A few weeks ago, someone invited me to a panel discussion of eight men who promised to give us the secret on how to find a boyfriend. The accompanying photo depicted a disheveled woman holding a baby, while a thought bubble asked, "Why can't I find a good man?"

As a 33 year old woman, I’m still learning about myself, womanhood, and how to live my best life. When I turned 30, I did so with the typical trepidation, but also a joy that I was shedding my twenties and entering a new decade. I was wiser and more confident than ever before. I went into my thirties knowing more about myself, what I liked, and what (and who) I could live without. So, here’s a list about 30 things every grown ass woman needs to have, know, and learn by 30.

by Tamara Williams

by Carolyn Strong

Black Girls Rock, Black Girls Run, Black Girl Nerds.

It seems that in this society Black girls can do a lot… except just be a Black Girl. With African-American women struggling to find out where they fit into our country’s narrative, we have so many descriptions of us floating around that it occasionally gets hard to keep up. But somehow the most basic way that we can describe ourselves is sometimes met with derision—from Blacks and non-Blacks alike.

by Brittany Dawson

Tiny Harris, former member of 90s R&B group Xscape, reality television star, and wife of Atlanta-based rapper T.I., sparked debate when she underwent plastic surgery to permanently change her eye color. Common talking points include low self-esteem; pandering to White, Eurocentric standards of beauty; and most importantly, internalized self-hatred/racism, a deeply wounding and problematic experience I know all too well.

by Tsebiyah Mishael

Last week, the results of a “study” popped up online that concluded that “dumb people” listen to Beyoncé, and “smart people” listen to Radiohead. As a Beyoncé fan with a bachelor’s degree (that I worked my butt off and tired my brains out for), I was insulted before I even clicked on the headline. But when I did, I found it was more than insulting; it was downright racist and offensive. It is difficult not to notice that American software writer Virgil Griffith’s “super duper” scientific study—note the sarcasm—deemed music genres championed and supported by people of color and women as the music of “dumb people,” while music championed and supported by white males (Radiohead, Blink 182) was upheld as the music of the intelligent. Even jazz music got thrown under the bus, which frankly, is just laughable.

by Kesiena Boom


At the beginning of October, we published a list of 14 Incredible Web Series Created By and Featuring Black Women. Whilst all these shows are all brilliant and worthy of exposure, it was noted by our readers that none of them centered the experiences of Black lesbian, bisexual, and queer women. As For Harriet is about celebrating the fullness of Black womanhood, we took this critique to heart. Here are six amazing web series that created by and featuring queer Black women's stories.

by Nneka M. Okona


For Black women, talking about sex — let alone sexual and reproductive health — can be a slippery slope. Turn on the T.V., flip through magazines or scan through radio stations and you’re sure to be bombarded with images which hypersexualize Black women and Black womanhood, touting us as solely objects of male affection. On the other hand, take a glimpse into Black churches, institutions which have long been the heart and soul of our communities, and look closely at their teachings and theology. These teachings and theology share a longstanding history and commitment to patriarchy, pushing the path to purity and discouraging sexual identity, exploration and liberation.

by Kesiena Boom


At 16 years old, there were lots of things I was blissfully unaware of, but really could have done better with knowing. I wasn't getting these lessons at home or at school or via the media, and I most definitely suffered for it. I wish that I could go back through time and sit my younger self down and imprint a few things into her poor adolescent brain. In lieu of the ability to transcend time and space, here are the four top things I really needed someone to tell me. Disseminate this to the teenage girls around you and let them know their worth by imparting all the wisdom you can.

by Ariel Williams

Beyoncé got it right when she proclaimed that girls ran the world. The last couple of years have proved that those are indeed Black girls. From running successful adolescent businesses to being the youngest ever TV talk show host, our girls are changing the world with confidence and we’re delighted to highlight them today.

by Gina Torres

During a recent interview on a Philadelphia radio show, Charles Barkley expressed the following sentiments: “For some reason we are brainwashed to think, if you’re not a thug or an idiot, you’re not black enough. If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don’t break the law, you’re not a good black person. It’s a dirty, dark secret in the black community.”

by Michelle Jackson

At 25 years old, I am halfway through my twenties. I have come a long way from my 20-year-old self, when I mostly spent money on clothes, books, takeout, and expensive desserts while living in New York’s East Village. While I know that I am privileged, as my parents financially supported me through college and I still live at home, I have also had to learn to be fiscally responsible.

