Abernathy Man is a series that spotlights remarkable black men and the work they’re doing. When starting Abernathy, we were shocked at just how pervasive the subjugation of black women by black men in the movement is. We weren’t prepared for it, especially when black women were reticent to work with us after having been… Continue reading Abernathy Man: umi selah
Year: 2015
Only a Game
How can anybody hope to tell the story of Allen Iverson, a man whose life was all style, a man whose performances were indelible and whose failures are forgettable? There have been some strong efforts, some “college tries” (Iverson’s own college try ended with him as the leading scorer in Georgetown Hoyas history, at 22.9… Continue reading Only a Game
Debugging Diversity
The technology industry continues to struggle with its diversity problem. However, having delivered enterprise software for well over a decade, I think the root cause of—and the solution to—this problem is easy to understand. Anyone who has been tasked with debugging software can understand the solutions and begin immediately implementing them. I was reminded of this… Continue reading Debugging Diversity
The Inner Workings of an Educator
I had made it to the proverbial finish line that many black students are preached to read in our communities: I went to college, survived a predominantly white institution, did exceptionally well academically, then graduated with all the pomp and circumstance to make “momma-nem” proud on commencement day. Upon graduation, I had three amazing opportunities… Continue reading The Inner Workings of an Educator
Of Gods and Men
“As an artist, you have to get outside of the concern with what other people think of what you do. I don’t do what I do to appease people. I do the opposite. I do stuff that makes you uncomfortable, that makes you get up and say ‘What are you saying? James, did you read… Continue reading Of Gods and Men
strings attached
January 2007 (age 22) we had a tangled interaction some sort of twisted attraction and like a hemline i was taken in you stitched a quiltwork straight to my heart knowing i had to depart soon and these strings you stitched still attach me to you i tried my best to just do the homeylover… Continue reading strings attached
Misogynoir and Me
On Thanksgiving night five years ago, my uncle, a guest in my parents’ home, insisted that we watch a two-hour Beyoncé special airing that night. I wanted to slap the shit out of him. “I don’t wanna see that black bitch.” I’m not proud of it, but that was my first thought. An offense punishable by… Continue reading Misogynoir and Me
You Only Got In Because You’re Latina
“Well, you’re Hispanic. That’s how you got in. You know that, right?” …twelve words that destroyed me that fall day freshman year. I had just started college at the University of Florida and I was attending my first class in the honors program. I’d qualified without a problem, or so I thought. Now, a fellow… Continue reading You Only Got In Because You’re Latina
The Buck Stops Here
“Why can’t we all just get along? I didn’t do anything personally to cause oppression, so why would you call me an oppressor? You’re just stoking more racial tension by discussing racism.” Every day, these same delusional questions and statements are posited by us white folks. Every day, after centuries of racism and genocide at… Continue reading The Buck Stops Here
¡CUBA VIVA! — Undocumented
This one goes out to all the dreamers, the idealists…the “undocumented.” Undocumented. I always felt the DJ was talking to me when he played songs he knew would “connect” with a certain type of audience. Maybe there were teenagers of my same age all over Havana who felt he was addressing them, too. We were… Continue reading ¡CUBA VIVA! — Undocumented