“If you don’t understand white supremacy, what it is and how it operates, everything you think you understand will only confuse you.” Neely Fuller, Jr. I’ve heard the words “White supremacy” more in the past week than at any point in my life. Which is saying a lot, since I majored in Africana Studies in college. Most people have no real idea what the phrase means or how it … [Read more...]
Why Integrated Schools Don’t Solve Black Student Problems
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I wasn't surprised to read New York Daily News reporter Shaun King’s heartbreaking article about Jaylon Sewell. Jaylon is a Black student who “wasn't allowed to attend class with dyed hair — ‘when white students with dyed hair were allowed to attend class.’” Nor was I surprised to read that: “Jaylon and more than 20 other black students at Neville High School have … [Read more...]
Black Hair, White Racism & the Law
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New Hair Era | Same Old Racism When I first cut out my perm in the 1990s I had no reason to believe that I was going to live long enough to see a natural Black hair movement. Nobody, and I mean nobody at my predominantly White Penn State University campus was wearing natural hairstyles then and I remember feeling very alone. A lot of my friends and advisors would ask me … [Read more...]
#DearSheriffLott: Sex With Black People Can’t Cure Racism
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...]
Sandra Bland: Murdered For Acting Like A Black Girl
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Sandra Bland was murdered because she sounded and acted like a Black girl. Her death was a fatal example of the ways Black girls are regularly treated by society when we don’t use our Make-White-People-Feel-Comfortable skill sets. This is especially true when we talk and act “Black” and don’t maintain consistent use the White Girl Voice in … [Read more...]