Queeniebrown
magazine.com

February 2022

Paying Homage

for Today's Real Human BEING Extraordinary

Editor's Note

Black history is more than a month for us at queeniebrownmagazine.com.
Black history is a way of expression, an understanding of self, it is a way of gaining a fuller picture of the world around us - beyond that presented to us by family, friends, institutions and "society" as a whole. Not that these influences are lacking or inadequate, but, they can be added to, aiding in the development of us as more, well-rounded, selves.

We love the study of what others have done before us because it offers inspiration for what is possible as well as lessons on what to avoid, for what are influences if not perspectives to help us form our own ideas - form our own healthy ideas?

To paraphrase Mr. Carter G. Woodson, ”It is not a black history but a history that includes the people of the African diaspora."

No people are a footnote in the telling of the human story.
All people are relevant.
Those afflicted with insecurity, fear, greed, stupidity or just plain cruelty trying to convince us otherwise, are deceivers. They distort the truth, maligning it to present what they want us to believe. Such defamers, backbiters, and vilifiers seek to detract from and disparage the full story, as if the truth does not exist. But, we know better. We know our historic truth patiently awaits discovery.

Until the end, we celebrate each other, particularly those who laid possibilities at our feet. We appreciate them and pay homage to their vision, determination and lessons. We thank them for elevating us to a state that when we encounter those too hurt to understand our position, we strive for gentleness in our response to them. After all, we are all only human.

Kenner

Mary Kenner

This woman was a clever child who first tried her hand at inventing at aged six. Her curiosity was honest because her grandfather, father and sister were also inventors. Mary was so aware of and inclined to being an inventor that at aged 12, when her family moved to Washington, DC, she walked the halls of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to become familiar with the building and patent process.

If you have never heard her name, it is still likely her influence on your life has been great - particularly if you are female who experienced her menstruation before the mid 70's. Why? Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was the inventor of multiple items, but, those of us who remember the adjustable sanitary belt, presumably the the most pertinent of her inventions, have Mary to thank for it.

Interestingly, Ms. Kenner has more patents recognized by the U.S. government than any woman of the African diaspora. It is important to reiterate "recognized by the government" because many are the inventors who, like Mary was 30 years before she actually became patented, don't have the financial ability to pay the patenting costs.

Mary may not have received awards, formal recognition or money for her work on the adjustable sanitary belt (with a built-in moisture-proof napkin pocket, by the way) but, her contributions paved the way for those who copied her expired patent which became public domain to be freely manufactured.

Another invention that may have touched your life is the carrier attachment Mary devised with a tray and soft pocket that could attach to the frame of a walker. She patented this invention in 1959, three years after her belt patent was granted. Mary invented this attachment after her sister developed MS and needed to carry items around with her while using a walker.

As if inventing was not enough, Mary had four flower shops in the DC area that she managed for 23 years, after leaving her Federal job. She and her husband also fostered five boys.

Give Light and People will find a way

Williams Sisters

The Willams sisters (PA)

If you are going to recognize greatness, you must recognize the Williams sisters - and their parents. They are the epitome of passion, dedication, determination and an incredible commitment to hard work. This family's sticktoitiveness leaves us breathless.

You may or may not be a tennis fan, but you must be impressed by their historic dominance of the game. Zero stats shall be quoted here (there is not enough room on this page!) but their records are beyond impressive. More than their Olympic Gold Medals, Grand Slam singles, doubles, Opens, Wimbledon et al wins - not to mention career earnings upwards of $200,000,000 as a family, it is their sheer dedication to each other as family, we find most impressive. If you factor in that these sisters trained then spent the beginning of their careers as each other's biggest rivals, their tight ties are particularly inspiring. They were not nemeses, but rivals: good ol' fashioned competitors who encouraged each other to rise to their best self.

We cannot assume maintaining honour for each other was easy, especially when the youngest sibling racked up (pun intended) more awards than the eldest sibling, but, that is what is so very impressive about them. In spite of their competition, they are steadfastly tight knit, and not solely with each other, either. Venus and Serene share an impenetrable bond with their other siblings; children their parents had from previous relationships. They speak about them with tender admiration, in spite of their own colossal achievements.

