Every race has the same issues.  Education is the key to bringing us all together.

Daniel, I’m sure you didn’t mean to write your post in such a degrading manner, but it sure did come off that way. Cue quotes: “Get over yourself and quit looking for sound bites in the news. Your making all of “your people” look bad.”; “Get over yourself pronto and stop making black people look so desperate.”; “One day into office and Michelle Obama is already pissing off “her people”. Yeah, I quoted it cause apparently if you’re black there is some race-driven unspoken code of style that requires you to support black designers.”; Just cause she was born black doesn’t mean she’s “yours” you racist bitch.”

Was it really necessary to call her a “b**ch”, or constantly refer to her as making ‘her/your/black people look bad/desperate/etc.’? I don’t see her as making black people look bad, because we are not all the same; the black community is a variety individuals, with a variety of view points. I understand your passion on such an issue, but (no offense) you could build up on a better vocabulary in future rebuttals.

You seem very concerned with her (Amnau Eele) looking for sound bites. Sound bites that your article has now contributed to providing her the attention that she probably set out for in the first place with her statement. Remember, whether good or bad…press is press. Do you know how many Google searches have been probably entered on ‘Black Artists Association’ or ‘Amnau Eele’, just from the spark of this lil’ controversial flame?

Now, as an African-American professional in the fashion industry, I do not agree with Ms. Eele’s statement, but I do respect it. Why, because we live in a country of freedom of speech (which can sometimes be questionable) and respect is what seems to have been lost in with regards to freedom of speech? I do feel her words could have been chosen better and still got her point made.

However, we need to not lose focus on what the election and inauguration of Barack Obama was all about? Just as Obama quoted in his speech, we have to put aside our “childish ways”.

It’s a new day people! There are still those that think differently, but instead of combating ignorance, with ignorant responses…educate, compromise, and understand other points of view.

Thanks!

America sold Obama as the first black president.
not the first global president,
bi-racial president,
mixed-president,
immigrant president
but black president.
now… if you’re going to use the word black and Martin Luther’s King legacy to sell the first black president of america to the world as change for america first, the free world second.
then the moment is for black people first.
MLK is blacks legacy.
the only part whites played in this legacy is that a white man killed king.
what did latino and asians do to help MLK’s legacy during the 60’s?
let’s go back and look at the photos.
i don’t see any water hose being used on asians and latino’s in those old civil right pictures.
i see only black people and a few whites from up north.

it is the world ’s moment and legacy now,
because America sold it to the world this way.
she sold it that way because she’s broke and her image was shot to hell because of the Iraq war and george bush jr.
400 years of brutal racist white leadership has left americans homeless, over weight, broke, religious, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, angry, attracted to movies like hostel and racist with no pension.

ms, eele is trying to educate a country where people will trample a store employee to death for a radio on sale at wal-mart and european countries that trample people to death at soccer games..
that’s why i wish ms. eele would stop her work, because she’s trying to help a bunch of insane morons with a dumb stench that wafts across the globe.
witness the worldwide comments here.
frenchgirl said she’s not coming to america because of ms.eele’s comments.
then stay home dummy and hope all those angry africans and arabs that france hates and shit on everyday don’t burn the eiffel tower down because of the brutal racism against poor africans and arabs in france.

did any of you know Obama 6 years ago?
you didn’t,
and when you don’t know a person you’ve never met it’s better to save your judgement until you have all the full details of a story or a person.
that’s Brent’s and power’s point about ms.eele.
amnau eele doesn’t speak for all black people and the article never said she did.
she speaks for her organization and that was made clear in the wwd article.

and for all the black morons on this site posting stupid comments that amnau eele’s comments make michelle obama look bad,
as if the deaths of malcolm x, tupac, biggie smalls and all the dead black men from black on black crime didn’t make her look bad.
as if jay z’s and young jeezy’s chanting nigger at their show in dc didn’t.
as if taking a million dollar house from a slumlord named tony retsko while tony rented shacks with no heat in cold chicago to poor blacks didn’t make michelle obama look bad.
even obama said the tony retsko “house buy” was a bone head mistake.
google it clowns.
if obama does’t feed any of you and pay your rent in a month, you’re going to be ready to torch him and talk about what a liar he is for making all those promises he can’t keep.

I remember when Ms. Eele told the audience at a nyc college in 2005 that Bernard Madoff was a crook.
she was attacked for this comment the same way she’s being attacked here on this blog for asking why a dowdy first lady with bad posture, goofy facial expressions, bowed legs and split ends doesn’t have the sense to call up a legendary black designer that designed at Donna Karan for years as her creative director and get a dress that will make her evening really historical?

amnau eele is a pioneer.
she was in paris vogue when paris vogue didn’t use black models.
she was on the runways of paris. milan and london when those countries didn’t use black models.
models like amnau eele, pat cleveland, peggy dillard, beverly johnson, carol miles,billie blair and gloria burgess opened doors for models like naomi campbell and tyra banks
and she did it all before obama or his wife was even a thought.
i have a photo of amnau eele from paris match magazine, and pat cleveland is smiling at her so beautifully in madame jaqueline de ribes presse show over 25 years ago..

i first saw amnau’s photos in paris vogue with guy bourdin as a F.I.T. student, she’s so beautiful.
she’s really special and i always look forward to reading about her in the papers.
i’m white and i find this beautiful black woman fascinating.

she’s powerful because she uses her own money to help people and that’s amazing to me in an era of charity parties that are used to launch park ave socialites social careers.

while all of you are posting these negative comments, that lady is feeding homeless people in port authority and michelle obama is picking out her next ugly dress by a non-black designer.
ms.eele who looks like a billion dollars in clothes should care less what ugly dresses michelle obama wears.
looking at all those ugly dresses with green shoes will be over with in 4-8 years
i just thank god that michelle obama doesn’t wear a weave.
green shoes and a weave.
i need a pill.

that lady went to paris and worked for the best.
today she sits with homeless people and she helps them.
the streets respect Ms. Eele.
she’s been out here in NYC a long time helping people with her own money.
ain’t nobody going to touch her.
that lady is loved.

