Who Is Madame Noire?

In the heart of a woman, you’ll find two things: love, and more love. Even when that woman’s having a bad hair day or struggling with her 1980’s wardrobe, she is filled with love. Even when she’s the lone voice of reason in an all-male board meeting, she is filled with love. When she’s stereotyped, misjudged or mischaracterized, her heart still forges ahead with love. In good times and bad, with good shoes and bad, whether basked in high fashion or struggling with low moments, this woman’s heart keeps racing, pacing with love. This woman is you, your sister, your mother, your role model, your wife, your friend, your girlfriend, your cousin, your First Lady. Her mind has traveled everywhere, her eyes have wondered everything, her beauty has affected everyone and her thoughts have turned the world around its axis: we listen to her thoughts and collect them here. And, we fondly call her “Madame Noire.”

What about you? What do you think makes a Madame Noire? Here’s what a few personas had to say…

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Demetria Irwin
Title: Blogger, loveisdope.wordpress.com
Twitter handle: @Love_Is_Dope

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

I love so many things about being a Madame Noire, but one thing that stands out (literally) is that I love the texture of my hair as it grows out of my head. It’s a simple joy, but one I do not take for granted.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

The media [creates] “crisis” stories about how black women seem to be entering their final days. Most of those awful news programs and articles are not only creating a false panic in black women, but also indirectly (and I think intentionally) putting down black men. Some people are determined to let black men and women know that they are not and never will be Barack and Michelle.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Ijeoma Ndekwu
Title: Style Editor, Bella Naija, bellanaija.com
Twitter handle: @bellanaija

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

As a young Nigerian lady, I love the strong sense of self that [has arisen from] my culture. I love that I can be influenced by other sub-cultures around me and build on and enlarge what I am and should be as a Madam Noire–which is a woman who takes control of her destiny…

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

There are many powerful, confident, and successful black women; Western media, although accepting of this reality is still exploring this dynamism. With recent developments, for example Michelle Obama as the First Lady of America, the black woman is now at the forefront of various discussions; from good hair talks to relationship matters. What the media does is feed on what’s out there; both the good and the bad! With reality TV, it is all about generating content that will drive a large audience, so what you tend to see portrayed of the black woman is limited, with little opportunities for expansion because they are fundamentally representing a single angle to the black woman and sometimes guilty of reinforcing negative stereotypes. It is left for us to continually steer the direction of the media concerning the black woman towards the positive; with content that is a true representation of who are, drawing attention to the different yet equally admirable dimensions of our personality and sense of self .

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Fred Goodall
Title: Blogger, MochaDad.com and MakingItLastForever.com
Twitter handle: @mochadad

What makes the ideal Madame Noire?

An ideal Madame Noire is confident. She walks like she has diamonds in her backyard. She is loving. Her hands can rub the hurt from your heart. She is sensuous. One kiss from her lips will send waves of pleasure down your spine. She is resourceful. She can make a dollar out of 15 cents. She is gorgeous. Her skin, her lips, her eyes, her hips are exquisitely sculpted by the hand of God. She is intelligent. Her mind is a beautiful thing. She is what men dream about and women strive to be.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why black women and why now?

I think seeing a strong black woman like Michelle Obama has piqued everyone’s interest in black women. In many professional environments, black women have prominent positions and many have achieved their success without a husband standing by their sides. Many people think that a person’s life isn’t complete until she is married with kids; therefore, the notion of single, successful black woman is contrary to common wisdom and it makes people uncomfortable. I think this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. Black women are gems that must be treasured and it is up to the black community to show the world how valuable they truly are.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Sister Toldja
Title: Blogger, thebeautifulstruggler.com
Twitter handle: @sistertoldja

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

For all the trials and tribulations, Black female life is a multisplendored treasure to behold. With all due respect to other women, I feel that my Black woman toolbox is rich and full in ways no one else could even attempt to match. From the Africa in my hair to the Arkansas in my blood, and the Brooklyn in my strut…Black girls are magic. I wouldn’t trade if for the world.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why black women and why now?

By presenting images of Black womanhood that imply inherent flaws, the media serves its purpose as the right hand of the White supremacist patriarchy that continues to govern American life. Why us? Why now? Because across the board, Black women are making strides academically and professionally. It is in the best interest of the powers that be to make us feel that Michelle Obama is some lucky accident and that Black women are doomed to lives of disappointment and tragedy. We have to refute these notions with our words and our lives.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Najwa Moses
Title: CEO/creator, styleaholics.com
Twitter handle: @najwamoses

Photo credit: Piper Carter

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

Being a Madame Noire means that you are constantly evolving, through your style, your friends, your education and most certainly your hair. I love how Madame Noires are able to playfully create a range of looks that not only delight but also inspire. I know that wherever I am–the web, on the street, in the classroom, the boardroom, overseas, I don’t only represent myself and my brand but all of the Madame Noires before and after me.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

Yes, they are. On one hand, I think the “Michelle Obama factor” has raised the profile of Black Women and our “plight” like never before. I also think that her wonderfully positive image doesn’t sit well with certain fractions of society and thus there are a variety of “strikes” being thrown against us; the least of which is Nicki Minaj (yea I said it). What I find constantly disappointing, is the fact that when they talk about the rise of the single black female, they rarely talk about how systematic, century-old racism plays a HUGE factor in that. When you break down a community’s family unit–you’ve broken the community. A family broken is more effective than crack and HIV put together. I work hard to ignore what is being said, I’m sure like everyone else we have enough “influences” to deal with on a daily basis, just because we are simply alive.

