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Equality Hurdles

About equality and intersectionality and the blindness to the factors that influence it. Illustration by Emanu

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"We must never be ashamed of our heritage. We must not be ashamed of the color of our skin. Black is as beautiful as any color and we must believe it.

And so every black person in this country must rise up and say I’m somebody; I have a rich proud and noble history, however painful and exploited it has been. I am black, but I am black and beautiful."

― Martin Luther King Jr

April 26, 1967 speech given at Glenville High School in Cleveland to an auditorium full of young, mostly black students.

📸 Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King family photos via Bernice A King on Instagram.

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In My Words : MARTIN LUTHER KING JR

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."

📸 Bettmann / Bettmann Archive.

King shaking hands with the crowd during the Freedom March on Washington, 1963.

"What is wrong in the world today is that the nations of the world are engaged in a bitter, colossal contest for supremacy."

📸 Frank Dandridge / Getty Images

King watches president Lyndon B. Johnson speak about the Selma to Montgomery March while in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.

"Even though it may be true that the law cannot change the heart, it can restrain the harvest. Even though it may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, it can restrain him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important also. And so while the law may not change the hearts of men, it can and it does change the habits of men. And when you begin to change the habits of men, pretty soon the attitudes will be changed."

📸 US National Archives and Records / Jordan J. Lloyd.

1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

"Don’t let anybody make you feel that you are nobody. Because the minute one feels that way, he is incapable of rising to his full maturity as a person. You know a lot of people have segregated minds and one of the first things that the Negro must do is to desegregate his mind."

📸 via Bernice A King on Instagram

“You know, a lot of people don’t love themselves. And they go through life with deep and haunting emotional conflicts. So the length of life means that you must love yourself. And you know what loving yourself also means? It means that you’ve got to accept yourself.”

📸 Flip Schulke / Flip Schulke Photography

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"Every single black person that you see is a walking miracle"

―Kiesha Garrison

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Zoe Saldaña wins first Golden Globe for her performance in Emilia Pérez | category: Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

“Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for celebrating our film and honoring the women of Emilia Pérez. This is the first time for me, and I’m just so blessed that I’m sharing this moment with Selena and Karla and Jacque and all of my fellow nominees. I’m in awe of you, your strength, your complexity, and your undeniable talent.”

― Zoe Saldaña

📸 via Zoe Saldaña on IG

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📷 via Beyonce.com

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📷 via Beyonce.com

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At the beginning of the year I made it a point to dedicate 2024 to reading & supporting more black writers. And I have to say it has been amazing! I discovered some wonderful stories. So with 2024 quickly wrapping up I thought I'd share some of my favorite reads of the year.

1. Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer world:

Raybearer

Tarisai, a young girl with the unique ability to glimpse the stories of others' lives through touch, grows up under the shadow of a magical wish imposed by her distant, absent mother. While she unravels the secrets of others, her own story remains a mystery yet to unfold.

Redemptor

For the first time in history, an Empress Redemptor rules from Aritsar’s throne. To quell the vengeful spirits of the dead, Tarisai must assemble her own council, embracing her full power as a Raybearer. Her ultimate test lies ahead: a journey into the Underworld, a selfless sacrifice to prevent future atrocities.

The Maid and The Crocodile

In the magic-infused capital of Oluwan, Small Sade is desperate for work—ideally as a maid for someone willing to overlook her unusual appearance and unlucky foot. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when she accidentally binds herself to the Crocodile, a formidable god infamous for devouring beautiful girls.

2. Ladarrion Williams / Blood at the Root

Debut novel

"A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical."

Book 2 titled Bones at the Crossroads will be released July 2025

3. Alyssa Cole thrillers:

When No One Is Watching

"Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she's known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community's past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block--her neighbor Theo."

One Of Us Knows

"The new caretaker of a historic estate finds herself trapped on an island with a murderer—and the ghosts of her past."

4. Akwaeke Emezi's Pet series:

Pet

Pet tells the story of Jam, a transgender teenager living in a society where adults have convinced themselves that monsters no longer exist.

Bitter

"A prequel to Emezi's Pet, Bitter tells the story of a Black teenage girl living in a city troubled by constant protests and violence."

5. Justina Ireland / Rust in the Root

"It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts. Laura disagrees..."

Another great read by Justina not read this year but too good not to mention is her Dread Nation series:

Dread Nation

Deathless Divide

6. Morgan Rogers / Honey Girl

Debut novel

A story of self-discovery, prioritizing mental health and recognizing the beauty of chosen family.

