I was in lower parel, the first time I saw a policeman harassing a family who was homeless. This was the first time I felt the familiarity of invisible walls built up in the center of a city that stretched just as far as the wallets of those willing to pay just enough to not […]
According to a recent study conducted by the Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation, black women are the most religious segment of the U.S. population. 9 out of 10 black women say they turn to God “as their spiritual guide in all areas of their lives.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60cvtxwlJr8 A friend of mine, of both Black and White heritage, brought the above video to my attention. The video features rapper A$AP Rocky and artist Lana Del Rey portraying president JFK and Jackie-O respectively, while also playing a bit on Marilyn Monroe’s famous singing of Happy Birthday to JFK. The song’s superficial lyrics seem […]
Today is Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day!
Started in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth is a celebration of the abolition of slavery. 41 states recognize Juneteenth. How will you commemorate?
NAACP President Benjamin Jealous says he hopes the organization’s announcement of support for same-sex marriage will inspire hesitant African Americans to rethink their opinions on the issue. Do you think they’re resolution will impact support for the issue within the Black community?
By now, you’ve all heard of George Zimmerman’s problematic website. But seriously…who are his advisors? Everything about the website is odd. From the domain name to the choice of quotes: First this one, included on each page of the website: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do […]
In a time when cross community solidarity is far too rare, I am encouraged that LGBTQ groups across the country chose to take a stand with Trayvon Martin. In the letter signed by more than 20 of the most active LGBTQ organizations, they declared that the killing of Trayvon Martin not only requires a call […]
Photos of lynched bodies have always given me pause. My body has a very visceral reaction to seeing a lifeless form hanging from a tree. More than the body, the white faces that stare up at it in contentment, contempt or fascination haunt my mind for hours, and sometimes days after seeing a photo of […]
This past week I got a chance to attend “A Ball.” These are events are are tagged as being apolitical by individuals in and outside of the LGBTQ community. I choose to look past the stereotypes of the Ballroom Scene and find potential for political action in this gay subculture. The creation of a Ballroom […]
According to a report by the ACLU, the number of hate groups and anti-government militias are on the rise in the wake the election of President Obama. Are you surprised?
Today I would like to talk about a very simple subject-conflict-and Jesus, the community activist. Although these concepts may seem diametrically opposed; Black liberation theology tells us that Jesus Christ was a community activist. Many of my self-proclaimed “educated” brethren consider themselves to be above religious teachings, especially Christianity, because they believe that it is […]
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIiK62AY-yU In California, the fight for equality in marriage continues. Even though I have conflicting thoughts about marriage in general, I still believe that homophobia and intolerance is what drives decisions like prob 8. These issues as we all know, are nothing new. And many of the remnants of homophobia are just as strong in the black community as […]
