Black Holiday Gift Guide

With the winter holidays fast approaching, I wanted to give you guys some options for supporting Black owned businesses this holiday season. I know that part of the hassle in buying Black stems from inconvenience. In fact, as we've learned from Maggie and John Anderson "buy Black" experiment this year, buying Black exclusively can be a time consuming, costly, frustrating labor of pride. Since the goal of Social Angst is to promote easy social activism, I'm am not going to suggest that you restrict all your holiday spending to Black vendors. Instead, I'm going to make two suggestions:

1. Spread The Wealth. While it may be unrealistic to "buy Black" for ALL of your holiday purchases, I'm sure that some of your purchases can be made at Black owned retailers. Make a pledge to spend $100 on Black vendors/products this season and support the Black economy.
2. Choose Mainstream Retailers That Support Your Community. The NAACP does an in depth Consumer Report Card on some of the largest retailers in America. The report identifies what companies routinely hire diversely, use diverse vendors, and seek diversity in their philanthropic endeavors.

To aid you in your commitment to "buying Black," please find below a few options on how to spend that holiday money.


Bath, Body, and in Between.
CarolsDaughter.com Lisa Price is (her mother) Carol's daughter. She is also the founder and owner of the Carol's Daughter beauty line which is named for her mom. While working on the set of The Cosby Show in the 80s, Lisa began making organic beauty products in her kitchen which quickly developed into a mail order/online business. In 1999 she opened her flagship store in Brooklyn and a sequel shop in Harlem in 2005. Her line has been featured on The Oprah Show and the Tyra Banks show and is currently promoted by Carol's Daughter spokeswomen Mary J. Blige and Dominique Reighard.

Arts, Culture and Entertainment.

Broadway Tickets
David Allen Grier and Kerry Washington are starring in David Mamet's newest Broadway play Race at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. I've read good things about the show. Tickets range between $59.50 and $251.50 and can be purchased at Broadway.com or at telecharge.


One of a Kind/Handmade.

Etsy.com is the cyber heaven for quirky hand made items. You can find ornaments, art, jewelery, home decor items and much more. Though the site doesn't cater specifically to Black consumers, they do have a nifty filter option that helps you find Afrocentric pieces and African American vendors.

I've got to shout out Sabrina Thompson, founder and owner of BeanPye Jewelery. Check out her site for fierce, fabulous, and fun accessories!

Home & Garden.

NikkiMakesScents.com is an online candle shop. Nikki, founder and owner of Nikki Makes Scents, has run the budding online company since 1998. Candle lovers can expect the royal treatment as they choose from 600 unique candle scents.

ItsABlackThang.com has a variety of Black inspired gifts including holiday ornaments and decorations, figurines, stationery, mantle piece ornaments and much more.

Inspirational-Expressions.com also has a unique catalog of Black inspired gifts ranging from magnets, bibles, and holiday items.


Magazine Subscriptions.

Help keep our issues in print by gifting those you love with subscriptions to African American magazines.

Black Enterprise
Black Issue Book Review
Ebony/Jet
Essence
Footsteps ( Love this one for the kiddies!)
Heart & Soul
The Network Journal
Today's Black Woman
Trace
Upscale
XXL
(Find more obscure subscriptions here)


For the Kids.

Give a book and give the gift of literacy.
Looking for a diverse selection of children's books? Check out BlackChildBooks.com and BlackBooksGalore.com. As they say, a book is a gift that you can open more than once!

Children's author Kelly Starling Lyons has made her collection available for online purchase. Visit kellystarlinglyons.com to view her catalog.

Toys of Diversity
African American bingo marries the popular kids game with Black history.

Proserity - An African American Board Game is a game that teaches cooperative economics. Similar to Monopoly, the game features a variety of real life experiences tat help foster a child's understanding of business and fiscal responsibility.


Apparel

Nic's Pick.
Cookie Johnson (Magic's wife) has teamed up with 7 For All Mankind and Citizen of Humanity founder Michael Glasser to create the CJ Jeans denim line that is cut for melanin proficient. Now these jeans are not cheap - in fact, the cheapest pair I found was at Nordstroms for $141, but apparently they are worth it. Oprah featured cookies CJ Jeans on her coveted Favorite Things episode earlier this year.

AfrodiasiakClothing.com has a variety of urban inspired t-shirts. I'm especially fond of the I'm Taking Hip Hop Back design!

Black Girls Rock Inc has opened a new online store where they sell their slogan laced t-shirts. The ultra chic urban wear is a statement of both fashion and activism. You'll look as fabulous as you feel when you support their youth empowerment programs with a purchase!

