Empowerment Starts Here

Room: A Lesson on Parenting

As a social science teacher, I have a deep fascination with social institutions and how they influence the development of the individual. Family being one of those social institutions, the … Continue reading →

February 22, 2016 · 3 Comments

What Beyonce Teaches Us About Politics in Apolitical Spaces

In response to the controversy surrounding Beyonce and her Superbowl “Formation” performance, I want to share an essay I first published last summer (click here). While I don’t talk about … Continue reading →

February 12, 2016 · Leave a comment

Hyper-Visibility and Its Context

Being hyper-visible is difficult in places of invisibility. For me at my Christmas party, and maybe at the breakfast room at the hotel, it was difficult to be noticed because I was black and not because I am human and worthy of attention purely on this merit alone. To be recognized because I, in my blackness, serve a function for the benefit of the institution (be it social or structural) that all but renders me invisible is painful.

January 18, 2016 · 8 Comments

Are We Talking About Ferguson or Milwaukee?

I just listened to Eugene Robinson on the #MorningJoe describe #Ferguson citizens as being a community that has been left behind. While many African Americans have been able to successfully … Continue reading →

August 19, 2014 · 2 Comments