The Full Story - Chocolate Siztas

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Royal Treatment
The Full Story
Bringing The Full Figured Into Focus
A Chocolate Siztas Publication
Sacramento, California
MAY-JUNE 2008
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Born Dana Owens, Queen Latifah took
the male-dominated rap game by
storm and gave women worldwide a
sense of pride and U-N-I-T-Y. The
Queen also stepped up her own game,
adding acting to her repertoire and
earned an Oscar nomination for her
performance in “Chicago.”
See Page 4 to learn more about Your
Highness’ upcoming projects.
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Plus Model To Give Industry Dose Of Reality
By Genoa Barrow
Full Story Editor
Whitney Thompson, a student from Florida has won
Cycle 10 of “America’s Next
Top Model” the CW’s highly
popular reality show.
Created by former
Supermodel Tyra Banks,
ANTM seeks to discover and
shape the next baddest chick
to hit the runway.
Thompson’s win marks the
first by a “plus” model. She’s
also the first larger model to
make it to the show’s finale,
which aired on May 14.
“You’re the first juicy booty
to make it to the runway,”
joked Sutan, a makeup artist
on the show.
Thompson was not without
her detractors though. Judge
Paulina Porizkova said
“Whitney’s the girl a guy
would want in his bed, but the
girl I’d buy the dress from is
Anya,” in reference to the
other finalist, who was
favored to win.
Other fuller figured models
have tried/See Big Win, Page 4
Chocolate Sizta
Of The Month
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Congratulations to RoLanda Allaha Wilkins,
our Chocolate Sizta of the Month. Wilkins is
the National Coordinator of Birthing Project,
which save babies’ lives worldwide. She is
also a fierce champion for young girls,
directing Sacramento’s Judge Alice Lytle
Academy of Dreams, which encourages
young women to develop a plan for their
lives, and hosting an
annual education
forum designed to
inspire them to reach
their goals. She is
also the founder of
Earth Mama Healing,
which hosts events
and retreats for
women.
Sac Poetess Puts Down Mic
Say it aint so. One of the most
recognizable names in the
Sacramento poetry scene is calling
it quits, laying down the mic!
Flo-Real, aka Aisha George, the
host of Vibe Sessions, is retiring to
deal with health issues and is taking some much needed
time for self. Full Story
recently caught up with
“Flo” to see where her
head was at...
GB: Why the retirement?
Vibe Sessions is one of the
most consistent venues
these days.
FR: Well basically...I can't
feed the people until I feed
myself. Lately I have been
battling some issues with my
health, diabetes and all so it's just
come time for me to take care of
me.
GB: Are you retiring from hosting
or all/ See Flo-Real, Page 6
Inside: Author Chamein Canton Tells Our Story (3) E-40 Concert (4) Youth Get Chance To Shine (5) .. .
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Who We Are
Chocolate Siztas Poised to Make An Impact
Welcome to the latest issue of our newsletter! We wanted
to take a moment to introduce ourselves again, and
explain where we’re coming from...
There are so many adjectives for a full-figured woman.
Rubenesque. Plus-sized. Big Beautiful Woman (BBW).
Big. Curvaceous. Thick. Chubby. Chunky. The list goes on
and on. The stigma for these women is the same, however, no matter how they’re described: a big woman isn’t typically considered attractive.
The Chocolate Siztas consists of two full-figured women:
Genoa Barrow and Tandrea Madison. Their relationship
began as a professional one, both of them writers for The
Sacramento Observer, a Black-owned newspaper. Soon,
the common ground between them became obvious. Both
women were intelligent, creative, ambitious, full-figured,
divalicious, beautiful and chocolate.
Writers Tandrea Madison, left, and Genoa Barrow,
are founders of Chocolate Siztas, an organization
that caters to the full figured community.
not be an issue at the events.
Discussion about size acceptance became a common one
and both women realized there was a public unmet need—
that a portion of the Sacramento community was being disserviced—and who better to tackle that than them? As
members of the full-figured community and as journalists,
they had unique perspectives into the problem and the
resources and knowledge to make changes. Hence,
Chocolate Siztas was born.
