tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610681310547419473.post6802076735518232475..comments2020-09-18T19:58:44.282-07:00Comments on Sapphire Unbound: A Black Womanist Scholar Speaks her Mind: Stand-in-your-house Rule: A “Different” Take on Trayvon Martin and Violence in the Public SphereSapphire Unbound: A Black Womanist Scholar Speaks her Mindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100126802138225280noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610681310547419473.post-85300248775274453042012-04-17T16:38:47.781-07:002012-04-17T16:38:47.781-07:00a. rahman ford. Of course I remember you from my d...a. rahman ford. Of course I remember you from my days at Howard U. I trust that you are doing well.<br />Thanks for your very thoughtful response to my work. I'll attempt to respond<br />Lost Bodies suggest that something still exist and as such can be (re)covered. You ask "were the bodies "lost" as a result of carelessness or negligence or, were they stolen deliberately or with malice?" I think that in the case of policy making that its often a bit of both. Which to mean suggest responsibility and the possibility of accountability. For example, if I loose my receipts and the IRS comes knocking--I'm still held responsible for what I claim (Ok it's tax season, can you tell). Who is responsible? We all are.<br />Having said all of that, I'm truly not wedded to the title and am exploring others. <br />Continue to keep me on my toes!!!Sapphire Unbound: A Black Womanist Scholar Speaks her Mindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00100126802138225280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610681310547419473.post-34477683505999508572012-04-13T09:03:36.131-07:002012-04-13T09:03:36.131-07:00great post and blog. i hope to read more in the f...great post and blog. i hope to read more in the future.<br /><br />i am curious as to why you chose the term "lost" for your blog title. to me, "lost" implies a lack of agency, a lack of intent or purpose to the displacement or diminution of the "humanity" of female bodies. were the bodies "lost" as a result of carelessness or negligence or, were they stolen deliberately or with malice?<br /><br />i'm not a feminist scholar so i don't know the answer. but it seems that the use of "lost" can lead to two rather unsettling conclusions, neither of which you may intend. first, that no person, people, institution or cartel of institutions can be held responsible. alternatively, there is blame to be assigned, but the blame is minimal because the "losing" of the bodies was just an unfortunate mistake, the way a child loses a toy.<br /><br />this may seem a minor point, but i believe the blog title frames your overall project by introducing the issue of racial and gendered political power asymmetries. more importantly, it introduces the following series of questions: (1) who/what is responsible for the power asymmetries, (2) how much or in what way are they responsible, (3) are they solely responsible or do several actors operate as an ensemble, (4) what has to be done to correct the asymmetries, and (5) who has to/can do the correcting?<br /><br />these issues may be of particular importance as they relate to your activist program. just a few thoughts. by the way, i believe you served on my thesis committee with jane flax at howard university some years ago. glad to see you are doing well.<br /><br />cheers,<br /><br />a. rahman forda. rahman fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00251307565289189805noreply@blogger.com