129 Search results for "role model"

More role models for Black boys in school won’t fix anything if we continue to overlook Black girls
By Brittani McNeill It is common knowledge that Black children are on the low end of an ever widening racial achievement gap in this country. It’s even becoming more widely acknowledged that systemic problems and institutional neglect, as opposed to simply personal or even parental shortcomings, lead to this problem. An examination of this achievement […]
My mother, my Black feminist role model, is more than her motherhood
by Kathleen Anaza I feel a sense of healing and reconciliation when I consider Halimat’s life outside of being my mother. My own navigations of womanhood help me contextualize her as a nuanced and fascinating individual I can relate to. Positioning her as a peer, makes it difficult to be the hypercritical daughter I’ve at […]
From felon to role model: Sheldon Smith helps fathers find success
25-year-old Sheldon Smith was headed down the wrong path. But once he had his daughter, he became a different man. Smith, who founded The Dovetail Project, is committed to not just his daughter, but to the success of young fathers of color.
VIBE: Meet Your New Role Models
Reality TV show drama has been in the news a lot lately. Petitions urging the networks that produce these shows to reconsider have gained a lot of traction. The masses are finally growing disgusted with the petty, sometimes violent behavior of reality TV stars. While it seems many are finally ready to dismiss the violent […]
What Role Models Mean For People-of-Color
America makes it hard for people of color to have role models. Our leaders not only face systematic murder, but surrender their legacy to our various oppressors. Speaking of my experience, I never learned about Fidel Castro or the Black Panthers in school. When they were briefly mentioned it was their particular stance on violence […]
What happens when Role Models turn into Alleged Rapists?: The Lawrence Taylor Scandal
In high schools and colleges popular portrayals make male athletes out to be strong, powerful… and invincible? The worst part is that lots and lots of misogynistic males buy into this hero-worship and view becoming an athlete as a lifestyle. This dynamic is demonstrated in high schools where the teenage jocks are at the “coolest” […]
Black women student leaders often feel unsupported in their roles
Editor’s Note: This month at BYP, we will be exploring Education & Schooling, and we are interested in publishing works that address these topics. What are the implications of charter and private schools in communities of color? How do we counteract anti-Black textbooks and teachers in our childrens’ education? How did you heal from bullying […]
The Role of a Lifetime
It was recently announced that America’s Next Top Model contestant-turned-actress Yaya DaCosta will play Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic on the singer to be aired on the Lifetime network. The film, which has first-time director Angela Bassett at its helm, will cover Houston’s relationship with her former husband, Bobby Brown, a coupling that many found surprising […]
The Unpretty Everyday Practices of Prison Abolition
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, […]
I’m tired of seeing my light skin represented in Black media
by Indigo In May, People Magazine reported that 21 year-old model Jordyn Woods would make her acting debut on season two of Freeform’s Grown-ish. Woods is scheduled to guest star as a freshman undergraduate named Dee, who possesses a “soft-spoken and sincere vulnerability” and is expected to share the screen with Trevor Jackson’s character Aaron. […]
How my experience as a Black man working with children was tainted by racism
Editor’s Note: This month at BYP, we will be exploring Education & Schooling, and we are interested in publishing works that address these topics. What are the implications of charter and private schools in communities of color? How do we counteract anti-Black textbooks and teachers in our childrens’ education? How did you heal from bullying […]
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 […]