When I first came across the story of Henry “Box” Brown tears formed in my eyes thinking about the 26 hours that he endured bent up in a wooden shipping box from Virginia to Philadelphia. In 1815 Brown was born into slavery on a plantation in Virginia. Once he was 15 he was sent to […]
In yesterday’s article we went over the conditions of voting for former slaves during the 19th century and how voting rights evolved over time in legislation and in practice. As people began to communicate around the barriers restricting their voting rights they became more equipped to organize in the interest of dismantling those barriers. This […]
Black people have exponentially grown as a demographic in the states since our kidnapping. Our population broke a million by the 19th century and continued to increase rapidly to 30 million by the 20th century. While our numbers, and contribution (labor, taxes, etc.) to the United States has grown, unfortunately our influence politically has failed […]
On April 3, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his last speech, pleading with Black America to shift their wealth into Black owned institutions the night before his assassination. It is by no coincidence that his death came shortly after the world renowned speaker gave this radical advice to the millions who had been following […]
Throat burning, stomach churning I lose the place in my mind As I hear the sounds Wee-woo, wee-woo Constantly reminds Me I’m not free, I’m jail bound. Looking straight ahead As my heart pounds I contemplate, “When can I relinquish this case?” Every time I feel that desperate belly ache An ache that […]
I wrote about the influential work of Katherine G. Johnson and the whitewashed history of her life experiences sparking interest of Black female contribution to science last year. #BlackGirlMagic isn’t limited to athletics and fashion. We’ve made revolutionary discoveries in technological advancements that changed the way that society functions entirely and Katherine wasn’t the only […]
Hey…Princess Shuri? “Have you seen the Black Panther Movie?” my coworker asked me as I passed him on the stairwell. I responded the way I had been since opening weekend a few days before, “Not yet” “Oh” he said with disappointment, “Well you look like the princess in the movie” I was flattered but since […]
With the reigniting of the Black Panther moment as a result of the Black panther movie I can’t help but think about the history of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, CA the same city where Ryan Coogler, young black director of the Black Panther movie, was […]
My people built this land After your stripped it Of all it had known With a genocidal attack On native people’s homes This land is not “the land of immigrants” Because a passport is not A bill of sale Yet you continue to enforce That misleading tale From this land you extracted The original people […]
In grade school I remember standing in assembly to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” shoulder to shoulder with my peers. One lucky student would drum the rhythm walking up the center aisle of the chapel, once he reached the stage the principal queued everyone to begin, “Lift every voice and sing, till’ earth and […]