7. Tiffany D Jackson / The Weight of Blood

"Drawing inspiration from Stephen King’s Carrie, the novel features a biracial teenage girl with magical powers whose years of abuse from her father and bullying from her peers lead to disastrous consequences."

If Tiffany D. Jackson wrote it I'm going to read it , her books do not disappoint:

Allegedly

Monday's Not Coming

Let Me Hear A Rhyme

Grown

White Smoke

Blackout

Whiteout

8. Erin E. Adams / The Jackal

Debut novel

"A young Black girl vanishes in the woods on the outskirts of her predominantly white Rust Belt town. She isn’t the first to disappear—and she might not be the last"

9. S. A. Cosby / Razorblade Tears

"Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee are aging ex-cons living in rural Virginia. When their sons, a black and white couple with a baby daughter are brutally murdered, the two men team up and embark on a quest for revenge. As they try and track down their sons' killers, they also confront their own prejudices toward their sons and each other."

Other must reads by S. A. Cosby (read last year) :

All The Sinners Bleed

My Darkest Prayer

10. Tracy Deonn's Legendborn cycle:

Legendborn

"After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies & a secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down."

Bloodmarked

"It is the second book in The Legendborn Cycle series, and follows Bree as she discovers her ancestral power and becomes a Medium, Bloodcrafter, and Scion. Bree and her friends must go on the run to rescue Nick, the Legendborn boy she fell in love with."

Oathbound the 3rd book in the cycle will be released in March 2025

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ART IS...

Lorraine O’Grady was a pioneering American artist and critic, known for her groundbreaking work in conceptual art and performance, which often explored issues of race, gender, and cultural identity.

📷: Lelanie Foster for The New York Times

“That’s right. That’s what art is. WE’re the art!”

📷: Hassan Hajjaj for New York Magazine. Photo assistance by Martei Korley.

Born in 1934 to Caribbean immigrant parents, O’Grady emerged as a key figure in the 1980s art scene, challenging the exclusion of Black artists in mainstream art institutions.

In her iconic performance piece Mlle Bourgeoise (1980-83) Noire critiqued the lack of diversity in the art world,

while works like Art Is… celebrated the presence of art in everyday life and community.

O’Grady’s thought-provoking use of collage, photography, and text, along with her sharp critiques of society, established her as a vital voice in contemporary art, advocating for the visibility and recognition of Black women and marginalized communities.

“Frame ME, make ME art!”

📷: Hassan Hajjaj for New York Magazine. Photo assistance by Martei Korley

📷: Stefan Ruiz for The New Yorker

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and if ever i touched a life i hope that life knows

that i know that touching was and still is and will always

be the true

revolution

- excerpt from When I Die by Nikki Giovanni

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W O M A N

by Nikki Giovanni

she wanted to be a blade

of grass amid the fields

but he wouldn't agree

to be a dandelion

she wanted to be a robin singing

through the leaves

but he refused to be

her tree

she spun herself into a web

and    looking for a place to rest

turned to him

but he stood straight

declining to be her corner

she tried to be a book

but he wouldn't read

she turned herself into a bulb

but he wouldn't let her grow

she decided to become

a woman

and though he still refused

to be a man

she decided it was all

right

(📷 Portrait Of Nikki Giovanni by Jack Robinson)

Nikki Giovanni was a prominent American poet, writer, educator, and activist known for her powerful voice on issues of race, social justice, and personal identity. Born on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni gained prominence in the 1960s during the Black Arts Movement, a cultural and artistic extension of the Civil Rights Movement. Her work often addresses themes of African American heritage, empowerment, love, and the complexities of human relationships.

Giovanni's poetry collections, such as Black Feeling, Black Talk (1967), Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People (1973), and Love Poems (1997), showcase her lyrical style and unapologetic exploration of black pride and resilience. Beyond poetry, she has written essays, children’s books, and spoken word recordings, earning her multiple accolades, including Grammy and NAACP Image Award nominations.

As a professor at Virginia Tech, Giovanni has inspired countless students with her passion for literature and advocacy for self-expression. Her candid and dynamic personality made her an influential figure in contemporary American literature and culture.

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A Manifesto of Love : Womanhood

Let us be confident women who love our bodies unapologetically.

Ignore the “rules” imposed by society.

You don’t have to be a size 0 and you don’t require curves to be and feel beautiful– remember they’re our bodies, our rules.

Let us pledge to love our bodies as they are, because the sizes of our tummies, hips, bottoms and thighs do not define who we are as human beings.

