Tameka Foster posted the blog entry ‘She’s Pretty for a Dark-Skinned Girl’ on the Huffington Post, both celebrities and regular women alike celebrated her message.
Usher Raymond’s soon-to-be ex-wife’s essay on skin complexion, author Aisha Curry, who wrote the book ‘Pretty for a Black Girl’ (AuthorHouse/$10.49) read the piece and was outraged that her tome had been lifted and used by Foster, who allegedly passed the work off as her own.
“My heart sank into my stomach. All the hard work, all the sleepless nights I had endured was playing back in my head as I read this article written by a woman I didn’t even know,” Curry told BV Buzz. “Why did I feel so connected to this article? Suddenly, it came to me. It was my work! It was my work, my voice, but in her words. I was frozen. Tears began rolling down my face as I read line after line after line. I couldn’t believe it. The idea that someone could gain notoriety from an issue that I first brought to the forefront is mind-boggling. People were praising her for tackling an issue that had never been exposed. Hello? I wrote the book on it and started it years ago. The only difference between her article and my book is she used ‘dark-skinned’ and I used ‘black.’”
Curry said she began writing ‘Pretty for a Black Girl’ in 2007 after receiving compliments about her beauty, only to have them followed up with a reference to her ethnicity.
“One day about five years ago, I was absolutely tired of being told that I was pretty for a black girl,” she explained. “I started asking my friends if they had heard this statement before, and as time went on, I realized how prevalent the issue was.”
The 96-page pocket-size book, which was self-published in March of 2008, was written as a labor of love by Curry, a college student who is dismayed at the idea that Foster plagiarized her hard work.
“I received the link, and it changed my life. A friend told me that they had read an article in the Huffington Post called ‘She’s Pretty for a Dark-Skinned Girl’ written by Tameka Foster. I knew the title was similar to my book, but I didn’t jump to any conclusions,” Curry recalled. “So, I went to the site and began reading this article. If she would have changed the words ‘dark-skinned’ to ‘black,’ it would be exactly the same title as my book. My frustration quickly turned to anger, and I sought God for answers. ‘What do I do? What can I do?’ At that moment, the appropriate reaction was tears. All I could do was cry! Thankfully, I had the support of my family and close friends who surrounded me with love. They quoted scriptures from the Bible, which gave me strength. I began to receive phone calls from people who had read the book and they said: ‘Wow, I felt like I have heard all that before.’ That’s when I decided to do something. I picked up the phone and called as many supporters as I could.”
“I cannot and will not say she stole my idea, because you never should assume. However, I will say that It seemed like one heck of a coincidence and everything I touched on she did,” Curry offered, before adding, “I just want other people to know that you don’t have to sit around and do nothing when you feel wronged.”
Foster’s publicist told BV Buzz: “Tameka has never even heard of the book you referenced nor does she believe you even deserve a response.”
hm… idk. maybe she did or maybe she didn’t. jury’s still out over here. but considering this is such an, unfortunately, common problem, why is it hard to believe that tameka wrote it on her own? and is this other chic upset because of the title or did tameka (allegedly) copy the content of this woman’s book? i guess time will tell as tameka’s blog continues on. if the writint is way different than that first entry, it will be noticed.
I agree #1, this topic is so vague and so common that everyone can write their own experience on it and it could sound the same. It’s like writing a song about love lost. They all sound similar just different wordings b/c everyone goes through the same thing. Girlfriend needs to stop.
i believe that she stole some of this lady work. even though if you are a darker skinned woman, it is common to hear “she is pretty to be dark”. like the lady said why is the title sounding alike and as she read the words sound alike. and being real tameka is not cute at all so it has nothing to do with the color of her skin. i say that to say this. there is no way that she felt the same and had the same words as this lady because she was not faced with the same issues. tameka felt like the people did not respond to her and usher relationship because she was an old dark skinned lady. the other lady kept hearing she is pretty to be a dark skinned lady.
THIS TOPIC HAPPENS TO ALMOST EVERY PRETTY DARK WOMEN. I CAN SAY THE SAME THING FOR MYSELF. I’D BE RICH FROM PEOPLE TELLING ME ” YOUR A PRETTY DARK SKIN WOMEN”. ARE “YOU HAVE SOME PRETTY DARK SKIN. ARE YOU MIXED WITH INDIAN?” AS IF BLACK PEOPLE CANT HAVE PRETTY SKIN. ANYBODY CAN HAVE THE SAME OPIONS AND EXPERIANCES ON THIS TOPIC SO I DONT THINK SHE COPIED FROM WHO EVER THIS WOMEN IS.
Rather than addressing the matter as an adult, I see Tamika got rude. That doesn’t look well. If it was accidental, then say that. Her says ‘nor does she believe you deserve a response’. DESERVE a response? You would think she was talking to someone she didn’t like. Point blank, the lady was worded her side quite clearly, Tamika could have done the same. Because if it was reveresed we no Tamika woulda been hot and tryna sue left and right.
is is overworked and underpaid
Mood Busy August 23, 2009 at 2:16 PM
17
I just read the article and I’m even more convinced she didnt write it, I hope that woman sues her. #9 yes, they have the same opionion,how many black people in America wouldnt say the same thing, but its worded the exact same way.
Is she saying that Tameka copied her book word for word with a few of her own thoughts thrown in, or is she just mad because someone else brought up an issue that she “first brought up” and gained more notoriety than she did ..? If it is the first one. I can see why she would be mad . If the 2nd this chic needs to calm down . Lol
is is overworked and underpaid
Mood Busy August 23, 2009 at 6:59 PM
19
#18 Kind of, she used that womans words, its one thing to speak on a subject, but when you use the same words? she changed it up a little bit but worded the same, I can see why the woman is mad.
For any of you, who have ever done a research paper whether it was in high school or college, I am pretty sure you were told what plagiarism is. My college defines plagiarism as follows,”Plagiarism is a form of cheating that occurs when students present as their own the ideas, language, or work of others”- and that my friends comes straight from my English 1101 syllabus written by Cindy Ford. Now, Tameka claims see did research, but I want to know where is this research that she did? Who did she interview? What are her sources? Where are the numbers? Obviously, Tameka did not attend a formal English class or any class in which she had to a research paper or she would know that YOU HAVE TO CITE YOUR SOURCES!!!! YOU CANNOT CLAIM TO HAVE DONE RESEARCH WITH OUT CITING YOUR SOURCES BECAUSE THEN IT BECOMES SO HALF-ASS STATEMENT OF YOUR OPINION. EVEN THE RUNDOWN SITES THEIR SOURCES!!!!
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