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FemmeNoir Online
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About FemmeNoir
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| An E-Zine For Lesbians Of Color |
About FemmeNoir
A labor of love, which has grown into a mission to teach, empower, and to share the wonder of our loves
and our lives.
FemmeNoir is about community and bringing that community closer to other lesbians of color.
Whether you live in North America, South America, Africa, the United Kingdom, anywhere in the world, you can find information
about our lifestyles and culture via FemmeNoir.
Though FemmeNoir's content is geared primarily toward lesbians of color, we also introduce
you to non-lesbian identified women of color who serve as positive role models in our communities and our content will provide
information we can use as women, such as gardening, home life, cooking, finances, fashion and sports.
FemmeNoir
is designed to build self-esteem through our history and culture; to encourage a more powerful self-concept via the bridge
called our sisters backs who are "doing it" in the communities; and to provide a platform for lesbians of color to express
themselves at a time when information truly is power on this information superhighway.
It is FemmeNoir's ambitious hope to bring information and the ability to communicate with
one another as close as your desktop. FemmeNoir serves as a portal to other sites of interest to lesbians of color.
In addition, we will provide original content pertaining to our community, our loves, our lives, our music, our theater, our
films, our publications, and our culture.
Welcome to FemmeNoir, you are home.
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About Angela D. Odom
Originally from Chicago, Ms. Odom now resides in the Los Angeles area near the mountains and a plethora of unique vegetation
and wildlife -- skunks included. She is a writer and photographer who attributes her love for photography to her father
(an inherited gift). She dabbles with both the piano and guitar and loves animals, nature walks, golfing, skiing, horseback
riding and gardening. She defines herself as a left brain thinker.
Ms. Odom has worked as a paralegal, legal secretary and wordprocessor with major law firms and independent attorneys
in Los Angeles and Pasadena. She also works as a freelance photographer, web designer and graphic artist for a number
of clients through her business, ProWord Services. She says her business provides food for her soul as it enables her
to use her creative skills and talents.
Ms. Odom created FemmeNoir from an "overstuffed" collection of information on lesbians of color. She called
her collection her "Pride Book of Lesbians of Color" collected to provide her with a source of pride not only in herself as
a lesbian of color, but also as a source of pride for the women she says she lived life vicariously through.
Ms. Odom has a history of volunteering and community service. As a young adult, she established a youth program
in her community providing trips for youths to amusement parks and events during the summer months; she has worked as a fashion
photographer and fashion show promoter highlighting African American designers and models; and she pomoted talent shows, poetry
readings and other events.
Ms. Odom attended Columbia College in Chicago for photojournalism & film and has attended other colleges and universities in
both Chicago and Los Angeles. She plans to attend the Art Center College to put the 280 plus credit hours earned
over the years toward a Bachelor's Degree in Film/Photography.
Statement of A.D. Odom
I remember well my first conversation with Barbara Lindsey, Founder of the Los Angeles Black Business Expo. She
laughed and said she needed her fiance to hear me because she had never spoken with anyone who talked faster than herself.
Granted, I am a fast talking Type "A" personality who pulls no punches. I have always believed what my mother taught
her children, "own yourself" and that I do. I also believe having a job is nice, but owning a business is better and
I have always had some business venture going since the time I was in short pants selling novelties door-to-door to owning
my own office support service today.
I have been accused of being arrogant, brash, blatantly honest and aloof and maybe all of these and more are who I am.
I do know I step with the pride of history with women who represent greatness in our race: Queen Yaa Asantewaa,
the queen mother of the Edweso tribe of the Asante who mobilized the Asante troops and for three months laid siege to the
British mission at the fort of Kumasi; Harriet Tubman who welded well her rifle and told anyone wanting to
return to slavery she would rather see them die where they stood, free, than see them return to slavery. Oh yes, I come
from good stock, I come from royalty, I come from honor and maybe I do step with the pride of my heritage.
The women who sustained me over the years are Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, Audre Lorde and Ann Allen Shockley.
They molded and defined me through their words and deeds. In July, 2001, after reading the life of Ruth Waters while
attending her memorial service, I realized I knew very little about this great woman who contributed much, not only to the
gay and lesbian community, but to the African American community as well. Very little was written about this great woman
and her contributions. As a result, the Leaders & Legends section of FemmeNoir was born to honor our sisters who
have contributed much to our communities -- the African American and GLBT communities.
I step with pride knowing I come from a rich heritage of honorable women. Yes, I am pretty full of myself and for
good reason. As Nikki says, show me someone not full of herself and I'll show you an empty person. Read.
Be full. Be well.
Contributing To FemmeNoir
If you would like to contribute an article or poetry to FemmeNoir, please send via email to , please place the words "Article Submission," in the subject line of your email. You can also contact us by mail at:
FemmeNoir
P.O. Box 432
Altadena, CA 91003
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