Julianne Malveaux: At Last
by Julianne Malveaux When Beyonce Knowles sang the Etta James song “At Last” at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, the song could have had several meanings. At last we have an African American President? At last, the muscle of the Black vote has been flexed? At last, there is some hope for our country to [...]
Dr. Julianne Malveaux: Opportunity Gap or Achievement Gap?
by Dr. Julianne Malveaux African American students achieve at a different level than white students. Test scores are lower, as are high school and college completion rates, and the number of African Americans attending four-year institutions is falling. The rate of African American suspensions and expulsions from K-12 schools is higher than that of other groups. By almost [...]
Not an Urban Queen: Rants of a Bibliophile
I eagerly spend time in bookstores. They are part of my life, real books, even though my family purchased the Kindle Fire for me for Christmas, there is something about real books. The day all the kids were back in their respective classroom, I found myself at the mall, at the bookstore, [...]
I Didn’t Give Up on Black Men; They Gave Up on Me
Jai Stone explains at Essence how a long history of rejection led her to have a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with herself on this controversial issue. I’m going to start with an urgent gripe of mine: Every time I turn around, the mating habits of African-American women are being scrutinized. There is always some broken-down bundle of [...]
Why immigration matters to black America
Immigration reform, and the politics surrounding it, have become synonymous with Hispanic-Americans. Never mind the fact that the vast majority of Latinos in America are already citizens, born in the United States, and that not every immigrant — documented or otherwise — is Hispanic. The easy stereotypes make for simplified storytelling. But the [...]
Carrying fashion’s torch: Black women style stars from slavery to the present lighting the way to the future
From the days when Elizabeth Keckley served as first lady Mary Todd Lincoln’s personal dressmaker, to Michelle Obama’s career-making impact on the niche designers she wears today, style has been a complex platform for African-American women in history. The celebration of Women’s History Month in March prompts a need for reflection on the [...]
Saying I Look ‘Mixed’ Isn’t a Compliment
Writing for Clutch magazine, Shayla Pierce says she’s beautiful because of her blackness, not in spite of it. … I can tell by the way they say it. “You look mixed.” It’s the same smarmy inflection with which they deliver such classics like, “Let me take you shopping”; as if they’ve successfully implemented the line [...]
Kiss Me, I’m 1/16 Irish: African-, Irish-, and the Hyphenated-Americans
Years ago, I spent Saint Patrick’s Day in an Irish pub singing ditties with a restaurant full of my newest friends — and left feeling a little green with envy. The Irish-American traditions and fare were in full swing and exposed me to a culture I’d never really considered while growing up in [...]
Is Inequality Shortening Your Life Span?
White, black, or brown, we’d all live longer in a more equal, less status-driven society. Imagine you got to choose whether to be born black or born white in America. Here are a few health statistics that might inform your decision: If you chose to be born white, your chances of dying [...]
Fatherlessness Causes Depression in Women – The Importance of a Strong Male Role Model
With fatherless homes being such a serious problem in the African American community, it is important that we know that psychological impact that this problem has on children. The growth of the prison industrial complex and the War on Drugs has caused serious problems with missing fathers and experts are speaking out on the [...]
May 19, 2013No CommentRead More