91 Search results for "empowerment"

By michal “mj” jones A few years ago, I invited a group of scholar-activists to present a panel on intergenerational movement building and breaking barriers between elder and younger organizers. The conversation went well, I thought, and we gave the floor over to the attendees to share their stories. Afterwards, an older woman with a […]

by Asia Renée I was born and raised in Philadelphia. The nation’s first capital, the cradle of liberty, and the home of the most passionate, underdog fans in the country. The same folks who threw snowballs at Santa Claus, booed Beyonce during the NBA Finals in 2001 and had a jail set up, judge and […]

Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers of Black Mirror S4, E6, “Black Museum” I do not trust myself when I enjoy a tale of Black people experiencing unbearably violent situations on screen. Perhaps I have read too much of Frank Wilderson’s Afro-pessimist film critique Red, White and Black, but I am never quite sure whether […]

While STEM fields and the jobs to which they connect remain some of society’s most coveted and compensated, these professions do not often represent the pluralistic world in which people live. Apparently, Google has come up with a plan that they hope might alleviate those concerns as they pertain to the technology company. As Essence […]

By michal “mj” jones She stares into the heart of the camera, a backdrop of ocean shore behind her and a swollen, pregnant brown belly below. Neck draped in seashells and her body in the watery spirits of Yemaya, she looks certain, calm, confident. As I gazed up at this photo of my partner during […]

As Americans continue grappling with rampant sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexual abuse of vulnerable populations by people with situational dominance, another reminder to protect children from adult monsters came late last week. A jury convicted 38-year-old Jelani Maraj of endangering the welfare of a child and predatory sexual assault on a child younger than […]

by Arnetta Randall  Recently, I watched a live stream of a conversation between the Former First Lady, Michelle Obama and the First Lady of television, Shonda Rhimes. I found it simply amazing. One of the moments that resonated with me the most was when Michelle spoke about how her parents listened to her as a […]

Trans and non-binary people, especially those of color and who identify as Black, increasingly experience societal visibility, respect and fame. People increasingly recognize that every human being does not identify as a cisgender woman or a man and present in traditional ways relative those identities. At the same time that average folks outside of trans […]

By Kristian Davis Bailey   Last December, I visited Brazil for the first time to attend the Transregional Summit: The Arab Spring Meets Black Lives Matter conference at the Federal Fluminense University  (UFF) outside Rio de Janeiro. It was designed to put Black Lives Matter in conversation with Arab activists from Egypt and Palestine, and social […]

In honor of Black History Month, 21st Century Fox will be screening Hidden Figures for free in 14 major cities across the United States on Feb. 18, according to Deadline.

In less than a month, the first Black president of the United States will complete his final term. Undoubtedly, these past eight years under President Barack Obama provided a very powerful sense of representation to Black people who have survived over four centuries of violent dispossession largely in society’s shadows. With Obama occupying the highest […]

One of the many, many nonconventional steps Donald Trump has made on his path to the White House is only taking a half-step away from his business ventures. It’s common practice (prior to this very unique election) to completely sever all connections. If this sounds like a conflict of interest to you, you’re far from […]