67 Search results for "biography"

Missing pages of Malcolm X’s autobiography purchased by the Schomburg Center at NY auction
Long rumored missing chapters of Malcolm X’s autobiography turned up at an auction this week. Literary scholars had assumed that there were missing chapters of Alex Haley and Malcolm X’s joint effort floating around, but never had they been made available to the general public.
Print Never Left: Black Writers on Archiving and Self-Published Print Media
by Dr. Ravynn Stringfield Social media is currently flooded with messages from people encouraging others online to “get into print media” or “go analog,” while simultaneously bemoaning the loss of politically aware print media that centered marginalized voices—RIP Bitch Media—and a dearth of media that represent our experiences. However, for Black artists, writers and activists, […]
Why Black pain will never disarm white supremacy
A nursing book was recalled in 2017 because of the racist way that it discussed pain; how it is felt, how it is interpreted, and how it should be understood by physicians, and therefore, how it should ultimately be treated. This entry, entitled “Cultural Differences in Response to Pain,” included sections on “Arabs/Muslims,” “Asians,” “Blacks,” […]
The ghost of the racist “father of modern gynecology” is still killing Black infants & child-bearers
By Naomi Alexis The so-called “father of modern gynecology”, James Marion Sims, trafficked in enslaved Black women, likely impregnating them through rape, in scientific experimentations for the purpose of advancing his career in medicine. When experimenting on these enslaved women, he did so without anesthesia. He developed tools through trial and error and repeatedly performed […]
Despite appropriation, vampiric whiteness will never be able to suck the blood out of Black art
I haven’t trusted Billie Eilish since I became aware of her nearly a year ago. The context in which I learned about her was a valid and necessary social media post which lamented how fucked up it is that Eilish has apparently gone out of her way to dress “modestly” so as to not be […]
How Black Muslimas are transforming our communities and futures
Contrary to their portrayal in the media, Black Muslim women (also referred to as Muslimas), are powerful and active change agents in our communities. They are fierce advocates who regularly contribute their time, energy and service towards a more equitable world. New Jersey Muslimas, in particular, have a unique experience that rests at the intersection […]
After graduating college, I received my best education from my uncle and his books
by Daniel M. Johnson Lesson 1: Origins 1964-65 was a volatile time for Betty Shabazz. The conclusion of the winter saw her gazing at her husband’s corpse, riddled with bullets, leaving her to care for her four, soon to be six, daughters. Just into her 30s, she moved to Mount Vernon, NY to continue her […]
These 2 films reveal the powerful ways Black queer women find pleasure despite heteronormative violence
By Kim M Reynolds Audre Lorde defines the erotic as a “creative source,” something that is incredibly generative and “self-affirming in the face of a racist, patriarchal, and anti-erotic society.” The erotic functions as a respect for life, a recognition and practice of intentionality and sense of love that combats the individualistic and oppressive world […]
AirGo x BYP with Barbara Ransby
Black Youth Project has joined forces with AirGo for a year-long #BYPSpotlight series, featuring our favorite Black academics and activists. First up is Barbara Ransby, whose footprint on the Chicago and global social movement landscape is inimitable. A Professor of History, Gender and Women’s Studies, and African American Studies at UIC, Barbara has grounded both organizing and […]
Exposing children to examples of protest plants the seeds for them to fight for justice
By Salaam Green Protest birthed out of the American south often sets the pace for revolutionary and radical campaigns for justice. While I was teaching creative drama with a group of fourth graders outside of Birmingham, Alabama, a hotbed for civil rights and the home of many justice movements, an eager fourth grader asked me […]
Why Black children must see themselves in the classroom.
by Liljuan Gonzalez I remember seeing a little Black girl being viciously yelled at to stop moving and to sit with her hands folded while her eyes followed the teacher. When she moved an inch, out of jitters or childish restlessness, her teacher responded with a death glare or a disparaging tone that blindly enforced […]
Black witnessing is an insistence on Black being: Re-membering those who were lynched
by Tabias Olajuawon This essay contains discussion of anti-Black violences, particularly lynching, and mention of r/pe “… Ancestors, you will find us still in cages, Despised and disciplined. You will find us still mis-named. Here you will find us despite. You will not find us extinct. You will find us […]