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Showing posts from August, 2016

The Objectification of Men

By Renee Pitter As a black feminist, I spend some of my time thinking, speaking and educating on the dangers of the objectification of women. The notion that women are somehow not fully human and can be seen, compared to and thought of as things (que R. Kelly's "You remind me of my jeep."). When people are not seen as fully human entitled to inalienable rights or worse not even seen as somebody's child, sister, mother or friend; it becomes easy to dismiss their needs and ultimately leads to much of the abuse and violence we experience in our culture. I would like to make the case for a different kind of objectification. One that often goes under the radar, but is a source of strife, struggle and often leads to the destruction of relationships and whole families. The objectification of men. From the time women are young, they are trained that they must find a mate. (See Chimamanda Adiche's “We should all be feminist”) Much of their worth and value is tied to

KickAss Workouts to Relieve Stress!!

By: Neecy Roney When people think of stress-reducing exercises, the first thought that comes to mind perhaps is yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi or some other form of mind-body exercises, also known as Somatic techniques. Makes sense. We’re often told to practice controlled-breathing, focus on our mind, body and soul and just relaaax for the best method of stress relief. I get it. Now, I am a huge advocate for mind-body exercises and the art of meditation that is embedded within these techniques; however, if you’re anything like some people, while you’re in that downward dog position, you’re thinking about what’s for dinner, tomorrow’s agenda, or if you completed that task that was due for work. Not quite productive and in fact, probably increases even more stress! And what about running? When the heart rate is accelerated, your body releases endorphins. You know, the “feel good” substance – natural opiates that make you feel amazing with no side effects. And yes, that rhythmic flow of re