IONA Magazine

The truth sometimes make reality harder to live with. The truth is democracy is a beautiful dream but the reality is that most of us don't care about democracy as long as we have PERSONAL stability. The truth is that sometimes we are not where we should be but the reality is we are not where we used to be. How do you perceive reality? Would you rather deal with things the way you see them or deal with things the way they truly are? The truth is, happiness is fully attainable but the reality is, who wants to work so hard to obtain it? The truth is mothers should be nuturing and protective of their children. The reality is all of them are not. Do you look reality in the face and blatantly deny IT because you can or because you refuse to face it? I don't know. You tell me what your reality is and I'll tell you how I perceive it. //signed// Empress

Ya know, the severity of people's ignorance still amazes me in the year of 2011! But if you know me, then you know that I am allergic to bullshit and foolishness. I try to avoid it at all cost but like attention, ignorance is my personal paparazzi. Sometime last week while me and 1 of my boos, Jesse, were having a few drinks in WeHo (West Hollywood for the non Cali-literate) when someone of the Caucasian descent inquired about his ethnicity because of the grade of his hair. Really dude? You asked what he was mixed with because his hair was not "kinky like I mostly see"? Some of yall are really growing big balls this year I see. I will say that my boi handled the question with such class and dignity. Now had this question been asked of him about 2 years ago, I may have been raising money for Jesse's bail. My, how my boo have grown. Now fast foward to today. Idiot savant in class to me: Wow you have such soft looking hair and its so curly. Are both of your parents black? Now for some reason the hush that came over the room should have been her cue to shut the hell up but she chose to demonstrate this "Was it something I said?" kind of bullshhhhaat! See what happens when ya open ya mouth to say absolutely nothing? It causes me to get in that ass. Tryna play that ditsy role will NOT fly with me bish! It's not cute and the question is NOT that innocent like you are pretending to portray it. Me: Attention all white people, Latino people, Asian people and all the like. Do not ask a black person if he or she is mixed if they have hair like Jesse. Do not ask if Stacey has Asian in her because her eyes are 'Asian-like'. Do not ask us if we are of another ethnicity because our eyes maybe of any color other than dark brown. MY people's beauty come in all sorts of shades of color, grades of coiffure & hues of eyes. When you see YOUR definition of beauty, don't try and take credit for it! We are beautiful without your blood ya dig! In these days in time, it baffles me how ignorant people choose to be. Yes, I said choose. It's hard for me to believe that in 2011 you still contribute OUR beauty to that of YOUR ancestry. We have green, blue and hazel eyes. WE all don't claim to have Indian or White in our families. Some of our hair is soft and curly and NOT what you CLAIM to be used to. That excuse would have worked in the 40's, MAYBE, but not now. I will NOT sit around and watch you under-mindedly insult my people in public or otha-fucking-wise! You are not responsible for the allurement of my people! Don't merit yourself for our exquisiteness! EVERY race have beautiful people, with or without a mixture. Grace Jones is a beautiful as Lena Horne. Kenya Moore is just as beautiful and Kimora Lee Simmons. Tomiko Fraser-Hines is just as beautiful as Dorothy Dandridge! Stop trying to claim OUR Michael Ealy! He has told you his parents are black so get over it. We don't need your validation to be validated. And just because we may have a surname of something besides Williams, Smith or Thompson, it doesn't mean we are mixed with a Latin Reyes or Morales. We come from countries other than Africa and the US so there are black Gonzales' & Morenos, Burkes & Goodacres so grow the hell up. Quit trying to be a contributoring factor in the beauty of black! It for damn sho' aint cute and I for damn sure know you are NOT that ignorant! What you eat don't make us shit! Silence...DONE! I went easy on that bish this time but with the next victim, I won't be so gotdamn nice! //signed//

WHERE O WHERE can i input a question to Claire? Is question/advice seeking submittal available only to subscribers?

So I am at work tonight and one of the men I work with who has been single and looking for over a year was complaining about there being no good black women out there. What happened to all the good men and women? I have so many friends, men and women, that are great catches and still single and looking. All are educated and have their own homes and good jobs. What is the deal?