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The aim of the organization is to provide the full-figured
community with activities and venues designed for them
and their admirers. The idea began with a simple desire to
unite full-figured Sacramentans and provide them with a
quarterly venue to meet one another, removing the usual
societal pressures and judgments—size acceptance would
“The Full Story” is the monthly
newsletter of the Chocolate Siztas.
Are you a full figured person
with something to say? Know of a plus
friendly business that should be highlighted?
We want to hear from you.
Email us at [email protected]
or visit us at www.ChcocolateSiztas.com
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What began as a simple idea has since grown considerably. CS has plans for much more for the full-figured
including skate nights, bowling nights, full-figured cruises,
gospel brunches, movie nights—for singles and families,
self-esteem workshops for teens, poetry slams, exercise
classes, dance competitions and more. We’re also launching a youth component called Chocolate CHIPS (Changing
How I’m Perceived by Society) and a new web site
www.ChocolateSiztas.com.
Through all that we do, and just being our wonderful
selves, Chocolate Siztas intends to show society that size
has nothing to do with beauty, style, grace or depth of
heart.
WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING
Gina Washington recently visited our new web site www. ChocolateSiztas.com
and had this to say...
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“The site is tasteful and well done. The new feature Chocolate
Chips is inspiring, and very much needed as a support group and a
safe place for America's full-figured youth. Tandrea and Genoa, I
salute your extraordinary efforts, and I look forward to your next
events... Until then, be blessed and rock on!!! ”
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The Full Story
New York Based Author Takes ‘Our Story’ National
Asked by Genoa Barrow
Full Story Editor
From the pages of her books to
appearances on national television,
author Chamien Canton is representing big girls to the “fullest.”
Canton is the author of several
romance novels with full figured
heroines including “Not His Type”
and “You’re Getting Married?” and as
a successful wedding planner, has
penned “Down That Aisle In Style: A
Wedding Guide for the Full-Figured
Woman.”
Full Story caught up with the busy
lady recently as she prepares for the
June 3 release of her latest novel
“Bliss, Inc.”
GB: Black women, including us
thicker ladies, read a lot of romance
novels, yet we’re not represented a
lot within those pages,even from
writers who are plus themselves,
how important was it to you to
change that?
CC: That was my main focus when I
began writing. I wanted to see big
girls represented as more than just
second bananas to the main, thinner
characters. I wanted to present the
character as a sexy confident
woman who like many other women
(thin women included) has to deal
with some self-esteem issues every
now and then, but she doesn’t let it
get her down or in the way of her
finding true love.
GB: Was it hard finding a publisher
who’d tell our stories?
CC: I lucked out with the romance
novel at Genesis because I found an
editor who read it and immediately
wanted to work with me. My wedding book took a bit longer even with
an agent in my corner. Publishers
could see the market potential but it
was a case of being the first to publish a wedding guide book with the
words “full figured women” on the
cover that seemed to stop them.
Luckily I found kindred spirits with
WindRiver Publishing.
GB: The new book?
CC: It’s all about a take charge wedding planner who let her own love
life fall to the wayside until she
meets Mr. Right in an unusual way. I
will be heading out on a book tour
this summer.
GB: “Down That Aisle In Style”
seems to be doing well.
CC: A friend of mine Susan Barone is
the owner of Always For Me and she
recently published some amazing
statistics about weddings in 2008.
According to her findings nearly 25
percent of the 2.4 million brides getting married this year will be plus
size. That translates into about
600,000 women. Now I don’t know
about anyone else but that figure
gets my attention. I thought it was
about time for people to realize that
we do get married to.
GB: Is your wedding planning business focused on the full-figured?
CC: Although I work with brides of all
sizes, I have a special place in my
heart for full figured brides. I want
them to feel beautiful and special for
their big day and
beyond. It gives me
great joy.
GB: You have eclectic talents, how do
you make time for
all you do?
