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...

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...

The Black Community and R. Kelly

I’m disgusted by the Black community’s reaction to the “Surviving R. Kelly,” documentary. Instead of considering how serious this issue is, people have resorted to jokes. Instead of supporting Black women, Black people went to stream R. Kelly’s music. Instead of speaking out against sexual assault, Black people jumped to R. Kelly’s defense. I’m disappointed...

White Feminists and Hoteps

Lets talk about two of the most annoying self proclaimed activists: White feminists and hoteps. I always considered them one in the same. They are both 50% privileged and 50% marginalized. White feminists being marginalized for being women. But they also have white privilege. Hoteps are marginalized for being Black. But they also have privileges...

Conclusion of Cultural Appropriation: Why It’s An Issue

I see cultural appropriation as a form of oppression. People of color have been marginalized for centuries by the White population and culture is one of the few things that has been preserved by these marginalized groups. Since I am a Black American woman, my main focus is on the appropriation of Black American culture....

Understanding Cultural Appropriation Part 3: AAVE and Black Fashion

People are so obsessed with this Black aesthetic. The Black aesthetic as in recycling Black fashion trends and using AAVE without even understanding the terms or history. I’ve noticed that our 90s fashion trends are becoming popular with non-Black people. The same fashion that‘s called “ghetto” and “trashy” on us, are now mainstream fashion trends....

Understanding Cultural Appropriation Part 2: Black Music

Out of every part of Black American culture, our music has definitely proved to be the most profitable. From Rock n' Roll to Hip Hop, Black American music has made a huge mark on American music and music worldwide. That should be a compliment, right? It would be if anti-blackness wasn't prevalent globally. It would...

What Janelle Monáe means to Me

Janelle Monáe is an inspiration for me. From her defiant lyrics to her thought-provoking style, I love Janelle Monáe. Since the beginning of her career, Janelle has been all about being unapologetic. She is unapologetically queer, unapologetically feminist, and unapologetically carefree. Janelle is a multi-talented artist. Everything about Janelle inspires me.  I started listening to...

Feminism isn’t Destroying the Black Community

“The Black community is also selective when it comes to which Black life matters and which one doesn’t.”