Like many Black women before her, she suffered in silence to protect others while remaining unprotected herself
Growing up I spent a lot of my formative years imagining a concept of freedom through the eyes (and music) of cisgender heterosexual Black men. …
I’m leaning on the magic of that era to get through 2020 intact
It’s impossible for me to think about the dope vibe of the ’90s and the way it shaped my future without connecting it to Black shows of that era. That era was a blend of Black talent still shining above brokenness. Iconic Black art streaming from our TVs while a…
It’s more important than ever to stand by Black women and believe their stories
From the moment I agreed to appear in On the Record, I’ve been terrified. In the year between my initial interviews for the documentary and the film’s premiere at Sundance, my fear of the potential backlash against me and the other women in the doc only increased, growing into a…
Everything you want is on the other side of your comfort zone
I started 2019 exhausted, lonely, and two unexpected flat tires away from being broke. I’m a single mom, a professor, and a freelance journalist meaning I spend most days running on fumes while juggling parenting obligations, speaking engagements, writing projects, and teaching responsibilities. …
Despite what my auntie taught me, being a mom doesn’t require martyrdom
It took me one hour to birth a healthy daughter — and another four years to conceive a healthy version of motherhood. A version that didn’t require the death of my dreams or my former self.
One that allowed space for the woman who once spent three months exploring Spain…