by Michelle Jackson

The highly anticipated and acclaimed film, “Dear White People,” had its national release this weekend. However, I was fortunate to see it a week early here in Los Angeles, during its limited release in select cities. Now that the film has had its major release, I feel like I can finally share my true feelings about “Dear White People.” I believe it to be an important film that everyone should see, especially those of us who care deeply about America’s race problem. However, it is not without its flaws.

by Diana Veiga

The other day, I went into a Black-owned neighborhood bar and restaurant to pick up some wings and fries. They were playing what seemed to be a documentary of local Black teen girls talking about growing up without their father. Yes, it’s that kind of slightly hood rich spot, but I love it.

by Adrienne Wallace

While there are a lot of people who advocate against racism, many people fail to address how it plays out in schools, affecting our students and their futures. A study by the Center for America Progress that came out in early October highlights some difficult but important truths that we must confront – that there are teachers in our public school system that act on racist beliefs and harm the educational outcomes of brown and black students. That’s a nice way of saying what most parents and students of color already know to be true: Some teachers perpetuate racism in their classrooms.

by Aprill Hawkins

To this day, there is nothing I love more than a good “The Cosby Show” marathon. I will cancel every plan I have to post up on my couch and watch the lives of the Huxtables unfold. Watching “The Cosby Show” is a wonderful experience of nostalgia, and who doesn’t love a trip down memory lane. But with the recent accusations of sexual assault against Bill Cosby, I’m not sure I will ever enjoy it like I once did.

by Camonghne Felix

As a woman who spent most of her teen years becoming expertly familiar with the streets of New York City, I am no stranger to the spell of attractive older men. As a teenager who considered herself “ahead of my time” (ignore my adolescent narcissism), older men were often my kryptonite. They provided a kind of intellectual and social worldliness that I felt was missing from the boys my own age. While I was probably right about that difference in intellectual and social capital, what I did account for was the kind of emotional capital these older men had over me.

by Elise Viebeck

The second Dallas nurse diagnosed with Ebola appears to have beaten the virus while receiving care at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

The nurse, Amber Vinson, is "regaining strength" and health officials are "no longer able to detect virus in her body," her mother said in a statement.

by Felecia Commodore for Noodle.com

On September 29, NPR ran a story taking a look at sexual assault on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCU”) campuses, wondering if they are doing enough to address sexual assault on their campuses.

by Cherise Luter

Full disclosure, I am a huge fan of Oprah Winfrey. Being that she is a billionaire, head of a media empire, beloved the world over, and is visibly unapologetic regarding the decisions she has made for herself personally and professionally, I consider her a role model for the ages. I look at her and see all that is possible for myself as an entrepreneurially minded black woman.

by Luchina Fisher for ABC News

Django Unchained” actress Daniele Watts and her boyfriend have been charged with lewd conduct stemming from an incident last month when the couple was found in a parked car having a romantic encounter.

by Terry Baker Mulligan for Salon

One Saturday night in St. Louis about decade ago my younger son, then a teen, was driving around town with two white friends. I’m black and my husband is white, so our two sons are biracial. This particular son has his father’s straight hair and aquiline nose. His skin is brown like mine.

by Tracey Ricks

Have you ever experienced unrequited love? The chances are that the strong emotions of unrequited love could have touched you somewhere in your life. Unrequited is defined as ‘not returned or reciprocated,’ so unrequited love is a love unreciprocated, not returned or shared. Been there before? I am sure you have. I am a writer and I like to stay up to date on what is happening in the world of women, so I use various mediums to extract information to create a full portrait. I was trolling the Love and Hip Hop LA series, flipping back and forth one evening, and I was greeted by a familiar face. When I use the word ‘familiar,’ I am not necessarily implying that I personally or otherwise ‘know’ the women featured on the series. I don’t. But I am familiar with the situation of one particular cast member’s dilemma. Whose Spirit do I relate to? Hazel E.

by Nika Campbell

A few days ago, I celebrated by 30th birthday #30andfabulous. I am excitedly looking forward to the next phase in my life, today I want to share 10 life lessons I learned in my 20s. These are things I now know at 30 that I didn’t fully understand at 20. Enjoy!

by Deja L. Jones

Growing up, sex was always a taboo subject in my family, particularly with my parents. I can remember the day my parents sat me and my older sister down for “The Talk,” one of the most awkward experiences as we listened to my parents explain the technicalities of intercourse. As devout Christians, they consistently reinforced the idea that sex was a gift from God, intended for a husband and wife to unify their marriage. Sounds beautiful, right? Maybe even poetic?