That number on the scale, it only measures mass. It doesn’t capture our souls. The scale doesn’t know how smart, sassy, caring and simply spectacular we all are.

And, my lovelies, believe me when I say “we are ALL absolutely spectacular”.

Let us be nurturing women who uplift other women.

Encourage, inspire and nourish the dreams and hopes of other women.

We don’t have to be in competition.

We can succeed without feeding into the mentality that only one of us can shine at a time.

Let us obliterate those glass ceilings together.

Let us be warrior women who fight for the rights of those who can’t fight for themselves.

Let us be passionate about making this world better for the generations of young women and little girls to follow.

Let us stop slut shaming, victim blaming, body size bullying

and any other form of victimization that says “you’re not worthy”, “you’re not good enough.”

Because they are all lies.

Our sex does not make us weak or lesser human beings.

Let us be a voice, a shout, a thunderous cry for all the women in the world trying to get an education, trying to claim their basic rights and respect in a world that deems them unworthy and disposable just because they are female.

Let us not forget that this struggle also includes our sisterhood in the LGBTQiA+ community. Because this fight is for all women, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth.

Let us be indestructible women that serve as beacons of light and love in a world filled with chaos.

And let us never forget the words of Audre Lorde:

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

― Zadry Ferrer-Geddes , "A Manifesto of Love: Womanhood"

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M. Tony Peralta "Latino Pop Art"

Celia Con Rolos

La Lupe Con Rolos

M.Tony Peralta’s Celia con Rolos (part of his "Rolos & Icons" series) becomes a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum in D.C.

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“…this goes out to all those black and brown boys and girls and non-gender conforming who don’t see themselves, we are trying to show you, you and us, so thank you, thank you, this is for you.“

― Tarell Alvin McCraney

Tarell Alvin McCraney is an American playwright and actor. He is the incoming chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama, effective July 1, 2017. He is also a member of Teo Castellanos/ D Projects Theater Company in Miami and in 2008 became RSC/Warwick International Playwright in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In April 2010, McCraney became the 43rd member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble.

He co-wrote the 2016 film Moonlight, based on his own play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, for which he received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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And Still I Rise

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.

― Maya Angelou, And Still I Rise

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Why do we dance?

African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric demonstration, packed with live performances, choreographer, educator and TED Fellow Camille A. Brown explores what happens when communities let loose and express themselves by dancing together.

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TED Talks | Empowering Women

em·pow·er verb \im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r\ : to give power to (someone) : to promote the self-actualization or influence of

In honor of Women’s History Month here are some of my favorite TED Talks on female empowerment. I hope you allow the voices of these phenomenal women to educate, uplift, and inspire you.

1. Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls

Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee has two powerful stories to tell — of her own life’s transformation, and of the untapped potential of girls around the world. Can we transform the world by unlocking the greatness of girls?  (via Ted.com)

2. We should all be feminists: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at TEDxEuston

“We teach girls shame. “Close your legs. Cover yourself.” We make them feel as though being born female they’re already guilty of something. And so, girls grow up to be women who cannot say they have desire. They grow up to be women who silence themselves. They grow up to be women who cannot say what they truly think. And they grow up — and this is the worst thing we do to girls — they grow up to be women who have turned pretense into an art form.”  (excerpt from talk)

3. Manal al-Sharif: A Saudi woman who dared to drive

There’s no actual law against women driving in Saudi Arabia. But it’s forbidden. Two years ago, Manal al-Sharif decided to encourage women to drive by doing so — and filming herself for YouTube. Hear her story of what happened next. (via Ted.com)

4. Kakenya Ntaiya: A girl who demanded school

Kakenya Ntaiya made a deal with her father: She would undergo the traditional Maasai rite of passage of female circumcision if he would let her go to high school. Ntaiya tells the fearless story of continuing on to college, and of working with her village elders to build a school for girls in her community. It’s the educational journey of one that altered the destiny of 125 young women. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.) (via Ted.com)

5. Make Your Own Runway, Define Your Own Beauty | Patrice (Afrobella) Grell Yursik at TEDxPortofSpain

Patrice Grell Yursik is the founder of Afrobella®. According to some, she's the Godmother of Brown Beauty Blogging. Trinidadian-born writer Patrice Grell Yursik created Afrobella.com in 2006, to fill a void and to celebrate the inner and outer beauty of women all shades of beautiful. Her popular, award-winning blog shines a loving light on natural hair and the wonderfully wide range of gorgeous skin tones and sizes women come in.