by Piper Anderson

I am a black woman / poet / singer / journalist / actress / mc / dancer / entrepreneur / hip-hop activist. By digging within the caves of my own earthly existence, I find new definitions to describe me. Every day I learn a new title for myself. But really, none of my chosen titles can ever describe the essence of what I was created to be. Only the universe knows who I really am or who you really are. But, through "Earth Lessons," we can discover our divine selves together.

Just the other day I discovered that I was a columnist. I was flipping through the pages of one of my least favorite hip-hop publications, scheming on how to get a piece published within its male-ego-saturated pages, when I noticed that they had a new column written by "Ms. Chickenhead." Yes, they finally give a sista a chance to represent and speak her words, and it comes straight out the beak of Ms. Chickenhead. Angry -- but not at all surprised -- I threw the publication back on the shelf thinking to myself that they'd never give me or any other sista a column because that might be a threat to their monopoly of testosterone.

Fast forward: a week later I'm meeting with Harold McMillan, the publisher of Austin Downtown Arts Magazine, about the possibility of writing for him. He mentioned in passing that I could write a monthly column. Instantly "Ms. Chickenhead" and a million other images and reflections of women that don't look or sound anything like me flashed across my mind. I can see writing Ms. Chickenhead into oblivion -- challenging her air-head mentality to a dual with my cosmic insight and sharp intellect bred through years of combining book-learning with life-teachings. No offense to Ms. Chickenhead, but I do not have the luxury of allowing caricatures of femininity to be drawn without my lifting a pen in protest. Not when there are little girls watching me perform, reading what I write, and probing my every move, hoping to find clues for defining themselves in a world that provides few positive examples of womanhood.

"Earth Lessons" is dedicated to all the boppers, bitches, and b-girls worldwide who are searching for new definitions of self. It's written for anyone interested in a unique perspective -- the antithesis of Ms. Chickenhead. Yeah, that's me.

But I guess you're wondering what the science behind the title is. Well, a few years ago while kickin' it with some male friends, I heard one of them use the term "Earth Lessons." Earth, in the context of their conversation, was a woman. It's just like any other slang title given to women: queen, bitch, chick, pigeon, chickenhead. This guy was saying that he was teaching his girlfriend how to be an Earth.

Being a black woman who has never experienced these lessons, I was very curious as to how this man thought he could teach this female how to be a real woman. I asked him what made him think he was qualified to teach her these "Earth Lessons." Immediately, he jumped on the defensive and challenged my intentions in questioning him. The conversation was dismantled, but I have a feeling that in spite of his embarrassment he understood my point: the audacity of anyone thinking that they have the power to teach someone who or what they should be. Carter G. Woodson said that we receive two educations in our lives: the one we are given and the one we give ourselves. The latter of the two is the best.

By sharing my Earth Lessons, I hope to create friction on your mental landscape that will incite change, whether that change be rage, disapproval, confusion, or even evolution or revolution. I once heard a writer say, "if it don't agitate, motivate, frustrate, elevate or aggravate, what is the point of saying it?"

Let's get it crunk up in here, set the roof on fyah, cause we ain't got time for passive insistence on the page. Maybe that's why the hip-hop mag gave Ms. Chickenhead a column instead of me -- I'm too much of a trouble maker. Here I am, look out Austin readers, you're in for an earthly adventure.

From one Earth to another.

Peace.