Black Feminist Collective

By Chloe • Opportunity, social mobility and economic success is determined by one’s ability to fulfill the linguistic expectations of a white British society. Living in London, I often witness the ways in which English speakers are favored, seen as the norm and given access to linguistic capital. Continue Reading

Yesterday—May 5, 2022—marks 5 years since Black Feminist Collective was created. We are an intergenerational collective of Black feminists and womanists across the diaspora who stand for Black liberation in … Continue reading 5 Years of Black Feminist Collective

By Yadiara Gonzalez • Originally published on Afroféminas • Continue Reading

By Alejandra Pretel • Originally published on Afroféminas • Continue Reading

By Yasmeen Jaaber • Originally published on Medium • In March 2020, when my Junior year ended, there was little I had control over. I thought of the future and saw either fire and dying or nothing at all. I struggled with feeling any difference in the days and I needed something to give the calendar on my wall meaning. Continue Reading

By Kevin A. Blanks • Finally, in the aftermath of Ahmaud Arbery’s trial, I am able to exhale. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until the verdict came in and the jury declared Arbery’s killers guilty for his murder. It should feel like a victory, but it doesn’t. Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • To me, motherhood is a critical aspect of Black feminism. A critical understanding of our experiences allows Black women to contribute to each other, and the … Continue reading Reflections on Black Motherhood

By Elvira Swartch Lorenzo • Originally published on Afroféminas • There is an untold story between slavery and medicine and the decisive role that enslaved Africans, both living and dead, play in the development of medical advances.  Continue Reading

Originally published on MIZZOU Magazine •  Continue Reading

By Micaela Stevenson • Colonialism has been defined by scholar activists as the process in which a group of people is dominated or subjugated by another group of people. This most commonly occurs between two ethnic groups or tribes, but may also occur between different genders or sexuality.
Continue Reading

By Micaela Stevenson • “Stratified reproduction” as defined by Shellee Cohen is the practice in which a society assigns value to offspring and therefore reproductive capacity of different groups of people. While commonly race or socioeconomically based, this can be based on any category into which we can divide people. Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger and Stephanie Younger • We are grateful to have a conversation with Taylor Scott for a conversation that was centered on the RVA Community Fridges, which she founded in 2020. The community fridge is a concept and a place where communities are given access to share and collect food. Continue Reading

Anonymous • Originally written in January 2020 • Continue Reading

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Black August commemoration teach-in!

As part of our commemoration of Black August, we compiled a list of books authored by Black freedom fighters and political education resources. At the end of the month, we will hold a teach-in to commemorate Black August. Continue Reading

By Elvira Swartch Lorenzo • Originally published on Afroféminas • When I made the decision to seek therapy, I initially had two opposite reactions. The first was an initial enthusiasm to take care of myself and hopefully become a better person. That feeling was quickly replaced by panic: I knew immediately that I would feel more comfortable working with a Black therapist, and I also knew that where I lived would make it difficult, if not impossible. Continue Reading

By Carlota Memba Aguado • Originally published on Afroféminas • Germany recognizes the massacre of the Herrero and Nama in Namibia during German settlement as genocide and plans to apologize before Parliament as well as pay reparations. Continue Reading

By Chloe Dunston • The Tiger Flu is set in the year 2145, which author Larissa Lai depicts as a “time after oil” divided by factions, gender, disease and technology. After years of greedy leadership, environmental degradation, and the exhaustion of fossil fuels, Saltwater City and its outskirts stand alone in what was formerly Vancouver, Canada. Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • At Black Feminist Collective, we are celebrating Imani House, an organization that allows Black people to empower themselves through the provision of education, information and support services in the United States and Liberia, West Africa. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • At the Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership (KGCCWL) Virtual Spring Conference, I had the unforgettable experience of interviewing Ruby Sales, a freedom fighter, theologian, and ... Continue Reading

By Mariana Álvarez Castillo • Originally published on Afroféminas • Regarding the feminist commemoration dates, it is important to think about some of the discussions that have historically taken place within the movement, but that in the context of the recent 8M are shaken, deepened, and resumed. Continue Reading

By Mariana Álvarez Castillo • Originally published on Afroféminas • Delphine Desane (B. 1988) places moments of her world in limbos of colors: from her experience as a Black woman in Europe, she brings situations, outfits, faces and hair to the canvas. With flat colored backgrounds and penetrating gazes, Delphine makes visible the Black corporality that surrounds her, from a place that involves the intimate, the meditative and the forceful. Continue Reading