CC: As a cancer
survivor and someone who lives with
MS I’ve learned that
time isn’t always on
your side. That’s
why I grab life by
the horns and press
forward. Believe me
I have my down
days with my illness
Author/wedding planner Chamein Canton, left,
recently appeared on the “Today Show” with her plus
sized models. For a sneak peek of her new book, “Bliss,
Inc.” visit www.ChocolateSiztas.com
but I pace myself very carefully. One
of the best things about writing and
working for yourself is that you can
set the pace, which means if I need
a “time out” I can take it. Now that
my sons are 21, it’s a little easier to
travel and work on outside projects.
GB: You refer to yourself as a “long
time big girl.” What advice would you
give to others looking for the confidence to love who they are?
CC: Find a way to be happy in your
own skin. Look in the mirror and find
the things you like about yourself. I
have nice eyes, I like my shoulders
etc..
These are little affirmations you can
make to yourself everyday. It took a
major illness for me to realize that I
was allowing what society viewed as
the perfect woman to bring me
down. I hated the word big, now I
embrace it.
I’m not a witch or a leper, I’m just
a big girl and if I let the world bring
me down, there is only one person to
blame and that’s the lady staring
back at me in the mirror.
GB: Have any doors been closed to
you because of your size?
CC: The door to publishing was
closed to me for a while and I kept
pressing on I didn’t let it get me
down. I knew I had something of
value to say and there was an audience for me. I had to keep the faith
and stay positive.
GB: What was being on the Today
Show like?
CC: I have to say I had a terrific
experience with the show. I worked
with Cat Greenleaf and she was a
doll. David’s Bridal, IGIGI and Alfred
Angelo all provided fantastic gowns
so my models looked wonderful. It
felt good to have a chance to show
how beautiful full figured brides are.
All too often plus size brides-to-be
think they have no choice but to lose
weight before they can shop and my
goal was to show them they had
options.
GB: You were going to be doing a
full figured reality show, what happened with that?
CC: it fell through as things sometimes do when it comes to television.
But no worries, whenever one door
closes a window opens and I’m not
afraid to climb in.
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E y e O n U s : Full Figured Folks In Entertainment
Rapper Refuses To Be Anything Other Than A ‘Lady’
SheRico Jones, aka, Lady
Twist, a plus size rapper from
Chicago, was recently booted
from the VH1 show “Ego Trip’s
Miss Rap Supreme.” Airing on
Monday nights, the show is trying
to find the dopest female MC.
Lady Twist’s departure has a
lot of folks talking as she was
one of the more talented and
likeable contestants competing
for the title. In the episode where
she made her exit, much was
made about her weight during a
group competition where the
ladies came up with a number
called “Sweep the Flo” and how
Lady Twist couldn’t do it because of
her size.
They could have found a way to
work her into it even if she couldn’t do
it, but didn’t and their routine ended
up looking disjointed. For the record,
big people can dance, look at Missy
Elliot and hello, remember Heavy D!
Not all rappers dance, rather relying
on talent alone to rock a show, like
The Notorious BIG or Queen Latifah.
Lady Twist recently responded to her
time on the show on a blog site called
FakeShoreDrive.com.
“I personally don’t think that I was
sent home because I couldn’t dance,”
she writes. “I don’t think that I was
sent home because my rhyme lacked
substance; I was sent home because I
refused to argue and fight period.
Although the crown of Miss Rap
Supreme would have been a good
look, I openly/verbally refused to show
my ass and/or disgrace my character
and upbringing in the name of ratings.
“Another thing that keeps resurfacing is the whole weight vs. sex appeal
issue. Truthfully, I can’t name too
Rocklin’s Gettin’ Hyphy
A Touch of Entertainment presents rapper and hood linguist E40 in concert June 7 at Rocklin’s
Harwood Palace Sports and
Events Center.
Bay Area artist E-40 has had
hits with songs like “Tell Me
When To Go,” “Things’ll Never
Change/Rapper’s Ball,” “U &
E-40
Dat,” and “Sprinkle Me.”
