let me introduce you to your beauty

we live in a world obsessed with beauty. for women, our self-worth can easily become wrapped in our ratings on the beauty scale. it affects our social status, career advancement, financial security, and even perceived intelligence. that bit about beauty being in the eyes of the beholder is a fallacy women of color are forced …

what i learned from the royals in our quest to take the crown

i’m kansas city born and raised. i have an unbelievable amount of pride for my home town. i currently live thousands of miles away in seattle but i represent hardcore for my sports teams and my city week after week. tonight, as we lick our wounds and cry our tears of sadness at losing the …

umbrella, i don’t need no stinking umbrella

it’s raining in seattle. i know what you’re thinking. it’s always raining in seattle. wrong. it’s not always raining in seattle. we don’t mind you thinking that though because we don’t actually want you moving here and messing up our hodgepodge of hippie-hipster/geeky-chic/counter-culture/semi-progressive/multi-cultural-inclusive/seattle-freezy vibe. but it’s fall and fall does mean rain. i’m a self-professed vitamin …

did i live up to the expectations of 12-year-old me?

i am a middle child and i live with all the baggage that brings. i’m also the only girl, which adds yet another complicated layer to the core of my identity. did i mention i’m black? yeah, that’s pretty big, too. while i’m at it, i’ll divulge that i’m short, extroverted, christian, single, hard of hearing, and …

dear white people, it’s always about race

a little bit of history repeating itself is happening in america. we are seeing a resurgence of jim crow mentality and legislation in cities and states across the country. segregation. unemployment. voter suppression. policing state. hold on a second while i hunt for my “free papers” so i can  navigate my way in this post-racial …

we’re all a little bit gonzo on the inside

i’m going to go ahead and say it. lately, i’ve been feeling awkward. not the usual “she dances to the beat of her own drum” awkward but straight up gonzo the great awkward. do you remember gonzo? he was the beautifully weird muppet who fully embraced his awesomeness despite being rejected on a regular basis. …