“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James A. Baldwin Let’s make it plain and keep it real, shall we? Being a parent is hard work. No matter what gender we are, few endeavors in life are as emotional, intricate and arduous… Continue reading A Father’s Work: Getting It Right, Avoiding The Wrong
Tag: Dallas Morning News/Briefing Column
Pick Ya’ Spots: “Keeping It Real” Vs. “Keeping It Racist”
Back in the early 90s, when Heavy D & The Boyz released one of their biggest hits, “Got Me Waiting,” the clever rhymes and deft sampling of a Luther Vandross groove made it an instant jam. Unlike some hip-hop of the era, “Waiting” has aged well and, in fact, contains a line that describes our… Continue reading Pick Ya’ Spots: “Keeping It Real” Vs. “Keeping It Racist”
Weaponized Whiteness: Can We Live?
In the 2004 film, White Chicks, the idea was a funny one: two bumbling FBI detectives, played by Shawn and Marlon Wayans, are forced to “babysit” a pair of spoiled heiress sisters, Britney and Tiffany, to foil a larger kidnapping plot. When the FBI agents keep on, well, bumbling things, one of the sisters lose… Continue reading Weaponized Whiteness: Can We Live?
“This could have been avoidable……There were SO MANY signs.”
Since I returned to working full-time, mornings are best to connect one-on-one with the girls. As they shower, dress, and prepare for school, Nia and Layla fill me in about new assignments, upcoming field trips and the fun things that happen during the week. So when the terrifying stories of school shootings were reported—–one happening… Continue reading “This could have been avoidable……There were SO MANY signs.”
“Now You’re In ‘The Sunken Place”…..
Raise your hand if, like me, you saw the 2017 film Get Out. Posited as a horror film and illustrating the psychological effects of cultural marginalization and genocide with a modern twist, Get Out was one of the year’s blockbuster hits and made a one-man cultural phenomenon out of its writer and director, comedian Jordan… Continue reading “Now You’re In ‘The Sunken Place”…..