Trigger Warning: This article contains details about sexual assault against a minor.
What happens when the evil stranger you’ve been taught to stay away from lives with you? What is the protocol when sexual assault happens at the hands of a family member? The Black community has some learning to do here. No one wants society’s input or judgment. But what about the child? Who will protect them when the monster in the closet sleeps in the next room?
Read MoreThe events in Atlanta left me feeling angry, gutted, heartbroken, and re-traumatized. I think back to every time someone told me they had a case of “yellow fever.”
Read MoreMany moons ago, I wrote about my time working in social services. I spent seven years in the field utilizing my Bachelor's degree in psychology. My role spanned from working in homeless prevention in New York City to the behavioral health field. Throughout all of my roles, I noticed one constant. Women grossly outnumbered men in the social work field.
Read MoreI sometimes find myself going through old pictures of my grandfather, desperately searching for pieces of my face in his. I couldn’t really tell you why. I hunch over my desk at my computer with images of him, which usually accompany some amazing story. I deliberately crop out the fascinating things and people that are part of these stories as to not distract myself.
Read MoreI’m a documentary buff, and when I watch Black documentaries, I’m always so blown away by how cool our history is. This year’s Black History month I’ve had the overwhelming feeling that we don’t share enough stories that reflect on the positive aspects of our history.
Read MoreEleven years ago, I promised my family that I would share my story of a beautiful community known as New Hope Ministries of Busia, Uganda. Here is a glimpse into that story. It has galvanized so much personal relatability and solidarity with young Ugandans facing the current dictatorship in Uganda.
Read MoreWhen I was in high school, while at the library exploring resources about Black revolutionaries, I stumbled upon a book called “The Assassination of Fred Hampton” by Jeffery Haas.
The book recounts the murder of the Illinois Black Panther Chairman implemented by the FBI and Chicago police. I checked out the book and wasn’t able to put it down until I finished it. As I read, I felt emotions that I didn’t know I could experience from a book. I grieved the death of a man whose legacy nobody had bothered to teach me, and I am a changed person for learning his legacy.
