A Ladder of One’s Own

(photo by noah scialom) B582154531Z.1 dow}, Tina Edler, in black robes, stands with her class at Ft. Meade High School's graduation on Monday, June 11th.

By Christina Lewis Halpern and Daniel Rabuzzi Every June, hundreds of thousands of young people proudly accept their degrees at ceremonies attended by tearful, proud family members. How do you like this as a piece of advice for a high schooler? We don’t want you to dream of getting your college degree. I bet you… Continue reading A Ladder of One’s Own

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Categorized as Education

You Can’t Celebrate Black History While Destroying Black Futures

Black History Month is the lone time of year when blackness becomes safe to celebrate by those who love black people and those who loathe us. Love is the easy part. I love my people. February is the month where that love kicks into overdrive. It’s the 28 or 29 days out of the year… Continue reading You Can’t Celebrate Black History While Destroying Black Futures

Perception is Everything

My little black girl is three years old, and I’m probably hyper concerned [1] about images of black womaness and their impact on her emotional and physical growth. For as long as I possibly can, I want some say over the representations that flood her developing psyche. That being said, my husband and I surround… Continue reading Perception is Everything

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Categorized as Black Women

graveyard shift. (a poem)

My superstitions are unable to last ‘cause I can’t hold my breath any longer. There is no quickened pace, there is no passing by. I’m interred in a cemetery of brown hashtags. I’ve been shoved into a reeking sepulcher. The rot of piles upon piles of strange fruit seeps into my pores. Above me circle… Continue reading graveyard shift. (a poem)

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Why Must We Always Forgive?

“If he asks for forgiveness, I can forgive him.” These are the words of Audrey DuBose after a reporter callously asked her if she could forgive Ray Tensing for executing her son over a traffic stop. I spent the better half of ninety minutes watching the press conference where Prosecutor Joe Deters did his job… Continue reading Why Must We Always Forgive?

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Categorized as Forgiveness

Going Natural: How My Natural Hair Journey Helped Me Be a Better Husband

My hair is a coarse jungle of curls interwoven so tightly I can lose things in it. And I have; I’ve ruined more than one pen when I realized, too late, I was detangling in the shower. The coils coil on themselves, forming natural locks at the slightest provocation. Knots form at the ends when… Continue reading Going Natural: How My Natural Hair Journey Helped Me Be a Better Husband

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Categorized as Black Hair