Passion, Purpose, and Pass Me Over

First written December 26, 2014 by Daris McInnis

Have you ever stared at a blank screen for a long moment, and thought, “I’m supposed to write something. But where do I begin?” I ask this: Not referring to your (my) frequent procrastination in…

And The Word Was…D’Angelo’s Black Messiah: The B-Side (Part 2 of 2)

First written December 18, 2014 by Marcus Simmons

THE B-SIDE

“Back To The Future (Part I)” is a short gem that keeps the party going, but returns to a more…

The Seven Stages of Progress — #Blacklivesmatter and National Healing

First written December 22, 2014 by Corey Ponder

Dealing with trauma is a process. I think this is as true for a country as it is for an individual.

Ryan Herring: The Ghetto Monk Activating Justice — Part 2

First written March 3, 2015 by Zakiya Jackson

This is part 2 of Collected Young Mind’s interview with Ryan Herring for our #BlackMenRock series. Please enjoy Part 1 here, where Ryan talks about The Ghetto…

Ryan Herring: The Ghetto Monk Activating Justice — Part 1

First written February 19, 2015 by Zakiya Jackson

Sometimes I read something that makes me feel warm — as though the words have come, sat down next to me and wrapped a loved one’s arms around me in a…

Twerk if Ya Want To: Respectability and the Value of Life

First written December 4, 2014 by Zakiya Jackson

Twerk as soon as you get out of bed.

If ya want to.

I am a Man: Carl Brooks

“I feel like people really want me to be something that I’m not.” Who is Carl…

What Black Culture IS… A Love Letter

First written September 2, 2014 by Nicole Young

Despite never having studied anything related to the African Diaspora, I am a proud member of the Africana Studies listserv at my alma mater.

How Will I Know

First written October 27, 2014 by Zakiya Jackson

There’s an epic 80s’ song by the amazing Whitney Houston called “How Will I Know” that dropped when I was three years old. Recently, British soulful singer Sam Smith slow jammed a cover of the song. Two snaps for this white…

Purple Hibiscus: Reflecting on Recognition

First written February 2, 2015 by Kandin Unger

My senior year in college (I act like it was so long ago; I just graduated in May…), I took a class called Gender and Literature. We read a diverse assortment of American literature…