Musings Archives - Page 12 of 22

Day 2: What it’s like to watch your child witness racism for the first time

Posted on January 20, 2015
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

I watched the movie ‘Selma’ when it opened up nationwide last week and determined that my two eldest children should watch it too. At ages 10 and 8, I deemed them old enough to see the PG 13 movie. The girls were fortunate in their…

Day 1: What it’s like to be lost

Posted on January 19, 2015
by Malaka
with 1 Comment

One of my earliest memories is of being lost in a store. I can’t tell you how old I was or which establishment I found myself temporarily stranded in, because I have no recollection of either detail. I just remember I was with my mother,…

How Revolutionary is Abena Appiah’s Choice to Wear Natural Hair at Miss Universe?

Posted on January 9, 2015
by Malaka
with 8 Comments

“The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture which uses its global grassroots reach to empower women to be self-confident and strive to be their personal best. MUO believes that every woman should be “Confidently Beautiful.” The MISS…

What Makes Ghanaians Such Abysmal Activists?

Posted on January 8, 2015
by Malaka
with 5 Comments

When it comes to social change in Ghana, Ghanaians obey a strict set of rules and rarely deviate from the following process: Express shock and outrage about a particular event Talk about it on radio/Facebook/What’sApp/Twitter Deride anyone with an opposing opinion Wait for the next…

Year End Review – My last post for 2014

Posted on December 9, 2014
by Malaka
with 5 Comments

The woman who threads my eyebrows is from Iran. Last year, she told me that 2013 was going to be a “very bad year”. Numerology dictated that it would. She didn’t offer any predictions for 2014 and I’m not due to get a threading until…

Repatriation: Is Going Back to Africa the Solution?

Posted on December 4, 2014
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

GO BACK TO AFRICA!!!! This is something red-faced bigots used to scream (now they can conveniently type it on a keypad) whenever a person of color has the audacity to point out/complain about/ponder over America’s dismal race record and erratic application of justice. "Hey darkie!…

Women Who Defend Misogyny. Ewww.

Posted on November 4, 2014
by Malaka
with 12 Comments

Warning: Rant I have been advised in the past to carefully consider the things I say and to determine whether they are necessary. I sat on this for three days and have concluded it needed to be said. Let me lead with this: Some of…

Lift Every Voice and Sing

Posted on September 11, 2014
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Part of my hybrid upbringing was learning the "Black National Anthem". As a child, I hated this separatist idea - that there were two Americas - that I was being indoctrinated with, but I dutifully learned the first stanza of the song as required and…

Nkrumah and Ali: Daughters of the Pan African Movement

Posted on August 24, 2014
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I wonder if the world knows what a debt it owes to African Americans. Every modern liberation movement has been based on the tactics employed by those in endeavor for Civil Rights in America. And while MLK’s non-violent methods were borrowed from Ghandi, we did…

Does Lauryn Hill Know How Much She’s Needed?

Posted on August 22, 2014
by Malaka
with 9 Comments

I woke up with this burden for Lauryn Hill this morning.There are many reasons we need Lauryn Hill, the most pressing of which is because people are still surprised when I open my mouth and speak both eloquently and intelligently.How can I blame them when…