Donald Sterling Is Everywhere. Not just because recordings of him spewing racist garbage to his Black Latina girlfriend are all over the Internet. Not because the public—and the NBA—was reminded that he is a racist slumlord who has been sued more than once for engaging in pervasive, blatant housing discrimination. Not because we now associate his picture with all that is … [Read more...]
Uncle Sam Doesn’t Want the Real You
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(Unless He Can’t Get Anyone Else to Fight in His Wars) When creating a war ready military unit, the concept of “uniformity” is important. But concepts of uniformity do not exist in a vacuum. When military norms have their roots in a society that is permeated with a racist ideology (one that says Whiteness and all things associated with it are superior and that Blackness and … [Read more...]
Ew. Your Baby’s Hair Is Turning.
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You may have heard comments like these before: Dang. Your baby used to have such pretty hair. What happened? Oh her hair is so cute! Except for this nappy section right here… That baby is so pretty! You almost don’t even notice her hair… These are the type of comments that can make any new parent want to scream. These are also the type of comments that people seem to … [Read more...]
Black Parents: Raising Black Kids
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To all the parents raising Black kids - this one is for you. The “Raising Confident Kinky/Coily/Curly Haired Black Kids” event at the end of last year was a huge success—and we have YOU to thank for that. The community really came out to support and learn why we need to protect our children’s self esteem. One thing I realized then and in the weeks that followed was … [Read more...]
White Dads, Black Dads: Same Role, Different Stories
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A few years ago when this picture hit the internet, everyone who logged on collectively ooh’d, ahhh’d and swooned. Most of us didn’t feel all soft and fuzzy simply because of an image of a daddy combing a daughter’s hair. For many, the hormonal surge of happy-place emotions was amplified because it was a White dad combing his Black daughter’s natural hair. This … [Read more...]