growing up in racist, segregated kansas city, i was always aware of my blackness. mine was a childhood riddled with the absolute best expressions of black love juxtaposed with the absolute worst expressions of black hate. at 36, i’m growing …
if we burn you burn with us
another day, another death, another funeral, another march, another protest, another militarized attack/response, another news cycle calling black people thugs and criminals, another shouting match on social media, another call for peace, another demand to forget and move on, another day …
i love being black
blackness is under constant assault. by definition, it is the absence of light; the opposite of clean (deeply stained with dirt). there are so many negative associations with the word back that we have a love hate relationship with the word, …
that good ole college try
as overachieving high school students everywhere begin to receive their early decision letters in the mail, i’m reminded of my own college days at drake university in the middle of good ole des moines, iowa. go bulldogs. oh the fond …
songs in the key of life
singing ain’t my thing. i’ve said it plenty of times and i’m sure you all know me well enough to take my word for it. that hasn’t stopped me from singing, of course, because i completely believe in the healing …
did i live up to the expectations of 12-year-old me?
i am a middle child and i live with all the baggage that brings. i’m also the only girl, which adds yet another complicated layer to the core of my identity. did i mention i’m black? yeah, that’s pretty big, too. …
dear white people, it’s always about race
a little bit of history repeating itself is happening in america. we are seeing a resurgence of jim crow mentality and legislation in cities and states across the country. segregation. unemployment. voter suppression. policing state. hold on a second while …
use your words: exploring the narrative of inhumanity that shapes black america
after ferguson erupted onto the national stage, i was appalled, although not the least bit surprised, by the rhetoric that quickly switched from shock to rage to blame to utter disrespect for black life. it hurt. it still hurts. honestly, …
a movement in the key of praise
i am not a musician i am not a singer. i am not where i want to be. i am not consistent. i am not perfect. have you ever noticed when it comes to talking about our spiritual walk how often we …
i went to italy and all i brought back were these memories
where do i begin? last month (june) i took a two-week vacation with my mom to italy. there are a few things you need to know. first, my mom has wanted to go to italy forever. second, we haven’t taken …