Men get to be Animal House while women get Girls Gone Wild. It’s not fair. And it’s about power. It was spring break and I was in New Orleans partying on Bourbon Street when some old dude yelled, “Show me your tits!” from a window above. Plastic gold and yellow beads dangled from his wrist. […]
Buying a house is the cornerstone of the American Dream. I bought into that dream hook, line, and sinker when I was young, but none of it has turned out like I imagined it would. I was supposed to be a homeowner by now. I took a selfie in front of a sold sign and […]
As with most things in life, we learn what we want by first discovering what we don’t. I am pleased to inform you that the Doctoral Program Advisory Committee has accepted your application to our Ed.D program with a specialization in Higher Education. The paper prints. For as long as I can remember, I’ve preferred […]
You cannot purchase empowerment or self-love, and you certainly can’t purchase liberation. Because the internet is on the verge of becoming self-aware and it knows everything we do, my social media pages are being inundated with the newest Lane Bryant ad. In it, plus-size models and actresses like Gabourey Sidibe and Ashley Graham pose in […]
If I lived my life according to the imperatives of women’s magazines—and their frequent exhortations on brow upkeep—I would find myself guilty of gross neglect. I’ve never had my eyebrows shaped, plucked, threaded, waxed, filled in, tinted, drawn on, or otherwise groomed. And I’m OK with that. More than OK—I’m downright happy with it. It’s other […]
For me, being silenced is worse than being yelled at or not being listened to. It’s a complete invalidation of my voice, of my right to speak on behalf of myself. Silencing says, You don’t matter. Your ideas don’t matter. Two weeks ago, I sat in my endocrinologist’s office and waited … and waited … and … […]
I reject the insistence that a woman can’t choose what makes her feel beautiful without regard for the judgement of others. 1997: The girls at school collect Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers. We line them up on one of our desks, form a circle, compare. The most basic come in standard fruit flavors like lime and […]
Why does the person who caused my pain have any place at the finish line of the emotional work I was forced to do because of their offense? I reject the idea that in order to be emotionally healthy and free, I have to forgive people who have deeply wounded me. It is important to […]
