by Veronica Maria Brown-Comegys

When I was 10 years-old, a white man parked his truck in the alley behind our apartment building. He grabbed my four-year-old neighbor, Cynthia, who was in the backyard. In the vehicle, he demanded that the child perform oral sex. Her screams alerted the adults. The man shoved Cynthia from the vehicle and fled.

The Carefree Black Girl movement has taken the world by storm over the last two years. We’ve seen selfie tags, gifs, and memes go viral of Black girls dancing, Black girls laughing, Black girls rocking pastel colored hair, Black girls as mermaids and unicorns, Black girls with flowers in or around their hair, and Black girls squad deep carefree-ing. It’s safe to say that the definition of a Carefree Black Girl is the freedom and enthusiasm of existing lightheartedly as a Black girl in a world constantly seeking to destroy you. It is the cherishing of the ethereal and simplistic moments that often go underrepresented for Black girls.

By Jada Jefferson

It’s about 10:15 on a Tuesday night. While the majority of my Facebook timeline is going in on how great the season finale of Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots was, I come across a post of one of my followers that read, “This #ShoutYourAbortion campaign is making me sick.” I, being the inquisitive self-proclaimed feminist that I am, decided to click on the hashtag to see what the fuss is about.

By Hilary Christian

Funnyman Chris Rock once said in an interview that men dressed in drag is one of the oldest tricks in the book to get a laugh. Comedians and actors alike have donned dresses and wigs in movies and television shows, raking in millions, largely at the expense of women. Lately, however, there have been more and more comedians on social media using cross dressing as a way to get a laugh, but unfortunately it is at the expense of Black women. While their Instagram pages have garnered quite a following, their portrayals paint Black women as angry or unfeminine, thus fueling the negative stereotypes of Black women in the general media.

By Kiesha Bowles

My name is Kiesha Bowles. I’m a wife, a mother, a writer, and a creator. I’d also like to call myself an activist although more often than not I feel like my voice isn’t heard.

By Dr. Lexx Brown-James

The premier of T.G.I.T. did not disappoint with Shonda Rhimes capturing us yet again with the romance, drama, and suspense built into ShondaLand. Shonda knows how to deliver and we were not disappointed.

By Nneka M. Okona

Two years ago I was preparing for the greatest trek to end all treks: a transcontinental move from the Deep South to Madrid, Spain. Although there were a myriad of things I could’ve been preoccupied with — making sure my Spanish was up to par, dealing with three new roommates, navigating a huge, sprawling city by public transportation I wasn’t familiar with, making new friends — I was consumed with one thing: my stuff.

by Kaila Boulware

Slavery was the single greatest atrocity of the African race. It was the premeditated attack, kidnapping and torture of African people, an invasion with only two goals in mind: to either enslave us physically and psychologically, or to kill us. Millions of our strongest and smartest African women and men were ripped from the continent, and forced into servitude. Slavery is the only reason why there are African people in America today. But white people continue to undermine and dilute the systemic consequences of slavery by pretending like slavery “wasn’t that bad,” or like it didn’t happen at all.

by Joséphine Kabambi

It's September and Pope Francis has recently arrived in the United States. Between the Secret Service’s Pope blockade in Philadelphia’s Center City, confusion and frustration about SEPTA transportation service, and the growing appeal of skipping town altogether, the Pope's visit to Philadelphia has certainly given us much to talk about. But as a Christian and dedicated Pope watcher working at an abortion access organization in Philadelphia, I can't help but notice that the Pope's visit coincides almost exactly with the 39th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, a federal legislative provision voted on yearly which denies low-income women coverage for abortion. Although Pope Francis himself has maintained an anti-abortion stance, his calls to challenge systems of oppression that perpetuate economic inequality have felt both refreshing and relevant to my work.

