Do you steal from Black people? I imagine that if you are a white-bodied, regular reader of this site or you otherwise have a sustained interest in anti-racism work, you would probably say no. In fact, you might even horrified that, given all that you know, the question would even be asked of you. And yet, I ask you to …
Not too long ago, if you had asked me what I would do if someone in my life was overtly racist I might have told you I would cut all ties with them. I might have said that I will not tolerate racism so I will not tolerate people who are racists. What I didn’t realize for a long time …
It was well over a year ago when I made the decision to run for a seat on the Portland Charter Commission. At the time, I thought it would be a great way to make a difference in my local community beyond the work that I am known for. Now, I have regrets and plenty of reminders about how awful …
I turned 43 back in January and I’m not too happy about it. It’s not my ever-graying beard that bothers me. It’s not aches or pains or a slowly dissolving understanding of popular culture. What really bothers me is that I feel robbed. You see, some of my earliest memories were of elders telling me about how hard they had …
Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky …
So, we just wrapped up another Black History Month and it was a disappointing month on many levels, to be honest. That’s not really a new feeling, but it hit especially hard this year. I mean, let’s look at the racial climate we’re living in right now. We had that so-called “racial awakening” of 2020, which all too quickly gave …
The footage from Ukraine just breaks your heart. The videos of everyday people picking up guns, or that one lady with the sunflower seeds? I mean, c’mon. Standing up for what you believe in? Battling a monolithic enemy against all odds? Defending your home, culture, and identity? I’m Black in America, this is my fight! The problem is, every time …
I’ve never understood why anyone would want to be a police officer. Even without the context and history of policing, why would someone want a career enforcing laws? Like, all of the laws? Laws change pretty frequently. What about the laws you find harmful or completely unjust? No matter your beliefs, there’s got to be a few of those, right? …
In the years prior to my dad’s untimely death in 2020, our relationship was tense at times. To be frank, Dad—while he was proud of my professional accomplishments—struggled with the context of my anti-racism work. As a Black man born and raised in the Deep South under Jim Crow, Dad often felt that while individual white people might try to …
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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.
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“The Slap” at the Oscars and some of what it tells us
To me, as a Black man, The Slap is complicated. It brings up questions of perception and masculinity and trauma and relativism that I’m still trying to find the answers to in my own life. The fact that mine is just one in an infinite list of hot takes suggests I’m not alone on that journey. I’ve always been a …
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