I did not always appreciate my Blackness. I used to be one of those “I’m not Black, I’m O.J.” types that purposefully eschewed the culture in favor of a more centrist approach to interpersonal relationships. I grew up and still reside in a place called Woodbridge, Virginia, just a half hour down the road from … Continue reading Crown Her With Many Crowns
An Excerpt From the Upcoming Novel “Of Cats and Women”
The Following Excerpt is from Brittany Jeter's upcoming novel, "Of Cats and Women." "Var always been dismissive to Joy, and Joy always been the type of girl who takes up space without even trying. Vita knew Var hated that shit about her so every time she calls she brags about Joy getting her LPN and … Continue reading An Excerpt From the Upcoming Novel “Of Cats and Women”
Fire and Mud
Dirt on my tongue Each time I swallow my protests It travels past my throat And down my esophagus Each time I walk into a room And see stolen work caged and imprisoned Dirt in my mouth As I listen to them speak About those that look just like me A pat on my shoulder … Continue reading Fire and Mud
Black Music
The nerve of white men To read my email To read my email To read my email And still misspell my name He giggles and shrugs and says "its just so different" He’s never heard it before "Just where does that name come from?" "How does one get it out?" It is one name that … Continue reading Black Music
Stage 2
angry black girls clenching desks with tight fists holding their breath a breeze passing through their hair the pale hand of yet another ghost angry black girls the blacker the berry, sweet blood from biting lips holding one's tongue angry black girls sitting on stoops braiding hair summer was made for us and yet, Double … Continue reading Stage 2
Two Poets
Excuse me, I’d like to re-introduce myself. I’m a good time. A misunderstanding. A plea and a red flag all at once. I’ll forever be that boy who gets really excited when the sky is in pretty colors. You slip into my mind so quietly, --like air in a window I always forget to close,-- … Continue reading Two Poets
Mightier | A Poem About the Significance of Girls’ Education
“The pen is mightier than the sword” A sword that has grown from hate and drawn blood, Blood spilled onto books and the hearts of families Has sunk deeper into human veins than into a land’s mud. The girl is mightier than the hate, The hate that they paint in hope of spreading fear Shivers … Continue reading Mightier | A Poem About the Significance of Girls’ Education
Mother Nature Does Not Discriminate, America Does
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. This natural disaster took place in New … Continue reading Mother Nature Does Not Discriminate, America Does
Remembering 1619 and Restoring Justice: We Safeguard the Peace the Enslaved Africans Dared Only Dream About
In 1619, my second great grandfather was kidnapped from his home in Angola and forced onto a Portuguese slave ship, just to be stolen by English pirates. After all this, he was finally delivered to the English settlement of Point Comfort where he, along with 20 other Africans, were sold to colonists who exploited them … Continue reading Remembering 1619 and Restoring Justice: We Safeguard the Peace the Enslaved Africans Dared Only Dream About
Remembering 1619 and Restoring Justice: I am the Reality of my Ancestors’ Dreams for the Future
400 years ago, my ancestors were kidnapped from their homes. Not only was there fear from their original captors, the Spanish, but they were then seized by a Dutch warship and brought to an unknown land. They were sold as property and worked until they collapsed. Considered as nothing more than animals, the process of … Continue reading Remembering 1619 and Restoring Justice: I am the Reality of my Ancestors’ Dreams for the Future
