“Bad Boys” and the slap that still reverberates

A silhouetted black hand in front of a dark red background, open and fingers curled as if to slap or grab something

The echoes of The Slap still ring through the online halls and in people’s minds. You know what I mean by “The Slap” right? I’m sure most of you do, anyway. It’s probably gonna be many years before too many people forget what it was and who is attached to it. But, for those of …

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From Black Lives Matter to Jim Crow 2.0

overhead view of a spiral staircase in a round brick tower descending downward, with light coming in from small windows on either side

The problem with progress is the assumption we make that it will always continue moving forward—but the truth is that progress requires diligence, attention, and not getting complacent. For over two years, I worked out several times a week with a personal trainer, specifically working on weight training. Late last summer, I decided that it …

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The uncertainty of whiteness

White woman with a thick black scarf and blue shirt or jacket whose face is mostly obscured behind a large sheet of ice she is holding in front of her with her left hand

Growing up, my parents only had a few hardcore rules that were ingrained in me early in life. Among them was: Don’t ever bring home a white boy. If you ever saw my TedX talk from years ago, you know that my father grew up in rural Arkansas as one of 16 children—and my grandparents …

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