380 Search results for "natural"

Since I was a little a brown girl, I have always secretly wanted to save the world. Yes, the whole big world. To say the least, I was utterly enthralled with movies like Indian Jones and the last Crusade to the point of obscene dissidence to the 80s generational black-uplift narrative of being a lawyer […]

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQGMTPab9GQ It’s not enough that Obama has finally expressed his support for same-sex marriage, but it’s still a very good thing, and it feels nice. It’s not enough, because honestly, the myriads of problems facing LGBTQ people, especially youth of color, are not going to be solved by the ability to marry. Some LGBTQ individuals […]

Since when has skateboarding become a standard by which we judge black masculinity? Prior to Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams, you would not see skate culture—promotion of local skate shops, perfection of kick flips and ollies, etc.—in music videos. Back then, the culture had an explicit expression whether it was Mr. “Skateboard P” himself or […]

  Blacks in American society have been understood in either demonizing or idealizing ways as represented in society or the media. Some blacks are idealized for their “coolness”, sexuality, beauty and athleticism. On the other hand, others are demonized as being lazy, sexual monsters, ugly and animalistic. It seems that when a black person has […]

When my mom first told me she was a lesbian, I was 16 years old and in my Junior year of high school. I remember she asked my older sister and me to come into the living room because she wanted to talk. She looked so serious and slightly concerned that my best guess was […]

Folks in the ghetto always watch the careless: any opportunity to exploit small mistakes gets the observant ahead. The ghetto mindset transmits through an exclusive circle of students. Doctrines of this knowledge—what we call “street smarts”—may not be known by the average white person. Such may be the case because a majority of the white […]

      “Introducing the new Apple iPerson Complete with multi-touch and volume control / Doesn’t it feel good to touch / Doesn’t it feel good to touch / Doesn’t it feel good to…touch? / My world is so digital / I’ve forgotten what that feels like.” The above words, from a poem entitled “Touchscreen” (see below) […]

Like most children, I told lies when I was a little black girl. I told big lies. I told small lies. I told white lies. I told lies. And, even had the audacity to argue with my “all seeing all knowing” do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do black grandmother about the usage of lie over her usage of “telling a story.” What does telling […]

The Voice. When one is colloquially known as such, it becomes easy to forget that such sound emanates from inside a human being. The Voice. A disembodied moniker. So spectacularly general, simply an article and noun sans the dressing of more instructive, clarifying wording: “of reason” or “of God” or “of an angel.” The Voice. […]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve always taken Michael Jackson’s optimism and musical happiness for granted. Black folks especially, at least those in my circle, praise his artful force for party R&B songs like “Shake Your Body” and “Remember the Time”. Not much has been said, however, about Mike’s collection of sorrow songs […]

  At my job there are specific rules that may seem contradictory to norms that exist in society. A particular rule that I was once confused about relates to parent-child contact during youth development activities. We basically don’t allow parents in the room while we’re conducting their post-school day activities. In a world where everyone […]

Over the holidays I was introduced to the youtube video and spin off series that is Shi Things Girls Say that has been viral for a while. I have to admit I found some of them hilarious like Things Black Girls Say and Things White Girls Say to Black Girls was satirically on point. However, once I got toThings Natural Girls Say I’d had […]