Donald Trump has no shame in any of the things he says, he seldom apologizes, and constantly defends the hateful and ridiculous things he stands for. He has an awesome ability to get people going and he is mighty persuasive. This is horrifying. Hopefully his supporters will come to their senses and realize a vote for Trump is a vote in the wrong direction.
Read Moreby Tyree Williams
Understand that the success of the black man is no more linked to a suit than his delinquency is linked to a hoodie. In this age of rampant profiling, remember that our appearance refuses to represent us. It shares a malleable story influenced by the prejudices of the listener. It cannot be trusted to set an example for the youth or send a message to our peers. We must speak through what we have achieved and what we have innovated. Behind us we must leave the ruins of every obstacle we destroy. Not a nice photo of us doing it.
Read Moreby Lynx M’Chea
As the mainstream gay agenda evolved into one of homonormativity, the spaces in which the public interacted with gay and lesbian people were forced to evolve with the overall political agenda. Lesbian spaces, Black ones in particular, were known for celebrating those who lived outside of the norms of their gender and gender roles, in turn removing especially deviant (and conveniently Black) lesbian spaces from the public view made sense. In order to justify the desired (mainstream) historical narrative Black queer women’s spaces, hidden not nonexistent, were and continue to be erased from the dominant discussions of lesbian spaces. If these spaces were considered in the mainstream assessment of lesbian spaces, the concern of dying lesbian spaces would be invalid.
Read MoreIn May of this year, I traveled to Palestine in a small delegation for ten days. I had read about Palestine, and had even seen videos about the occupation, but I wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for the impact my trip would have on me. In fact, I am still processing my trip as I type this. I imagine I will be attempting to process my experiences in Palestine for years to come. However, unfortunately, because of the current climate of anti-Black racism in the United States, the extreme militarization and murders of unarmed Blacks by overzealous and racist police and vigilantes, and the use of water as a weapon - through mass shutoffs, towards Black people, I am not afforded an opportunity to place my work on hold awaiting the reconciliation of my emotions.
Read Moreby Kennedy Clark
So going to a white party, generally doesn’t have the same results for all party goers. For some it devalues and diminishes as they stand in line, subjected to sexism and judgement from yelling obnoxious boys . And not everyone is racist, or judgmental, or prejudice, but experiences differ. And and unfortunately at [the University of Michigan], they are rarely positive for certain individuals.
Read Moreby Kevin Rigby, Jr.
When non-Black people, but especially other people of color, use the n-word, it isn’t just mean. It is an act of violence, of theft, and of divisiveness so severe as to render any attempts at solidarity moot. The n-word, as Black people use it today, is perhaps our best attempt at demanding our humanity and our right to define ourselves. The word encompasses our history, our current realities, and the love and solidarity we have for one another. It creates a space in which we might articulate ourselves.
Read Moreby Eli Day
Mythology means never having to do the hard work of thinking, all while living safely in fantasy. But for black Detroit, rebranding the metro area as a haven of inclusion is little more than cheap varnish. It’s nostalgia for an era that never was. I wish it were otherwise, but the conquered can least afford the price of myth. The point isn’t that unity can never exist alongside tension; it's that unity, by definition, can never take hold where historical rifts remain.
Read Moreby Jonnaé Bryant
We have known struggle. Struggle requires us to continually insist on and affirm our humanity, reveal the ways in which racism covertly informs our institutions, and to envision a world that can offer us hope. We cannot budge. Saying goes “the struggle is real” and we have to persist or we die effortlessly and carelessly in vain. I think of struggle and the blood of ancestors, freedom fighters, and martyrs from every generation. Blood sheds, stains, and leaves us with brown residue. Unequivocally, this is what it means to live, to be black, and to die in America.
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