By J.Q. Hendrickson

Black. African-American. Female. Woman. Male. #TeamLightskin. #TeamDarkskin. Mixed. Other.

by Leah C.K. Lewis

Irving, TX, teen Ahmed Mohamed was taken out of school in handcuffs and suspended for three days after bringing his homemade invention, a clock, to show his teachers. While his treatment displays Islamophobia, his arrest is reminiscent of the insanity of Kiera Wilmot’s experience when the then 16-year-old’s biology project prompted her arrested. Kiera faced felony charges, a conviction, and a 10-day suspension.

By Briana Perry

With the upcoming rally in D.C. to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March, Minister Louis Farrakhan has been quite visible in the media lately. He has been featured on a variety of talk shows in the past few months and has done a series of public speaking engagements including one in Memphis, Tenn., on August 20th. In his speeches, Farrakhan has vehemently spoken out against the plight of people of color, focusing on police brutality and the Charleston massacre. Farrakhan is attempting to mobilize individuals nationwide to gather in D.C. this October and demand "Justice or Else."

By Anna Gibson

News anchor Angela Green was recently in the spotlight because of a video she posted on her Facebook page. In it, Green gives her personal advice to an intern with blond curly hair. She suggests that the intern was told that her hair was too “distracting” and “unprofessional.” In response to this, Green suggested that the intern straighten her hair just this once for a school assignment to please everyone involved.

by Crystal Tennille Irby

There she was, Miss America. She was intelligent. She was talented. She was beautiful. And she was Black. In 1983, Vanessa Williams became the first Black woman to hold the title of Miss America. Rooms fell silent at the sight of her on television. It was not only a proud moment in Black history but also a momentous moment in American history.

by LaVonya Bennett

I have always tried to share my perspective of growing up as one of the first black families in my neighborhood, being removed from private school because of the negative experiences around race, and living with the loss of a brother at the hands of cops. In sharing these experiences, whether solicited or not, I often received the quick response of being a race baiter, focusing too much on my differences, or giving too much power to my experiences. I don’t understand how I am race baiting or perpetuating hate by sharing insights of my life on a daily basis. These systems of oppression have never been addressed systematically so we’re allowed to live and thrive behind a mask of religion, politics, work ethic, education, and access. I challenge that.

by Diana Veiga

Acclaimed author (and Black woman oracle) Toni Morrison once said that Black women are the original girlfriends. “Black women have always been friends. I mean, if you didn’t have each other you had nothing,” Morrison said in a conversation with Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni for Essence.

By Ericka Wilkins

At my age, having never been married nor birthed children, it’s easy to dry up into the stereotype of a Mammy or a Sapphire. Both identities originate in slavery, created from a desire to suck the humanity out of Black women and to minimize us into persons whose sole purpose of existing was to be of service to others. Both of these images require Black women to forget that we deserve to be soft, tender and loved, along with our strong, resilient and caring edges, in an effort to lessen the lifestyles that we deserve.

Ever feel like you are everything to everyone, and that you are good at it, but “damn” you get tired? Among close-knit circles, I jokingly talk about this as the need to “grow another set of boobs” so that I can nurture more babies. Corporate women may experience this when they agree to mentor yet another promising young Black career person, while stifling the fact that they barely have time to nurture their own careers. Another example of this can be found among women who are leaders in their churches, serving on numerous ministries, and somehow still find time to serve the needs of family and friends. For a single woman, being identified as a “mammy” in our communities is likely met with appreciation and reverence. And it’s fucking exhausting.


