i have heard many of my non-black friends say how surprised and appalled they are by some of the blatant racist things they have witnessed recently either personally, locally, or on a national stage. part of me wants to ask …
i’ll take my starbucks with a shot of shackles and shock
my body woke me up from what i can only assume was a peaceful sleep at 5am saturday morning. my reaction was anything but peaceful. i struggled to fall back to sleep for a few hours before i just gave …
fragile: please handle with care
in church today, we talked about taking care of things that are fragile. when something is both precious and fragile, you go to great lengths to ensure it is handled with care. you don’t want it to be damaged. you …
black is the color of my skin, grief is the color of my soul
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 …
i see you dajerria becton
i don’t usually go outside to cry. to connect with nature, to commune with god, sure. but today was not like any other day. today i struggled to put aside the growing rage in my soul and focus on my …
i am unable to can
dear ‘merica, good-bye and thanks for all the fish. wait, that’s the wrong letter. my apologies. i will start again. good-bye and thanks for all the opportunities you have provided me and my fellow black brothers and sisters to can’t …
the unholy matrimony of race and religion
i am not an academic or great scholar. i studied communication theory in grad school at a christian university, but no one will accuse me of being an authority on exegising jesus, translating greek and hebrew into something mere mortals can understand, …
warning: cloak may cause invisibility
writing is my therapy. over these last few months, with mounting racial tensions, outright displays of hatred, and low-key disbelief that my america has too many throwback moments to yesteryear, i find myself writing daily. multiple times a day. i …
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 …