Loving and living this life in Seattle
growing up in racist, segregated kansas city, i was always aware of my blackness. mine was a childhood riddled with the absolute best expressions of black love juxtaposed with the absolute worst expressions of black hate. at 36, i’m growing weary of the american dream because for people who look like me it’s more of …
another day, another death, another funeral, another march, another protest, another militarized attack/response, another news cycle calling black people thugs and criminals, another shouting match on social media, another call for peace, another demand to forget and move on, another day in the life of a black american. i am depleted. my blackness is not a …
blackness is under constant assault. by definition, it is the absence of light; the opposite of clean (deeply stained with dirt). there are so many negative associations with the word back that we have a love hate relationship with the word, and by extension its connection to our skin. society says it is offensive to whiteness …
as overachieving high school students everywhere begin to receive their early decision letters in the mail, i’m reminded of my own college days at drake university in the middle of good ole des moines, iowa. go bulldogs. oh the fond – and not so fond – memories i have of that place. i remember how …
singing ain’t my thing. i’ve said it plenty of times and i’m sure you all know me well enough to take my word for it. that hasn’t stopped me from singing, of course, because i completely believe in the healing powers of music. no matter what mood you find yourself in, there is a song …
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 …
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 …
after ferguson erupted onto the national stage, i was appalled, although not the least bit surprised, by the rhetoric that quickly switched from shock to rage to blame to utter disrespect for black life. it hurt. it still hurts. honestly, it always hurts. i know all to well how a continued narrative on inhumanity shapes …
i am not a musician i am not a singer. i am not where i want to be. i am not consistent. i am not perfect. have you ever noticed when it comes to talking about our spiritual walk how often we start describing ourselves by saying what we are not? you can nod, it’s okay. i …
where do i begin? last month (june) i took a two-week vacation with my mom to italy. there are a few things you need to know. first, my mom has wanted to go to italy forever. second, we haven’t taken a vacation together since 2006. third, this was my mom’s first international trip. lastly, we …