Living a life primarily in the service of others, while reaping very little return benefit, can be spiritually draining. Pouring into others while feeling like your own cup is not being poured into, can exhaust women with even the greatest emotional endurance. The hopeful mentee, who you once greeted with excitement, is now viewed as a needy succubus who drains you emotionally. And if they spend another moment in your office they might literally start draining your bank account, as you spend so much time with them that you don’t have time to work towards your own lucrative promotion. The church folks who you used to joyfully serve become people for whom you issue daily prayers. Asking God to be a covering over your mouth because if these people start mess one more time…

If the mammy is the nurturer or self-sacrificial caretaker, then the Sapphire is the person who is tough enough to handle any of life’s challenges. The Sapphire is the woman who is strong enough to financially support her family members while handling all of her own financial responsibility. She has a guarded “no-nonsense,” “I came in this world alone and I’m going to die alone,” “all men cheat,” “I don’t need a man for anything” persona because guess what? This is key to her very survival in the midst of a world that sharpens Black women’s soft edges by treating us as if we can handle anything, are less than too many things and believes that we are more durable than most. Like pack horses.


The thing about a pack horse, or any other animal that is used for carrying items, is that I’ve often wondered if they have moods. Like, after years of carrying things around, doesn’t it make sense for them to be pretty pissed off and tired most of the time? Pack horses don’t have a choice. They just have to lug more and more stuff around until eventually they are too old to do anything other than wait to die.

Black women are different. Despite living in a reality where there are often good reasons for us to don a “SuperNegress” cape, it is necessary for us to begin a journey of how to refill the same spiritual, emotional and mental reserves that we use to help sustain our villages of family and friends. As such, it is time for Black women to begin exploring how to get back what we give.

Photo: Shutterstock

Dr. Erica Wilkins is a licensed marriage and family therapist who works with individuals, couples and families in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. She has researched the residual effects of slavery and clinical implications for therapeutic practitioners. Dr. Wilkins has received numerous awards and is a published author who has presented locally, nationally, and internationally.

By Freda Grant

In mid-September, a 24-year-old woman and her one-month old-infant along with one other person was shot in an Alabama church. The victim and her assailant were in the middle of custody dispute over the baby. It has also been reported that the couple had a history of domestic violence. Earlier last week, director Lee Daniels tried to use the race card to defend Terrence Howard from media backlash concerning Howard’s repeatedly beating his wives. Less than a month ago, Dr. Dre publically apologized to the “women he hurt” and blamed his abusive actions on being in his 20’s and drinking although his recent album is jampacked with misogyny and references to violence against women.

By Anna Gibson

I think everyone remembered where they were when 9/11 happened. I was in 6th grade in a classroom watching the look on my teacher’s face as she looked at the tube TV hanging from the ceiling. Then, all of a sudden, the cars came. The school was supposed to be on lockdown, but children were being pulled out of class left and right. No one could believe what was happening. Eventually, that fear turned into anger.

by Kimberly Denise Williams

Before recognizing Grace Jones’ talent, you are first struck by her appearance. The smooth dark skin coupled with androgynous style is not one often portrayed and glorified in mainstream media. It was her looks that helped catapult her into early success as a model, where she walked in shows for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and appeared on covers of publications like Essence, Vogue Italia, and Elle. She translated her success as a model into music and acting, while leaving an indelible stamp on the art world. Her memoir, entitled I’ll Never Write My Memoirs is an unabashed celebration of her life and a lesson for those coming up. It also serves as a reminder that women can create their own visions for themselves, own their stories, and should stand confidently and unapologetically in their grace.

By Altheria Gaston

On August 17, 2015, protesters began a hunger strike in response to the closing of the last open-enrollment public high school in Chicago Public Schools. The school board decided on June 2015 to close Dyett High School, a mostly Black high school located on Chicago’s South Side. The board then decided, in early September, to reopen the high school as an arts high school, against protesters’ desires for the high school to have a global leadership and green technology theme, a focus that would equip students with more marketable skills. The protesters determined to not eat, even if it costs them their lives, until their requests are met. The strike ended on September 19.

By Gina Torres

Nicole Arbour’s unfortunate and unfunny viral video Dear Fat People has angered the Gods of the Interwebs. In the video she makes fun of overweight people. She taunts them, convinced that she is immune to repercussions. After all they can’t catch her...right? Sigh. I am certain the dragging she has endured on social media wasn’t worth it.

