Posted on 10/01/2005 2:37:56 PM PDT by paulat
Fantasia Barrino Reveals She's Illiterate 1 hour, 37 minutes ago
"American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino reveals in her memoirs that she is functionally illiterate and had to fake her way through some scripted portions the televised talent show, which she won in 2004.
"You're illiterate to just about everything. You don't want to misspell," Fantasia told ABC's "20/20." "So that, for me, kept me in a box and I didn't, wouldn't come out."
The 21-year-old R&B singer says she's signed record deals and contracts that she didn't read and couldn't understand. But the hardest part, she said, is not being able to read to Zion, her 4-year-old daughter.
"That hurts really bad," she said, adding that she is now learning to read with tutors.
In her memoir, "Life is Not a Fairy Tale," which she dictated to a freelance writer, Fantasia also said she was raped in the ninth grade by a classmate. She says the boy was disciplined, but she blamed herself for the attack.
She dropped out of high school that year and became an unwed mother at 17.
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On the Net:
20/20: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/
99% of H'weird are illiterates, bimbos and rejects. What's new?
Baby Mama
by Fantasia Barrino
album: Free Yourself (2004)
[chorus]
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas
It's about time we had our own song
Don't know what took so long
Cause nowadays it's like a badge of honor
To be a baby mama
I see ya payin' ya bills
I see ya workin' ya job
I see ya goin' to school
And girl I know it's hard
And even though ya fed up
With makin' beds up
Girl, keep ya head up
All my
[chorus]
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas
I see you get that support check in the mail
You open it and you're like, "What the Hell?"
You say, "This ain't even half of daycare"
Sayin' to yourself, "This shit ain't fair"
And all my girls who don't get no help
Who gotta do everything by yourself
Remember, what don't kill you can only make you stronger
My baby mama
[chorus]
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas
Cause we the backbone (of the hood)
I always knew that (that we could)
We can go anywhere, we can do anything
I know we can make it if we dream
And I think it should be a holiday
For single mothers, tryin' to make a way
But until then, here is your song
Show love to my....
[chorus]
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas
If you have never heard this song, consider yourself lucky.
At least she is trying
Got to give her credit for that
She went up to 9th grade, and couldn't read well? I fully understand that she's trouble reading the contracts (who wouldn't?), but written instructions during American Idol too?
Anyways, it might have worked out for her, but the sad fact is that there are myriads out there, people who are also functionally illiterate, to whom such a rags-to-riches story is simply a fairy tale. All the same though it is amazing that in the US someone with nothing else going for her apart from her voice can still achieve something (and by the way I listened to her .....her voice makes me feel like screeching in pain .....yet for some reason the millions that voted for her thought she could sing). Even in this sad (or triumphant ...depending on how one looks at it) tale, the US still comes out on top shining.
Another product of North Carolina schools.
Good for her for admitting her shortcomings and trying to learn and put it behind her.
Burritoville, 1026 W. Hillcrest Drive, has been serving burritos to DeKalb residents and NIU students for more than 13 years.
Manager Rudy Galvan said its burritos are popular because they are original.
“It’s authentic Mexican food,” Galvan said. “Plus, it’s made fresh daily.”
— By Mike Morig Total votes: 388 Not far behind: • Tom and Jerry’s • Shelly’s
That is always the first step
Wait a second...this is a girl who fought to end her cycle of poverty. She is to be commended, not insulted. She's learning to read now...some of you people are so nasty, it makes me ashamed to be part of FR.
I hope you read the lyrics to her "song" in the above post. I think she is encouraging more unwed "baby" mommies" and probably more crime and illiteracy. Note the whining about how the support check doesn't cover day care. No mention about the food stamps and other forms of welfare these "baby mamas" receive. Plus if the fathers are "baby daddys", how many do actually pay support?
"Cause nowadays it's like a badge of honor
To be a baby mama "
What are the odds.
AI ping.
Still, hats off for changing now and being a good example to her daughter in learning how to read now.
No, i don't normally read hip hop or listen, just pointing out that at least she realizes that being illiterate is a place she doesn't have to stay in. It's a start
Yeah I hope she stays with it, too. I just hope the other "baby mommies" don't think fame and fortune will happen to them easily and will realize you have to work your way out of poverty in 99.9% of the cases, not waiting around for the next welfare check.
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