fast food outlets have been popping up everywhere. Restaurants such as McDonalds and Carl's Jr are often located near schools or other places where teens have easy access to them. In addition, as students enter high school, they often have more spending money and independence and easier access to transportation, which may result in them eating fast food for more meals with friends after school or on weekends.

What are you eating?

Did you know that students often consume up to 50% of their daily calories at school? Or that nationally, 83% of elementary schools, 97% of middle/junior high schools, and 99% of high schools sell food and beverages through vending machines, school stores, or a la carte in the cafeteria?

What’s in your school’s vending machines or snack bar? When I was in high school, we didn’t have many healthy food options. I remember our snack bar served candy, ice cream, slushies, and had every kind of chip. You could even add chilli with cheese on your Fritos. Even at lunch, someone from our group (normally me because I had a car) would take everyone's orders for Tommy’s, the local hamburger stand. Everyone loved the chicken strips with Tommy’s famous seasoned fries. I’m getting heart burn as I think about all the things I used to eat. Now there is nothing wrong with eating a little fast food, but when it becomes your only source of food it can lead to many unhealthy consequences.

The Consequences

Unhealthy eating habits can lead to:

• Obesity: Children from lower incomes are more likely to be overweight or obese because they lack access to healthy food and sports facilities.
• Skyrocketing diabetes risk: African-American and Hispanic children are developing type 2 diabetes at much higher rates than their Caucasian peers. Almost half are at risk of developing diabetes.
• Higher risk of asthma: There may be a link between the rise in childhood obesity and the rise in childhood asthma. Extra weight can make it harder to breathe and can inflame the respiratory tract.
• Increased risk of heart failure: Being overweight or out of shape makes the heart work harder. Overweight children are more likely to grow up to be overweight adults and more likely to develop heart problems. Heart failure is popular among Black women. African-American women face a greater threat of death from heart disease than women of other races.

As young women of color it’s important that we start eating healthy and taking care of bodies now to avoid any future health risks that are popular in our communities.

Healthy Alternatives

Now that you know the facts, take the Center for Young Women’s Health’s nutrition quiz to see if you have good nutrition habits.

Unhappy with your score? Want to make a change in your eating habits? Check out these tips:

1. Bring healthy snacks from home.
2. Since many unhealthy foods and beverages fund school activities, work with your child’s school to organize “healthy” fundraisers like walk-a-thons.
3. Eat foods from all of the food groups (grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy proteins, and healthy fats) each day to meet your nutritional needs.
4. Balance nutrient-rich foods with moderate amounts of other foods, such as sweets or fast foods.
5. Eat when hungry and stopping when full.

You can also check out these quick and easy recipes for teens to eat healthier at home. For more information on healthy eating please visit http://www.healthiergeneration.org/.

--Tymika Morrison
Brownstone Team


**BROWNSTONE CHALLENGE** Even though Go Healthy Month is almost over we are challenging you to keep practicing the tips you learning in this post all year long.  Share your story (written, photo or video) of how you’re making your school, home, or community a healthier place and send them to BrownstoneMag@gmail.com.  You could be featured in the launch issue of Brownstone Magazine this Spring.  Make sure to include your name, age, school, city, and contact information.

My Education, My Future

When I was in seventh grade I decided that I wanted to attend college and I wanted to be a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (Cal Berkeley). At the age of twelve it became my goal to strive for the best grades in middle school and high school. In high school I attended college fairs to research Cal Berkeley and its admission requirements. Academically, I challenged myself by taking honor and advanced placement (AP) classes; my name had a permanent place on the Academic Honor Roll. I enrolled at Cal Berkeley in 2002 and graduated in 2006.

On September 8, 2009 the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama delivered a speech on education to all the children attending kindergarten through twelfth grade in the U.S. President Obama’s speech was more of a conversation with you, America’s school children. He urged you to take responsibility in your education. The president proposed that every student from kindergarten through high school should think about what she or he likes to do or what she or he has to offer and if you are unsure; he suggested that you use education to help you discover those things.

If you have not seen the president’s speech, take a moment to watch the YouTube video attached.

President Obama urged you as a student in America, as an American to not quit on yourself because quitting on yourself would be quitting on your country. The president instructed all students that you must “train for it, work for it, and learn for it” if you want to succeed not only as a student, but also as an American. I trained for Cal Berkeley by attending college fairs and researching the school requirements, I worked to get accepted by taking challenging classes and making the honor roll in high school, and I studied hard and learned a tremendous amount so that I could graduate with a degree.

Tell us your thoughts about the president’s speech. Should you have to be responsible for your education? How are you training, working, and learning to be a successful person, a successful American? Share with us what goals you have set for yourself this school year. If you have not set any goals, what is holding you back? The president stated in his speech that you “write your destiny, you write your future.” Tell us what you want your destiny to be, what do you have planned for your future? Does the president’s speech apply to you; are you attending a struggling school that has left you behind? If so, what should have President Obama said you instead?