By Cinnamon Williams

“What does that liberatory sexuality look like? I mean, let me theorize that it may very well be that celibacy is the face of that liberatory sexuality.” -bell hooks

Robin Barkins is HIV positive and living well. That's the message she made sure to communicate to me during our conversation about how she lives with the disease. Diagnosed at 14, Robin's path to becoming an advocate was a long one. But she's overcome familial abuse and personal denial to become a strong voice for HIV prevention.

By Nayja A. Williams

Friend: noun, a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

It is back-to-school season. I have my classes set and all my books are on the way from Amazon. When I tell people that I’m pursuing an M.Div., they look at me like they’re confused. To be honest, I’m confused too! I don’t know how I got here, how I learned this was the path I wanted to explore, or why I left a full-time teaching job with benefits and brilliant children for part-time hustles and french toast dinners. And with two parents who are wonderful pastors, I find myself side-eyeing… myself. I knew better. I knew I was signing myself up for some difficult conversations with friends and angry early morning prayers with God. Yet here I am. A second year seminary student.

by Leah C.K. Lewis

Some time ago, I was pondering this question: Do people of color unknowingly support entertainers who are bigots? We must, right? Unless an actor reveals his or her political views explicitly, we do not have a clue where they stand on racial issues.

by Jennifer Arnise Carter

I still remember feeling him hook the inside of his huge forearm around my neck and pile-drive me to the bed. I landed so hard the impact made both of my Etienne Aigner sandals fly off and hit the wall on the other side of the bedroom. I was only 17 years old and I was being raped by the first of two men who would change my life forever.

by Jessica Sims

When someone becomes a parent they are essentially on their own. Society tells us that those maternal instincts kick in automatically, however that is not true for everyone.

By Jaimee A. Swift

When I read Ms. Zipporah Gene’s article on how she felt that Black Americans need to stop culturally appropriating African culture, it struck more than a nerve – it actually brought me back to an interesting time where I battled with what seemed to be a missing part of myself.

By Nneka M. Okona

Zora Neale Hurston, the foremother of Black women’s literature, so eloquently penned that Black women were “de mule uh de world” and even many, many years later, we can see how this statement still rings true. Black women are seen as the pillars of strength in nearly every circle we comprise. We are the backbones of our families, the shoulder always called upon to cry on. We are supposed to readily perform strength, on demand, no matter what our emotional or mental state.

By Anna Gibson

The number of Black women who die in police custody continues to climb. A video was recently released of 37-year-old Natasha McKenna, who died in police custody in early February of 2015. McKenna had suffered from schizophrenia since she was a teenager and was having an episode in prison. The 45-minute video shows her staggering out of her cell, completely naked and clearly confused as a group of fully armed men, in hazmat suits and shields, pull her to the ground. They then proceeded to administer 5000 volts to her 5’3, 160 lb. frame. She was later pulled off of life support, and the cause of her death was listed as “agitated excitation.”

By Johni Cruse Craig, Ed.D.

The ability to obtain a quality education is the great equalizer; a quality education remains the civil rights issue of our generation. While our public school systems are becoming re-segregated and more diverse, many of today’s public school students face steep odds to thriving and achieving in school, especially those schools in underserved and low-income communities. Often, students that are a part of this community are students of color – Latino and African American. Conversely, at an early age, they are often saddled with the label of being “at risk” for academic and social-emotional failure.

by Moiyattu Banya

One evening I struggled to put together my lecture for the following day’s class, and I couldn’t figure out why I was so conflicted. My teaching was supposed to focus on women’s health and reproductive rights, but I struggled with what my key points and messaging should be. I reflected on why it was so hard to get the words to come out right on the PowerPoint slides. Every other lecture had been easy, but this one on sexual health and reproductive rights in the United States came with struggle. I simply couldn’t get the words out. I stopped, took a break and asked myself what main points I wanted my students to walk away with.

