Tonya Lewis Lee left the world of  Corporate Law to pursue her goal of writing and television producing. After learning that in United States, children are dying at a faster rate than in several Third-World countries, Tonya knew she needed to take action. A mother of two and married to director Spike Lee, Tonya used her talent and skills to produce the documentary “Crisis in the Crib” and became the national spokesperson for “A Healthy Baby Begins With You,” a national infant mortality campaign sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Recently selected as one of Women’s eNews 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, Tonya talks about her work on behalf of women and explains the importance of having as a country not just healthy babies but also healthy mothers and why supporting women in their decisions to have or not have children is key.

As a bestselling author and an award-winning TV producer with a background in law, one can definitely say about you that you have the ability to use both the right and left side of your brain. Was it a tough decision to stop practicing law? Do you ever see yourself returning to law perhaps through your community outreach work?

Interestingly enough given my career choice [to be a lawyer], I prefer to be on the creative side of my brain. It was not a tough decision because the truth of the matter is I originally went to Law School with the idea that I need to have a trade that would allow me to take care of myself. While practicing law, I did not mind the work but did not enjoy the corporate politics in the firm. When I was younger, I always wanted to write, produce, and direct which is funny because I ended up marrying a director. It took me a while to get back to my creativity but I always wanted to do it so it was not a difficult transition. I use my legal background in my own current work and I think the skills and organization I learned as a lawyer come in handy as a producer. I would not trade it for anything because I think it makes me better in everything that I do but I would not necessarily go back to it.

As a TV Producer and through your company Madstone you have focused on  increasing the presence of people of color in mainstream media. Despite the fact that America has elected an African-American president, there does not seem to be many shows on television that showcase African-Americans in a positive light, for example the way shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Cosby Show or Girlfriends did. Do you find this surprising and what would you like to see on mainstream television?

For me I think it would be great if we could see television in the way I live my life in New York City and what I mean by that is I live an integrated life.  I have African-American friends, Jewish friends, white friends and Asian friends and what frustrates me about television often is that it is so segregated. We don’t see enough diverse images of African-Americans on television and I would have thought we would be able to progress a little further by 2010 where this was something we normally see. When you think about this year’s  films Precious and The Blind Side, you see all these images of black people who are depraved and struggling and while I am not saying they don’t exist, there are just as many stories beyond that out there. I thought the film Avatar was interesting because you aren’t just talking about one type of black people and rather it is a movie about people of color and that was striking to me. Often Hollywood is very resistant to this and until we are able to get people of color in positions where they can green light shows and films, it is going to be a tough road to convince people that there are enough black people out there living a middle class life to justify making a story about them.

It seems like achieving such a portrayal was integral to “The Gotham Diaries,” the best seller you co-authored and which focuses on the educated, intelligent African-American elite of New York City. While this book included both respectable and scandalous characters, it presented the middle/upper class black community in a way that is rarely seen. What are your thoughts on shows like Housewives of Atlanta or Baldwin Hills which are reality TV attempts at achieving something similar?

Well I have to admit the Housewives of Atlanta is a guilty pleasure of mine.  As much as I dislike reality television, I feel a little different about that show because it allows the characters to be complex, messy, human, and three dimensional. In that show they are allowed to be human beings and are not so different from say the characters of Housewives of Orange County or Housewives of New York.  Yes it is ridiculous sometimes but it is no more ridiculous than the other shows in that franchise.

The World Health Organization ranked the United States 29th in the world with respect to its infant mortality which means American children are dying at the rate prevalent in Third-World countries. When you reach out to different communities do you find that they are shocked to learn this especially given the fact that African-American women and their  infants are significantly more at-risk–regardless of income or education?

Yes I do think they are shocked and it is one of the issues that has not received a lot of play in the media. To me infant mortality is the marker of our country’s health and even among white Americans, the infant mortality is still ridiculously high compared to other nations. All these statistics and issues are hidden and people don’t want to talk about them. (more…)

While the sport of long-distance running has seen many successful Ethiopian competitors, Derartu Tulu’s story is a unique one. Growing up on a farm in Ethiopia, Tulu belongs to the Oromo people who are known for giving the world many outstanding athletes. Winner of 35 gold, 12 silver and 15 bronze medals, she became the first woman from Africa to win a Gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Her combination of speed, endurance, and will power has made her an icon of the Olympic movement and earned her the unofficial title of best runner in the world. In this brief interview with Worldfocus blogger Tesfaye Negussie, Tulu discusses her training and how a serious health scare almost forced her to stop running competitively. Instead of giving up at an age where many athletes retire, Tulu went on to win the NYC Marathon in 2009.

