“If we wait for perfection, we will never break the silence. The cycle of racism will continue uninterrupted.” In the days following the attack on Charlottesville, I wanted to post something on Facebook that spoke out against racism and bigotry. And yet, I could not find my voice. True, I had an unusually busy workweek […]
I spend too many moments of my day reminding myself that every second with my baby boy is one more that can’t be stolen. Today I’m angry and I don’t know why. It could be that I spent my morning trying to figure out how to explain to well-meaning white folks why I don’t think […]
In truth, Whiteness affects everyone. It favors some of us and threatens others daily. In my life, I have argued with, silently resisted, and fled from the police. Despite all that and my general comportment, the latter born from a distaste for authority and the tyrannical attitudes of the particular officers I encountered, I have […]
We the people have agreed to be ruled by our system of government, with its checks and balances, and Constitutional limitations. We have not agreed to be ruled by a tyrant who refuses to respect our nation’s legal foundation. Despite all the millions of people who have marched and organized and emailed and called, a fair […]
If we’re not working our butts off to make things better, they’re going to get worse, and the mountain of problems we dump at our children’s doorstep will be exponentially bigger. Since my daughter was born, I’ve been fortunate to stumble into a community of awesome, progressive, queer and queer-friendly parents. Some are folks I […]
Every new white acquaintance brings anxiety: Will you care for my plight or remain apathetic to my struggles? Establishing and maintaining friendships can be challenging. But for socially conscious black Americans, there is often an added level of difficulty. Black Americans are expected to be considerate of the feelings of those who may not care […]
You may be wondering how you’re going to share mashed potatoes with someone when you don’t even share a basic concept of morality. So, hey, how much have the last few days sucked? A lot, right? Well, luckily, the election is over and we have a few weeks before the dystopian nightmare future takes effect—time […]
How many fewer people of color would be killed at the hands of militarized, racist police if they had the ability to change their race in moments where they just walk down the street? White people are consistent; I’ll give them that. They take Black culture as the blueprint for their fashion, entertainment, music, and […]
This isn’t an intellectual game, and to see it as such means that you’re failing to acknowledge your privilege. To those white people who call out other white people on racism, whether face-to-face or on social media, who understand that it is not the job of people of color to convince white people that they […]
I flirted my way out of a well-deserved traffic ticket. In our current political and cultural climate, I keep butting up against two conflicting thoughts. The first is that this is not the time for white people to espouse opinions and pen essays about the state of our country. If ever there was a time […]
Look beyond Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. I dare you. Black History Month begins on Monday. This time around, I want to present a challenge to those who observe or at least appreciate Black History Month. Forgo paying homage to the usual, sanitized representations that are pulled out of […]
Racism exists because of white people, and we can’t be allies unless we acknowledge that the enemy that we are fighting is ourselves. When Macklemore rapped about zipping up his parka to join a Black Lives Matter protest, wondering if he should even be there, he gave voice to my confusion. I was there, too, hesitantly putting […]
