Fat faggot was what they called me from eighth through twelfth grades. It had been just plain faggot before then. And sissy and sweet thang and Oreo and mutt and sometimes halfbreed and once or twice even cracker. But it was fat faggot that stayed. It stayed after I had graduated high school and lost… Continue reading Brothers, Do You Love Yourselves?
Following the Drinking Gourd
Over the past three years, Erick Cedeño has traveled long distances by bicycle: from Vancouver to Tijuana, and from Saint Augustine to New York City. But in August of 2013, he embarked on a different kind of trip: one measured not only by miles but also by history. He rode from New Orleans to Niagara… Continue reading Following the Drinking Gourd
Making Black History: Aliko Dangote
Listed by Forbes as the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote is worth an estimated $21.6 billion. Rumored to have gotten his start on the strength of a loan from his uncle, the native of Nigeria is founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, one of the most diverse business conglomerates in Africa, dealing in… Continue reading Making Black History: Aliko Dangote
My Fellow Black Americans: It’s Time to Get—and Use—That Passport
Brothers, if you don’t have one already, you need to get yourself a passport. If you do have one, it’s time to use it. As a 37-year-old black man from Florida, I can honestly say that now, more than ever in my lifetime, I am mortally afraid of inadvertently pissing off some over-eager, trigger-happy jackass… Continue reading My Fellow Black Americans: It’s Time to Get—and Use—That Passport
My President
Barack Hussein Obama. Let me start this off by an admission. The man is my hero. But, let me assure you that this has little to do with who he actually is. This isn’t about his foreign policy or about his commitment to his promises. It’s about how many of us see him as if… Continue reading My President
The Sad State of Depression In the Black Community
Depression is heavily misunderstood in the black community. While medical professionals see depression as a mental illness that needs proper treatment, it’s often confused as emotional angst. Its incorrect categorization is likely the cause for high rates of untreated depression found in black women and why the suicide rate for black men “between 20 and… Continue reading The Sad State of Depression In the Black Community