To be real about resilience
I’ve listened to many keynote speakers, presenters and panelists talk about the importance of resiliency over the years for Blacks, […]
Black People
Beauty Role Models – look around
Sorrow and incredulity rose in me as I watched a discussion recently on a local television show whose panelists discussed […]
Defining Blackness – Beyonce, Jamelia & Candelaria
Note: I posted this piece in 2009. It bears repeating because of the recent brouhaha over Beyonce’s blackness. It has […]
This meeting needs an enema
“This town needs an enema,” the Joker’s character played by Jack Nicholson says in a Batman movie. He was referring […]
Soul food in Boston
Soul Food in Boston…not. A recent article in the Boston Globe, Savoring a healthier, revitalized soul food by Peggy Hernandez […]
To Be Real – Thoughts about Rachel/Caitlyn/Laverne
“It’s got to be real. To be real. It’s got to be real.“ The chorus from Cheryl Lynn’s 1978 disco […]
Can I poet with you – Ntozake Shange
I had originally hoped to post a poem a day during Poetry Month (April) which has officially ended although there’s […]
Can I Poet with You? – Lucille Clifton
It is downright unfair to pick a couple of poems from a prolific poet to represent them. In each of […]
Can I Poet with You? – Clarence Major
Clarence Major is a poet, novelist and painter. I have a tattered copy of Swallow the Lake, a volume of […]
Can I poet with you? Langston Hughes
One of the poets I love the most is Langston Hughes. I read his book, The Sweet Flypaper of Life, […]
Positive Statistics about Black Men
I wonder if I should even bother with this post. After all, the Black men I know personally are positive […]
A Lyrical Life – Rose Marie McCoy
Reading obituaries on a regular basis introduces me to all sorts of people of local, national and international renown who […]
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (Copyright 2010, 2012 by Michelle Alexander, […]
Will this keep my grandson safe?
I have an old acquaintance who types all of his emails in capital letters. They all begin, GREETINGS, and they […]
Awarding Diversity
Awards are given to recognize work above and beyond the call of duty, beyond the usual. Right? The Encarta Dictionary: […]
A Black Business Panel I’d like to see
Having recently attended panels that convened some of the usual presenters for businesses owned by Black (and other people of […]
What Social Justice Means (to me)
Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities. Social workers aim to […]
Chicken Wings & Collard Greens (coda to Beantown Jazz Festival)
“I know you got soul, if you didn’t you wouldn’t be in here.” These lyrics by Bobby Byrd featuring James […]