I read the 2018 version of this book by James W. Loewen. Every single page. Well, not all the footnote pages. But the intro and the afterword. Coming up, I was an American History hater. Dates, War Generals, Battle of Blah Blah Blah. Slavery. Boring. Was I really supposed […]
Review- Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Read More »
I have a confession to make: When I was in high school and college, I tried erasing as much of my blackness as possible to “fit in.” Let me start at the beginning. I was acutely aware of race as a young child. I can’t say that it had
The Unintended Consequences of Assimilating as a Black Girl in America Read More »
Our lives are easily lost in the hum-drum shuffle of everyday life. The most casualties occur, not in actual death, but when we march along mindlessly, unhappily, making ends meet and tying up loose ends; finishing this, and finishing that and just trying to make it to the weekend.
I Hope You Dance– Inspiration from my Grandmother Read More »
Twenty-Six Students in a Mixing Bowl Twenty-Six students in a mixing bowl, boiling to escape They’re sliding cards and “f*cks!” across the table Public Displays of Affection without discretion “It’s not just a kiss,” I say. There’s confrontation: a girl about to beat the sh*t out of a boy
Twenty-Six Students in a Mixing Bowl Read More »
This is a new poem… second draft. Being I stand, admiring the edge of clouds along the sky but I can’t connect to their certainty of being, and action. I’m floating like an air molecule, “invisible to the naked eye,” but I’m here. Fluid like ocean water and
This is another old poem I wrote in college… undergrad maybe. I think it’s strange how I wait years and years to share things I’ve written. Do you other writers do that? Anyways here it is South Beach Lavender moonlight nudges sun rays creeping behind the horizon. But a
Black people who consume mainstream media are bombarded with negative images about themselves. Unless making a proper effort, black people won’t see positive representations of themselves in books, movies, and other media. Everyone, under the right conditions, is susceptible to feeling inferior to others. But Black Americans are particularly
The Black Writer’s Inferiority Complex Read More »
I wrote a lot of poetry in college. My sophomore year (2005) I debated whether or not I should stop relaxing my hair. This poem was written at the very beginning of my transition. This is my favorite poem that I’ve written. My Hair I like to examine the way
After a tumultuous year spent writing a thesis, I came to wonder why I started writing in the first place. Apparently, I love writing enough to get a Master’s degree in it. There were times in my life where writing something was a necessity to get through the day. Yet because
It is with sadness that I write this post. I’ve decided to take a hiatus from writing this blog. I know I’ve been hit and miss with posting, but I’d like to do much better. However, I can’t do better until I get some things settled. Currently my priorities
