Although she’s been gone now for nearly a decade, the legend and the legacy of entertainer Nina Simone remains alive and well, thanks to that hypnotic and velvety alto, her ability to transcend musical boundaries and the way she used her lyrics and celebrity status to denounce racism at the height of the Civil Rights… Continue reading Nina Simone: Biopic’s Tone-Deaf Casting Choice Belittles Her Blackness
Tag: Dallas Morning News/Briefing Column
Girls Will Be Women, But Should ALSO Become Ladies
She was tall, thin and matronly, with cat’s-eye glasses and a helmet of salt-and-pepper curls. Her name was Lola Garrison, and she was my sixth-grade teacher. A sweet, soft-spoken woman who rarely raised her voice, Mrs. Garrison once chastised a flip-at-the-lip female classmate of mine by uttering, in a sharp tone that she rarely… Continue reading Girls Will Be Women, But Should ALSO Become Ladies
Whip It, Rock It, Twist It Or Lock It: Just Love Your God-Given Hair
“Hey Mom, watch this!” My first-born daughter, Nia, is standing in the middle of the living room, arms akimbo as she sways her hips along to the music. I watch with pride as she smiles, spins and pats her dozens of ear-grazing, two-strand twists, all while exclaiming, “I love my hair!” Long live Sesame Street.… Continue reading Whip It, Rock It, Twist It Or Lock It: Just Love Your God-Given Hair
Black Women: Unique? All Day. Ugly? NO. WAY.
Ladies, you know how we do it: Before we leave each day, we do a once-over in the mirror to make sure that there are no lipstick smudges, that our ‘do’s are in place and that there’s no toilet paper stuck to our shoes. These days, however, I’m about to start feeling my back for… Continue reading Black Women: Unique? All Day. Ugly? NO. WAY.
Even After Pregnancy Pounds, Being ‘Mama’ Is Always A Good Look
Whether it’s the first baby or the fourth baby, pregnancy is one of the most exciting—-and anxiety-inducing—-times in a woman’s life. As her body shelters and nurtures the unborn, an expectant mother may differ in what sex she’d prefer or which childbirth method she hopes to use, the universal goal is a healthy mother and… Continue reading Even After Pregnancy Pounds, Being ‘Mama’ Is Always A Good Look