By Margo Jefferson for The Cut

In her latest book, the Pulitzer Prize–winning critic Margo Jefferson offers a new definition of "Negroland." “Negroland is my name for a small region of Negro America where residents were sheltered by a certain amount of privilege and plenty,” she writes in the introduction to her new memoir. Chronicling her affluent upbringing in Chicago, which hits shelves September 8, Negroland is a sharp reflection on the intersection of race and class in mid-century America.

“Who is Sandra Bland?” was spray painted on the confederate monument, affectionately called ‘Silent Sam’, that watches over the entrance to north campus at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. On a regular day thousands of people walk past the monument and for the two hours that I sat and stared at the sloppy words that marked the sides I noticed they all had one thing in common, no one had an answer to the question that was posed.

By Amma Appiah

I am a first generation American from Ghana. I recently visited my parents in Ghana and I decided to vlog (video record) my twelve-day trip. In one of the vlogs I uploaded to YouTube, I was showing some of the cloth I had just purchased from the market. I mispronounced the name of one of the cloths and a fellow Ghanaian made sure to criticize me for it. He said:

By Jallicia Jolly

The recent murders of Black women have finally begun to center discussions on the lives and conditions of Black women in the United States. The exposure of the calculated, violent assaults on their humanity has shed light on a critical observation: Black women’s bodies are used as a terrain to work out contested notions about sexuality, motherhood, and womanhood.

By Laina Dawes

I learned a very valuable lesson about the power of an image a couple of weeks ago when Twitter handed me my ass on a platter. As the dissenting voice on a panel discussing Janet Jackson (who, after a four-year hiatus and declining record sales, released a new single and is set to embark on an international tour next year), longtime fans came after me for openly questioning her relevancy. Could she remain as important as she was during her heyday (1990-2004) among the current throng of pop stars?

by Altheria Gaston

On Tuesday night, September 8, 2015, I was among millions of people across the world tuned-in to ESPN to watch the U.S. Open Quarterfinal competition featuring two iconic players—Venus Williams and Serena Williams. In Fortune’s "Can Venus and Serena Williams Save Tennis Ratings?" Mary Pilon noted that the match was the second most watched tennis broadcast in ESPN history. Tickets to the match, held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium by capacity (22,547), were sold-out. And Twitter was on fire with tweets about Venus and Serena—150,000 tweets about Venus and over 190,000 about Serena.

by Glenis Redmond

I woke one Friday Morning with no idea that a path would lead me to Winston Salem, North Carolina. Even though at the beginning of the week, I had read the announcement about Maya Angelou’s Estate Sale, my first thought was not to attend. Even when the night before I offhandedly asked my twin daughters, Amber and Celeste, if I should go they both shouted in unison a resounding, yes.

By Torie Weiston-Serdan

While the Ferguson's, Baltimore's, Cleveland's, New York's, Charleston's and Houston’s continue to capture our attention, let's not forget that the issues plaguing these communities have an impact on the youth living there even after all of the media attention goes away. Educational researchers have long been sharing important information about the demographic makeup of Ferguson schools and schools like them, as well as the trauma associated with such dramatic events for the youth who have had to live at the center of abundant state violence, on several fronts. Furthermore, it is strikingly clear that standard indicators of racial segregation, poverty and negative interactions with the law have been plaguing these communities long before America’s gaze, and the young people growing up in these communities have been exposed to these issues for their entire lives.

By Nakia Brown

*I am a Black woman in Baltimore, Maryland. When I am using us, we, or our, I am speaking as a member of the greater collective of people of the African Diaspora in America.

by Atima Omara

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be driving long distances by yourself,” said my husband.

