It all started when I was watching a Star Wars Clone Wars episode in 2009 called The Senate Spy.
I was so enraged by the Episode. Another powerful woman character, Padme Amidala, was "thrown into the refrigerator" to be saved by her husband, Anakin Skywalker, when she has everything under control.
I was also on the Force Net, boards where they discussed what Padme had done to merit the conversion of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader. Why did she die of not having the will to live...
When I realized, I could write that story! So I did! In 10 days, I wrote a fan fiction replete with music and imagery description.
From there, I was hooked. There were NOT many diverse powerful women in the Star Wars Expanded Universe to similar caliber of a Padme/Leia/Jaina. Why not when many of us love Star Wars just as the next woman? And while our images ARE THERE, we are relegated to second class citizens in the back of the bus...
I said NO MORE!
And I created and wrote the character as a composite of all the powerful women I know. Women I grew up with, who mentored and taught me. To positive younger women being successful in their fields. All these women I know are women of color. Most of them come from my Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and other Sororities.
What I came up with is:
A Senator
A woman
Who was a hybrid species - Yuuzhan Vong-Human Hybrid
From the planet Haruun Kal
Part of a powerful family
Unstable Force Powers
Has a lot to hide for many people
Made to do unspeakable acts
Because her life has been planned, it makes her mentally sick and rebellious
The name I created was Yemaja Mlise Lah.
Now for the image, I use the Goddess Yemaya pictures. But on Twitter, the public did not respond to them favorable. They responded to physical images. My image did not "fit", so I selected key women of African descent to test. The one image that worked the best was Ms. Selita Ebanks. She got the highest response rates the firshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gift picture I selected of hers.
These activities were on Twitter where she still resides in persona.
But when I started roleplaying as her--like an actress prepares for a role--she was bashed. Unknown individuals sent vile emails, posted disgusting pictures and were offensive to her. To really tell a story about her, explanations were insufficient.
To circumvent those issues a blog about her was generated about what she is doing and how she is handling is.
Thing is there was a recruitment problems. How does one get others to read one's blog. Joining more social media sites.
So it was decided to create a Facebook profile page of her.
Much was happening, until Facebook changed their rules and demanded others to create a "Fan Page". A Fan Page was created, but the usability is something left to be desired especially on phones, especially for roleplaying on FB.
It is not hidden concept that Facebook is NOT for artists except for showcasing their art. Facebook is not for performances, even if one uses their personal account.
Yemaja's Facebook Fan Page as it stands is here
If one looks through the albums, the attacks on her character has not stopped.
This drama is enough! No one needs all this drama for two years just for creating my favorite Star Wars character and pretending to act it.
BTW: That image of the Goddess Yemaya dancing in the water, Facebook said it violated their image codes of pornography. How is that disrespecting people's religion.
