Racism Doesn’t Work Both Ways and Neither Does Cultural Appropriation
Sometimes people ask me really moronic questions. One that I get all the time is, “But, but, on your blog, aren’t you racist against white people though? Because you say...
Category: Race
White Fear: The Single Greatest Killer of Black People in the US
While writing a piece yesterday about John Crawford – the 22-year-old killed in Walmart for playing with a toy gun – I became aware of another story of ‘homicide by...
John Crawford Tragically Killed ‘Shopping While Black’ And Holding a Toy Gun
When 22-year-old John Crawford III went to a local Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio Tuesday to pick up S’mores ingredients for his family’s cookout, he probably didn’t think he needed to...
On ‘Hood Disease’, ‘Affluenza’, and the Roots of ‘Black Crime’
Pop quiz. Which group experiences the higher rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD: American soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan or American children living in high-crime neighborhoods? If...
Miscarrying While Black in a Pre-Obamacare Era
It goes without saying that miscarriages are difficult to endure. They wear heavily on expectant mothers whose hopes commonly end both abruptly and painfully. Feelings of disappointment, guilt, and fear...
For Better or Worse, Black America Finally Has the Spotlight
Maybe it’s just for worse. For most of President Obama’s past six years in the White House, his handling of the ‘Black Problem‘ has been lukewarm, and deliberately understated. For...
I am Losing My Father and it’s the Worst Pain I Have Ever Felt
I am losing my dad to cancer. I decided to write about it now so I never have to write about it again. He has been battling the disease since...
Hair Woes for Black Girls in a Colorblind World
I looked out of my driver side window at a shiny, red convertible. Next to it was an average looking white man and a black girl no more than twelve...
The Blueprint for Black Success in Entertainment
By golly, we’re finally figuring it out. After all of these years, we are finally picking up on the tactics of other racial groups and making things happen for ourselves....
‘Trophy Scarves’: Who is Nate Hill Really Indicting?
My daughter’s beauty is beyond skin deep. She is compassionate, sensitive, and affectionate, always looking to cheer up those around her with a card, a handmade gift, or a hug....
I Was ‘Black While Mothering’ Today…
My husband and I have three gorgeous children. Our oldest will be six next month. Our youngest just arrived last month. We were married in 2006 after dating for three...
Being a Black Father
I am a Black father. I have two children, a 5-year old son and a 21 month old daughter, and we are expecting our third. I work a 40-50 hour...
Kiese Laymon’s Work Shows the Tragedy and Triumph in the Black Experience
Kiese Laymon is an Associate Professor of English and the co-director of Africana Studies at Vassar College. He grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1998 and...
