Black people are not brown skinned White people. The collective experiences that shape the broader Black community’s experiences are not brown versions of the collective experiences of White people. I’ve quoted this sentiment before but feel it requires repeating ever so often. Last week I stumbled upon an…uh…interesting article on Curly Nikki’s website. The article caught … [Read more...]
When Donald Sterling is Your OBGYN/Pastor/Teacher/Doctor/Lawyer
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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...]
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...]