True Social Justice & Racial Equity Is Hard Work
Four people I grew up were charged as adults and sentenced to life in prison and they were 16 and under (the youngest was 14) for murder. They did it. That’s not my issue. They were guilty and they forever changed the lives of the victims’ families, friends, and community. […]
Mother Mary Jesus had a wonderful, praying mother in Mary. She obviously had proven herself pleasing in God’s eyes with her faith, devotion, and love. So much so, that she was given the ultimate mission, to give birth to the Divine. I have been enjoying learning more about Mary. Mariology, […]
It is NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, and I don’t owe anyone this information besides my doctors, but since Texas wants to act an ass, here it is… 1) There are people like me that having a pregnancy will likely kill, because of pre-existing health issues/risks. My last pregnancy almost […]
All my life, being Black, specifically African American (ADOS), the reality of being enslaved in America and being mistreated after the Civil War, has been my centering narrative about America. It was/is a source of pride to be a “survivor.” That’s my family’s message about being an African-American, it means […]
Juneteenth is a celebration of a HUGE BATTLE WIN in the war for freedom for (ADOS) African Descendents of Slavery and/or African Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free Black folks. June 19, 1867(?8) didn’t free all Black people. It was a MAJOR battle win in our war for freedom. It […]
by ShaRhonda Dawson “The Search For My Mother’s, Mother’s, Mother’s” In order to know about myself, I had to learn about my mother. In order to know about my mother, I had to learn about her mother. In order to know about my grandmother, I had to understand her mother […]
Racism PSA: You are probably complicit in racism… If you are White, and nothing in your life has changed since George Floyd and/or Breonna Taylor were murdered. If you are relatively unbothered in your daily life. If you are still talking with your racist friends/family and/or supporting racist businesses (yup, […]
Living through the pandemic is what my life is like living with lupus. A small part of me is relieved that so many people are living the way I have been forced to live since 2011. I know it is selfish, but this is the first time, in a long […]
My dear Lorraine Hansberry, you were a literary genius, and you left us too soon. Honestly, I think about Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” every day of my life. I see her in every Black person I see, every Black person I read about, and every Black person […]
Registration is now open for the summer program Black School! This will be for ages 8-12. Only 15 students will be admitted! All students are accepted regardless of their ability to pay. However, if you can pay, the cost is $250.
Racism in America, and, racism in Oak Park is nothing new. But calling out the racism of White liberals, unapologetically and blatantly, is a newer trend. For better or worse, most White conservatives own and are unapologetic with their racism. As an anti-racism advocate, my writing creed is, “call racism, […]
Reflections on Shitty Saturday: Saturday of the Holy Week is my favorite day. Weird, right? Well, to me, it best summarizes those of us who struggle with faith and worry. All of Jesus’ follower’s believed he was the Messiah on Friday. Yet, he died. And he was buried behind a […]
“I’m sorry, but we currently don’t accept students with IEPs.” This phrase has been told to me numerous times during my search for schools for my child. And each and every time I hear it, I am stunned and hurt by the discrimination. Even as a seasoned parent of a […]
The most common form of permanent brokenness I’ve seen in women has to do with pregnancy-related issues. From miscarriages (1-3 pregnancies end with miscarriage) to infertility, to abortions, to pregnancy complications both during and after, every woman that has experienced issues with pregnancy, and that is almost every adult woman […]
The Bible focuses on the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth very briefly and gives us little specifics. However, we can infer that Mary went to Elizabeth after encountering the Angel Gabrielle and stayed with her for three months, and they were very close. I’ve been learning so much about the […]
The goal of anti-racism work is not racial integration; the purpose of anti-racism work is racial equity. Black people can still be oppressed in integrated schools, neighborhoods, and jobs. The goal of anti-racist work is to undo the tangible harm done by the racist American system. It doesn’t matter if […]
I have always loved books, and I was obsessed with fiction for most of my young life. And not the “good fiction” people who are book obsessed usually name like Tolkien or Mark Twain, I was a “Sweet Valley High” and “Babysitter Club” kid for a long time. Actually, my […]