On the other hand, in terms of media we are in historic times — we currently have six — count ’em six women leading their own national TV talk shows! Whoooooo hoooo! It makes me feel empowered, justified and encouraged. So let ’em talk! (Smile)

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name Erica Hall
Title: Blogger, curvyinthecity.tumblr.com
Twitter handle: @CurvyintheCity

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

I love being part of a rich cultural legacy. I love that the sway of my hips and the conviction of my strength always confuses and mesmerizes people.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

I think that hip-hop becoming more and more a part of mainstream culture has made the once “mystique of black femininity” more open for examination. I think much of what we see in the mainstream media is the examination and reinforcement of stereotypes. But, I also hold out hope because I think along with that [visibility] comes a power; if we are on the minds of people we can also incite change.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Will Dawson
Title: Blogger, dawsonink.com
Twitter handle: @dawsonink

What makes the ideal Madame Noire?

From what I’ve observed, the key to being ideal is balance. For example, putting too much emphasis on career and sacrificing family time, or not being ambitious enough to achieve potential due to family/relationship drama–both of those scenarios rob individuals of time and energy…robs them of their chance to succeed at anything, and will have them running in place. So ideally, being balanced solves those problems.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why black women and why now?

It would seem so. I blame it on the sudden crop of reality shows built around finding love for black women. From “Let’s Talk About Pep” to “What Chilli Wants” to the insane and inane “Real Housewives of Atlanta” and “Basketball Wives,” more and more of these shows are portraying sisters as being too picky, or too demanding, or worse yet, confused. So that’s what the media sees and in turn, tries to capitalize on it. Unfortunately, exploiting black women and their “issues” are en vogue right now. Money is to be made by magazines and television shows as they “explore” what ails the community. Hopefully, it’s all cyclical. Because clearly, what is being talked about and what “seems to be the problem” do not represent the vast minority.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Aliya S. King
Title: Author, Platinum (to be published in July 2010), aliyasking.com
Twitter handle: @aliyasking

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

I love the specialness of being a Madame Noire with freckles. I love the kinkiness of my hair, (even when I can only feel it through my even kinkier hair weave.) I love that I can rock a TWA (teeny weeny Afro), a straightened up-do, a fluffy Afro and a full-on Beyonce style weave — all in a three month period. I love that Zora Neale Hurston
told me, (yes, me, and every other Madame Noire worldwide), not to weep at the world. The Madame Noire is too busy sharpening her oyster knife.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

No, the media is not having a field day with black woman. We’re having a field day with ourselves.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Kimberly Coleman
Title: Blogger, MomInTheCity.com
Twitter handle: @mominthecity

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

I love that I cannot be put into a box. I have such a rich, diverse history – as both a woman and as an African-American. I am so grateful for all of the women and people of color who have sacrificed in order to make my current reality a possibility. The sky is the limit.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

I don’t particularly think so. I think that the media plays to what sells – whether it is on Black focused shows or White ones. We (as Black women) have to demand better of ourselves when it comes to how we act. Period. Having said that, I do believe that there needs to be more representation of Black women in the media. That is why I think that groups such as WEEN (Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network) are so important and need to be supported in their effort to portray women of color in positive lights.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Anslem Samuel
Title: Blogger, NakedWithSocksOn.com
Twitter handle: @nakedwithsocks
Photo credit: Kenroy George

What makes the ideal Madame Noire?

To me, a Madame Noire woman is someone that exudes confidence and has pride in herself and the idea of sisterhood. She’s also a chameleon, able to sport a power suit in the office, a pair of jeans on the weekend, a classy outfit for a night on the town and a cozy t-shirt to bed at night. She is the backbone of the family and the perfect complement to her partner as he is to her.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why black women and why now?

It seems as if Black women have become the trending topic of the media as of late, or more specifically their “plight” of singleness. Seems like every other day is a new article, news special, blog post or tweet about the rise of single Black women and their inability to find a mate. It’s really got to be a moot point at this stage in the game, and I’m just waiting for the next topic to arise so we can move on.

As for why now, perhaps having a Black woman in the White House makes our sisters “trendy” but I’d hope that there was more to this topic than that. With a woman that looks like my mother and sister in the White House, I’d hope we’d have much more positive things to be inspired to discuss.

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Interview by Kweli Wright
Name: Shannae Ingleton
Title: Blogger, ilovewhatwomenwant.blogspot.com
Twitter handle: @whatwomenwant

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

First and foremost, I love being me (most days lol) but what I love most about being a woman of color is the fact that I know that we are often underestimated and being in a position where I am able to regularly dispel a lot of myths and stereotypes about women of colour is rewarding.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

I wouldn’t say that they are having a field day on black women at all. I am a self professed reality TV junkie and I watch a lot of reality tv shows with primarily white casts and primarily black casts, both types of shows have controversial characters and included crazy scenes that make for good Reality TV. Take the Real Housewives of New York (an all white female cast) versus The Real Housewives of Atlanta (a primarily black female cast). In my opinion the New York wives put the Atlanta wives to shame when it comes to the arguments, the fights and the inappropriate conflicts. At the end of the day, I think that viewers are smart enough to realize that its not a “black thing” or a “white thing” when something crazy or controversial happens on TV.

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Interview by Kweli Wright

Name: Chelsea Logan
Title: CEO, LuxeInnovations.com
Twitter handle: @LuxeInnovations

What do you love about being a Madame Noire?

I love being multicultural. The blending of cultures is a beautiful thing. It not only leads to a more diverse population but also diversity in products and services.

Is the media (news and reality shows) having a “field day” with black women? Why us and why now?

I think it is time that we stop blaming the media and take responsibility for our actions. We need to decide whether the 15 minutes of fame is worth our pride and dignity.

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