True Social Justice & Racial Equity Is Hard Work
Written July 3rd, 2016 I love my family. We are an eclectic mix of folks. Mostly good, sometimes bad, with a few really bad apples thrown in. But, flaws and all, I unapologetically, unconditionally love my family. Is there stuff we need to work on? Yes. Am I still holding […]
To my White friends: Don’t tell me how you feel about racism. Tell me what you are going to do to stop racism. I know racism is gross. I know racism is evil. I know racism is horrific. But what I don’t know is… what are YOU GOING TO DO […]
An Inconvenient Truth: There is Racism and White Supremacy in NPOs, too If you are giving money to organizations to help Black folks and support Black liberation; that isn’t run by Black folks, you are not doing anti-racist work. Racism isn’t solved by funding nonprofit organizations that are run and […]
News flash: We have been celebrating Black History Month all wrong. Black History Month (originally “Negro History Week”) was started by Carter G. Woodson in 1915. He had a very simple theory to promote the liberation and success of Black people: Black history has to be taught without centering Whiteness. […]
Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, was very clear about the purpose and lessons that should be taught to Black, and all races, of children in schools, about Black History during the month of February. Black History was to serve educational purposes. Carter G. Woodson, who was […]
Many White folks, especially northern white liberals who voted for Obama, would argue they are not racist, even while they actively cause harm to Black folks by their racist actions. Since so many people don’t know what racism is or how they are racist, here are three racist things that […]
Each year, my daughter and I give a speech at her school’s MLK Mass. I often talk about race to adults in very direct, blunt language. I wanted to make sure I kept my moral compass about being “real about racism” but also to have it age-appropriate and understandable […]
White progressive educators and parents, I know lots of you. And I know you think diversity in schools is important. But you all are pushing a sales job on other White parents that has harmful consequences for children of color. We need intentionally diverse schools because Black students deserve access […]
I woke up this morning to two stories dominating my news feed. First, the sudden death of the beloved Black congressman and justice fighter from Baltimore, Elijah Cummings. Second, enthusiastic support for the Chicago Teachers Union strike. I saw the face of their campaign, Stacy Davis Gates, fiercely handling the […]
The media is all over Cardi B for making a video with democratic socialist candidate Bernie Sanders. People who don’t know her are quick to dismiss her as an “uninformed, uneducated Black woman rapper.” But those of us who are Cardi fans know she has always been a history and […]