Al Joyner, after the untimely death of his wife, the woman affectionately known as “Flo Jo,” noted that she “passed the ultimate drug test.” In the late 80s, Flo Jo would become the fastest woman in the world, a title that rightfully revealed a lifetime of hard work but engendered predictable scrutiny from anti-black adversaries….
Category: Social Commentary
Themes of race, gender etc explored in popular culture.
What The Cosbys Show Us: A Black Female Perspective
As a collective, black people are no strangers to sexual assault as a vindicating force to domestic terrorism. Sexual assault allegations that engendered the lynchings that ornament our past and present. We are also not strangers to how a racist society employs hyper-sexuality to stain the legacies of black greatness from Sam Cooke to Michael…
Regarding Don Lemon’s Comments on Black Humanity
Don Lemon is the latest black public figure to articulate racial “insight” incongruent to the actions that engendered his relevance. I use the term “insight” loosely, as Lemon merely uses his popular platform to state unpopular views that predate his existence. The views I reference are Lemon’s recent comments that white people still do not…
Pessimism.
They call us pessimistic because we won’t smile for the optics Because if their representation Doesn’t yield a celebration In your heart Or mind You’re the pessimistic kind They quote Malcolm but lack the courage to truly implement his practice They hear the words of a revolutionary and like the sound but get gone when its finna…
Manifesting the Man
Manifest. A word and practice that has attained significant traction in the last few years or so. Whether it is “manifesting” your true love, dream career, or any other ideal status, the concept suggests a spirituality that, if tapped into, yields life-changing results. Despite its frequent presence in everyday dialogue, manifest, as a word and…
Stray Thoughts
I. Anti-black Altruism News stories that highlight “altruism” often maintain racist mythos. A recent news story featured a (black male) teacher who gave a young, black student the shoes off his feet. On the surface, the newsstory delineates community, but as an ornament of the racist media, this feature is violent propoganda. The gesture reinforces…
Freedom doesn’t bloom in June…: A Black Female Perspective on Juneteenth
On the surface, Juneteenth as a national holiday appears a national step towards acknowledging enslavement. The reality is, Juneteenth as a national holiday, functions to restore faith in what has failed us for centuries: the government. Juneteenth as a national holiday, in addition to aiding Joe Biden’s attempt to paint himself into the Abe Lincoln…
George Floyd, Four Hundred Years Later
It is imperative that the African descended resurrect George Floyd from the chokehold of American his story. The morning of May 25, 2020, would become the final hours of Floyd’s life. By this time last year, his feet were tagged, his organs prepped for an autopsy that would “prove” what millions would see from various…
“Not a Racist Country,” A Black Female Perspective
After a performative summer, the forces of anti-blackness knew they had to cast someone in the lead role. This “someone” was Kamala Harris, who, echoing Tim Scott’s claim, made waves last week following her claim that the United States is “not a racist country.” Not only do these words deem civil rights activists “complainers,” it,…
Mama, I’m in Love With a Revolutionary, Part II
I started this blog with a post entitled “Mama, I’m in Love With a Revolutionary.” I wrote this on the heels of completing George Jackson’s Soledad Brother, spellbound by the incisiveness of a man who hadn’t seen the night sky in a decade. From poignant images of standing his younger brother Jonathan up in a box…
Whispers of a Womanist 