Seclusion illuminates much when it is foisted upon you. Some of us are, for the first time in our adult lives, having to contend with loneliness that quite literally cannot be touched by others. We cannot live our lives in the ways we’d so become accustomed: grabbing a coffee, enjoying lunch at your favorite spot…
Read More
Objectivity Is a Lie
Objectivity doesn’t mean what you think it means. Let’s use the dictionary definition of the word as our starting point. If a person or opinion is objective, it is “not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.” As a former journalism student, I know the term all too well. For the…
Read More
Noname, ‘Black Is King’, and the Duality of Righteousness
To close out America’s so-called birthday month, megastar Beyonce debuted a new visual album entitled Black is King exclusively on Disney+ on July 31. The album is a supplement to the beloved children’s movie The Lion King, as a re-imagining of the animated/live-action film in human form, complete with song and dance. As with nearly…
Read MoreMy Body Was Meant for Pleasure, Not Pain
My body was meant for pleasure, not pain. I came to this realization while listening to a podcast. In this Very Special Episode devoted to the Black Lives Matter movement we are living in, the hosts were discussing all of the risks associated with attending protests. It wasn’t a matter of if things would turn…
Read More
Black Women You Should Read to Add Richness to Your Bookshelf (& News Feed)
We are actively living through a revolution. In the midst of pain and trauma, I have never in my life felt more hope for humanity and my own energetic possibility. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the country sat at home for months not working. Stirring, collecting unemployment often without insurance, and reflecting on…
Read More
Beyonce and the Politics of Black Joy
On Friday night (April 13), it was revealed that our government had launched millions of dollars worth of tomahawk missiles at Syria. In a move that seemed callous and maddeningly voyeuristic by Trump, it has been made clear in the days following that the attack was merely a show of force in 45’s never-ending pissing…
Read MoreI Can’t Thank Black Women Today
Alabama just wrapped up a Senate race between racist, sexist, pedophile Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones. And by the grace of God (despite what Moore may have said in his refusal to concede), Jones narrowly won. As CNN and many other outlets have reported from exit polls, Jones’ win was handed to him…
Read MoreBut First You Must Endure: The TV Trope of Marginalized Characters Suffering Before They Succeed
If you know me IRL, you know that I am an avid wrestling fan — or specifically, a fan of WWE. I am a big cheerleader for the women’s division, and a large reason I was brought back to WWE fandom after a long hiatus was because I’d heard that the company was finally deciding…
Read MoreI Shouldn’t Have to Thank My Fiance for Being An Adult
When you’re a woman that loves men, you learn quickly that there are many things you’ll do in your relationships with them that will be taken for granted. Keeping track of chores, following through on those chores, making to-do lists up the ass. But as a straight (or bi/pansexual) woman, you also realize over time…
Read MoreWe Ain’t Sorry: Moments That Made 2016 The Most Unapologetically Black Year on Record
It all started in February. The beginning of Black History Month saw the milestone 50th Super Bowl. In the days leading up to the most-watched telecast of the year, it was rumored that Bruno Mars and Beyonce would both join Halftime headliners Coldplay. Then, the day before the Super Bowl, Beyonce dropped a surprise song…
Read More
The Wordy Wench 