"Black Mommas," by Tanya Barnett Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Last week, we spoke with Fatima Derby, a Ghanaian feminist thinker, writer and organizer, who stands for freedom, justice and equality. During our conversation via Instagram Live, we discussed the violence LGBTQ+ people in Ghana are experiencing, what influences homophobic and transphobic violence against queer and trans Ghanaians, and the fight for their liberation. Continue Reading

Anonymous • Trigger warning: Language of abuse Continue Reading

Anonymous • Content Warning: Mentions of suicide and self-harm, and descriptions of ableism and anti-Blackness. Continue Reading

10 Readings Authored by Black Feminists and Abolitionists Continue Reading

By Kayla Alexandria Dorancy • In an effort to achieve what some may call “the American Dream”, “reparations”, or just “getting theirs” — far too often do we see the main perpetrators and victims sharing the skin color and experiences. While the Black experience is not a monolithic one, the obstacles … Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • During an uprising in defense of Black life calling for the abolition of the police state and the carceral state, it seemed that liberals who were saying "listen to Black women," were solely speaking in reference to Black women who do the labor of "saving our Democracy." Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • In the future what will we name the period of history that we are currently living in? Every aspect of life feels so volatile as we are thrown from one crisis to another. Continue Reading

By Kayla Alexandria Dorancy • Immigration is a universal practice by people that’s survived countless generations. The United States is known universally as a “melting pot” of culture and nationality. Continue Reading

By Kayla Alexandria Dorancy • If I were to ask you when New York City schools were integrated, what would you tell me? 1954 right? Continue Reading

"On the Ancestral Blessing of a Union," by Yemi Miller-Tonnet Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • Content warning: Mentions of sexual violence and murder •  Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • During a conversation about the Virginia Museum of History and Culture’s Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia From Women’s Suffrage to Today, which featured a panel about my daughter, I was asked, “Is your child happy doing this work?" Continue Reading

By Marissa Mann • "A Tale of Two Schools: Brooklyn College Edition" Continue Reading

By Riss • Riss reflects on her experiences as from a child perspective to an adult perspective living with Single- Sided Deafness. She wants the reader to understand that there are so many incidents and not enough time. (October 2020)  Continue Reading

By Riss • Riss reflects on her body’s change during the pandemic. (Sep. 2020) Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger •

By Stephanie Younger • Little Fires Everywhere is a limited series on Hulu, based on the book authored and published in 2017 by Celeste Ng, that aired from … Continue Reading

By Joyce Hounkanrin • I hate mornings, yet I make a promise to myself to be up early. This … Continue Reading

By Kayla Alexandria Dorancy • "How America Believed the Coronavirus Proved the Existence of Educational Inequity." Continue Reading

By Skyla Bailey • A Message to Virginia Department of Education (VDOE): Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • During a global uprising in defense of Black life calling for the abolition of the police, liberals set the timetable for Black liberation by advising Black youth to "save it for after the election." Continue Reading

By James A. Perry Jr. • The presence of elitism, capitalism, racism, and sexism are still ubiquitous within the apparatus of higher education. Higher education leaders need to move beyond rhetoric involving diversity, equity, and justice. In their quest for absolution, these sentiments have increasingly become cliché and disingenuous. Continue Reading

By Skyla Bailey • As Black and Brown youth, we are tired of being considered second place, tired of having the education system fail us, and tired of being behind. Continue Reading

By Shontrice Barnes • Ever since I could remember, writing has been a huge part of my life. All throughout my childhood, I had kept journals of random things that I would write. Stories, poems, songs, random thoughts… Continue Reading

By Kahlia Phillips • “Who is solidarity for?” was a question posed by Ebony Donnley, the partner of Ericka Hart, in an IG live show and I’ve been pondering this question ever since. Our priorities around who we, as Black people, engage in solidarity with are not in order and it’s time that we change that. Continue Reading

"Pain Poem," by Alexandra Brown Continue Reading

By Alexandra Brown • Originally published on Conversations With •  This reflective piece is a summary and critical analysis of a conversation between author, activist, and Afro-Pessimist philosopher, Professor Frank B. Wilderson III and Chairman of ‘Before Columbus Foundation’, Justin Desmangles. The discussion was entitled, ‘Re-Imagining the Black Body: Race, Memory, and the Excavation of Freedom Now’.  Continue Reading

