Can you imagine not eating on Thanksgiving Day? What if your decision to remain hungry could build a school for your community? A cause just might be worth avoiding the macaroni and cheese, turkey, dressing, peach cobbler, and greens smothered in meat fats. Twenty-four years ago, a hunger strike led by a concerned Chicago coalition forced politicians to listen and build a new high school. It wasn’t November when the students, parents, activists, and grandparents decided to st

Today is Halloween. It’s scary to imagine the ghosts that have surrounded us since birth. I’m not referencing zombies, flying spirits, or the vampires responsible for childhood nightmares. The ghosts of white supremacy, patriarchy, and religious hypocrisy are real. Emile Suotonye DeWeaver’s book, Ghost in the Criminal Justice System: Reform, White Supremacy, and an Abolitionist Future , is a game-changer. Each chapter challenges common perceptions of structural oppression and

Last weekend, a capoeira comrade invited me to a “No Kings” protest. While I appreciated the invitation, I declined and instead spent time with my parents during their short visit to a nearby town. I settled for honking the horn to encourage a group of protestors marching down the street. While I’m aware that presence offers the best present to help others engaged in the struggle, I am hopeful this post and subsequent writings add to the protestors’ calls for social justice,

Stars The Umoja team inhaled and exhaled. We sat in plush seats on a black minibus behind tinted windows, like superstars of African-centered diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging initiatives. The bus’s vents circulated a mixture of Egyptian musk, incense, perfumes, air conditioning, and positive vibes. We pulled away from the curb at 8:45 AM on a mission. At the stop sign on the corner of 7 th  Street in Sacramento, our driver turned right. We entered th

I never met you, but something tells me I knew something about you. In undergrad, I read your book, Assata: An Autobiography .  It was...

Politics aside, we must appreciate life. For white conservatives, black radicals, and everyone else on the racialized and political spectrum, life is short. In the last two weeks, Charlie Kirk, Demartravion “Trey” Reed, and Mayumi Narita died. Of the three names in the previous sentence, you may only know of one. Before the incident in Utah, I didn’t know anything about Charlie Kirk. After he died, I learned of his similarities to another influencer who shares the same first

America needs the KPop Demon Hunters. Consider the recent tragedies in support of my argument. Is it possible to arrange for the three evil-slaying animated entertainers to rescue us from the demons of violence, racism, xenophobia, and homophobia in America? Not really, but contemplate the idea for a moment. The KPop Demon Hunters film features three fictional Korean pop singers who fight evil entities by day and entertain crowds by night. In their quest to save humankind, th

African-centered education can heal wounds like medicine. It can’t stop immigration protests in Los Angeles, but it possesses the potential to remedy the psychological illnesses of Black students.  We need schools with curricula rich in ancestral culture, knowledge, skills, rituals, and histories. In Kmt G. Shockley and Kofi Lomotey’s edited text,   African-Centered Education Theory and Practice , they claim African-centered education "equips Black children with self-knowledg

Six years in a country with more sand than sidewalks made my children appreciate concrete. After moving from the Caribbean islands to Sacramento, we visited nearly every skate park during our first few weeks. Before their skateboard and scooter wheels touched the ramps of Tyre Nichols Park, I read about its significance. The city renamed the Regency Community Skate Park to honor Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old killed by Memphis police in 2023. His family advocated for justice a

Have you read the “Dear Colleague” love letter from Craig Trainor, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights with the United States Department of Education? The letter was released on Valentine's Day and quickly circulated among higher education professionals. In the final minutes of our last all-staff meeting, a colleague passed copies of the letter around the boardroom. As a staff member read passages aloud, my biology replied. My head filled with rage, and my hands i

What would happen if you went outdoors without a shirt on a winter day in Chicago? Depending on your gender, you might get arrested. Stay outside long enough without the police, and you will freeze. The temperatures drop below zero every year. For people in the Midwest, that freeze is not new, but it remains difficult to accept. When I complain about being cold, people often say, “Are you from Chicago?” "Yes, but I still get cold," is how I usually respond. It's human nature

After growing up in Chicago, I fell in love with the winter seasons of what some economists mis-frame as the Global South. In Mexico, and Antigua and Barbuda, I enjoyed the year-round warm weather. The sun wrapped its arms around me from January to December for eight years. Every morning I stepped outdoors this week, the dark sky and cold temperatures reminded me of the life I left behind. I struggled to accept the separation. Being back in the States feels like dating an ex-

What do you think is possible? Consider the possibilities for this moment in history. Chances are you are living within the limits of...

How would you define tough? Is it embodied in the boisterous competitor who claims victory before the match? Maybe it's getting shot and...

Where do you stand? Is it alongside Palestine or Israel? Both have killed. On Sunday, I stood on the Yasco track on Old Parham Road. As I...

I hit the driveway after a long run, and my phone lit up. Two colleagues messaged me about an email sent to all university faculty. An...

A mixture of nerves and enthusiasm filled my body. Moments before any presentation it’s the same thing. I'm excited about the topic,...

Do you care if Fani let Nathan touch her fanny? According to the Oxford Dictionary, fanny is vulgar slang for a woman's genitals in...

How did your Super Bowl Sunday turn out?  Were you happy with the results?  Did you lose any money? I should've bet on the Chiefs and...

It's that time of year. The traffic is heavy in the morning and picks up again around 3 PM. School has resumed in some countries. We...