You might know that I love me some A Different World. If we’re friends or you read my last blog post you may have gathered that Whitley Gilbert is my real life cousin in my head and possibly inspired my bedroom decor. Of course by “possibly” I mean I’m still looking for a satin sleep mask to complete the ambience (and my beauty rest). So it makes sense that I would look to her for some reference to make sense of this whole Chris Rock hosting the Oscars thing. By “thing” I mean the pa[...]
If you grew up in the late 80s-early 90s or have access to Netflix, you know the impact of A Different World, the show that gave many of us our first impression of Black students in college. For better or worse, Hillman College shaped our views of what to expect in college. Many of us who opted to attend PWIs were surprised to find that overt racism was the theme of more than a few episodes during our academic careers, and rarely resolved in 30 minutes. Still, the show touched on an array of top[...]
Momma had a policy she utilized to teach us (and other folks) to respect her and to understand what behavior would and would not be tolerated--the Get Jacked Up Where You Act Up Act of 1979. I wasn’t around for the comment period on those regulations. Not that it would have mattered. I know, ‘cause she said so. The enforcement of my momma's policy went something like this--one of us would forget who raised us and step out of line in public. Said behavior was then met with either a swift b[...]
Summer after 8th grade year, something happened... That's why we don't like the heat where I'm from. Praying the groundhog always sees his shadow so we stave off sunny days just a bit longer. Everybody knows what happens when God brings that heat so if it's all the same to you, we'll take the winter. I still remember the first time I felt the heat. First time I understood what happens when it gets that hot, the sticky-suffocating-can't-breathe kind of heat. It came in that sudden, shocki[...]
I have never actively celebrated Kwanzaa but through my circle of friends, I was well aware that today, the second day of Kwanzaa, was dedicated to the principle of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) which is the defining and naming of, creating and speaking for, ourselves. As a writer, I often define, create and speak for myself through my art. I wanted see how others named and defined themselves, how others named and defined Black culture. With that, I thought it was a great day to visit the Sm[...]