Ajak Deng & Ataui Deng for Arise #11 by John-Paul Pietrus

Reflexive exclusion of normal nonwhite male counterparts for glamorized nonwhite females is a white imperial imperative, and not a new one. The question is whether there is some evidence in these photos of any critical awareness about this old tradition. I don’t see it.

Keep in mind, in regard to your comment about ‘heteronormativity,’ that virtually every white imperial offense in recent history has been accompanied by righteous choruses in defense of women, sexual minorities, etc.

The fact that this set is from Arise magazine ( http://www.arisemagazine.net ), a new magazine focused on African style and culture, naturally evokes some hope that what we’re seeing here is not limited to the usual needs of the white empire everyone knows all too well. But the reasonable thing to do is to presume that things are functioning normally (see the links in my previous comment) unless we have some indication of a different mindset.

Reflexive exclusion of normal nonwhite male counterparts for glamorized nonwhite females is a white imperial imperative, and not a new one. The question is whether there is some evidence in these photos of any critical awareness about this old tradition. I don’t see it.

Keep in mind, in regard to your comment about ‘heteronormativity,’ that virtually every white imperial offense in recent history has been accompanied by righteous choruses in defense of women, sexual minorities, etc.

The fact that this set is from Arise magazine ( http://www.arisemagazine.net ), a new magazine focused on African style and culture, naturally evokes some hope that what we’re seeing here is not limited to the usual needs of the white empire everyone knows all too well. But the reasonable thing to do is to presume that things are functioning normally (see the links in my previous comment) unless we have some indication of a different mindset.