A deep dive into censorship motives throughout history and right now — First, before we get into motivations for book burning and censorship, let me first say that burning books in 2021 is one of the silliest aberrations of conservative think tanks. It's not like back in the day where words only lived on delicate pages caged within a hard body. We…

We’ve all been there. Here’s how to get to the other side — “Hello, hello, is anyone there?” We’ve all been there — you work hard on a draft of something, post it, and then…no one seems to be reading your work. But don’t take it personally — you are not necessarily being ignored. Readers don’t know your writing from a can of…

Seeing a Black version of a White classic series has some folks flustered. Let's unpack this. — White folks are used to seeing themselves on TV. Let's face it. Back in 1988, when the original Wonder Years series aired, mainstream American television focused on telling the same coming-of-age story. Boy meets girl — scratch that — White boy meets girl was the premise of dozens of series…

To communicate effectively, you have to control your tone. Here’s how to do that. — A couple of months ago, I read a story about blackface. Initially, I felt relieved that someone was bringing attention to this issue. Then, sentence after sentence, I realized my initial assumptions, based on the title, fell short. To my surprise, this article supported blackface. As a Black writer, I…

Erasing Black heroes from the classroom — race-based censorship — If you ever wanted to know what white backlash looks like in America, look no further than Florida, where conservative governor Ron DeSantis has taken an ax to Black scholarship. In the aftermath of the "racial reckoning," DeSantis has become laser-focused on limiting discussions about race in the classroom and…

Refusing to share the country jeopardizes its strength — Since the 1800s, Americans have occasionally flirted with the idea of separation, which is pretty ironic for a country that proudly identifies as the “United States.” It’s not like our nation is called the “associated states” or “affiliated states.” The word “united” is supposed to characterize the unbreakable bond between…

The truth is powerful, but not if students never learn the truth — America is currently 246 years old, but that number has special significance for Black Americans. You see, the chattel slavery system started in 1619 on the shores of Virginia. It ended 246 years later in 1865 — America's chattel slavery system was not brief — it matched the country's lifespan…

Their struggles blind them to the struggle of others — If you grew up trying to "make a dollar out of fifteen cents," and you're wondering why Black people say that you benefit from "white privilege," this essay is for you. As a low-income White person, first and foremost, you may have endured difficulties in your home, community, and personal…

Black Americans serving stiffer sentences for marijuana here — On February 17th, Russians arrested Brittney Griner, a WNBA star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, who won two Olympic gold medals, and charged her with possession of marijuana. At the time, Griner had a gram of "hash oil" prescribed for her use, which she mistakenly brought with her while…