Author and award-winning journalist Jesse J. Holland will lead a discussion on the topic “Wakanda to the United States: Is the Black Panther Opening Doors and Changing Minds” Monday, October 1, 2018 at the Aspen Institute. Holland wrote “The Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther?” commissioned by Marvel Entertainment for the hit film. He…
I’m super excited about the premiere of Nappily Ever After on Netflix. The movie is based on the book by Trisha R. Thomas. It’s refreshing to see the narrative concerning the relationship that Black women have with our natural hair and how it affects our sense of self and relationships. I remember the first time…
It’s hard to forgive Omarosa Manigault Newman for her participation in selling out the Black community to an administration that is clearly adversarial to any and all forms of civil/human rights. Since she’s has been fired from the Trump Administration she’s attempted reconciliation with the Black community, which has largely gone ignored (and rightfully so).…
Part I of the Writing In My Image Series by Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor A long time ago, I started the journey of writing my first children’s book. However, after coming up with the title, I did some research and found that it was not unique enough. I also came across a few trademark registrations…
Negative Nancys are out here trying to shame folks for being excited about the film Black Panther. Well, I’m here to say this loudly: It’s fine to wear African clothing, dance, relax and have fun. All of this is perfectly normal and human. Furthermore, it’s beautiful to see all of this melanin on my timeline…
A few years ago, I watched the documentary, “Very Young Girls.” It featured the stories of young girls in New York City that had been sex trafficked by pimps. Some of the girls were as young as 12 years old. What surprised me most in the film was that instead of trying to save these…
In this old interview with Charlie Rose, Toni Morrison responds to a past question about if/when she will stop writing novels centered around race. She then responds with a bold answer about centering Blackness. Morrison explains that African writers, like Chinua Achebe, helped her to see the perimeters of writing without being consumed by the…
Produced by DW Documentary from Deutsche Welle international broadcasting company, the Afro Germany documentary explores the history of African descended people in Germany and their cultural awareness. Film Synopsis: Black and German: news anchor Jana Pareigis has spent her entire life being asked about her skin color. What is it like to be black in Germany?…
With absolutely no warning given, more than 10,000 people went to work on January 11th only to find, “We’re closed” signs on the windows. That morning, Walmart suddenly decided to permanently close 26 Sam’s Clubs across America. And they’re closing a total of 63 overall. On the cusp of huge tax cuts granted by the…
Every year we endure the same societal pressure to magically become a new person with the coming new year. We will supposedly develop new habits, new personalities, and new traits all by the stroke of midnight. But I’d like to pose something different. How about we embrace who we already are? Too often human beings…