We can’t exist anywhere so let’s just drop the “while Black”
“To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” – James Baldwin At some point, we will...
Tagged: racism
White “allies” and speaking the words of racial violence in the United States
If white folx can’t be “allies” to their Black co-congregants in church, then I’m not sure there’s any place white allyship can actualy exist. Let me explain. On a recent...
The Paradox and Power of the Black Professional Ball Player
Professional athletics have long been riddled with controversy and scandal. But, there are some particularities facing Black professional athletes in the NFL and the NBA today that must be called...
Four Signs That You Might Subscribe to the Politics of Respectability
One of the most irritating byproducts of this new era of being “woke” is the increased numbers of people who read one Martin Luther King, Jr speech or saw one...
Racist Flags, President Obama’s N-Word, and White Race Confusion
During my first quarter of grad school, I read some powerful words about the interaction between antiracism and antiracialism. These words resonated with me mainly because I frequently saw many...
On Black Humanity and the ‘White Gaze’
“Is it because I’m black?” This is the question we often ask ourselves when the taxi won’t stop or the other pedestrian on the sidewalk won’t smile back or when...
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...
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...
