| SPECIAL ISSUE: Struck by Lightening: The Transdiasporan Phenomenon of Skin Bleaching Guest Edited by Yaba Amgborale Blay Despite governmental attempts to ban bleaching products and the extreme health risks, including skin cancer, brain and kidney damage, and sometimes death, many African women, continental and Diasporan alike, continue to use chemical agents and homemade concoctions to lighten the complexion of their skin. Although the social practice of skin bleaching has had long history in Africana communities, it is seldom the focus of academic research and/or critical analysis. As such, this special edition invites articles that examine and further interrogate various dimensions for which skin bleaching has implications (social, cultural, gendered, health, economic, political, etc.). We are particularly interested in analyses that draw attention to the valuations placed upon and the perceived and actual privileges/liabilities associated with skin color, the extent to which skin bleaching is functionary of those valuations, privileges and liabilities, and the role that skin color plays in the lives and experiences of women of African descent. Book reviews of relevant texts are also welcomed. About JENDA Jenda: A Journal of Culture and African Women Studies, is a peer reviewed e-journal devoted to the promotion of the research and scholarship of African women to the global African community and friends of Africa. JENDA documents and responds to debates on women's history and studies in African social, cultural, political, and economic systems. It creates a forum for African women scholars, analysts and activists to participate on an equal footing with their contemporaries worldwide in debates, exchanges of ideas, and the creation and documentation of knowledge. Submissions Unless solicited, all submissions should be original and previously unpublished in English. Please include a coversheet with your name, title of article, keywords, and a brief biographical description. All publication decisions will be made by blind review - make sure your name does not appear on any page other than the coversheet. Please send an e-mail attachment (.doc or .rtf ) to the guest editor in either Microsoft Word or Rich Text File. |