1659 Search results for "ted talk"

Nannie gave me my first lessons–and anxieties–about race.  My great-grandmother was pretty damn light.  So much so that I remember being nervous during grandparents day at Weisser Park Elementary School.  Kids’ grandparents would show up sometime in the afternoon and sit in on our classes.  We’d introduce them to our fellow classmates and perform poetry […]

I speak as a – a sister of a sister. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on my birthday. And for over 30 years, Coretta Scott King and I have telephoned, or sent cards to each other, or flowers to each other, or met each other somewhere in the world. We called ourselves “chosen sisters” […]

Last week a student was arrested in the reg. So clearly if a person is arrested in this beautiful post-racial, progressive, and inclusive society, then it must be some just cause. Right? Witnesses say that this 5’6 black senior at University of Chicago was “wrestled to the ground and put in a headlock.” This must mean […]

It’s only March, but Mo’Nique is indeed the frontrunner for the Best Year Ever Award.  In a little less than a week, the self-proclaimed queen of comedy and Golden Globe (and Screen Actors Guild) Award winner, will probably win an Oscar for her work in Precious, despite her reluctance to “campaign” for the little gold […]

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMZ5s7o2F88 So, this last Halloween I dressed up as . . . . (drum roll please) . . . Nicki Minaj also known as Nicki Lewinski also known as Nicki the Ninja also known as Nicki the Harajuku Barbi. (Yep, if you leave a comment requesting my Halloween picture I may post it). Yes, I, […]

Dear John Mayer, Dude, wtf?  I was in New Mexico off grid for a few days; I get back home to the Chi, and every straight black girl with a blog now hates you.  I had a message in my Facebook inbox with a link to your Playboy interview, so I figured it out.  Note […]

Since embarking on a solo career in 2003, Beyonce has completely mastered an intoxicating mixture of R&B and Hip Hop that redefined Pop music in the 2000s, her live performances continue to stun audiences around the world, and her fierce protection of her private life from media scrutiny has allowed her to cultivate a largely blemish-less superstar status. All things considered, Beyonce is clearly the greatest and most influential female pop artist of the 2000s.

It is the dead of winter in Chicago and my thoughts are drifting back to summer and the month I spent in Costa Rica. My sunny daydreams, however, have been interrupted by some no-so-sunny memories of my trip… Having just arrived and begun working on a school building project in a tiny village in Costa […]

“Mirror . . . mirror on the wall who the fairest of them all?” In most fairytales, the mirror would reply, “Snow white is the fairest of them all.” However, in the case of Vanity Fair’s March cover, the names are Abbie Cornish, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Hall, Mia Wasikowska, Emma Stone, […]

I decided to take a break from politics and current events this week and focus more on creativity. Below is a fictional short story that I wrote about introspection. I hope you enjoy. I can still feel the piercing cold and hear the howling wind. I stood there paralyzed and dumbfounded. How could someone who […]

Note: Late week, Professor Cohen had a talk about the Black Youth Project, including the blog, on campus.  I just want to say thanks to the folks who complimented me on my writing here.  It means a lot, and I want to express my deepest gratitude.   I’m sorry that I was socially awkward.  I had […]

Chicago MC says talk-show host had ‘credible argument’ when he compared Chicago to Haiti. MTV | January 27, 2010 Lupe Fiasco: “I don’t want to be pointed out as supporting Bill O’Reilly in any way because he can be on the garbage sometimes. When you’re comparing certain areas in the U.S. that are predominantly African-American […]