Adding to their list of accomplishments are the personal fights these women have charged. In a New York Times essay, for example, published on the eve of Wimbledon 2006, Venus accused Wimbledon tournament officials of being "on the wrong side of history" after they rejected her arguments that female players be prized (in all rounds) equal to male players. It is said, the turning point to an issue fought since the days of Billy Jean King, was the publication of Venus' words. The British Prime Minister and Parliament endorsed her arguments. The Women's Tennis Association and UNESCO teamed for a campaign to promote gender equality in sports, asking Williams to lead the campaign, soon after. This generated so much pressure that in February, 2007, Wimbledon announced that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds. The French Open followed suit the next day. The Chicago Sun-Times cited Williams as "the single factor" that "changed the minds of the boys" and a leader whose "willingness to take a public stand separates her not only from most of her female peers, but also from our most celebrated male athletes". Venus commented, "Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams."

Serena, an influencer for social change, is often seen using social media to support under-represented communities. She has also put her money where her mouth is, helping to fund the construction of the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya. The Serena Williams Foundation also provides university scholarships for underprivileged students in the United States. In 2016, the Serena Williams Fund partnered with Helping Hands Jamaica to build the Salt Marsh Primary School for Jamaican youth in Trelawny Parish.

Dr. Wangari Maathai

Long before it was a trend, Wangari Maathai was known as The Woman of Trees. This PhD of Anatomy associated poverty (in turn conflict) with environmental degradation so, in 1977, founded the Green Belt Movement with the goal of planting trees across Kenya.

If you were to search the Greenbelt Movement website, you would read Professor Maathai's quote, "When we plant trees, we plant seeds for peace and hope."

Why was this effort relevant?

Rural Kenyan women began reporting the need to travel further and further to gather firewood (for fuel and fencing). They also reported that streams were drying while food sources were decreasing and becoming less secure. This active member of the National Council of Women of Kenya realized the reason the land was becoming desolate was because the stewards of the land were less and less. Due to generations of conflict and poverty, local people became discouraged and disconnected from the land. This disconnect encouraged little ownership or protectiveness of the land that remained.

Professor Maathari believed if the local people were empowered to control their environment, there would be less conflict as they would witness the return of fruits, wood - prosperity - through unity. She presented this idea of community-based tree planting to The Council, and the broad-based grassroots organization, the Green Belt Movement (GBM), was born. The main focus of the movement was - and remains - poverty reduction and environmental conservation through tree planting. According to the website, the mission was to encourage Kenyan women to work together, grow seedlings and plant trees that would bind the soil, store rainwater, and provide food as well as firewood. In turn, the women would receive small payment for their work. Seminars were held, sharing the beneficial impact of working together.

The idea was extraordinary - the results even better. The GBM advocated for greater democratic space and more accountability from national leaders. GBM fought against "land grabbing - the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions: the buying or leasing of large pieces of land by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals," and fought against agricultural encroachment into forests.

Dr. Maathari's legacy is 51 million trees planted, numerous personal achievements, awards, key speeches, articles, books written, academic appointments, honorary degrees, as well as several established initiatives (GBM was not the only organization she founded) - along with three children and two (to date) grand children.

Doctor Maathai died September, 2011. We end this article with a line from this Kenyan born's 2004 acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, "I always felt that our work was not simply about planting trees. It was about inspiring people to take charge of their environment, the system that governed them, their lives, and their future.”

No surprise she was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree.

Eartha

Dubbed "the most exciting woman in the world" by Orson Welles, Eartha Kitt was named after her mother's "good crop". She rose to fame due to hits like, "C'est is bon" and "Santa Baby." "Santa Baby," by the way, was a highly controversial hit in its time, 1953, that was banned across many states. The song was as titillating (and controversial) as Elvis twisting - or was he thrusting? - his hips. Imagine...

OK, enough of that.

Words like "sex-kitten" (which I did not understand until my thirties, witnessing my nine week old female kitten in heat. Yikes!) were used to describe this otherwise demure, regal, lady. Her daughter, and only child, described Eartha Kitt as a strict parent with strong work ethics and high expectations of those around her. She also explains how her mother and she shared a bond that made them a perfect fit: "My mother, as famous as she was herself, always put the spotlight on me. Or maybe it’s that my mother was the spotlight on me." Kitt Shapiro wrote in her book with Patricia Weiss Levy, "Eartha & Kitt: A Daughter’s Love Story in Black and White."