By Jaimee A. Swift

With our current state of affairs, the mental, emotional and even physical fatigue that is ignited by the onslaught of racism, racialized gender violence, sexism and other harrowing issues can be utterly overwhelming. Although it is important to engaged and conscious to the horrific events and news occurring in our world, it is equally important to maintain our peace, manage our self-care and to continuously manifest our Black Joy.

by Kimberly Foster (@KimberlyNFoster)

Janelle Monáe is a decidedly political artist. She’s the kind of creative voice we need. Someone whose work helps you make sense of yourself and the times. What sets her apart is not a willingness to speak but an ability to deliver multilayered analysis of complicated social issues. Since her mixtape days, she has, sonically, lyrically, and aesthetically articulated a vision for liberation.

By Britta Floyd

I’m writing this post from Switzerland. Upon arrival, my hotel had champagne waiting for us in the lobby and my crew did a toast with me to celebrate such a surreal journey. I spent the day boating and wandering around Zurich, one of many European cities that I’ve had to the pleasure to experience. I sit in my room at the end of the day with tired feet and my things sprawled all over my ultra trendy room with blackout curtains; these are the things I’ve learned to appreciate. I sit there alone having just spent the day walking around with a complete stranger that I may never see again. I relive the view of the Alps from a Zurich river, window shopping on Bahnhofstrasse and searching for the perfect shot to post on my Instagram.

By Shannon M. Houston for Salon

I’ve never liked the word “revolution.” It brings to mind the act of going around in a circle. Or, as a friend of mine used to say, it’s exactly the thing to do if one wants to end up right back where you started. For that reason, I hope what’s happening in America right now is not, exactly, revolutionary.

 The weight that a single word can carry is thrilling, and sometimes terrifying. Literature lovers—even non-believers—can’t help but get a tingle of delight at the start of the Book of John: “In the beginning was the Word…” Forget Adam and Eve, the Heavens and the Earth—for some of us, language is the genesis and the revelation, and the words we use are, for that reason, never arbitrary. This is especially true for the words we use to describe a movement, or words used to self-identify. “Feminist” is one of those words that carries a lot of weight, but it’s almost laughable how so many people—especially women—are repelled by it. In a recent interview with Vulture, the great Emma Thompson broke it down like this:

By Yovanka Paquete Perdigao

I have been quite slow to think and react about the migrant crisis affecting Europe. I am a Black woman living in London with many privileges, more preoccupied with my life’s problems such as where to go to party for Notting Hill Carnival, a job, boyfriends, crap TV, friends’ skirmishes, etc. Living in a life relatively free of worries on security, food, and a home has meant that in the whirlwind of life I forget myself.

In our activism and revolutionary self-reflection, we rarely talk about the growing pains of wanting liberation, how to get that liberation, and what we need to survive on the way to seeking that liberation. Historically, we’ve seen the Black Power Movement infiltrated, divided, and hindered by CointelPro, white supremacist tools (money and power), and unchecked egos. But when can we, individually and collectively, step back and address our personal motivations within Black liberation and recognize how we may be attributing to our movement not moving forward?

It's imperative to recognize that we can be contributors and perpetuators of tools and facets of white supremacy. And that’s some hard shit to swallow. Point. Blank. Period. As Black folks, it’s not our fault that we are oppressed, violated, murdered, and erased. We only have so much control over our lives and our trajectory but we have to recognize that the allure of money, power, and access is a hell of a white supremacist drug.
We all want money to be comfortable, to look good, to be happy, and to create a better living situation for families that we’ve never been able to experience. We all want power because some of us have never had the agency to be seen as powerful or worthy. Unfortunately, some of us want power to challenge systems that oppress us but also want to recreate those systems in other ways through privileges we have yet to check. We all want access because we’ve been systematically, interpersonally, and internally denied access to health care, education, food, clean and safe environments, body autonomy and choice, and/or emotional well-being.

But how do we decolonize our need to have these things, especially when they’re offered to us as an illusion by white supremacist agents? There are activists with large followings and name brands (generally folks with a lot of privilege – gender, sexuality, presentation, education, etc.) that get opportunities to get jobs, speaking engagements, media coverage, and invitations to events. And a lot of those same forerunners within the Black Lives Matter Movement* (not the organization) are folks who happen to be opportunists and focused on infiltrating a system while trying to benefit from it financially, representationally, and/ or egotistically.

