Black Girls Deserve Protection

I’m disturbed by Ma’Khia Bryant’s story. On April 21st, she was murdered by police in Columbus, Ohio. This occurred around the same time as the Derek Chauvin verdict. A sixteen-year-old child was shot four times in the chest by the same people she called to protect her. I’m disappointed in the Black people who I’ve...

It’s Time To Retire The Term, “Crackhead.”

Let’s start off with how crack-cocaine made its way into the Black community. The U.S. government is responsible for bringing crack-cocaine into Black communities (see the CIA Contra). They preyed on Black communities feeling the effects of the recession and high unemployment rates. Crack was affordable and it was to profit from it. Criminalization crack-cocaine...

Let Go of the Respectability Politics

Can Black people dead respectability politics now? It’s been tried before and guess what? It still won’t make us acceptable to white society. There is a recent story of Kevin Kelley, owner of True Kitchen, scolding Black women for twerking in his establishment. This has sparked a debate about what is respectful and disrespectful behavior...

Celebrity Culture Needs to Die Part 1: Celebrities Are Not Community Leaders!

"Show me in the white community where a comedian is a white leader. Show me in the white community where a singer is a white leader. Or a dancer. Or a trumpet player is a white leader. These aren't leaders! These are puppets and clowns that have been set-up over the Black community by the...

AAVE Is Not Stan Language (A Rant)

Once again, Black culture is being appropriated. What's new? There was a recent debate on social media about African American Vernacular English (AAVE). For a couple of years, people have been trying to rename AAVE as "Stan Language." Brittany Tomlinson, AKA "Kombucha girl", recently shared an uninformed, Tik Tok video on AAVE. She believes that...

Black Women: The Influencers of Social Media

Black women have a big influence on social media. Our influence ranges from Vine to Instagram. Viral stars are "inspired" by Black women. The IG baddie look is inspired by Black women. Let's start off with a more recent phenomenon, "Hot Girl Summer." You couldn't go anywhere in summer 2019 without somebody using that term....

Summer Walker and Social Anxiety

I’ve been disappointed but not surprised by the reaction Black people have had towards Summer Walker. Y’all were just screaming that Black people need to open up about mental health and here you are degrading a Black woman for opening up about her mental health. The reasons for it? Many people are unsympathetic to celebrities,don’t...

Twerking is a Cultural Dance

Twerking is a cultural dance. Why is it often seen as demeaning? Cultures within the African diaspora have similar dances that involve pelvic gyrations. Although twerking and whining are not the same, twerking most likely was influenced by our African ancestry. Why is whining seen as a legit cultural dance while twerking is not?As influential as...

Multiple Black Women Killed In Past Week: Where’s The Outrage Detroit?

To say I’m pissed off, would be an understatement. Black women are being murdered back to back in Detroit with little to no outrage. In the past week, multiple Black women have been murdered in the same area: Detroit’s east side, many near the Downtown area. These stories are alarming. So why aren’t the police...

Celebrating Black Women’s History Month: 30 Times Black Women Were Everything

To end Black Women's History Month, here's a list of the thirty times Black women were excellent, everything, fierce, strong, iconic- I can go on. It was hard choosing what to include in only thirty slots and this is in no particular order. Black women have been doing the damn thing for centuries. I could've...