Too many people assume that my sentiments against “whiteness” mean that I don’t like white people. Far from it. I like and love all sorts of people, and I’ve had wonderful relationships both platonic and intimate with people who are white. My problem is that whiteness is a whole other thing from being white. Whiteness and “white culture” are tied …
Growing older in the social justice movement as a Black woman is a trip! It makes this current moment of uprising in American colleges interesting to bear witness to, with the lens of an elder activist. Despite what some believe and are loudly proclaiming, this is not the first generation to rise up against the empire and loudly state what …
Back in 2019, I spoke at a conference at Illinois State University in Normal. Illinois is my home state, but Normal is not really a place Chicagoans flock to unless it is related to the university. The town is only two hours away from Chicago, but it bears no resemblance to Chicago. It is a typical small Midwestern town, complete …
Look, I understand the “ride or die” concept. There are people who have my back or whose back I watch over who qualify as ride-or-die—either the way they feel toward me, me toward them, or both. But like so many sentiments and philosophies, when it’s taken to a certain point, it loses positive meaning and becomes toxic and destructive. If …
A few nights ago, I found myself up late, scrolling through social media. My usual bewitching hour of insomnia, inspired by the change of life. Given that I now sleep in two shifts, I have stopped fighting it. I almost always go back to sleep within an hour, and I have adjusted my daily schedule to allow for a later …
Calling All White People, Part 65 TODAY’S EPISODE: Diversity efforts deserve more commitment and less indifference I’m not saying that people are simply heaving a collective yawn at the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts—if they notice their dwindling presence and imminent death at all—but I’m… …yeah, I’m saying it. That’s exactly what I’m saying. I see …
There is a certain naiveté about racism in New England—a belief that it just isn’t a big issue here. It’s a fallacy that continues to thrive and survive despite evidence to the contrary. The truth is that racism is as firmly entrenched in New England as it is in any other part of the country. Sure, it often looks different, …
As wildly out of touch with reality, rights, logic, compassion and more as Florida lawmaking can be, it might shock you that when Florida passed a law to ban minors from social media last week, it wasn’t the first state to do so. Still, if it survives legal challenges, it will be one of the most restrictive on the books, …
I have a confession, and I am not particularly proud of it, but here goes: The way that people have pivoted away from anti-racism work over the last year has me in a constant state of low-grade rage. Yes, part of it is because it has made my day job extraordinarily harder than it already was. See, without funding to …
Early Access
Are you a member?
Be in the know. Members gain early access to new posts.
Round Up
A curated list of relevant articles & a peek into what Shay's reading
What's Shay Reading?
Members only get a peek into what Shay's reading and wants to share.
Sample Round Up
Happy Friday! It’s a gorgeous day up in my corner of the world and way too beautiful to be writing a blog post today. So I present you with the Friday Round-Up a list of blog posts this week from other bloggers that blew my mind. Perhaps if you need to kill some time or have a quiet moment you can check them out. http://ravingblacklunatic.blogspot.com/ Check out this cat, I have been a fan of his work forever. http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/ Good stuff here as well http://sweetersalt.com/ A Maine blogger who talks fashion and food…the best of both worlds http://paganchild-starmommy.blogspot.com/2011/03/keeping-focused.html A new blog that offers words of wisdom for all of us. http://mscleaver.com/ Another Mainer who for Lent is giving up pants, she is also a crafty gal If you have any links to good blogs, feel free to leave em. It’s my hope to make the Friday Round Up a regular feature at my new home specifically I would live to shine some light and love on smaller bloggers. It’s hard out here in this blogosphere with so many good blogs to choose from and so little time so let’s help everyone get a slice of the pie. I will be back on Monday, at that time I will unveil some ideas I have around monetizing things but You May Also Like: No related posts.
Member Only Posts
Are you a member?
This content is available to Members Only. If you are already a member, you can upgrade to the next membership level for immediate access to this content.
Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.
Private Online Community
Are you a member?
This content is available to Members Only.
Strange days…and how we celebrate them
Look, I’m not a party-pooper. I like me some holidays, even the minor ones. But as we come off another Cinco de Mayo, let’s talk about the absurdity of some of our American holiday celebrations. Now, first off my Mom’s side of the family had a significant amount of Mexican ancestry, and still Cinco de Mayo has never been a …
Read more