167 Search results for "kelly"

Black conspiracy and skepticism persist because we believe the evidence of our experience
by Donnie Moreland There is a whispered binding between Black folks and the truth. Less truth, in that meta-ethical way we discern the spiritually evidential as Black folks, but truth telling. The expressions, negotiations and altercations with, and of, “facts.” How we tell the truth, digest it and confirm that truth as just that; gospel. […]
Prison abolition is more than a lofty theoretical. It’s also unpretty, everyday practices of resisting state policing
The man grabs her arm tightly and presses her against the gate, and in someone’s fantasy this, without context, might have been erotic. I want it to be—for her sake, I’d say if you asked—but I also want it for mine. I do not want to personally get involved in a violent dispute between strangers, […]
Sexual assault programs must address racial power dynamics & acknowledge the history of racist lies about assault
Editor’s Note: April is Black Women’s History Month. Throughout this month, Black Youth Project is celebrating Black women. This month is also National Minority Health Month, Autism Awareness Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month. We are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. We want to […]
Nipsey Hussle’s death warrants more than a “Black Man Take Down” conspiracy theory
Editor’s Note: April is Black Women’s History Month. Throughout this month, Black Youth Project is celebrating Black women. This month is also National Minority Health Month, Autism Awareness Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month. We are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. By Deria Matthews […]
Why the plan to replace Rikers, or reform any prison, is doomed to perpetuate the problem
By Ragini Srikrishna and Monica Mohapatra Before the controversy around Amazon coming to New York dominated the headlines, the mayor and city officials were quietly working on opening four new skyscraper jails within the city. Although the city’s plan to close the Rikers jails complex solicited initial excitement within criminal justice communities, it has since […]
On being a Black cynic when the world’s laughter is so loud
by Donnie Moreland There is an old adage, from Black folk, which goes as follows, “We laugh to keep ourselves from crying.” It is strange that such a crudely simple sentiment could provide such a weighted testament to the trepidations, and fears, of an entire people. And yet I can think of very few words […]
How prison-based thinking warps a lack of empathy for “deserving” victims to harm the vulnerable
Editor’s Note: sexual violence and mention of rape I’ll admit it: I have a sort of macabre fascination with true crime. My fiancé is always making fun of me for it, and it’s not a trait I’m super proud of, to be honest. I recognize that how the media handles the sensational abuses they document […]
HBO’s “Leaving Neverland” finally airs to fierce debate about sexual abuse, celebrity & race
In light of the #MeToo movement and the #MuteRKelly campaign, Wade Robson and James Safechuck are finally telling their full stories about how late pop icon Michael Jackson molested them as children in HBO’s controversial new documentary Leaving Neverland. The documentary is igniting fiery reactions and conversations on reconciling sexual allegations with an entertainer’s legacy, […]
Black queer people were never #allJussieSmollett
I want to start this off with a reminder that the police are never to be trusted—particularly when it comes to their version of a situation where harm has befallen a Black queer person (because of their explicit history of contributing to that harm, and of trying to cover it up). I want to start […]
Black women have to keep pushing back against internalized misogynoir
by Josie Pickens dream hampton’s Lifetime documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, continues to make Black folks do some serious soul searching and unpacking around the kinds of sexual violence too many of us have experienced in our families and connected communities. For Black women especially, much of the mental and emotional heavy-lifting has involved recalling our […]
Cyntoia Brown’s clemency is a glimmer of hope for Black girls and the ones who protect them
This essay contains discussion of sex trafficking, r/pe, and sexual violence against minors. by Josie Pickens This past week has been especially difficult for Black girls, as we’ve been made to recount and witness so much trauma while maneuvering through public conversations about our collective and personal experiences with sexual, physical, mental and emotional violence. […]
Tennessee governor Bill Haslam grants Cyntoia Brown clemency after serving 15 years
The Tennessee governor’s office has just granted Cyntoia Brown clemency after serving a 15 year prison sentence for killing Johnny Mitchell Allen, who allegedly trafficked her for sex when she was 16 years old.