Recently at a workshop I slowed class down and had us stop and think as we listen to the well-known song, Strange Fruit.The class was about listening to lyrics and the importance of understanding story. As the song stopped, I found myself struggling to find words to describe the emotion that I was overwhelmed with. I looked out until crowd of faces, that mostly didn’t look like mine, and I saw a vast range of emotions that I didn’t quite understand.
A guest post by: Joey Science Bronzeville stretched from State St to Cottage Grove, between 43rd and 47th St in the 1920s. It was historically known as Chicago’s “Black Metropolis”, and like Harlem during this time, Bronzeville was a center of Black thought and art. Being a drag performer in Bronzeville was a respectable job, …
I have a gentle soul and somehow I’ve ended up with a livelihood centered around that gentleness and educating. I see so many people expecting and feeling entitiled to that kindness. As though compassion ends when a person isn’t nice to you. That every Black person you know should be able to give you that. …
A letter to the White Blues Dance Community January 20, 2018 Dear community, In the last day or two, Ellie made a post. It really set off a good conversation in the community. Surprisingly, I haven’t received that many messages yet. I’m slowly realizing that majority of my community has no idea of what it …
Black people don’t go to tanning salons! Most of you probably laughed, but have you thought about why you laughed? This article is about colorism, the concept that was at the core of that joke. Black people don’t go to tanning salons because we don’t desire to be dark. There’s a long-standing history and lots …
For the first time in my life, my words have left me without my permission. They fly away like dandelion seeds in a gentle breeze and I worry they will never come back. My thoughts, a rolling royal blue- Black ocean in a storm that won’t seem to end. I’m lost, without a paddle and …
What do I have to do for you to acknowledge my humanity? Read More »
Welcome to the fight for our lives! So, you want to help out? To do something?! Great! If you are a Black American reading this, please send it to your non Black friends and go take a break if you need it and take care of you and ours. If you are not, again welcome. …
Feeling Helpless Around Police Brutality? Here Are Some Things You Can Do. Read More »
“Fuckin’ Karen” “Sit down Becky” “ Did you see Sharon on the news today?” “He’s a Chad” Black People have been making nicknames for White people for ages, but in this day it’s become easier for White people to discover them. Then, like so much culture, the language shifts from one meaning to Another as …
To encourage social distancing we created a list of blues documentaries (and a James Baldwin collection) you can watch right now for free! I’ll be creating more lists as I find more. I have not watched majority of these in full and plan to over the next weeks. If folks are interested we can have …
My name is Grey and I wanted to write about some tips and tricks for dealing with isolation. I have a variety of mental Illnesses. I also come from a family with someone who is immunocompromised and was secluded for large swaths of time. I’m reading a great deal of concern around mental health, social …
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