by Stephanie Gates

“These hoes ain’t loyal.” I wake up too many mornings with the hook playing in my head. Here’s the kicker: I hate this song! And yet I can’t get it out of my head right now because it’s stuck on repeat. This happens every time I’m somewhere the song plays. I like the beat and I don’t want to because I can’t stand songs with misogynistic lyrics. So, the fact that this song won’t leave me alone, means that I need to write about it. I need to explain why I detest this and similar songs that treat women as things. A hoe is a thing; it’s an object. It is a tool to be used. It is easily discarded and replaced. So, when we sing along to the catchy beat, we subconsciously accept that women and girls are things. We accept that they are disposable.  And we don’t recognize their humanity.

by Nneka M. Okona

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I met with yogi Faith Hunter, the face behind the brand Spiritually Fly, at The Diner in the bustling neighborhood of Adams Morgan in Washington, D.C. She ordered green tea and I ordered black, with a side of milk. As she poured the steaming hot tea into her cup, I automatically felt at ease. It seems that Faith’s warm energy permeates past interpersonal interactions into her business, a brand she’s slowly been building and that resonates with many.

by Diana Veiga for Clutch Magazine
Earlier this week I wrote about Snoop Dogg and his “beef” with white female rapper Iggy Azalea. To quote Drake, things went from zero to a hundred real quick to the point where Snoop was making a video where he called Azalea a b*tch and a c*nt. I predicted that he would have to apologize because basically nobody, well let me rephrase a Black man especially, cannot taunt a white woman and get away with it.

I was right.

by Anna Gibson

Recently, an article appeared on Medium titled, “It’s Finally Time To Stop Caring About Lauryn Hill.” In it, the author Stefan Schumacher makes a number of points regarding Hill’s lyrical hiatus and musical appearances both on stage and in the recording studio. Although I disagree with his argument, it should be noted that Schumacher did make a few good points in his article.

Yesterday, Shonda Rhimes was on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s new issue. The caption underneath her read, “This is TV’s savior.” This came just one day after Viola Davis performed one of the most important scenes in recent pop culture on “How to Get Away with Murder” (a show that Rhimes serves as executive producer of): Davis’ character, Annalise Keating, is shown removing her wig, running her hands through her natural hair, and stripping off her makeup. This is an idea Davis had herself, and pitched to the series creator, Peter Nowalk.

by Erika Eichelberger for Mother Jones


On Friday, Nigeria's government announced it had reached a deal with Boko Haram to release the approximately 200 schoolgirls held captive by the Islamist terror group since April.

America, known for its supposed melting pot of diversity and the balanced scales of equality, struggles with White privilege. Still, in 2014. Privileged, greedy hands sink their fingers in the cultural cookie jar—jamming our art, language, shared experiences (crumbs and all) feverishly in the bottomless mouth of a society hungry for constant cultural production. Black culture is the stolen recipe, source of inspiration from movies to music. But Black culture is rarely given credit or lauded as equal. White privilege makes stealing Black culture acceptable. While Whiteness allows them to distance themselves from the oppressive aspects of Blackness, they are still able to reap millions of dollars and gain relevance from our culture.

by Dvora Meyers for Slate

Last week in Nanning, China, Simone Biles won four world championship gold medals, locking down the team championship, the individual all-around title, and the beam and floor exercise apparatus finals. (She also came very close to a fifth on vault, taking the silver.) Biles has now won more world championship gold medals than any other U.S. gymnast (she has six including last year’s haul, putting her ahead of Shannon Miller) and won more golds than any female gymnast at a single world championships since Ludmilla Tourischeva in 1974. These accomplishments would cap off many a gymnastics career, but with two years to go until the Rio Olympics, the 17-year-old Texan seems to be just getting started.

by  LaTierra Piphus

Back in the spring of 2013, I was finishing up my final courses for the Bachelor’s degree I was pursuing at a local university which was where I had spent my previous four years unlearning the societal and systematic oppression virtually all womyn of color experience growing up, maturing into my own definition of ‘womanhood’ and expanding my thought-processes on how community is developed among groups of people who have been trained to remain disconnected from one another (i.e. Black womyn).

by Courtney Carter for The Huffington Post

"…and when he get on he'll leave your ass for a white girl."

