This week I met a Black girl who doesn’t want to be my friend. Well, let me take that back. We didn’t meet this week. We met a couple of months ago, both of us newcomers to the university where I’m doing a postdoc. My custom in academic spaces is to make sure I […]
It Gets Messy in Here – A Review
If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive. – Audre Lorde The last couple of days have been a lesson in my own educational and societal privilege. In my day to day interactions with people on the planet, I’m generally privileged to interact […]
Teaching Moments: On Accountability, Love & Patience
I teach and do research on issues centering on identity and diversity. As the fall semester is coming to a close, I had the benefit of watching my students, many who started the semester ambivalent about difference and the need for diversity and acceptance, come full circle. Through presentations and last words, they expressed how […]
To Clarify Re: “An Open Letter to @awkwardblkgrl”
Hey World- Moya here. I, along with some other folks who watched the last episode of the Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, my favorite web show, were jarred with the use of a particular slur that’s generally directed at trans women. We wrote an open letter voicing our concerns and I posted it to the CFC […]
‘Tis the season for a different kind of giving…
I was really moved by CF Eeshap’s most recent post: Conflict is forever: Can we change attitudes about diamonds? In the post, she explains: I don’t write this post to make people with diamonds on their fingers feel bad. I shop for bargain goods that I know are made in sweatshops. When I purchase produce, I […]
Reed-ing Gender Between the Lines
So if you need a break from job applications and dissertation writing try watching The Original BET series Reed Between the Lines; it has me hooked. I particularly like the progressive gender politics and the representation of a “blended” family. Kasi and Kenan are Carla’s teenage twins from a previous relationship and Alexis is the […]
Some Thoughts on Jay-Z and Those “Occupy All Streets” T-Shirts
Sometimes, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why we expect rappers to be invested in social justice. Rapping is a job. This is not to say that they can’t be. I only ask why we expect them to be. When Kanye showed up at OWS NYC, I thought this is interesting. The […]
Conflict is forever: Can we change attitudes about diamonds?
It’s holiday season, a time when romance is in the air and engagements and gifts of jewelry abound. As many people in my life become engaged and married lately, I’ve been reflecting on the significance of finding the perfect piece of bling. A quality jewellery manufacturer can make all the difference, ensuring that each piece […]
Feminism 101 for Girls: A Report Back
Dear CFC Community, Sunday November 14th was a day I had dreamed about for sixteen years. I took my first Women’s Studies courses second semester senior year at Spelman College with the formidable feminist scholars and teachers Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Dr. Johnetta B. Cole, and Dr. Kim Wallace-Sanders. The entire semester I thought why am […]