Black people havent criticized Michelle Obama, and Black people dont look “desperate.” One black woman, who does not even purport to speak for the entirety of black america, made a comment. Let her have her individual opinion and take it as that. criticize or praise her for her individual opinion.

One issue that has been completely ignored is the fact that black people with any type of spotlight are treated in this nation as though they are speaking for the entire community. Cant someone be intelligent or ignorant without representing the millions of diverse African-Americans in this society?

someone other than these black designers must lobby the white house in their behalf.

every latino person in america knows that had a latino being elected, the first latino first lady would have called a latino designer like oscar de la renta or carolina herrera to design her dresses, not a black designer.
a lot of latino people don’t like blacks and a lot of latino families prefer if their kids marry latino, white and any other color but black.
it’s all in the history books and I’ve experienced this racism within my own family.
so if my latino brother doesn’t like black people and think they all look like apes then why should he get to dress a black first lady for such a historical moment?
a lot of black people don’t add it up like this and that’s why it took them 232 presidents to get a half black president and a black first lady.

Poor Ms. Eele, she’s fighting for black people that hate themselves and one another.
it seems most of these self-hating blacks posted here.
be careful mami, some black people will kill you.
remember blacks killed malcolm x and the minister farrakhan said that blacks have always killed all of their leaders that fight for black rights.
i’m afraid for amnau eele, because i know her people and my people kill each other over cell phones.
I wish amnau eele was latino, because we need strong and brave prople in our community like her that will fight for us.
blacks are blessed to have fighters like amnau eele and they don’t even know it.

I thought she was crazy years ago when she paid a bunch people rents that she didn’t even know in Brooklyn, all because the city had condemed the building these families were staying in.
Would any of you do that?
.
yesterday I heard on the radio that Amnau Eele is heading to the White House at Mrs. Obama’s request and I’m not surprised that Mrs. Obama wants to meet her.
Mrs. Obama doesn’t seem to have a problem with Ms. Eele’s comments, so why do you?

Ms. Eele is right. I work in the fashion industry and I’ve been watching non-white designers that wouldn’t be caught dead booking a black model or talent for their shows or print, lining up to dress the first black first lady.
why don’t these designers tell Mrs. Obama’s staff when they call for a dress what they’ve told modeling agencies for years:” WE’RE NOT BOOKING BLACK MODELS OR TALENT THIS SEASON”.
The non-black designers won’t say this because they want the status and financial profit of dressing a black first lady.
Instead these designers message is: “We don’t book black models, but we have a dress for you first black first lady”.

I think it’s sad that a rapper that calls black people niggers, and women bitches and whores can get invited to the white house before a legendary award winning pioneering African-american designer.
how is this a positive lesson for Malia and Sasha?

I thank BAA for their efforts and as a white woman i think it’s sad how black people are attacking Amnau Eele because she’s speaking up against injustice the same way Martin Luther King did in the 60’s.
Most of the people posting these negative comments about Ms. Eele, their grandparents had the same negative comments against Mr. King during his life time.
I think blacks stayed in slavery longer than they had to because of stupid blacks like the ones posting all of this negative crap about a woman they don’t even know.

BAA is always on the news when young black kids are killing one another, BAA goes into these neighborhoods where most of you posting this sick stuff would never go into.
none of you know this lady or her work, and I admire that she fearless.
Stay strong BAA and thank you for all of your efforts and for giving many of us with no voice, a VOICE.

Thanks to BAA, I, a white woman now have a great paying job in tv.
a ignorant racist black woman doesn’t get white people good paying jobs.
and guess what i just hired a black woman and asian man, and both came from BAA.
That’s who BAA is.
now who are you and who did you help to get a job today?

Those of us that disagree should contact the BAA- does anyone have contact information on them?

As far as AMNAU ELEE OBAMA HAVING MY REPARATIONS, Corey I don’t think you were being racist but you sure weren’t being funny. On top of which, reparations had nothing to do with these idiots trippin about Michelle O’s dress choices. Also not to be a B*@th, but it’s “rep-A-rations” not “rep-E-rations”……..*squint*

Since we’re off subject. I’m sure we’ll never recieve reparations. However, I think it’s so interesting how Native Americans got reparations, Jewish people get empathy but black people get a shrug and an “oh well”. Of course if you’re not black, all I’m doing is playing the race card, but whatever…………..I’m still cute.

– Z’maji of HauteBlogXOXO “The Glam’Rist”

Plenty of comments on what Amnau Eele had to say. Mostly negative. How disappointing to hear such comments. This county is multi-cultural and no one owes the BLACK Artists Assoc members anything!!

I guess Obama’s victory has taught most of us nothing. This should be seen as a new beginning and moving forward to better this country and ourselves. So much for hope.