Author: Awa Diop
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A Call Home: “Black Girl, Call Home”
Jasmine Mans’s poetry book Black Girl, Call Home was published this past March. The poetry collection explores concepts of femininity, sexuality, race, police and gun violence, religion, and much more, through powerful storytelling and imagery. Jasmin Mans is a Black and lesbian poet native to Newark, New Jersey. She recalls many of her childhood memories […]
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What It Means to Navigate Two Different Worlds as a First-Gen American
A people hold among them culture, tradition and a particular way of life. Different countries hold different national values. When your parents originated and discovered themselves in a world quite different from the one you are discovering yourself in, disagreements about how to navigate the world are bound to arise. I cannot retell a story […]
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Love Your Past, Embarrassing and All
There is a great emphasis on change as we grow into young adults; adapting to changing surroundings, friendships, priorities and ultimately changing selves. Yet, I rarely hear of loving our past selves who are not actually fully abandoned as we “grow-up.” They are still foundations for our new beings, so why can’t we celebrate and […]
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How Reality Court Shows Exploit Black Communities
As I got ready for school, dramatic TV-court shows like Paternity Court and Divorce Court, or “chat” shows like Maury served as background noise. Yet, these shows display and, quite frankly, exploit problems that are anything but in the background of Black communities. As I watch the shows for the dramatism that makes them entertaining, […]
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No, Black Women Are Not “Bitter” About Your Interracial Relationship
A Black boy on Tik Tok writes, “No hate but everytime I say I like white women, Black women always say to me ‘coon,’ ‘no taste,’ ‘go with those slave masters.’ But if I say I like Black women, white girls just say ‘oh ok.’” The problematic notion that Black women are bitterly defensive when […]
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Use Your Love Language on You
When the weight of the world burdens your shoulders, sometimes it’s most revolutionary to love yourself. Finding consistent meaningful ways to reward your existence, can ground your mental and physical presence while strengthening your relation to self. We don’t always need a grand reason to celebrate, wanting to be happy for the hell of it […]
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Impostor Syndrome: Exploring The Phenomenon That Contributes To Black Women’s Feelings of Inadequacy
If you ever felt like your success wasn’t yours to rightfully claim, you’ve probably experienced imposter syndrome. Discovered by psychologists Pauline Clanes and Suzanne Imes in 1978, imposter syndrome, or the imposter phenomenon, is the belief that your achievements are solely due to luck. You dismiss the contribution of your skills and qualifications. Clane later […]
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A Black Woman’s Pressure to Succeed Is Not About Her
The success of Black women exists as an entity beyond our personal achievements. The pressure of opening new doors for all women who look like you creates an unhealthy resistance to failure. Black women are often the first, or one of a few, learning to navigate spaces that were not systematically designed for their advancement. […]
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Hair Series: Embracing the Afro
Afros surged in the 60s and 70s during the Civil Rights Movement as a means to fully embrace Black beauty and power without European standards. As a consequence etched from slavery, afros have been derogatorily labeled as “nappy” and “untamed” for centuries. I’ve heard those very same words for most of my life. Black is […]
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Hesitation to Commit: Romance Edition
You are talking to someone for a couple of weeks. They slowly grow on you, to the point you might even like them (but that part you would never admit). Now, they’ve asked you out. You laugh and exit the message. If it’s THAT day, you might just clear it altogether. Whatever the case is, […]
dear dark skinned girl 