By Alexandra Brown • Originally published on Conversations With • I wish to begin by sharing a prose I wrote in response to the murder of George Floyd. Institutional, systematic and structural racism, feels like I am dying a slow and painful death. When I learnt of the murder of George Floyd, it was like trauma to the soul. I fell silent, as I screamed. I am filled, consumed and embroidered with rage. Continue Reading

"Sista, Be Free," by Tanya Barnett Continue Reading

By Joyce Hounkanrin • "Do you want her?" The white nurse’s name was Millie and she proposed this question with regard to the impending birth of my daughter. I had voiced one fear. Continue Reading

By Joyce Hounkanrin • What is embedded in the language of Black women? What belongs exclusively within our mouths? Briefly translated, there are secrets we have transported from the Middle Passage and kept secreted beneath our tongues; in the folds of our spirits; in the curves of our smiles; and in the salt of our tears. Our language is revealed in our loving; our food; and our mothering. Continue Reading

"Reconciliation," by Tanya Barnett   Continue Reading

"My Blackness," Tanya Barnett Continue Reading

By Addison Walton • CW: This content contains descriptions of murder and white supremacy. Come to church in your Sunday best! Let your mama press your hair. Your daddy polished your good shoes. Continue Reading

By Tani Washington • It seems that every year, when Black activists speak up against large-scale inequity and systemic brutality against people of color, there are those who attempt to qualify this suffering through questions that point to the sufferings of other, usually non-marginalized, groups. Continue Reading

In light of the uprisings in defense of Black life, Black Feminist Collective has created a list of resources, including books, media, and organizations to support in the fight for Black liberation. Continue Reading

By Ryan Edward Perry • Originally published on The Backlight Blog • I was talking with one of my best friends today. She has recently, to my delightful surprise, become quite outspoken and engaging regarding social justice and the current state of American culture and the movements that have risen in that space. My friend, who is of Afro-Latinx descent, is married to a Black man who is also a very good friend. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • 10 days ago, I climbed up the Robert E. Lee Statue at a protest in Richmond, Virginia—the former capital of the Confederacy— and I was asked to speak in front of a large crowd of protestors. This was unplanned, and I have been grieving so heavily these past few weeks and I had no idea what to speak about. Continue Reading

The President Called My People "Thugs," by Lux Aghomo Continue Reading

By Giovanna Adams • We’ve all heard the sentiment, "we're all in this together" over and over again. It feels good to hear and it feels good to say, doesn’t it? Those words are comforting and encouraging during a time when we are all facing uncertainty and insurmountable burdens. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Content warning: This article has mentions of sexual violence. By Stephanie Younger • Could a hashtag topple the career of a popular artist? Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Each time white liberals convinced me to work amongst them in organizing spaces, it never took me too long to realize that I was being exploited. Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • Given the deep divides apparent in society today, it is refreshing to re-read Poet Laurent Maya Angelou’s “Human Family” poem as a reminder of our endless similarities. “Human Family” was featured in an Apple ad during the 2016 Summer Olympics, a world event that draws spectators by the million. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • In late January, I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed during my break in between college lectures when I came across a blog post, in which the author claims that referring to a white woman as a "Karen" is "misogynistic," make white women feel "invisible" ... Continue Reading

By Giovanna Adams • Originally published on HB4 Diversity's Newsletter • As a global health crisis has entered all of our lives, we’ve seen the impact on equity in education, challenges to our daily economics, and have only begun to see the ramifications on our psyches from social distancing and for some, social isolation. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • This year, a Black Lives Matter chapter in Los Angeles, California was excluded by the Women’s March in LA. In an article for LA Progressive, Melina Abdullah, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter LA, wrote an article detailing the harm caused by the Women’s March. Continue Reading

"Gone," by Raina Cornish Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • When I learned that 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden won 10 states on Super Tuesday on March 3rd, I couldn't help but think of his political legacy of fighting for segregation, and the criminalization of Black youth. Continue Reading

"Hermosos Tontos," by Raina Cornish Continue Reading

"What I Want to See for the Future," by Amaya Madarang Continue Reading

The Mataculebra: The Ultimate Expression of Slavery in the Carnival of Tenerife •  Originally published on Afroféminas Continue Reading

