Something wasn’t right but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Not even after I found myself curled into a ball on a bed I’d barely left for 4 days, uncontrollably crying after not eating a full meal for two weeks and alternating between insomnia and sleeping for 12 straight hours. I didn’t know what was wrong but knew something wasn’t right. I’mma back up. Two weeks before I found myself wrapped in my good sheets on top of my feather mattress topper (I be depressed, not basic), I sto[...]
“When you make pain look this good it never wears out.” Mara Brock Akil has long been known for her beautifully and brutally honest depictions of Black female life. Her hit show Girlfriends gave us a glimpse of what it is like to live life as Black women from multiple points of view. While we found much to laugh about as we shared the experiences of Maya, Joan, Lynn and Toni—we were often forced to examine those areas of living Black and woman that are not so funny. The pieces of our ex[...]
There is much to be said about the fact that Eminem has sold millions of autobiographical albums regaling his often-violent views and behaviors towards women. Less talked about are the women on the other end of such violent attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Those voices are often relegated to the shadows. Sometimes, they choose to stay there—enclaved—out of necessity for survival. They stay there for many of the same reasons victims of violence choose silence. They won’t be believed or wo[...]