72 Search results for "hardship"

On Friday, the world learned that Fidel Castro, at 90 years old, had died. Over the days since, I have learned more about both the revolutionary and the tyrant than I did in school. Honestly, I have more questions than answers. I am by no means an expert on Fidel Castro or the longstanding political conditions […]

This article was originally posted at Water Cooler Convos. Over the past two weeks, I have watched Black girl after Black girl medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Simone Biles has dominated gymnastics. Simone Manuel did the same in swimming. Michelle Carter won gold in shot put. And, while I felt immense pride watching each […]

In a few weeks, I will return for my second year as a counselor at a weeklong summer camp for kids. During training, we were asked to ponder what the world would lose if by some mysticism all children were to disappear, with the intent to hone in on the importance of our work with […]

It’s not clear what made the light bulb come on, but it appears that people are finally realizing the important role women of color play in our world and how often life is made difficult for them for nothing else than being who they are. Just earlier this week, the creation of the first Congressional […]

If someone told you that Ronda Rousey’s great grandfather was one of the first black physicians in North America, would you believe it?

Three black congresswomen announced the formation of a functioning political body that will work to diminish and the socioeconomic hardships that disproportionately affect black women and girls. The Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls is the first caucus of its kind and was recently confirmed by U.S. Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) […]

Less than 24 hours after Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders hosted a rally at Chicago State University, all 900 employees of the university received layoff notices. The layoffs appear to be the final blow in the nearly 8 month battle between Chicago State (as well as other predominantly-Black public colleges) and Illinois politicians. But while many […]

On February 8th, BBC will air a documentary about the life of Misty Copeland, the first Black principal ballerina in the American Ballet Theater.   While growing up, most children are told that they can be anything that they want. As a child, I went from wanting to be president to a lawyer in the […]

In a recent cover interview with Nylon, 26-year-old actress Zoë Kravitz had a lot to say about her prior issues with understanding the complexities of blackness and with Hollywood’s ongoing “race problem.” The young starlet and daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet shared how race has factored into her acting career thus far. The interview […]

This article was originally posted at Water Cooler Convos. When I was seventeen, I was groomed and preyed upon by a high school basketball coach. He told me to stop wearing panties if I wanted to get a ‘real man.’ He invited me to drink, smoke weed, and hang out with his twenty-something year-old friends. […]

By Marion Andrew Humphrey, Jr. The term ‘self care’ has played an integral role in my work in progressive organizing spaces.  I’ve trained multiple times on the practice of it.   Self care can be described as the process where activists remove themselves from their work to heal and to restore their fighting power.  Recently, however, […]

According to a new report from the CBPP, one million people will lose SNAP benefits before the end of 2016.