125 Search results for "self reflection"

By Verdell Wright I used to be a minister. I preached the goodness of God every day. But after deep reflection and honesty, I decided this Black boy had to go. I had to leave the Christian faith, as well as any belief in the supernatural, behind. I was headed toward this point for a […]

by Andrew Keahey “I’m so glad I’m talking to you. That colored boy was not helpful.” That “colored boy” was me. I had been the lone person sitting behind the desk when this man with a swastika pin on his camouflage hat came in wanting a deal on a cell phone. His wife stood by […]

By Dilara K. Üsküp “Christianity is the white man’s religion. The Holy Bible in the white man’s hands and his interpretations of it have been the greatest single ideological weapon for enslaving millions of non-white human beings.” — Malcolm X (Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X & Alex Haley) While the idea that Christianity […]

*Editor’s Note: March is National Disabilities Month and our themes at Black Youth Project are Ableism & Physical and Mental Health. We are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. Content Warning: rape, mental health* “… mad methodology resists rote positivism and defies the cult of objectivity; it listens for […]

Yesterday, I called my mama and took a sunshine-filled walk to stop myself from spiraling. Progress. “I’ve gotta take it a bit easier on myself,” I tweeted moments prior. My sorority sister, a Black woman from California whose love for food, art galleries, the written word and rap music helped form an organic friendship, liked […]

I’ve been thinking a lot about porn and erotic display lately, but not in a way that brings me any pleasure. I’ve been thinking about them in an inquisitive, almost anthropological way that raises within me more questions than it does answers, and creates more discomfort and disgust than it does gratification. This is because […]

By Myles E. Johnson “What man wants to lay down and watch the world burn in his bedroom?” – Warsan Shire Often I gaze at myself in the mirror to ensure that I am present, that I recognize the face looking back at me, that I haven’t acquired any new scars, and my face hasn’t […]

By George Johnson This June marked the 17th celebration of “Pride Month,” a designation declared by Bill Clinton to recognize and observe the heritage and culture of LGBTQ people. As LGBTQ rights continue to be attacked politically, growth in pop culture and media is simultaneously surging in areas of journalism, television, Broadway, and the big […]

In May, 17-year-old Priscilla Samey’s interesting high school story made rounds throughout social media. This happened not because of her impressive achievement of gaining admission into seven out of eight Ivy League institutions, but rather for escorting one of her admission letters––Harvard’s––to her senior prom. While many lauded her for such a “bold” move, others […]

[Banner photo: A headline from The Daily Kos seeming to play up the fact that Jordan Edwards was unarmed and an “honor roll student”] By Zoé Samudzi On May 20, Richard Collins III, a young Black soon-to-be graduate of Bowie State University, was murdered by Sean Urbanski, a member of a white supremacist Facebook group called Alt-Reich […]

For most of my schooling, I was treated as somewhat of a golden child. As an advanced placement student in a majority Black district, where most of the other Black kids weren’t surpassing their white peers scholastically like I was, the fact that I seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of my ivy-league older […]

When Casey Affleck won the Oscar for his work in Manchester by the Sea last Sunday, many once again pointed out the racial double standard on sexual violence. If you recall, Nate Parker’s Oscar aspirations for his film The Birth of a Nation, initially regarded as a strong awards contender, were swiftly derailed when rape […]