498 Search results for "stage"

Inland, a short story
by Vernon Jordan, III She sat in the back of the joint, eyeing him. From over the shoulder of his bass, he noticed her fingers around the rim of a glass, miming the bass notes. He was the player, but so was she. Rooted, was their first glance, she minded him the way trees mind […]
My mother proved protection is possible without police, even if she doesn’t know it
Sometimes, an answer is not an answer to everyone. Sometimes, whether something is an answer depends, like seeing a blue or gold dress or hearing yanny or laurel in that auditory illusion. Or like when Black people are finally allowed in token numbers to receive a few of the laurels we hear we should always […]
When the Ancestors tell you to go to therapy
There aren’t enough accessible therapists to go around. I met this reality after an Ifa divination that I got while I was in Cuba, and my dreams for an entire year afterward, told me that I needed to focus on my mental health. My ancestors were LOUD about the mental work that I needed to […]
Van Jones, language and the psuedo memory of national identity
by Donnie Moreland In my six years participating in scholastic speech and debate competition, the one lasting impression of the sport itself, less any social interaction, was that language is never fixed. Language is neither absolute, or inherent. Language is craftable, manipulatable, sellable and infinitely interpretable. This seems obvious, but when you think of how […]
Exclusive Interview: Black Queer Artist HAILES details her new EP and creating music during a pandemic
By Jared Alexander Let me tell you, chatting with HAILES will immediately put a smile on your face and set you at ease. Her entire vibe is welcoming, warm and chill, even in a Zoom call while she sets up in a recording studio in Bedstuy. Although she dropped her amazing debut single Come Thru […]
We are no good to the dead, and yet we believe the grieving owe us their tears
In my family, we have a tradition of cooking and sitting with the grieving, especially when they have no words. Especially when the tears have been ripped out and the well to produce more has disappeared. We honor the lives of the folks who’ve been lost, beaten, and violently shredded from this world by sitting […]
How I use ancestor veneration to navigate my Mother’s Death
by Hess Love Sometimes I feel like a motherless child… a long way from home- Negro Spiritual Sunday is Mother’s Day. And the grief of losing my mother regularly brings me to my knees. I don’t imagine this day being any different. Sometimes my grief is a distant shore, sometimes the water of it wades […]
Violating stay-at-home orders directly harms Disabled folks, but what else is new?
Content Warning: Ableism, Car Accident, Death and Discrimination by Dominique Alexander McPhearson I’m in my room watching old NBA highlights, since the NBA, along with the rest of the country, is on lockdown. Quarantine doesn’t bother me as much as it seems to bother other people. After an accident left me paralyzed from the chest […]
I love fashion, but—as a fat woman—it doesn’t always love me back
by Kamilah Bush I love clothes. I love fashion and style. I love all kinds of clothes from the big fashion houses to things I’ve fished out of thrift store bins. I watch the major award shows just for the gowns. My favorite holiday is The First Monday in May, also known as the Met […]
COVID-19 shows how little we learned from the AIDS Epidemic
COVID-19 has quickly taken center stage in the lives of virtually everyone around the globe. As things have unfolded over the last couple of months, I can’t help but notice aspects of this pandemic that feel familiar. As someone who is living with HIV and has learned a lot about the AIDS epidemic over the […]
The endless appropriation of MLK and white supremacy’s need to rewrite historical narratives
Barely a month has passed since I wrote about appropriation and the vampiric nature of whiteness, specifically as it pertains to Black art and aesthetic. My focus was white artists and their simultaneous disavowal and infiltration of rap and hip-hop, and my purpose was to illustrate the pattern of how white society appropriates Black art […]
Sex and relationship resources by Black folks, for Black folks
by Sarah Thomas As conversations about sex, sexuality, and relationships become more and more mainstream, Black folks need to be visible as both audience and educators. When we are navigating questions about who is worthy of our love and who the people are exploring the finer points of relationships and their lives publically, it can […]