World Focus: Ethiopian marathon runner fueled by homeland

We recently wrote about the despicable acts of vandalism and death threats against congressmen and women who voted yes on health-care reform.  That same week, there were reports about Sarah Palin’s Facebook page which featured the now infamous map with 20 cross hairs, one for each of such Democrats in vulnerable districts targeted by her political action committee SarahPAC. And as if this wasn’t enough, Palin subsequently tweeted “Don’t retreat– Instead RELOAD” pointing to her map on Facebook; so far, despite the criticisms, she  is refusing to back down.

We’ve heard a lot in the past few days from Palin herself and those who take up her defense and that of others who’ve used similar rhetoric that these are just words and that strong reactions to them are fueled by partisan attempts at scoring political points.  While such language comes as no surprise from someone who thrives on being inflammatory, the arrest over the weekend of members of a militia group charged with plotting to kill a law enforcement officer and then attack his funeral caravan,  give words like Palin’s a new significance.  These are not just words; their potential to be the sparks that light up the violence of other arm-bearing right-wing groups should be taken seriously and denounced vigorously.

The Huffington Post: Sarah Palin’s PAC Puts Gun Sights On Democrats She’s Targeting In 2010

NY Times: Militia Charged With Plotting to Murder Officers

Oh Evian, why did you think this was a good idea? The Evian Babies Commercial was one thing (although many found it cute, I gotta say babies dancing to “Rappers Delight” in  roller skates freaks me out ) but the last thing I want to see is a grown man wearing half naked baby body on their shirt. Their motto “Live Young” sounds a bit more like “Live Creepy.” Could you imagine some guy hitting on you at a bar in this get up? Um no thanks. OK back to regular scheduled programming…

Animal New York

With the passage of Health-care reform, Nancy Pelosi has been proclaimed by many as the most powerful woman and Speaker in U.S. History.  That may well be the case but she is not the only successful congresswoman according to a recent study from Stanford University and the University of Chicago that shows that on average, women in Congress introduce more bills, attract more co-sponsors and bring more money for their districts than their male counterparts do. Politico reports that the study examined the performance of House members between 1984 and 2004 and found that “women delivered roughly 9 percent more discretionary spending for their districts than men.” In addition Stanford researcher Sarah Anzia writes that, “Women sponsor about three bills more per Congress per term than their male counterparts…They co-sponsor more bills than other members, and they also obtain more co-sponsors for their own bills.”

Women make up only 2 percent of the total congressional population but they achieve more probably because as we all know they must work twice as hard to be regarded as successful as their male counterparts. So, imagine how much would get done in Congress–for a change, if more women were elected. I am not suggesting that women should be supported just because they are women but given that it’s been shown that they achieve more of their goals, wouldn’t it make sense to support them when we agree with their political platforms.  That it why it is important to have and support organizations like EMILY’s list that work to elect more women at all levels of government. Only with the support of women outside of political institutions, will the chances of more women holding elected office increase.

Politico: Study: Women lawmakers outperform men

In an article about the impact of climate change posted on the site of TakePart an independent online community of individuals and organizations committed to social change, Yasmine Ryan sheds light on a lesser known aspect of the problem, namely the fact that climate change actually affects women disproportionately, in particular in developing and poor countries.

Thinking about it, this makes a lot of sense because women in these countries are the most vulnerable. As Ryan reminds us, making up 70 percent of the world’s poor, women live off the earth and are responsible for collecting water and wood for their families.  As a result, droughts, deforestation and natural disasters have a greater impact on their lives and ability to survive.   Yet Ryan writes, “in the many fierce debates about climate justice, however, one disconcerting reality has received far too little attention: women will bear the brunt of the worst ravages of climate change. And in the conversations among global leaders, women are struggling to have their voices heard.”  Just recently, the UN created a board charged with gathering $100 billion a year to help the poorest countries fight the effects of climate change but did not appoint a single woman to it.  Similarly, governments dealing with the issue are not including women in the decision-making process.

Given that as a result of climate-related changes, fewer women will be able to go to school, more will forced into underage marriage, prostitution or even die, it is essential that when it comes to discussing, finding and implementing solutions to the problem, women be given a seat at the table. This is what organizations such as Oxfam and The League of Women Voters as well as influential women including the First Lady of Peru, Pilar Nores de Garcia, the former New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, and Princess Sita Norodom of Cambodia are calling for. Fortunately so is our secretary of States, Hillary Clinton, which makes me hopeful that, as an important member of the world community, the US will push for a greater inclusion of women in discussions and actions on the issue.