At what point can these representational leaders be checked and accountable for their behavior? When can we have honest conversations with these same folks that are given platforms to discuss Black Liberation but refuse to listen to the same folks they represent? When can we talk about who is chosen to keep having these conversations for us? When will we know the true motives of the folks who get the most representation and platform? How do we also check the folks that are within our personal networks when there’s no audience to watch, no Twitter screenshots, and just internalized pain within our smaller communities?

Is it about access to liberation and if we know we can change the world? Do we fall victim to the idea that freedom is impossible to access within our lifetime? Do we try to navigate the system without challenging it more because we don't think we can ever do enough? Are some of us thinking we can exploit a system while also benefiting from it financially because we can't destroy it now anyways? Are we more caught up in opportunity and money than we are with true liberation because it’s easier? And can we even admit it when we are?

These same components of white supremacist capitalism – money, power, respect, access, opportunity – that we seek to gain are the same systems that violate us. Phantoms of white supremacy can and do exist within our activist work and our internal struggle. It revolves around our personal accountability and our private and interpersonal behaviors affecting our liberation and our community building. And it's hard to separate what we need, what we want, and what's necessary to get everyone liberated while still giving ourselves/folks the capacity to be complicated.

Ask yourself:

1. Do you truly believe liberation is possible? 
2. What power structure do you want to see if you choose to dismantle our current systems? 
3. What role do you want to play in dismantling this system and what role do you want to play within the new system? What form of power is required within these chosen roles?
4. What are you willing give up to dismantle oppressive power structures?
5. Do you truly understand that decolonization starts internally? Are you willing to be vulnerable and accountable enough to recognize your own interpersonal/internalized oppressive behavior? Are you willing to resolve and move forward from those behaviors and thoughts because we need each other?

Addressing how our activism, ego/human nature, and white supremacist systems all coincide when we discuss how to go about true liberation. And really, what is true liberation? Could you imagine a world rid of white supremacist patriarchal and capitalistic power, which in turn meant that it would eliminate gender roles/expectations, misogyny, transphobia, queerphobia, ableism, fatphobia, colorism, anti-Blackness, and classism? Is it possible to make liberation a reality without destroying everything we know? Do we honestly believe that violence, destruction, and reconstruction are not a part of the implementation of liberation? We cannot lend ourselves to our oppressor's moral conscious if they do not have one. Therefore we HAVE to understand that we will never be liberated without physical, emotional, structural, theoretical, and internal destruction of the society and anti-Black systems we currently know. We have to believe and trust that liberation is always possible regardless of how figurative it sounds. We will win. But in the words of Lauryn Hill, “How you gon’ win if you ain’t right within?”
We have to start the conversation(s) about where the Black Lives Matter Movement* (not the organization) is going and how we can address these realities that have been present historically within Black liberation tactics and efforts. It is imperative that we self-reflect to get free. It is imperative that we can effectively address these issues within our social circles, families, activist networks, and with our community to get liberated. In the words of the powerful Assata Shakur: We have nothing to lose but our chains.

*Black Lives Matter Movement refers to the present overall Black liberation effort. This is not to be conflated with the specific Black Lives Matter organization or its chapters but rather to recognize that our holistic efforts to get free have been justifiably and erroneously inserted under an umbrella term of ‘Black Lives Matter’ (to reflect the revolutionary hashtag #blacklivesmatter created by the founders of the Black Lives Matter organization). It has made it confusing to decipher between who’s associated with specific Black activist organizations (i.e. BYP, MAU, Dream Defenders, Million Hoodies, etc.) versus who’s associated with general Black liberation, but my references are specific to the movement overall and not towards any specific chapter or organization.

Photo: cdrin/Shutterstock