Over the years, I’ve made it a point to prioritize experiences over income. This isn’t to say that these things are mutually exclusive, but the decision tree is pretty simple when you don’t know what you don’t know. Looking back, I’m pleased with the results of this focus. Anything I’ve left on the table in… Continue reading It takes a village
Year: 2015
Rachel Dolezal and Defining Blackness
Outside of adoptions, “transracial” isn’t a thing, and race is not a social construct. Let me explain… By now, we’ve all heard of Rachel Dolezal. Yes, she is president of her local NAACP branch. Yes, she was recently outed by her white parents. Yes, she has been deceptive about her racial heritage. But transraciality doesn’t… Continue reading Rachel Dolezal and Defining Blackness
Take the Shot, LeBron
This past summer, when NBA superstar LeBron James announced that he was returning “home” to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he wrote an essay to express why he decided to return “home.” LeBron wrote, “I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where… Continue reading Take the Shot, LeBron
People like us…
…do things like this.” That’s something I learned from my Advisor. It’s a saying that’s supposed to put the listener in an empathetic mindset: how do the people you’re trying to reach self-identify? What’s the secret handshake? Is there a black turtleneck and denim uniform? White earbuds? Making it personal, how do I let the… Continue reading People like us…
On Best White and Other Anxious Delusions
If you watched last year’s MTV Video Music Awards, where Beyoncé received the coveted Video Vanguard Award, you will know that Laverne Cox had a better time than anyone else. During Beyoncé’s flawless 16-minute performance, Cox was dancing, singing along and being an endless source of “yaaaaaaaaaaasssss” memes. Reading South African author Rebecca Davis’ book… Continue reading On Best White and Other Anxious Delusions
On Sponsorship
Before the first piece was published on Abernathy—before the domain was even purchased—I spent a lot of time thinking through the business and how it would change the lives of those we’re trying to reach. For Abernathy to have the traction and reach necessary to make a difference, it needs to make money. How do… Continue reading On Sponsorship
I Have a Nightmare
I am saddened to join with you today in what may go down in history as the most depleted cry for freedom in the history of our nation. Two score years ago, a great American stood in the shadow of another great American who, years before that, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. That decree that was… Continue reading I Have a Nightmare
The Time I Scared a Security Guard by Being an Old White Guy
The other day I was walking through a big hotel in San Diego, on my way to give a keynote speech for a corporate event. I was the only person at the conference without an ID badge and I wondered how hard it would be to talk my way past security. I figured it would… Continue reading The Time I Scared a Security Guard by Being an Old White Guy
State of Emergency
“Strictly spiritual, no thugs and criminals. Our voice gonna resound like old hymnals.” Many of you know me for being the outspoken protester that confronted Geraldo Rivera during the protests in Baltimore sparked by the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. At that moment, and for a week and a half before that, I… Continue reading State of Emergency
Black Like Me
Once upon a time, I lived in Colombia. And one day, I posted this as my Facebook status: Acabo de caminar del gimnasio. Hoy es un día brillante de sol tropical. Y bajo de ese sol iluminante, se me dió cuenta que yo era el único negro/moreno/mulato en la calle que no era obrero, vigilante,… Continue reading Black Like Me