Lena Baker Domestic Violence & Women's Health Summit

                                                              "My Name Is Peaches":  The Collide of Self-Worth within Self-Esteem

The 2023 Summit will consider the life of Nina  Simone   (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003)

As a singer-songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist, Simone's social commentary was not limited to the civil rights movement.  Based on the Eurocentric appearance standards imposed on women of color, Simone explored four traditional archetypes in her song "Four Women".  The song exposes the reality of the internalized identity of four black women with skin tones ranging from light to dark.   Chardine Taylor-Stone has noted that, beyond the politics of beauty, this song also describes the stereotypical roles that many black women have historically been restricted to the mammy, the tragic mulatto, the sex worker, and the angry black woman.  Known for her temper and outbursts of aggression, Simone was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.   The Lena Baker DV & Women's Health Summit, 2023 will address issues of colorism within identity production and mental health.