I grew up in the heart of the Midwest during the 1970s, the era of peace, love, Vietnam War protests and what…
I took the longest strides of my life during my first winter in America. Race-walking in between classes as my nostrils felt…
Si·en·na /sēˈenə/ noun a kind of ferruginous earth used as a pigment in painting, normally yellowish-brown in color (raw sienna) or deep…
Once, a former co-worker of mine stopped me in the middle of working, calling my name. I turned to him, with no…
“Every human being is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no others are, and to do what…
I can clean my entire apartment in under two hours. That’s two podcasts or one catch up call with a dear friend…
I am embarrassed to admit that I loved Levittown even when it didn’t love me. It was my first home, and like…
I can’t remember ever not wanting to be a mother. The lullaby to first tuck itself into my memory was Rock-a-Bye Baby.…
“Wòch nan dlo pa konnen doulè wòch nan solèy.” The rock in the water cannot know the pain of the rock in…
Grandma. I always just referred to her as that without any qualifiers. I said Grandma Sarah whenever I referenced my paternal grandmother.…
2011. The first boy I ever loved had dimples in both cheeks, a passion for basketball, and a smile that could melt…
Fresh Fear In Chicago, death smells like fresh grass and barbecue. When that last school bell rang at the end of the…
The Mole arrived in the summer of 2020, the same summer I dropped out of film school and then went crazy (in…
I scroll the #blacktravelfeed hashtag on Instagram enduring hour 5 of my hair braiding appointment. Three hours remaining, I contemplate changing my…
Following closely behind church and Grandmama’s House, the third most important cultural center/gathering place in the Black community is The Shop. This…