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 […]
Though a police officer exacted the physical violence caught on camera, a teacher, school administrator, and judge participated in it, too. Each of them prioritized power plays, intimidation, and coercion over teaching and learning in a safe environment. “I was crying. Literally screaming, crying…I know this girl don’t got nobody.” Those were the words of […]
Only by noting the way all black people are under attack—not just men—can we hope to build the struggle for both racial and gender equity. In the wake of recent police killings of young black men—John Crawford, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice most prominently—there has been much discussion about the way in which large numbers […]
It was a rough year in gender and race, but there were a few bright spots. Oof, what a terrible year. Ebola. ISIS. Boko Haram. The murders of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and so many others. If you visit CNN’s “What Stories Got You Talking in 2014” page, it’s a veritable cornucopia of the […]
Reverse “isms” do not exist because racism, sexism, and heterosexism operate with the help of something beyond prejudice: power. Say it with me: Individual prejudice is not the same thing as structural oppression. Say this with me too: Reverse racism does not exist. Following the grand jury decisions not to indict police officers in the deaths of […]
Ignoring the problem of racial violence won’t make it go away. I don’t know when it hit me, the severity of what’s happening out there. Because it’s never happened to me. It’s sad that black men are getting shot, unarmed in the middle of the street. But it’s never happened to me. It’s tragic that […]
When it comes to standing up for black women, empathizing with us, and understanding our vulnerabilities, too often black men are not only missing from our side—they’re battling against us. I’m so tired of black men. I didn’t want to start with that thought, but there it is. Before I started writing, I talked this […]