TakePart: Why Climate Change Is Worse for Women

A clothier, designer, writer, visual artist, puppet-maker and actress with a recent stint in the new Noah Baumbach film, “Greenberg,” Desira is a modern day Renaissance woman. Growing up with bikers as parents where the occasional vacation involved moose watching, Desira talks about how her unconventional background affects her artwork giving it originality. Despite the pressure to compromise in order to build a successful business, you won’t find her designs at your nearest Forever-21.

Age? 27

Places you have lived in? Scranton (PA), Syracuse (NY), Florence (Italy), Brooklyn (NY)

Places you would like to live in? Barcelona, Spain, somewhere in Scandinavia, Paris, France, London, and Bologna, Italy

What do you do? Fashion designer/seamstress & actress

I read on your blog that you had two bikers for parents. Growing up, how did your life differ growing up from other kids’ lives?

Well, I was an oddball only because of the schools I went to, which were Catholic and Jesuit prep schools where most children had parents that were doctors, lawyers, or business owners, who relished in expensive possessions.  We had a truck, backhoe, dump truck and tractor; and went moose watching in the woods of New Hampshire for vacation and car shows for entertainment. There were very few students in my school who could draw or play an instrument.  I always felt weird and misunderstood and in turn they also made me feel different. There was no cultural diversity, which really bothered me and there was also a heavy feeling of elitism.  If you weren’t from a successful family, you were shit. My parents have been wonderful in terms of allowing my sister and I to develop our own sense of self and this in turn has allowed us to pursue anything we wanted.  I really couldn’t stand Pennsylvania and was able to become someone else when I left.

Growing up working on a farm, do you feel you miss that in New York? Do you feel you have to leave the city to get some nature?

Yes and no.  I do miss having unadulterated space to explore and not have to leave at dusk, yet there’s plenty here to satiate me.  Prospect Park is incredible and mimics being in unguarded nature.  I do crave running around blanketed by human silence; and I also love going on long drives, which I cannot do here, yet at this point in my life, I am where I want to be.  What I miss more than fresh air is kindness.  New Yorkers are so quick to be defensive and insulting and the insistence on “me me me” is sometimes too much.  There is no patience, no brotherly love. When I am almost hit by a speeding belligerent driver while riding my bike, it’s more common to hear, “FUCK YOU!!” rather then “Are you alright? Sorry!”  That shit gets really grating.

Do you think the fashion industry keeps coming up with original ideas or is there a lot of fluff out there? How does a designer stand out?

Just as in the fine art work, there’s a lot of regurgitation and reiteration and still there’s a tremendous amount of ingenuity and novelty.  The change of materials available and technology aids a new look as humanity grows and bends.  I think that there is often a recurrence of styles and shapes, yet in a postmodern way.  Then again, there is also blatant copying and I think independent designers are often the victims of that.  Designers stand out in a number of different ways –quality, ostentation, novelty, politics, ethics, technology, high art…. It really depends on who is watching.

How did you learn how to design clothes? Was it valuable or important for you to train or apprentice with another designer?

Self-taught hard work, a tad of experience freelancing for Burdastyle.com, and a puppet maker for Broadway and the Macy’s parades, and lots and lots and lots of practice.  I seriously sew and design 75 hours a week.

I have noticed that you are often the model of your clothes on your website, is it by choice or would you rather work with models?

I like both.  I started modeling for myself because when I started sewing, I made things to fit me. I therefore would look best in them.  As time went on, I think I continued this out of convenience, rather than trying to summon someone to come model for a few hours.  Even still, I love having models.  It allows me a lot more control over the look and feel of the shot, as opposed to being both in front and behind the camera (I often do my own photography with a tripod).

Are your designs meant for people of different shapes and sizes? Do you think every designer should include such designs in their collection?

For the most part, yes.  I have made every size of clothing over the years.  I think some designs work better for certain body types naturally, as some people look better in some things than other.  That goes for both tiny and voluptuous bodies.  I hope that my clothing attracts a large audience and is enjoyed and worn proudly for its distinctiveness.

The idea of skinny in fashion has been going on for a long time but recently people seem to think it has become out of control to the point of excessive photo shopping or firing models for gaining 5 pounds. It’s really disgusting how thin women have gotten in the fashion and entertainment industries.  I have worked behind the scenes for a few real fashion shows and have had to dress models and it literally made me ill.  They are walking corpses.  I am pretty thin and I looked overweight compared to these people. That in turn, really alienates most of the population. Women are mind-fucked by the obsession of being svelte, tall, and white from the day they reach self-consciousness until they die. Would I compromise my ideals for success? (more…)