The unisex clothing line at DangerousNegro.com is also in the business of making positive social statements fashionable. Their t-shirt lines are as thought provoking as they are asthetically pleasing.


Looking for more Afrocentric gift ideas? LittleAfrica.com has a substantial list of vendors. You can also pick up The Color of Christmas African American Holiday Shopping Guide for free. While the guide is several years old, many of their suggestions are still relevant.

Hope you find this guide helpful! We're always looking to add vendors, so drop us a comment or email to let us know who your favorite Black vendors and business are!

Black Holiday Gift Guide

Around The Web: Magic Johnson Tackles Black Unemployment

Magic Johnson speaks to The Grio about the importance of employing Black Americans. Here is his frank take on the responsibility of President Obama and wealthy Black Americans to help create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed African Americans, AND the communal responsibility of all Black Americans to improve our own circumstances.

Around The Web: Magic Johnson Tackles Black Unemployment

Just Something To Think About: Why The Obama Effect is Working

When all is said and done, after his term(s) in office are complete and regardless of his political accomplishments, stances on national and foreign policy, or his public opinion poll numbers, President Obama will leave behind a legacy of inspiration that we can all be proud of. It is not unusual for American Presidents to direct the communal consciousnesses of the American people. Puppeteer masters George W. Bush and Dick Cheney lead the nation to a collective frenzy of fear in the years following the September 11^th attacks. What is unusual is that Obama seems to be influencing Americans, and most specifically Black Americans, to grow into better versions of themselves. We’ve seen evidence of The Obama Effect on Black students and test scores. We’ve heard numerous Black artists from Common to Spike Lee credit Obama with inspiring a positive shift in the direction of Black American pop culture including hip hop. Volunteer efforts of Black Parents are on the rise in schools and Black men are becoming more active in community outreach programs.

Whether or not you buy into The Obama Effect, it is hard to deny Obama's widespread influence within the Black community. His quiet, laid-back, thoughtful demeanor and obvious intelligence are being championed in the hood. Without a microphone, leather bound ball, or firearm he commands our attention and challenges us to take personal responsibility for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Yet, while he is not the first Black leader to challenge Black America (Bill Cosby has been very vocal in recent years), Obama has arguably been the most effective at corralling Blacks to adopt some personal accountability for their situations.

One might ponder why Obama succeeds where others have failed. Why is an Obama chastising easier to accept than others? It’s because when Obama highlights the short comings of the Black community, he does so without being condescending or overly self-righteous. It is the connotative difference between telling someone “you could do better” while wagging your finger and asking someone “can we do better?” The former attacks and alienates, the latter encourages and strengthens bonds. (Mama always said, you get more flies with honey…)

Another significant difference between Obama and other public chastisers is that Obama has never promoted himself as anything other than human. He publicly admits to some previous wanton behavior. He plays ball with his peeps. He listens to Jay and dances with Ellen. He's a man - with a past (just like the rest of us) who one day decided he could do better. Now he's leading by example and showing us that we can too.

I can't deny, I'm hoping for a Social Angst Effect!

Inspiring others to be better IS activism. :-)

Just Something To Think About:
Why The Obama Effect is Working

Around The Web: TV One Unsung

While much of the internet is ablaze with conversations regarding Tiger's shockingly unsurprising infidelity (I mean really folks...a professional athlete cheats on his wife and this is considered news???), I thought it was a good time to share some interesting web findings that have nothing to do with the golf club handler's overactive pecker.


TVOne presents Unsung: Donny Hathaway
For those of you who are as late as I am, the second season of TV One's popular bio series Unsung is underway. The series pays homage to the careers of prolific artists who, for various reasons, have fallen short of grand scale mainstream recognition. This upcoming Sunday. December 13th at 8 p.m., Unsung will highlight the life and career of one of my favorite artists, Mr. Donny Hathaway. Check out the video below for a sneak preview and don't forget to set your DVR. (Also expect a rave review of TVOne's programming efforts in the near future. They're doing what BET isn't!)

Unsung: Donny Hathaway (Part 1) - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Disney's First Black Princess Follow-up
I was going to do a Blog Snatch of Nadra Kareem's guest blog Disney's First Black Princess Prepares Debut over at BlackSnob.com as a follow up to Tiff's earlier guest blog. Instead, I'll just add the link here and encourage you to check out her take on the new movie. Here is a snippet:

Because of this history, a sociology professor at my college warned students to skip Disney films altogether. I might just catch a screening of "The Princess and the Frog," though. Not only does Tiana's debut mark a key moment in popular culture, I also want to be able to decide for myself if the film constitutes a step forward or step back for race relations. Despite the problems I've already heard the film has, I do believe it has the potential to make a positive impact. For example, "The View's" Elisabeth Hasselbeck--the right-winger on the talk show--reports that her young daughter Grace adores her new Tiana doll. This has proven mind-boggling to white passersby who observe the little white girl clutching a black doll, Hasselbeck says. So much has been made of black girls preferring white dolls that if "The Princess and the Frog" results in not only black girls but white girls and everyone in between making a black doll their favorite, that's one reason I can find to support the movie. It would be a long overdue racial turnaround. Read More.

