Category: #BlackwomenLead

BTSD: Black-American Traumatic Stress Disorder

Celestial Holmes

I am suffering from Black-American Traumatic Stress Disorder. No, I didn’t mean Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You can’t label an event “post” when it is continually happening. BTSD is not a diagnosable disorder, meaning it has not been validated by any governing body of psychological medical conditions. While I did make it up, this is me searching for a label to describe how I feel with every triggering reminder that Black people are still oppressed in this country. There have been several reminders in the last two weeks: the new…

The Criminalization of the Invisible Black Woman

BWNC Blog

By: Zakiya Sankara-Jabar On Feb. 11, Shaina Bell, 24, went to her job at Little Caesars, down the street from the motel she and her three children stayed at in Ohio. Bell left her children, the oldest 9 years old, in the room, and later that night, she was arrested. The charge against Bell was two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment. If you ask me, the real crime Bell was arrested for was being a Black, working-poor woman in America. Americans like Bell are being forced to work in a…

Gloria “Wish a MF Would” Richardson is Black History

lmclemore23

Hayes. Gloria Hayes Richardson is her name. And it’s a name we already know, or should know. But the images of her staring down the National Guard, as they point rifles in the direction of her and her colleagues, begets a cornucopia of pettiness. Petty that is so petty, I’m forced to legally change her name. Because, you see, she lives by a different creed than me. Whenever I face down the barrel of white supremacy either figuratively, or in Gloria’s case, literally, I HOPE everything turns out ok. I…

Stacey Abrams Took The Bag and Ran With It

lmclemore23

John Lewis knew Black equity couldn’t be obtained without the power to vote. Something so precious must be important, right? Or else why would white folks continue to try to take it away? Because when portions of this country began restricting voting rights (again), black folks kind of all say to themselves, at the exact same time… “Hmm, that’s odd.” John Lewis, my parents, your grandmomma, they all tried to warn us. Our ancestors always warn us when trouble is afoot. They warn us because, clearly, they love us more…