-- Princess K. Allen
Guest Blogger

Passion for Fashion

This past week was Fashion Week in New York City. The fashion trends and styles shown during Fashion Week will definitely be the influence for clothing hitting the shelves in Spring 2010. Clothing, of course, is a necessity, but can embody so much more. As a teenager, there may be many aspects of your life that are out of your control such as the curfew set by your parents or the History quiz given every Friday in 5th period. However, fashion is one thing that is in your hands. Or is it? Is your statement the same as your friends and classmates, or do you choose to step outside of the box and be bold?

At Fashion Week there was minimal representation by minorities. However, the label ARISE: The African Collective provided a breath of fresh air showcasing the creations of a Nigerian designer, Folake Folarin-Coker. It is apparent in her designs and her decision to use more models of color than her counterparts, that her culture is the root of her inspiration. Not everything you put on your back can evoke a message, but when the opportunity arises, why not take it?


While President Obama was running for election, there was an outpour of political messages expressed through fashion. Whether it was a t-shirt, hat or scarf, President Obama’s face was everywhere showing who was in support of Obama’s vision and even started dialogue between people who would have never spoken to each other. I remember while wearing an Obama shirt, being stopped in a grocery store and having a lengthy, yet fulfilling political conversation with another shopper.

How you dress is reflective of how you express your personality and inspiration. So the next time you throw something on, think about what message you’re sending. Is it YOUR message? How do you use fashion to make a statement? I’d love to hear your answers!

-- Martine Rouzan
Brownstone Team

Music Makeover

When you listen to music, do you ever listen to the words you’re rockin out to? Do you like what you hear? Some songs may have tight beats that make you wanna dance. Other songs may have lyrics that express exactly what you feel. Well, for me, I like songs that inspire me and make me feel beautiful and confident. My personal favorite is “Superwoman” by Alicia Keys. Like many of her fans, she empowers me to find my inner strength, particularly during hard times. Most importantly, she makes me proud to be a woman! (check out a snippet below):

Everywhere I'm turning
Nothing seems complete
I stand up and I'm searching
For the better part of me

I hang my head from sorrow
State of humanity
I wear it on my shoulders
Gotta find the strength in me

'Cause I am a Superwoman
Yes I am, yes she is
Still when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes, I'm a Superwoman'

On the other hand, there are songs that are just as popular as the one mentioned above, except the message is the complete opposite. These would include songs that objectify women and give oversexualized, docile portrayals of women. One that comes to mind is “Everygirl” by Lil Wayne feat. (check out snippet below):

Girl I got that dope d#@k
Now come here let me dope you
You gon' be a dope fiend
Your friends should call you dopey
Tell 'em keep my name out they mouth if they don't know me
Huh
But you can come and tunecha
I'll f#@k the whole group
Baby I'm a groupie
My sex game is stupid
My head is the dumbest
I promise
I should be hooked on phonics
Yea

Are songs like these problematic? If young ladies and women like myself can feel inspired by a song like Alicia Keys’ “Superwoman,” then how should we feel when we hear songs that demean our identity?

--Kyle Holland
Brownstone Team

Welcome to Brownstone: Celebrating Black Beauty

Barbie has been an iconic figure in the lives of little girls all around the world for 50 years.   I’m sure many girls have their own Barbie stories that they could share.  In July 2009, the Vogue Italia: Black Issue featured a fashion spread of black Barbie dolls.  Surprisingly in all of Barbie's 50 years, this was the first time that a spread had been done on the black Barbie. The issue featured Black Barbie in a number of amazing editorials, from fancy evening gowns to bedazzled swimsuits.  (Check out the photos above)

“Barbie has been an icon for whole generations, which is why I really wanted to give a strong sign in step with the times, and dedicate the anniversary issue to Black Barbie,” said Franca Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italia.

I was really excited to read that Vogue Italia dedicated an entire issue to the Black Barbie.  Barbie has been around for 5 decades and rarely in my 25 years have I seen that many black Barbie dolls in stores or commercials.  Growing up, I can only remember owning one black Barbie doll.  It didn’t sadden me at the time, probably because there weren’t that many options to choose from.  But now that I am older I feel that young girls of color need to see more dolls that look like them when they walk down the toy aisle or see a TV commercial.  It’s important that as little girls we are able to see reflections of ourselves in our toys and cartoons and I think it does wonder for our self-image as we grow older.  And that’s why I applaud Vogue Italia for this issue.  It isn’t that often that we see mainstream publications celebrate the beauty of other cultures.

Which is one of the reasons why we created the Brownstone Blog.  We recognize that there is a lack of representation of girls of color in teen magazines and feel that like the black Barbie doll young girls need to see more positive images of black women in the media on a daily basis.   Therefore, we wanted to create an outlet that would reflect the interests and experiences of young African-American girls ages 13-19. 

At Brownstone, our tagline is “Her Story. Her Journey. Her Legacy.”  Brownstone is about you! Let us know what’s on your mind.  We’re here to help you on your journey, so that we can all leave a legacy as strong Black women. Log in weekly to the Brownstone Blog to get the latest in fashion, beauty, health, relationships, participate in discussions, get advice, and much more!

But the blog is only the beginning for Brownstone.  In the Spring of 2010, Brownstone will be launching an online magazine.  So stay tuned! 

--Tymika Morrson
Brownstone Team