Raised in extreme poverty by a teenaged, sharecropping, mother, Eartha Kitt's early life was no easy one. As a multicultural child with a light complexion (her mother was First Nations and African while her father was European), Eartha was sent to live with extended family when her mother's new partner would not accept her. This arrangement left her with physical and emotional scars as she experienced abuse of every kind at the hands of her surrogate family. Finally, another family member relocated her to Harlem where she eventually joined a dance troupe - the first steps to her new life.

Ms. Kitt skyrocketed to fame after remaining in Paris instead of returning to New York at the end of the troupe's dance tour through the U.S., Mexico, South America, and Europe. Eartha stayed in Paris, surviving as a night club singer. Her sad, enigmatic, coquettish, sound quickly made her a sensation. In fact, it was at one such club performance, Orson Welles spotted her and hired her for his French production. The rest, as they say, is history.

World famous by 23, Eartha Kitt spoke four languages, sang in seven, was a trailblazer, and (due to her childhood abuses) was an advocate for those who needed a voice. She did not shy away from vocalizing what she saw as unfairness which included speaking against the Vietnam war to the First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, at a White House luncheon in 1968 (did Lady Bird really burst into tears)? As an individual of multi-ethnic origin (African, Aboriginal, and European), Ms. Kitt was also an advocate for unity. Having experienced a great deal of mistreatment (beginning with her step father's rejection that caused her to be sent away), she did not understand or tolerate any "anti" treatment toward others.

Eartha Kitt, famous Catwoman from the original Batman television series, actress, dancer, voice actress, comedienne, activist, author, and songwriter died on Christmas Day, 2008, in Weston, Connecticut .

eartha-kitt-Scott Parker-Andersonblogjpg.webp

As seen on LastPodcastNetwork.com

Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images

"We are our ancestors' wildest dreams"

Labelle

Did you know Jimi Hendrix had a famous cousin?

Nona Hendryx was one of the original members of the ground breaking female

group, Labelle.

Boldly tearing off their flipped, bobbed, wigs, Labelle broke the reserved, coy, copy that was every female singer/female singing group of the 50's and 60's to sport hot versions of the 'fro. In the perfect funkadelic, futuristic, glam-rock fashion emerging on the British scene at the time, they introduced the world to the daring, sizzling version of female singers that followed their reign.

In time with Bowie, Earth Wind and Fire, Elton John (who actually played back up in a band for Labelle when they were Patti Labelle and the Bluebells and he was still Reggie Dwight), Labelle wore outfits defining themselves as Silver Soul - something fluid, liquid... that reaches everyone... that is obtainable. Labelle had people asking, "Do you wanna whaaat???"

A powerhouse group consisting of Nona, Sarah Dash and the group's name sake, Patti Labelle (originally known as Patricia Holte), their first album featured songs mostly written by Nona Hendryx.

Labelle's earth shattering sound coupled with rock shows no one had seen before, particularly from women, made them cultural icons. They were the first group to play at the Metropolitan Opera House, and the first Black vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Eight albums, later, the trio separated for solos careers in the late 70's.

Today, approximately 60 years later! Nona continues to write, produce, rock, and surprise audiences with high-tech endeavours that promise a musical adventure into the meta world. Blessed with the Rock n'Roll bug which obviously runs in the family, Nona spent her solo time working with artists like the Talking Head as well as creating movie hits like, "I Sweat (Going Through the Motions)" and the controversial song, "Love Will Take Me Through the Night" that featured men in drag in the video. Nona also wrote and recorded something with Keith Richard which was nominated for a grammy before her top 5 R&B hit, "Why should I cry."

Sara Dash sang the popular dance club disco number, "Sinner Man," and recorded a #5 hit on Billboards Dance Chart, "Lucky Tonight." Performing with some of the greatest artists like the Rolling Stones as well as Stevie Wonder, Sara's high soprano harmonies and keen ear for harmonies granted the coveted position of being a voting member for The Grammys. Identified as "the glue" for Labelle, both Nona and Patti mourned her loss during her September 2021 death.

As for Patti Labelle, her oscillating octaves, and electrifying performances allowed for multiple hits since her '84's movie hit, "New Attitude." Like her cohorts, she appeared in film as well as on stage with some of the industry's biggest names. She is the recipient of multiple awards including Grammys for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Performance and an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist. A lover of food, Patti has also made a name for herself in the kitchen. She has a frozen foods line and several social media opportunities available for fans who want to enjoy her favourite recipes. During a February 24th interview on Entertainment Tonight, Patti let viewers know that, at 77 years of age, "there is still more to come."