I’m an expert at avoiding celebrity gossip. I don’t go to any of the popular sites to read it; I scroll by it with all the speed I can muster when I see it on social media. I honestly don’t care enough about it–the drama itself, or the people involved. But sometimes, things hit me.… Continue reading Thinking of Baby Future, and Myself
Month: July 2016
The War Inside Education
Abraham Lincoln once quipped: “Teach the children so it won’t be necessary to teach the adults.” I became involved in education in my Georgetown University undergraduate career at two local high schools: Duke Ellington High School and Ballou High School. After graduation, I felt an urge to make a greater impact by taking teaching full… Continue reading The War Inside Education
The Dangerous Effects of Media and Black Oppression
As I scroll down my Facebook News Feed daily, I am forced to see visuals of black and brown bodies: some dead completely covered in blood with a white police officer towering over them, some who have already passed and have been used as martyrs for other types of political movements, or some with their… Continue reading The Dangerous Effects of Media and Black Oppression
For Free?
“We’re all in this together: An expression of solidarity.” The breakout hit from the 2006 Disney Film High School Musical. The song was part of a musical score for a clip released in April of this year. The clip featured a news report about multiple boys attending South Fort Myers High School in Florida taking… Continue reading For Free?
My Brother: A Boy Misunderstood (Poem)
A couple of years ago, my little brother stormed out of the house. Before I could catch him, the police were called by a lady who said he tried to kill himself. They took him; handcuffed his hands super tight so that his skin wouldn’t bite the cuffs off. Pain opened his mouth so wide;… Continue reading My Brother: A Boy Misunderstood (Poem)
The Trouble With Being a Strong Black Man
A few days ago a friend and I were having a conversation when she mentioned an acquaintance of hers who died of a gunshot wound. When I asked her what happened, I expected to hear another story about a brother getting caught up in the streets and losing his life. When she told me his… Continue reading The Trouble With Being a Strong Black Man
Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and #BlackLivesMatter: Why “Stop Killing Us” is Both Revolutionary and Insufficient
This was supposed to be about #AltonSterling. That would’ve been easy. After years, or decades, if we start the timeline at the Civil Rights Movement, of police misconduct towards Black people, Sterling was the latest hashtag. The Baton Rogue, Louisiana father of five was fatally shot outside of a convenience store where he was selling… Continue reading Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and #BlackLivesMatter: Why “Stop Killing Us” is Both Revolutionary and Insufficient
Boyz 25: Reflections on a Hip-Hop Classic
“Either they don’t know… don’t show … or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.” –Doughboy, Boyz n the Hood (1991) Twenty-five years ago, America was dealing with war in Iraq, growing concerns over racial profiling, an alarming rate of black-on-black violence, Donald Trump was in the news, and Bill Clinton was running… Continue reading Boyz 25: Reflections on a Hip-Hop Classic
White People: Understand That We Do Not Understand
D ear White People, You’ve heard the news. You’ve seen the stories. Many of you, like me, are likely disgusted, horrified and depressed by the recent events that have led to the unjustified and premature termination of (yet another) two meaningful lives. And not just these two. There have been many, many more. Hundreds of… Continue reading White People: Understand That We Do Not Understand
Decentralizing Masculinity: The Opening
This is article one of five in a patriarchy series—from the mouth of a Black man to the ears of Black men—written by the multi-talented Daniel Johnson. Subscribe via email. I decided to begin a five-part examination into the ways patriarchy expresses itself specifically within the context and confines of Black America. I believe this… Continue reading Decentralizing Masculinity: The Opening