Category Archives: Warrior Women

Dorothy and Gloria – 40+ years later….

Gloria and Dorothy 1971 © Dan Wynn - Carla Franklin website

Photo by Dan Wynn, 1971

Gloria and Dorothy 2014 © Dan Bagan - Carla Franklin website

Photo by Dan Bagan, 2014

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Dorothy Pitman Hughes is a feminist, child-welfare advocate, African-American activist, public speaker, author, pioneering African-American small business owner, and mother of three daughters. She was a co-founder of Ms. Magazine in 1971. She organized the first shelter for battered women in New York City and co-founded the New York City Agency for Child Development (now the New York City Administration for Children’s Services). Hughes also co-founded with Gloria Steinem and others the Women’s Action Alliance in 1971. The two women toured together speaking about gender, class and race throughout the 1970s.

Hughes was born 1938 in Lumpkin, Georgia. Her father was beaten when she was ten years old and left for dead on the family’s doorstep, the family believes it to be a crime committed by Ku Klux Klan members. Hughes decided as a child in reaction to her family’s experiences she would devote her life to improving the circumstances of people through activism.

As an adult, she became an activist in an attempt to stop abuse and violence from happening to other people. Pitman Hughes moved from Georgia to New York City in 1957 where she worked in entertainment as a singer through the 1960s. She began her activism by raising bail money for civil rights protesters. She was a co-founder of Ms. Magazine in 1971. She organized the first shelter for battered women in New York City and co-founded the New York City Agency for Child Development pioneering child-care noting “too many women were being forced to leave their children home alone while they worked to feed their families”. Hughes also co-founded with Gloria Steinem the Women’s Action Alliance, a pioneering national information center that specialized in nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, in 1971. The two women toured together speaking about race, class and gender throughout the 1970s. (Wikipedia)

Happy birthday Whitney – One of America’s greatest singers ever….

Whitney Houston 2000s - Carla Franklin Whitney Houston baby - Carla Franklin
Whitney Houston young - Carla Franklin Whitney Houston adult - Carla Franklin

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey.  This beautiful song bird entered the music scene in the 80s and took the world by storm.  I remember being in awe of her as a child.  Whitney’s voice and beauty were both remarkable.  Her untimely death last February was tragic, but her legacy and music will live on.  Happy birthday Whitney…you are still loved and dearly missed.

If not for Winnie, there would be no Nelson: Understanding the real Mandela legacy

If not for Winnie, there would be no Nelson: Understanding the real Mandela legacy winnie mandela - carla franklin 1
winnie8 mandela - carla franklin 3
mandela - carla franklin 4 mandela - carla franklin 5

As we remember the legacy of Nelson Mandela today, please do not forget the woman who worked to co-create his legacy and who molded Nelson (once regarded as a terrorist around the world) into the international hero he is known to be today. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela became Nelson Mandela’s 2nd wife at the ripe, young age of 19. This amazing young woman could have never have imagined the journey that her life would take after marrying a much older Nelson, who is roughly 18 years her senior. Her resilience, intelligence and fortitude served her, and Nelson, well though his years of incarceration in South Africa’s prisons. It was Winnie who released Nelson’s letters to the world (and made sure the world paid attention), never allowing the public to forget him has he sat in jail. She raised his their 2 children and was at the forefront of the battle against the violence and cruelty of the Afrikaner led apartheid movement, while Nelson “sat” in jail.

The unfortunate part of the Mandela legacy is that she, the mother…and nurturer of the anti-apartheid movement, was cast aside as a woman who was too empowered…and who didn’t know her place after Nelson Mandela was released. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, I will never forget that without you, Nelson Mandela would likely have been a lesser known historic figure who’s legacy would never have been truly appreciated.

The case against Go Daddy that may help end Revenge Porn

Revenge Porn

Revenge Porn

Recently, I did an interview with Dame Magazine regarding a landmark revenge porn lawsuit against Go Daddy.  The complaint alleges that the website hosting provider was a complicit and willing partner in harassing and victimizing dozens of women online, including the young plaintiff named Holly Jacobs.

