In Charlotte, North Carolina, the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott by police officer Brentley Vinson has mobilized a series of multi-day protests and riots in response to yet another instance of state-sanctioned violence and the premature death of black people. According to reports, plainclothes officers in the same vicinity as Scott and his SUV… Continue reading Are Peace and Violence Against Blacks Two Sides of the Same Coin?
Year: 2016
Oh, I’m Fine (Dammit!)
“Where have I been?” I used to wonder. Was it a rock or someone’s spell that I been under. Don’t wanna knock my people, but we closed as doors. And the stench up in this bitch we simply can’t ignore. No more! I’m no ostrich, though I been ostracized — kept out, curb-kicked, marginalized. But… Continue reading Oh, I’m Fine (Dammit!)
batman and black women
I’ve lately been fielding questions from non-black founders and hiring managers looking to diversify their teams. They sense the need to acknowledge the risk inherent in uprooting a person’s life when pursuing new opportunities, and acknowledge the challenges faced by blacks when competing for roles. The subtext of the questions are, “how do I show… Continue reading batman and black women
Vol 6: Prayful’ Hate
Peace. Hate is rampant. I won’t say it’s at an all-time high because I’m a student of history, so I’ll say it’s alive and well—fueled by the internet. People love nothing better than having a hot take, shooting down someone or something. No matter what someone says, and no matter how positive their intentions or… Continue reading Vol 6: Prayful’ Hate
Are We There Yet? A Story of Sisterhood and Mercy
I place the towel over her silk scarf and tap the iron to make sure it isn’t too hot. I do not want to burn through the thin material. This is part of my morning routine. Today the scarf is blue; yesterday it was yellow. I will prepare her morning bath with a drop of… Continue reading Are We There Yet? A Story of Sisterhood and Mercy
lesson learned
My first job out of college was with a company that currently employs more than 375,000 human beings. Since disconnecting from the Matrix, my professional life has been organized around much smaller (and often distributed) teams. I’ve had great managers, hard-working teammates, and wise mentors. But none of this prepared me for a head-on collision… Continue reading lesson learned
Writing Is Hard Work
As I lazily rolled out of bed in a slightly dazed and confused mental state, I picked up my phone to look at the date of my last post. Almost three weeks ago. Disgusted, a familiar and annoying voice from inside begins to speak. Every morning I wake up, I have the same thought. “Am… Continue reading Writing Is Hard Work
It is Not the Duty of Black Women to Smash Patriarchy
This is article four 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. Often, the loudest voices raised against patriarchy are those women that it oppresses the most harshly, quite similar to the way that the loudest voices… Continue reading It is Not the Duty of Black Women to Smash Patriarchy
Semblance of My Enemy
Isolated in the borders of our enemies Fought so long for them to see that they are kin to me Castrated by their thrones Emancipated but alone A simple love left floating on an empty sea Infatuated with ideals of eternity Shed my wings as I fly to the sun to see Masked and traded… Continue reading Semblance of My Enemy
Vol 5: A Rapper Named Fred
Peace. Fred might be the corniest name ever. And a rapper named Fred?! Let me tell you now though, if you stumble across music from the emcee Fred the Godson, you’d be a fool to judge his music by his name. I’d assume he’s well known in New York Hip Hop circles, as he’s been… Continue reading Vol 5: A Rapper Named Fred