Dear Sheriff Leon Lott, It's amazing that I'm using the phrase “sex with Black people” in the title of an open letter. But that’s what happens when someone with your level of power dares to use the “my employee/friend/brother-can’t-be-racist-because-he-has-an-African-American-girlfriend” excuse. I’m still tripping that you said this out loud and in public. As if sex … [Read more...]
Black People: Your Children Will Soon be Forgotten
No doubt about it, the (trigger warning) video of Officer Benjamin Fields dragging that Black girl from her desk and flipping her on the floor at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina is brutal to watch. The horror of the video is made worse by the fact that nearly every other person in the classroom remains utterly calm (shocked?) and sedate as they watch this torture … [Read more...]
Healthy Roots Dolls: Dolls Made for Your Black Child
Black Kids & Black Dolls I’ve written a lot about the ways that racist messaging impacts Black children and how the messages of Black inferiority surround them. These harmful messages are everywhere—from the lessons they learn (and don’t) in school, to the toys they play with, TV shows they watch and designs they wear on their clothes. As I’ve said before: As parents, the … [Read more...]
#BlackKidsMatter: A Talk on Race, Identity & the Impact on Black Kids
This Saturday, June 13, 2015 I will be speaking to the Parents Group of the Adelaide Sanford Institute about the ways that colorism, hair and identity impact the academic and social development of Black children. I will spend some time discussing the role that parents play in preparing our kids to overcome these issues and introduce strategies for building esteem and … [Read more...]
Hey Children’s Place Clothing Store: Black Kids Matter
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You know how your kids hit a growth spurt right as the weather changes and there’s no way on God’s earth that you can stretch last summer’s wardrobe any further? So that happened at our house. Right as the weather turned to wake-up-sweaty-degrees we realized we had to get the kids some new clothes. We decided to go to Children’s Place because we had a ton of coupons and knew … [Read more...]