Let me start by saying this, I know writing this article was going to cause quite a bit of controversy. So let's get this out of the way: I am intelligent, not what society deems "ghetto" and from what I am told and from where I work in the television business, I am attractive. Why is that necessary to say? Let's start below:

Black men don't like black women. Yes, I said it.

by Alice Faye Duncan

by Nneka M. Okona

In recent years the majority the GOP has held on the state of Georgia, and the South in general, has been loosening, and there’s no better example of this shift than the Georgia Five — a record group of five Black women vying for state office in the state wedged between Alabama and South Carolina.

by Amanda Miller Littlejohn

As a personal branding coach, I help people beef up their offensive strategy – to score points if you will – in the game of life.

But sometimes you need to go on the defensive, too.

by Nneka M. Okona

We’re all familiar with the cooking shows which have exploded within the recent years. Whether it’s Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Chopped or Cupcake Wars which have you tuned in night after night, cooking, rather those who can cook well, has become a fascination for many, fueling those who may not have bothered to venture into the kitchen to at least try and take baby steps.

by Rebecca Klein for The Huffington Post

by Linda Goler Blount, Black Women's Health Imperative
and Marcela Howell, Communications Consortium Media Center
and Janette Flint, Black Women for Wellness
and LaTasha Mayes, New Voices Pittsburgh
and Dázon Dixon Diallo, SisterLove, Incorporated
and Malika Redmond, SPARK Reproductive Justice Now

In 1994, having participated in the International Conference on Population Development in Cairo and a number of national conferences in the United States, a group of Black women gathered in Chicago in a moment that would launch a new activist’s reproductive justice movement for women.

In 1838 when William Hendry of Greene County, Tennessee drew up his will, he included this passage: “It is my will and desire that Nancy McEfee have $300 in place of a Mulatto girl named Delfey [that] I once gave her as a legatee and McEfee gave her back and gave her mother a bill of sale for the girl that she might have [a] chance to free her for which above named $300 McEfee holds some obligation to me to be paid at my death.” [McEfee sometimes appears as McFee.]

by Tracey Ricks

I have been privy to many conversations with my sister friends over the years, and one of the most intimate of those conversations is that of sex. The most controversial of the topic is that of orgasms. Or to be more precise, the lack or capability of being able to obtain an orgasm. I remember as a younger woman, I am now in my mid-forties, my sister friends and I rarely discussed orgasms because to be honest, we didn’t really have a clue as to what an orgasm was. Sex was just the technical aspect of actual penile penetration. The foreplay was always the high point. None of us had the sophistication to understand why having breasts fondled, being sensually kissed all over, and the stimulation of that bubble thing that rested above our vaginas were the highlights to our overall sexual experience. As I matured in my sexual journey and my sister friends along with me, we soon discovered the meaning of the word orgasm and then realized sadly that some of us had never experienced one. I call this period of my womanhood, the Dr. Ruth era.

Iyanla,

Before your show I never felt like just one of 34. I have always had a great and close relationship with the eight of my siblings that I do know. We have a very supportive and loving family overall. We are in constant contact, so it has always felt totally normal. Sure, I always knew that I had an unusual amount of siblings out there, and yes, I resented my father for it. I never, however, despised what he created. All of my siblings are a blessing, and they all matter, but I resented what he would not do. Yes my mother is the first, and she is an amazing woman--nothing short of an inspiration. She has done great on her own despite my father’s absence and having so many children. It would be asinine to say he wasn’t necessary. It was just extremely difficult for us to expect anything from him at all. Let’s be honest, you cannot expect a man with 34 children to do something as ordinary as tucking you into bed every night. You certainly cannot expect that same man to put you and your 33 siblings through college. You cannot expect to see him during the holidays, your birthday, or even at your college graduation. Zero expectations. Sero consistency. What does a person like that teach a child about how to socialize? Have no expectations? Have no voice? Set no boundaries? I will admit that I have had to ask myself each of those questions at different points in my life, but the reoccurring question was always: “When will the day come when my Father will be held accountable and how?”

Last week, 26-year-old Pol Danilov stabbed an unnamed 79-year-old woman multiple times outside of a Chicago-area grocery story. Cook County prosecutors say Danilov told police he attacked the senior citizen because she was black and an "easy target."

by Ashley Sakuma for MSNBC

For a time, little more than a few inches of space separated a delicate line between peace and chaos.

Protesters tested the limits of the invisible boundary Friday night, toeing dangerously close to the row of officers lined up to protect the police headquarters here. Warnings from law enforcement officials that they may soon begin arresting people were easily drowned out by music and chants from the thickening crowd. Photographers readied their cameras, waiting for something to pop as demonstrators on the front lines stared down their opponents, leaving little room to breathe.