"Be Silence," by Nchedochukwu Ezeokoli Continue Reading

"Token," by Summar McGee Continue Reading

"Water" by Sahana Kapumba Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Do the ways we talk about gender stereotypes represent the struggles we all go through? Continue Reading

By Teresa Younger • Complete with unsolicited comments, touching attempts from strangers, and pressure to do away with your coils right now, or you risk the shame of … Continue Reading

By Elvira Swartch Lorenzo • Originally published on Afroféminas • It doesn't matter what you think you are trying to represent, or that you may think you're entertaining children. It doesn't matter if it's a tradition; if you paint yourself in a color that is not your's, it's racist. Continue Reading

Anonymous • Content Warning: Mentions of self-harm Continue Reading

By Jourdan Lobban • “Defiant!” “Fresh!” “Rude!” Those titles followed me all through my childhood and into my teen years. Anytime I did something bad, I knew what was coming. Continue Reading

"Riding Rising Waters" by Jourdan Lobban Continue Reading

"Glory O'Brien's History of the Future" by A.S King, reviewed by Jourdan Lobban Continue Reading

By Jourdan Lobban • After becoming frustratingly bored reading my latest book, my commitment was no more. Instead of powering through the dry spell, my fingers practiced the ultimate sin, which skipping through the book...  Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Are all people in America served and protected by the law? Continue Reading

By Princess Jiménez • Originally published on Kultwatch • In the Dominican Republic, where supposedly moral society and the Church often espouse virulent homophobia and transphobia, an unusual alliance has appeared among the very poorest: singers and producers of popular music genre Dembow are working with queer people and trans women, who have become huge stars in their own right.  Continue Reading

"The Therapeutic Alliance Handbook," by TrayCee Truth Continue Reading

"Broken Tree," by Kiarran T. L. Diaz Continue Reading

By Shelby Moring • She’s so relaxed. That hazy daydream of myself that I conjure, praying on her to materialize any day now... Continue Reading

By Krystal Tang • Take initiative - Okay here I go! I did it. Oh I did it slightly wrong...a different way? I didn’t do it right? Oops. Let me learn. Give me another chance? Teach me so I can grow.... “No”.  Continue Reading

"Spots on the Rug," by Joshua Redd Continue Reading

By Sharayah Alkire • Throughout American History systems have been built up to bring down Black people in many ways. Some of these systems have been legal and widespread, being used across the nation. One of these being the school's systems. Continue Reading

By Belan Yeshigeta • Women have often been given the short end of the stick when it comes to equal rights, and it is no secret that African Americans are still prejudiced against to this day. The unique experience of being apart of both of these marginalized communities is one that is too often overlooked. Continue Reading

By Ayana Graham • A Poem Inspired by John Coltrane’s “Alabama.” Continue Reading

By Kristin Couch • Reading Zora Neale Hurston and Audre Lorde led me to question myself about the stance I take on activism. These writers represent two polar ideals of being that I have struggled to find identification with. Continue Reading

By Joshua Redd • Amber Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison on October 1st, 2019 for the murder of Botham Jean on September 6th, 2018. The murder of Black folks by the hands of officers is nothing new. What made this case extremely peculiar was that he was murdered in his own home. Continue Reading

By Kimberly Davis • “I’m a gentleman lives in _____________ looking for a long term relationship dating also hanging out. I believe in treating a woman with respect and honor I am 5”11 prefer African American and Hispanic types of women no offense at all just my preference" ... Continue Reading

By Ryan Edward Perry • Originally published on The Backlight Blog • Continue Reading

"Of Cats and Women," by Brittany Jeter Continue Reading

"Fire and Mud," by Kiarran T.L Diaz Continue Reading

"Black Music," by Baletica Genous Continue Reading

"Stage 2" – Nelle Jones Continue Reading

"Two Poets," by Quincy Evans Continue Reading

"Mightier," by Tene'sha Crews Continue Reading

By Kayla Austin • The aftermath of the natural disaster that was Hurricane Katrina is a display of the effects of environmental racism, redlining, and the neglection of people of color and those facing poverty. Katrina is one of the worst natural disasters to occur in the history of the United States. Continue Reading

Collaboration with the Richmond Peace Education Center's annual essay contest, "Remembering 1619 and Restoring Justice." • By Sarah Mathew Continue Reading

Collaboration with the Richmond Peace Education Center's annual essay contest, "Remembering 1619 and Restoring Justice." • By Gloria Amado Continue Reading

