Prioritizing Promises over Pennies: The Exploitation of Black Trauma for Profit
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 and difficulties we face … Continue reading Prioritizing Promises over Pennies: The Exploitation of Black Trauma for Profit
No One Should ‘Enjoy Things’ at the Expense of Black Lives
By Stephanie Younger • During a movement 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.” Recently, liberals who “thank … Continue reading No One Should ‘Enjoy Things’ at the Expense of Black Lives
Demonizing Human Movement: Criminalizing Immigrants in the United States
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. The inclusion and diversity of America is often embraced and is her most remarkable feature yet, internationally. Racial and ethnic variety is claimed to be … Continue reading Demonizing Human Movement: Criminalizing Immigrants in the United States
A Tale of Two Schools: Brooklyn College Edition
By Marissa Mann • REFRESH THIS PAGE IF THE DOCUMENT DOESN’T LOAD. Marissa Mann is a graduate student studying Speech-Language Pathology, who loves advocating and helping those who are in need and feel that they do not have a voice. Marissa’s project highlighted their college experience during the COVID-19 pandemic within the City of New … Continue reading A Tale of Two Schools: Brooklyn College Edition
How America Believed the Coronavirus Proved the Existence of Educational Inequity
By Kayla Alexandria Dorancy • REFRESH THIS PAGE IF THE DOCUMENT DOESN’T LOAD. For as long as she can remember, Kayla Alexandria Dorancy has been motivated by her parents — both educators, to fulfill her part in expanding education and exposing inequity/inequality towards Black Americans and other marginalized communities. Her passion lies in becoming part … Continue reading How America Believed the Coronavirus Proved the Existence of Educational Inequity
Black People Can’t Wait Every Four Years for Our Liberation
By Stephanie Younger • Demanding labor from Black youth is rooted the anti-Black idea that our worthiness relies on what we do and how much we do, which affects the fight for our liberation. Liberals have been demanding labor from young Black feminists to electing our way towards Black liberation. There are so many Black … Continue reading Black People Can’t Wait Every Four Years for Our Liberation
Colleges Pretend to Care about Black People
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. We needn’t look further than the now … Continue reading Colleges Pretend to Care about Black People
An Open Letter to the “What About”s
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. This kind of response is a tactic known as blame-shifting. … Continue reading An Open Letter to the “What About”s
Maintaining Solidarity in the Black Community in the Face of COVID-19
By Giovanna Adams • We’ve all heard the sentiment 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. It really is a nice sentiment, but it’s difficult to feel … Continue reading Maintaining Solidarity in the Black Community in the Face of COVID-19
6 Ways I Have Faced Anti-Blackness By White Liberals
By Stephanie Younger • Each time I have been invited to work with white liberals, it never took me too long to realize that I being tokenized, spoken over and stereotyped. So, I wrote this article based on my experiences with white liberals who don’t understand that they have the benefit of viewing their favorite … Continue reading 6 Ways I Have Faced Anti-Blackness By White Liberals
Equity Beyond COVID-19: Why we Shouldn’t go Back to the Beginning
By Giovanna Adams • While most of us have not seen a health crisis of this magnitude before in our lifetimes, inequities that have always been there are now lit up for others to see. It’s a scary world at the moment. For many, it’s always been scary. My point? These issues are not new. … Continue reading Equity Beyond COVID-19: Why we Shouldn’t go Back to the Beginning
Why I Am not “Voting Blue No Matter Who”
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 criminalizing Black youth. Disappointed by the amount of Virginians who supported him, I re-read an excerpt from Dr. Martin … Continue reading Why I Am not “Voting Blue No Matter Who”
Op-Ed: The Role of Black Women in the Fight to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
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 Op-Ed: The Role of Black Women in the Fight to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
Botham Jean: When Your Politics Present a Challenge
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 Botham Jean: When Your Politics Present a Challenge
Mother Nature Does Not Discriminate. America Does
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. This natural disaster … Continue reading Mother Nature Does Not Discriminate. America Does
Uterus Support: A Letter to Some of My Dudes
By Mia Birdsong • I sent this to many of the cis-het men I know. One of them (thanks, Mordecai!) asked me to make it a Medium post so he could share it. Thank you, Sharon Dolan for the inspiration. Hi, my cis-het dude friends and family! How are you doing? Great, I hope! So, … Continue reading Uterus Support: A Letter to Some of My Dudes
Black Youth Have Been Combating Gun Violence for Generations
By Stephanie Younger • Nearly a year ago, I was given the opportunity to deliver a speech at the March For Our Lives in Richmond, Virginia, which led to being quoted in multiple local news outlets, being invited to contribute articles to other publications and to organize with a group of student activists. In the … Continue reading Black Youth Have Been Combating Gun Violence for Generations
5 Ways “Nice” Racism Shows Up in Progressive Communities
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 … Continue reading 5 Ways “Nice” Racism Shows Up in Progressive Communities
What Armed Teachers and Police Presence Mean for Black Youth
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 … Continue reading What Armed Teachers and Police Presence Mean for Black Youth
Black Girls Should Matter at School
By Stephanie Younger • My advocacy for the abolition of youth prisons is influenced by the discrimination I experienced in school. Feeling unaccepted by my white peers and profiled by my teachers, I quickly internalized the notion that my Blackness wasn’t desirable. I was so consumed in the self-hatred I internalized that I lost my … Continue reading Black Girls Should Matter at School
Why I Walked Out on My Own
By Stephanie Younger • I am writing this as a Black female student activist who was excluded from speaking at the Virginia National School Walkout Protest at Brown’s Island in Richmond, VA; on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Weeks ago, the organizers guaranteed that I could speak about police brutality, and raising … Continue reading Why I Walked Out on My Own
It’s Important to Listen to Black Girls in the Fight Against Gun Violence
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. From NBC12’s coverage of the event: “Speakers … Continue reading It’s Important to Listen to Black Girls in the Fight Against Gun Violence
