If You're Not About Justice I Want Nothing To Do With You

If you're not outraged about police brutality against Black Americans then I want nothing to do with you.

Maybe that's blunt. But let me go further.

If you're not in recognition that Black people--and Black people in particular-- are being targeted by law enforcement then I want nothing to do with you.

If the word "thug" or "hoodlum" is in your vocabulary then I want nothing to do with you. If you believe there's ever a reason why lethal force needs to be used against an unarmed person then I want nothing to do with you. If you aren't about the chant "Black lives matter" then I want nothing to do with you.

I have no time to coddle people. And I'm certainly not going to debate my right to life in the United States. It's sick and disgusting that many people think I am willing or even emotionally capable of debating whether people who look like me should or should not be shot down by cops.

This is a civil rights issue. It's a human rights issue. And if you don't recognize that then I want nothing to do with you.

Circa 2012 I dealt with folks who wanted to argue with me about if Trayvon Martin deserved to die, if he deserved to be stalked and subsequently murdered in his own neighborhood. But no more.

We're not arguing over Mike Brown, Darrien Hunt, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Akai Gurley, Tanesha Anderson, Rumain Brisbon... I don't need to continue.

It's a free country (at least for some of us). And a person has the right to be a racist. As I have the right to not deal with racists as an elective decision.

As it is the United States has sent a strong message that I have no right to my life and liberty if I'm at the mercy of a cop seeking blood. And after my death, I have no right to justice.

I charge genocide. And if you don't then I want nothing to do with you.

The Hollaback Video is Racist, But That Doesn't Mean Street Harassment Isn't an Issue

I've noticed a trend: white women use white feminism to let white men off the hook for their sexism and Black men use white feminism (or the excuse: well what white women did was racist!) to let themselves off the hook for their sexism.

"He Was No Angel": There is No Such Thing as Black Innocence

There is absolutely no regard for Black life. I say that without further qualification.

I continue to be astounded by the way Mike Brown's death has been disrespected. He is continually victim blamed for his own death despite the overwhelming amount of evidence (both testimonial and biological in the form of an autopsy) proving that he was executed by a Ferguson PD cop.

And yet, people continue to suggest that the true victim is the murderer. The continual narrative is that Mike Brown somehow deserved to be executed.

Solidarity with Ferguson, Missouri Protesters!

We all need to be paying careful attention to Ferguson, Missouri. This is where the revolution is beginning.

My Best Friend is White: On the Joys and Perils of Interracial Friendship

One of my best friends is white. We met in fourth grade and have remained generally present in each other's lives ever since. It's going on thirteen years of friendship. And yet, it wasn't until last night that we had our first real conversation about race.

The "Daquan" Meme: It Shouldn't Be Funny

I don't find the "Daquan" meme funny at all. Basically, it's a meme created by Black Twitter that stereotypes the "hood" Black guy who exclusively dates upper middle class white girls.

Daquan is a pedophile, a money launderer (with the assistance of his white girlfriend), obsessed with sex, a rapist ("he let the whole squad hit"). He also shuns education. Supports violence. And is only concerned with making money (illegally) and being a rapper.

Road Trip while Black: Running into White Vigilantes

I have to share the story of what happened to me this past weekend. Fortunately, I was with friends when the situation happened.

A Donald Sterling Problem or an American Race Problem?

I have been paying attention to the recent scandal surrounding the owner of the LA Clippers: Donald Sterling.

Of course, his actual comments are interesting along with the fact that his girlfriend is Black and Latina and he seems to be in denial about it. But what's also interesting is that once again, like with Paula Deen, America is captured by an individual white person who says really racist things and kind of conveniently overlooks their actually racist acts.

Lupita Nyong'o is "The Most Beautiful Woman" & What Does This Mean for Dark Skinned Girls?

Lupita Nyong'o was recently named the "Most Beautiful Woman" by People magazine. She is the third Black woman to hold this title after Halle Berry and Beyoncé. However, Lupita's win is particularly noteworthy because she is dark-skinned with short, natural hair. In that sense, she is a first.

The Allure of Pharrell's "New Black" But Why It's Dangerous

Recently, recording artist Pharrell Williams claimed that he is a "new black." He defines "New Black" as somebody who "doesn't blame other races for our issues. The "new black" dreams and realizes that it's not a pigmentation; it's a mentality. And it's either going to work for you, or it's going to work against you. And you've got to pick the side you're gonna be on."

We've got to pick the side we want to be on! We can either have a victim complex or we can be a "New Black" and usher ourselves into the post-racial world waiting at our fingertips! In either case it's our choice whether or not we're going to be oppressed on account of being Black.

Black Feminism 101: It Was More Than a Fight to Be Included in White Feminism

Occasionally, I lead introductory workshops to Black feminism. And I've found that I'm always called upon to comment on how Black women fought to be included within the white feminist movement.

This is the common way that people understand the Black feminist movement if they purport to understand it at all. They understand it as Black women fighting to be included in a white woman's movement.

Stopping Jezebel: Some Thoughts on the Complexities of Black Women Owning their Sexuality

I was thirteen and a freshman in high school when I got my first boyfriend. I didn't know anything about dating or relationships. It wasn't "serious" although I thought it was at the time. He would walk me to class. I'd watch him perform. We'd sit in the hallway giggling and holding hands. I even shared my first kiss with him.


Then we broke up. And one of the ways he used to get back at me was calling me a ho and a slut.

Later, I distinctly remember being taken aside by an older Black woman. She explained to me that I was called a slut because that's what men do when they're angry. And I could have avoided it if I had never been alone with him in the first place because once you do anything with a man he will expect you to have sex with him and if you don't he will begrudge you for it.

That's because boys will be boys. And it's because you are a (Black) girl.

That was my introduction to the politics surrounding the Jezebel image.

Black Tokenism & The PWI Experience

Most Black folks have experienced being the token at some point in their life. Especially if they are accustomed to inhabiting majority white spaces.

Predominantly White Institutions (PWI's) in particular are notorious for forcing the token identity on unsuspecting Black college students.

Being the token can be intimidating if you're shy and like to keep to yourself. It's a way of highlighting you for no other reason other than the fact that you're the only Black person in the vicinity. So now it is you who must speak on behalf of your race. It is you who must know everything about Black issues and hold all of the answers. Your classmates and even your professors will be looking to you.

This is a very common phenomenon that Black people, to a certain extent, have come to expect. But the emotional and psychological costs of tokenism are not often considered.

As I prepare to finish college, I am now more aware of all of the ways tokenism has been a detriment.