Also performing will be Big
Omeezy, Tha Outfit, DJ Pizo, DJ Iceman, DJ Flipside and Doey
Rock of E-40’s Sick Wid It Records. Hosted by Short-E of 103.5
The Bomb. Sponsors include LAKidd Entertainment, MaddPAdd
Productions, Kalikwest Media Group and OLM Entertainment.
Tickets are $35 in advance at Ticketmaster or $40 at the door.
The Harwood Palace is located at 1091 Tinker Road, Rocklin.
For more information call (916) 508-7410 or to learn about vendor opportunities, call (916) 308-5157.
many attractive male rappers, can you? I challenge
you to name 10 right
now…. And a few of these
female rappers leave much
to be desired in the looks
department.”
Miss Rap Supreme,
which highlights a great
deal of arguing and overall
hating among the contestants, is hosted by fuller-figured rappers Yo Yo and Mc
Serch, of 3rd Bass fame.
Plus size rapper Khia, who
had a hit with the sexually
charged song,“My Neck,
My Back” was disqualified earlier this
season for using a rap she’d previously recorded during a competition
where she and others were to write an
original piece to stay to keep from
being eliminated.
Lady Twist had already foreshadowed her own departure, as she’s
seen during her last episode telling a
friend back home that she was ready
to leave and focus on her journalism
studies. She’s not giving up on the
music thing just yet though. Check her
out at www.cdbaby.com/cd/ladytwist.
Queen ‘Bee’
Here’s the latest buzz on
Queen Latifah. She’ll star
opposite Oscar winner
Jennifer Hudson and fellow
artist Alicia Keys in the
upcoming film, “The Secret
Life of Bees.” The film, due
out October 17, stars Dakota
Fanning as a girl in 1964 dealing with the death of
her mother. Her father hires a Black woman, Hudson,
to care for her. Latifah is one of three beekeeping sisters who teach them some life lessons in rural South
Carolina.
Latifah’s last movie “Mad Money” is out on DVD
May 13 and she’s in theaters now in “What Happens
in Vegas” In 2009 she’ll reprise her voice over role of
Ellie in “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.”
The Full Story...
Chocolate Siztas Reaches Out To Youth
In an effort to reach out to
full figured youth, Chocolate
Siztas is launching its youth
component, Chocolate
C.H.I.P.S. (Changing How I’m
Perceived by Society).
Chocolate Siztas believes that
size does not determine one’s
self worth or potential and supports young people in their
fight to be accepted for who
they are.
Aimed at full-figured youth
ages 12-18, the Chocolate
C.H.I.P.S. will build selfesteem, share common experiences, encourage positive body
image and most importantly,
learn to love who they are as
they are!
Chocolate C.H.I.P.S. activities will include a full-figured
youth summit, fashion shows,
work out sessions, college
information, a mentor program,
field trips, movie nights and
more.
For more information on how
to participate or become a
sponsor for this effort, visit
www.ChocolateSiztas.com, or email
[email protected].
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Check out these plusfriendly web sites:
www.naafaonline.com
www.hipsandcurves.com
www.biggalslingerie.com
www.aboutcurves.com
www.plusmodels.com
www.fullfigureentertainment.com
www.sizeappeal.com
www.lanebryant.com
CHOCOLATE SIZTAS
PRESENTS
The Sweet Spot
ENJOY A FUN NIGHT OUT OR
MIX AND MINGLE
WITH FULL FIGURED SINGLES
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Queen Sheba
1704 Broadway
Sacramento, Ca.
7- 11 p.m.
DJ Biggie C
& DANCING
DOOR PRIZES
Tickets: $20
(Food & Drink Not Included)
✦
✦
Tickets available in advance at www.ChocolateSiztas.com.
6
The Full Story
the years, the constant validation from family, friends as
well as lovers.
GB: When did you host your
first Vibe Sessions?
