The Immediate Need For Emotional Justice Guest Post by Yolo Akili “Emotional Justice” is a term widely recognized as coined by journalist and Radio Host Esther Armah. Oppression is trauma. Every form of inequity has a traumatic impact on the psychology, emotionality and spirituality of the oppressed. The impact of oppressive trauma creates cultural and […]
Sexy, Self-Conscious, Sanctified, Sassy & Single: Why I Married My Ph.D.
2011 has garnered a lot of conversations centering on the undesirability (hence un-marryability) of (professional) black women. Black women have been fed unsolicited and unnecessary information about how to correct and prepare ourselves for our soulmate without giving us the credit due grown ass women who routinely (and effectively) handle our ish, look good doing […]
How Talking to Your Homegirls Can ‘Liberate’ Your Sex Life
Over the summer, while I was visiting Crunkadelic, she and I ended up brainstorming methods for positioning oneself at an optimum angle for penetration in the missionary position. Yes, that means what you think it means. #selfcareisnotagame For professional Black and Latino women (source) who are often dogged by long periods of forced celibacy, “getting […]
Leave Kim Alone!
I upgraded my cable package a few years ago and have been keeping up with the Kardashians for a few seasons now. I’m not sure what happened the first few years, but thanks to E! marathons I am certain that I’m up to speed. I have no problems admitting that I’m a fan of the […]
Black Feminist Love and Amber Cole
The last time I was speechless after seeing images of a young Black woman on the internet was June 2009 when John at The Smoking Section ( a rap blog) posted what were then believed to be nude images of Rihanna Fenty. I contacted him and asked him why he did it, we had a […]
Boom!? 7 Billion People on Earth Fosters Population Alarmism
Today is the day that the United Nations Population Fund estimates that the world’s population will reach 7 billion people. So, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this particular moment in our history. As ever, it’s important to dig just a little below the surface to figure out what’s going on with the media’s […]
Feminism 101 or Why Women’s Studies Can’t Wait: A Workshop for Girls
Oftentimes undergraduate students complain that they are not introduced to women’s studies and feminism early enough. In an effort to support the development of girls as social agents we must consider exposing to them feminist spaces at earlier ages. The Crunk Feminists are on the case! In November, we will facilitate a workshop on “Feminism […]
Somewhere Between Black Power and White Rage
There have been several public “events” privileging race, gender, and class during the past weeks in New York City that featured prominent Black feminists. After the film screening of The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, the conference about Anita Hill 20 Years Later: Sex, Power and Speaking the Truth, and the Occupy Wall Street movement based […]
Lessons Learned
“Mas sabe el Diablo por viejo que por Diablo.” “The devil knows more from being old than from being the devil.” This is my birthday month and I have now lived on this planet for 3 whole decades. I’ve been thinking a lot about the lessons I have learned and thought I would share them […]
20 Things I Want To Say To My Twentysomething Self
I recently re-discovered a journal I kept after I graduated from college in 2000. I was unemployed, seemingly unemployable, broken-hearted, on the brink of adulthood but still so incredibly naïve (something I only recognize now, because I have distance, experience and context). I was twenty-one years old, feeling grown and wise… and like a failure. […]