Go Daddy Revenge PornGo Daddy refused to remove nude images and personal identifying information about the women from its servers.  The images and information was posted without the victim’s consent on Texxxan.com, a “revenge porn” website hosted by Go Daddy dedicated to humiliating and emotionally blackmailing women.  The photos that were posted to Texxxan.com, without the victims’ permission, were generally uploaded by jaded ex-boyfriends and husbands with the sole intention of harassing, menacing and causing harm to the victim’s professional reputations.  Texxxan.com and other “revenge porn” sites would often then require a “fee”  from victims in order to remove the photos and personal information.   These sites also enjoyed a significant income stream from “click advertising”.

Sounds a lot like blackmail, exploitation and coercion, right?  Well it is.  Revenge porn is the new scourge of the internet.  Why isn’t Go Daddy required to remove these images immediately? Because of a loop hole in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996, which was written to protect interactive computer service providers, like You Tube, Yahoo and Facebook and others from the acts of 3rd party users who post content to their sites.  Unlike YouTube, Facebook and even Google, Go Daddy is generally unwilling to address activities on its servers that clearly victimize people, and violate federal and state laws.  Why doesn’t Go Daddy want to remove revenge porn and other criminal and defamatory materials from their servers?  From my perspective, its because the company doesn’t care about people.  Go Daddy is a privately corporation and part of a private equity portfolio that is only focused on maximizing profits for its shareholders, not with being responsible corporate citizens.  Much like an oil company that fouls the water and land with petroleum in an effort to make 200% more profit, Go Daddy is more interested in profiting from sites like Texxxan.com than doing the right thing.

Holly Jacobs

Holly Jacobs, brave survivor of Revenge Porn

Revenge porn is a form of criminal stalking, which is illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories.   According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 1 in 4 stalking victims reported some form of cyberstalking such as e-mail (83%) or instant messaging (35%).  Nearly 3 in 4 stalking victims knew their offender in some capacity.  Moreover, women are at greater risk than men for stalking victimization. In 2012, the risk of stalking victimization was highest for individuals who were divorced or separated—34 per 1,000 individuals.

Cyber stalkerLet’s be clear, it is not only immoral, but illegal to post nude and intimate photos or video of individuals (generally women) without their permission, on websites and blogs dedicated to humiliating, harassing and drawing unwanted attention to the victims.  This is especially true when the images are accompanied by personal identifying information (name, address, employers, family details, etc) about the victims to ensure the target of this malicious act is clearly identified and maximum damage is done.  Victims with money and resources are forced to go to civil court and, at great expense, obtain court orders against web hosting companies like Go Daddy in order to compel them to remove the photos.  Some victims actually pay-off these sites (hosted by companies like Go Daddy)  in order to remove this images quickly and hopefully minimize the damage.  However, photos typically pop-up on other sites in the future as victims work to remove them, like a sick, online version of Whac-A-Mole.  This ongoing pattern of “pop-up revenge porn” keeps victims in a constant state of panic and uncertainty over their online reputation and personal safety.  It also becomes expensive when companies like Go Daddy unethically refuse to remove photos and defamatory materials.

Harassers use shame and fear of rejection by family and friends, and loss of job opportunities against victims.  They know that the world is full of “busy bodies” who would rather judge a victim for being shown nude on the internet, against her will, instead of focusing on the sick sociopath who posted the images. By refusing to remove illegal materials from its servers, Go Daddy has proven that it is just as complicit in stalking, harassment and defaming women, like Holly Jacobs, as any criminal off the street.  I really hope Holly wins.  She would be setting an important precedent that would benefit women and future generations to come.

Remembering Mama Africa – Miriam Makeba

Remembering Mama Africa - Miriam Makeba

Today, March 4, 2013, would have been Miriam Makeba’s 81st birthday.  On this day, I honor and remember this fellow Piscean…this warrior woman, who not only fought for civil rights of black South Africans, but also inspired generations of music lovers around the world with her music and beauty.  You are missed dearly Mama Africa…Ashe