"My Name is Pronounced 'Revolution,'" by Simonne Elease Willis •  Continue Reading

By Graciela Barada • Originally published on Cuatro Meses en Barbados • When I was about ten or eleven years old, I became overly conscious of my body and the lens through which the world saw it. Arguably, everyone deals with fluctuations in their self-esteem, particularly in regards to body image and especially during puberty, a confusing time of uncertainty and change. Continue Reading

"Perpetual Home," by Tene'sha Crews Continue Reading

"Uterus Support: A Letter to Some of My Dudes," by Mia Birdsong By Mia Birdsong • Originally published on Medium • I sent this to many of the cis-het men I … Continue reading Uterus Support: A Letter to Some of My Dudes

"My Raw Thoughts on Depression," by Kenidra R. Woods Continue Reading

By Havana Chapman-Edwards • Speech at the Global Climate Strike on May 24, 2019 • My name is Havana Chapman-Edwards and I am 8 years old. I am here today because sometimes democracy looks like disagreement. I can’t sit in my classroom learning about our government when the government isn’t taking my future seriously. Continue Reading

"Trigger Warning," by Quincy Evans Continue Reading

"An Affirmation to Black Girls," by NaVosha Copeland Continue Reading

By Taneasha White, Brooke Taylor, Sarmistha Talukdar and Rebecca Wooden Keel of Southerners on New Ground • Mother’s Day inspires images of family, bonding and care. May 12 is right around the corner, and many of us will be spending the day with our family. However, we forget that many Black women will spend this day in cages, just because they don't have enough money to pay bail. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Even though Black youth and youth of color - especially Indigenous youth - are the most affected communities by climate change, and have been combating this issue for a very long time, our voices are always excluded and left out of the conversation and action surrounding climate change.  Continue Reading

Anonymous • Peace and love, how y'all feel? Sisters, how y'all feel? Brothers, y'all alright? -Erykah Badu Black men have to grow a politic around gender based violence. Continue Reading

"It Has Happened Again," by Tene'sha Crews Continue Reading

Review: MTV's Documentary "White People" • By Raina Cornish Continue Reading

"Don't Forget," by Tene'sha Crews Continue Reading

"A Poem About Hair," by Tene'sha Crews Continue Reading

By Mei-Ling Ho-Shing • According to the Oxford Dictionaries, Intersectionality means, “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage." Continue Reading

Anonymous • In the third grade, I remember standing in the lunch line waiting for cheap spaghetti and old milk. I would look at the other girls in line and think about how pretty they were. And then I’d tell myself to stop being gay. "Stop it, stop it, stop it." Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • March 24th marks the first anniversary of the March For Our Lives movement, whose mission is to “end gun violence, elect morally just leaders into office and remind the world that young people have the power to drive real change.” Continue Reading

By Jourdan Lobban • February 2nd was Groundhog Day, although one little critter can’t possibly change the swirling halo of frigid cold we must all endure (insert sad face). It’s also one of the few precious days making up Black History Month. Continue Reading

By Atari Gems • I'm exhausted. My mother tells me to slow down. Drink more water. Cut back on the things. Limit time on social media. Go to the gym I’m passionate about. However seems like the work keeps stacking and stacking. I step back and scale it back then feel guilty. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • The most crushing racism I experienced was by the white moderate, who claims to be an ally, or an accomplice, until proven otherwise. Continue Reading

By Roshaé M. Lowe • Liberal feminism (often interchangeable with humanist feminism has very little relevance today. Times have changed and gender is no longer regarded as the lone oppressive factor for women. Continue Reading

“My Confessions,” by Kolby Whack Continue Reading

By Chelsea Higgs Wise • It’s been a few days since the Women’s March RVA, and as motivated as I am to build; my passion is to amplify narratives of persistence for Black women. I understand that dismantling the patriarchy will take bulldozers of disruption as well as barriers of sustainable resistance. Continue Reading

"Teach Black Children to Swim," by Zakkiyya Anderson Continue Reading

By Fallen Matthew • Life just keeps getting better and better for me. I have been afflicted with inexplicable symptoms and anxiety surrounding them for the past decade—all of which were either downplayed or dismissed by my MD, an upper-middle class white man generations removed from mine... Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Speech at Women's March RVA + Expo 2019 Continue Reading