Brick City
For those of you who don't know Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, let me make your acquaintance. The up and coming political phenom has taken the corrupt city of Newark by storm. Actually, I'll let our friends over at Jack & Jill Politics make the introductions for me. The have a great piece about Booker and all his awesomeness. In fact, the man is so awesome that the Sundance Channel did a 5 part series entitled Brick City on Booker's efforts to clean up his hood awhile back. See a preview video of the series below and check out the Sundance Site to view the entire series.



Toodles...

Around The Web:
TV One Unsung

Blog Snatch: Why Black Relationships Aren't Lasting.

I was catching up on my reader (you should be following me) when I stumbled across this interesting offering over at Your Black World. Essence contributor S. Tia Brown and Dr. Boyce Watkins square off in debate over what plagues the longevity of Black relationships. I swiped the 20+ minute conversation courtesy of vodpod for your consideration. There will be a longer op-ed piece to follow some time this week, but til then, let the video pique your interest. Enjoy!

Why are Black Couples Not Staying Married? « Your Black World - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Blog Snatch:
Why Black Relationships Aren't Lasting.

We're Back - Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving All!!

My apologies for the brief interruption in posting. I took some time off to indulge in my other passion - bargain hunting. The pre-holiday sales were fantastic!!! Now that I have most of my holiday shopping complete and I am all bargained out, I can now return you to your regularly scheduled Social Angst Programming. Do enjoy!

We're Back - Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!

Guest Blogger: Our Princesses Have a Place in Disney

Welcome Tiffani - wife, mother of two, blogger, comedian, pop culture commentator, and younger sister of mine. She is here to share her thoughts on Disney's new animated film The Princess and The Frog, which you will find below. Show her some love.


I am not at all ashamed to admit my profound love of cartoons, movies geared toward school-aged children, and most animated films. I am fully entertained by Spongebob and all other residents of Bikini Bottom. I sing along to musicals about little orphan girls and newspaper boys. and I find myself drawn to Disney movies that include Princesses, Fairy Godmothers, and of course (*sigh*) Prince Charmings. So it is no surprise that I am truly excited about the upcoming release of the new Disney animated film, 'The Princess and the Frog." However, this Disney debut has some very unique (and long overdue) characteristics that make the occasion even more momentous to me.

Disney is finally releasing a film featuring an African American Princess and I am ecstatic about it. As a mother of a seven year old daughter I am well aware of how sensitive young girls are about their own self-image. I have painfully witnessed my daughter doubt her own beauty simply because of her darker complexion.

The way in which children develop an understanding of self-image is amazing. Children form their ideas of beauty based on what they see on movies and in television. They also base their ideas of beauty on they don't see. In child media, children of color are generally underrepresented. In fact, there are very few Disney characters that look like us. Until now, the only ethnic Princess offered by Disney has been Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. I admit, I do love that movie, but Jasmine's big oval eyes, caramel colored skin, and long hair have a certain ambiguity that could represent a wide variety of different races and ethnic groups.

My enthusiasm for The Princess and the Frog lies in the introduction of a princess that looks like my daughter. As a mother, it is important to me that my daughter is able to identify the "princess" in herself. Thus far, our daughters have been shown that only girls who look like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are worthy enough to be dubbed "Princess". This lack of diversity leaves so many children unrepresented. Every little girl should have the opportunity to find inspiration in a Disney Princess that resembles them.

My daughter is really excited to see The Princess and the Frog and while I am sure that she would be just as excited to see an Asian, Native American, or Eskimo princess, I'm glad it's her turn. I'm glad that we are being clearly represented (although permed and primped, but hey, one step at a time people). The introduction of a Black Princess will show my daughter that beauty isn't something found only in fair or lightly colored skin. She will see that her skin color is both beautiful and special, just like every other little girl that has been lucky enough to see a bit of themselves on the silver screen.

The Princess and The Frog opens in theaters on December 11, 2009. I say what a better way to celebrate than by taking our daughters, nieces, younger sisters, and God daughters out to support this film. Let's make this Disney Princess bigger and better then the ones before.

This has been quite a year...first a Black President and now a Black Princess.

Guest Blogger:
Our Princesses Have a Place in Disney