A few hundred years ago, mankind thought that the Earth was flat, and that if you sailed long enough, you could sail right off the edge. It was commonly accepted that the Earth, not the sun, was the center of our universe, as God had ordained it. When Galileo presented his theories that the Earth […]
You laugh, but I am asking a very serious question. I was introduced to the topics of racism and violence against women very early in life…probably too early. The Color Purple on VHS was a movie stable in my house, and it is with pride that I tell you that I can quote each line […]
I swear, you meet the strangest people at Wal-Mart In the book Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone, Ralph Richard Banks explores the causes and effects of the decline of marriage within the African American community, particularly among Black women. The reasons for this decline are not foreign […]
Some days are better than others. Most days leave me feeling beaten and looking bedraggled. I am constantly at the mercy of my two toddlers, as their disposition often sets my day. I know, this is a deplorable state to be in. After all, what self-respecting Black woman allows a 2 year old to determine […]
They said they would come for him, but I didn’t believe it. I should have had less faith in society’s veneer of decency…then perhaps I’d be less shocked. In the month since Trayvon Martin has been murdered and buried, tidbits of information surrounding the circumstances of that night have been investigated and/or leaked to the […]
My seven year wedding anniversary is coming up and my husband has been asking me what I’d like as a gift to commemorate the occasion. The seventh year of marriage is supposed to represent several major milestones, namely the age for perfection and a benchmark by which to judge the success or failure of a […]
Lawd, I hate nature – or rather I hate being outside IN it in the dark and rain. This weekend the girls’ Daisy troop had a mother-daughter weekend camping trip at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Several of the Daisy troops in the area attended as well, and in all there were about 60 little […]
A pipe dream is an illusory fantasy or idea that will not work. It’s probably because I caught the service for humanity bug when I went to South Africa last year, but I have this recurring pipe dream where I travel around Africa holding village seminars with young writers; female writers, specifically. When I was […]
I was on my way into my secret blogging spot (Panera) when I had a random thought about money – more specifically what would I do if I suddenly found myself without any? My husband is the major breadwinner for our home, and considering that last year I brought in a net $2,000 from my […]
America’s legacy is that it is a land of contradictions. Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty are the words: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, Tempest-tossed to me I lift my lamp beside the golden door! – […]
How old are you? Somewhere between the ages of 28 and 42? Have you ever pondered your future and wondered: “Hmmm, what would be an appropriate age to stop having sex?” Yeah – I hadn’t either, until I went to pick up my kids from the bus stop this Friday, where I was confronted with […]
Everyone has some sort of imperfection about them – some aspect of themselves they don’t quite like. It could be a lazy eye, or a grey hair that grows longer and more untamed as time passes on. Perhaps a clubbed foot ails you, or you carry the faint odor of fish. The point is, everyone […]
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. – Matthew 2:13 When I hear […]
Only the entrepreneurs might feel me on this one. Melissa checked her watch nervously for the fourth time. Brian and Joseph said that they would meet her at Panera at 3pm, after the lunch crowd died down. They were supposed to be discussing a photo shoot for an ad campaign the two had devised. After […]
Apparently there’s a trend in marriage that is gaining momentum across the country. It’s actually not a new trend, just a re-emerging one. That trend is living married but separate lives. When I first heard about this it was seven years ago, and I was about 3 months into my marriage. One of my numerous […]
Happy Monday and Daylight Savings Time, M.O.M Squad! Last Friday, I did a post about some dude marauding in the jungles of Africa, whose name I daren’t utter here. It sparks too much emotion for certain people. Over the weekend, some things were said and some feelings may have gotten hurt. However given the relentless […]
I generally like to reserve Friday posts for frivolity, but I have been requested to give my view on KONY2012. Please brace yourself for a rant. Let’s call Joseph Kony what he is: a narcissist, a pedophile and a terrorist. Virtually unchecked, Joseph Kony has been carrying out his campaign of terror against innocent African […]
Heeiii! These Nigerians! This week marks the beginning of Lagos Fashion week, which would have begun last night had the models for the show not gone on strike. After waiting for 5 hours for the show to begin, the crème-de-la-crème of Africa’s emerging fashion industry were informed that the show would not begin as scheduled […]
A little over a week ago, I had the rare occasion to catch 20/20 with Juju Chang. I am hardly ever up at that hour of the evening, given that my day light hours are spent directing the raucous circus that is my home. As soon as my ancient television finished booting up that evening, […]
As Black people, everything we do is rhythmic and straying from rhythm can sometimes have dire consequences. When we pound fufu, it’s with rhythm. When we pull our nets in from the sea, we do so with rhythm. And when a Black woman walks, it is with a unique rhythm. I don’t know about any […]
So I got this in my email…. …and shrieked with joy! Field Ruwe, author of the dynamic work concerning Africans and Intellectuals that went viral last month has blessed Mind of Malaka with a sequel. “Don’t Take After Your Father” is an engaging critique concerning the roots of our Continent’s perceptual battle with itself, using […]