By Jameelah Lewis • "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me," these are just a few that every person bullied to stay strong, but the question in play here is, how do you stop a bully? It seems that African-Americans are picked on through the media more than any other ethnicity group or marginalized community. Continue Reading

By Daylisha Reid • I grew up in a family with liberal viewpoints. As a child I had a basic, uninformed understanding of politics: Republicans are racist and influenced policies that benefited the wealthy, and kept the poor stagnant; Democrats are not racist, they are progressive human rights influencers that create social and economic opportunities that are accessible for everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Continue Reading

By Mei-Ling Ho-Shing • On February 14, 2018, my school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, came face-to-face with gun violence. On that day I was on the 2nd floor of the Freshman building, the same building we lost 17 of our MSD Eagles. I hid behind my teacher’s desk holding my classmate's hand, in prayer and in fright. Continue Reading

By Sharayah Alkire • By Black mothers, in many forms, are a large part of our literature, movies and society in general. They are the women standing at the forefront of the civil rights movement ... Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • When she was 16, Cyntoia Brown lived in a hotel with an adult ... Continue Reading

By Kiarran T.L. Diaz • In the age of "wokeness," TV shows, and media alike are rushing to find a way to sell their ideas to people who are tired of the nonsense. Different shows, movies, and books try to align themselves with diversity by trying to take shortcuts left and right. Continue Reading

"Fight for You," by Stephanie Webb  Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • 7-year-old student activist Havana Chapman-Edwards was the only student at her school to participate in the national school walkout to honor the victims of the 1999 Columbine school shooting. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • In 2006, my family moved out of Charlottesville to attend school in Henrico, county outside of Richmond, Virginia. Throughout the past 12 years that I've lived here, I spent most of elementary school in HCPS, spent 3 years in private school, and returned to HCPS for part of middle school. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • On Saturday, November 3, the Richmond community joined RISE For Youth, Art 180, and Performing Statistics, to "honor the voices, dreams and demands of youth affected by the school-to-prison pipeline." Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • The Hate U Give is a film based on the acclaimed YA novel authored by Angie Thomas. Directed by George Tillman Jr., this film begins with a then 9-year-old Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg), her younger brother, Sekani (TJ Wright) ... Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Art 180 is an RVA-based organization that gives marginalized young people the opportunity to create change by expressing themselves through music, poetry, dance, and more. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Last week, I met Princess Blanding at an art build for the upcoming National March For Justice and Reformation for Marcus-David Peters. I recently had a conversation with Blanding about demanding justice for her brother, Marcus-David Peters, who was murdered by the Richmond Police Department. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • On June 11, I met Patrisse Cullors briefly after she accepted the "Next Generation Award" at the ACLU National Membership Conference. Cullors is an organizer, writer and artist who co-founded Black Lives Matter Global Network and founded Dignity and Power Now. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • My painting in Art 180's gallery called "Everything is Connected" is about both the racism I experienced within the gun violence prevention community. The different colors represent the emotions I felt throughout the time I faced online harassment ... Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • The murder of Trayvon Martin ignited a fire within a then 12-year-old Nupol Kiazolu "that [she's] never felt before." "I couldn’t fully articulate how I felt at the time, but I knew I was angry," she wrote in a post on Instagram in February. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Edited and re-published on the ACLU of Virginia on July 24, 2018 •  Virginia, we have a problem. We need to come to terms with our … Continue reading Richmond Protestors Demand Justice for Marcus-David Peters

By Stephanie Younger • I am writing this as a young Black person who was excluded from speaking at the Virginia National School Walkout Protest at Brown's Island in Richmond, Virginia, led by the same students who organized the local March For Our Lives rally. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • The following list is based on my real experiences with misogyny, ableism and anti-Black racism, that I’ve written on a mixed-media piece I created in a VCU Future Studio program at the VCU Arts’ Department of Sculpture + Extended Media. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • Today, I spoke at a March For Our Lives demonstration in Richmond addressing the fatal school shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Florida. My speech shed some light onto how gun violence disproportionately affects women, queer and trans people, and Black communities. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • On the evening of Friday, November 3, hundreds in Richmond, Virginia attended the Juvenile Justice Parade, organized by RISE For Youth, Art 180 and Performing Statistics calling for the closure of youth prisons in Virginia. Continue Reading

By Stephanie Younger • On August 11-12, Klansmen, and Neo-Nazis attended the Unite the Right Rally, a demonstration against the removal of the Confederate monument. Continue Reading