FR: Well the name Vibe Sessions is
only two years old. I first started
hosting a show called "The Po-Rotic
Lounge" at Cheers back in May of
2002
GB: What was your vision for the
venue and did you accomplish that
goal?
FR: My vision was to create the
most melodic, educational, sensual,
down to earth, funniest venue ever. I
just wanted to be "Out of the box" of
normality sorta speak, and yes I feel
like I have accomplished that
GB: How would you rank/rate
Sacramento's poetry talent and
poetry scene?
FR: I would rate the talent at the top.
there is so much talent here, and
people just don't know it! The poetry
scene has dwindled a lil bit but is
slowing making its way back up! and
I only say that because when I go to
places like atlanta where they have 3
venues goin every night of the weak,
i gotta question our dedication to this
spoken word movement.
GB: When did you start writing poetry/singing and when was the first
Flo Real Cont...
FR: I am retiring from hosting and
performing all in a nutshell... at least
for awhile.
GB: Talent can't be contained. Will
we see Flo-Real take the stage anywhere around Sac?
FR: That statement is true! But I
don’t plan to take the stage for
awhile....I hope.
GB: Vibe Sessions has been around
for a minute, different locations...
how important was it to you to build
up a quality venue?
FR: It was very important because
your venue reflects on you believe it
or not and I knew that once it was
built to it's prime, the whole community will would benefit from it.
GB: What's been the highlight of
your time as host?
FR: My highlight would be, the love
and respect from the community as
another young positive leader.
GB: You're one of the ones that we
(Chocolate Siztas) point out as "representing well" for the big girls.
How'd you gain that self confidence
that it takes to be a host and hold
your own as a performer?
FR: It has come from many over
time you read on stage/in public?
FR: Well I started writing short stories years ago late ’90s I actually
stepped on stage for the first time in
2001 at this venue here called "The
Po-Hop" at Cheers hosted by Cornel
West and when I performed I got a
standing ovation and from that
moment on...it was all she wrote!!!
GB: When/How did you become FloReal?
FR: Well I was reciting as Just Aisha
for a couple of months. People kept
telling me that my Flo was real and
down to earth plus around that time
the music group Floetry came out
and I had an afro and everyone was
saying that I looked like Marsha in
Floetry so I put the flo and the real
together from that
GB: What does the future hold for
Aisha George?
FR: Hopefully my own magazine,
maybe even end up writing for other
artists etc, Also I love kids so maybe
WHY WE LIKE HER
Flo-Real also performs with
the African dance & drum
troupe Jodama and has won
several awards including the
Sounds of Soul Black Music
Award for Best Female Poet in
2005 and the Sac Cultural Hub
Choice Award in 2007.
[
even opening a center for rebellious
teens to help them curb that negative energy, but all if it be the Lord’s
will!
When
asked
on
her
MySpace page what her
best physical feature was,
she answered, “My Twinz”
and when asked what she
wanted to be when she
“grew up,” she replied, “a
mentor for the kids.”
Big Win Continued...
‘On The Street, She’s Just A Hot Chick’
to break the ANTM barrier to no avail,
most famously Toccara Jones in Cycle 3.
Jones has gone on to become a television
personality, despite losing on ANTM.
Banks acknowledged that the fashion
industry has different standards when it
comes to size.
“Only in modeling is plus. On the street,
she’s just a hot chick,” she said during the
finale show.
Thompson, who rocked a bright pink
Versace gown to victory, says she’s used
to negativity about her body.
“I got tough skin from that. That’s the
only way I could survive as a plus-size
model in a house full of skinny toothpicks.”
Thompson says she’s ready to serve as a
role model.
“I want other girls to say ‘I don’t have to
starve or have plastic surgery. I can be on
that billboard too.’”
As the winner of ANTM, Thompson will
receive representation from Elite Model
Management, a $100,000 contract with
CoverGirl cosmetics and a six-page fashion spread in “Seventeen” magazine.
Toccara Jones didn’t win Top
Model, but the curvy beauty is still
setting runways on fire.