As I embark on a career in broadcast journalism, I have to admit my fears. My fear is not the hideously low pay coupled with the brutal hours. Nor is it the fact that I may get a masters’ degree in something that will prove to never be worth the money. My fear is that […]
According to a scathing report released yesterday by the Justice Department, the Memphis and Shelby County juvenile justice system routinely treats black youth more harshly than their white counterparts. How do we fight the institutional racism that continues to criminalize and demonize our youth?
I recently moved into a historically Black neighborhood. The area has suffered the same fate of many inner city neighborhoods across the country and is just starting to rebuild decades of urban decay. On a recent trip to the grocery store, I ran into a young White man who mentioned that he too was new […]
In our society, it is drastically easier to be discouraged, than to be inspired. Current events usually revolve around innocent youth being shot, black faces being incarcerated, education systems failing, and hope being so muddled that many forget about any power we have to organize our communities for change. It is imperative to find narratives […]
Last Friday, two white Tulsa, Oklahoma residents went on a murderous rampage in a black section of the city, shooting five people, killing three of them. Police and FBI officials say it is too early to call this incident a hate crime; do you agree?
In a time when cross community solidarity is far too rare, I am encouraged that LGBTQ groups across the country chose to take a stand with Trayvon Martin. In the letter signed by more than 20 of the most active LGBTQ organizations, they declared that the killing of Trayvon Martin not only requires a call […]
After much speculation over a grainy police video released last week – showing a seemingly scratch-less George Zimmerman arriving at the Sanford Police Station – an enhanced video has been released today, showing injuries on Zimmerman’s head.
Black Youth in the News: March 19-25 – “The Illusions of a Post-Racial Era,” and other fascinating stories at BlackYouthProject.com!
Trayvon Martin UPDATE: Bill Lee Jr. has stepped down “temporarily” from his position as Sanford Police chief; Seminole State College has decided to expel now-former student George Zimmerman. But will the Martin family ever truly find justice for their son?
If I could take all my parts with me when I go somewhere, and not have to say to one of them, “No, you stay home tonight, you won’t be welcome,” because Im going to an all white party where I can be gay, but not Black. Or I’m going to a Black […]
According to the Huffington Post, police have turned over the investigation into the murder of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin to the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office; they’ll decide if 28 year-old neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman will be charged for Martin’s murder.
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 […]
