November 2024 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Subscribe to Blog via Email
African Arts
The Political Weaponization of Toni Morrison’s Beloved
In 1968 the Jamaican government banned books with “radical” content, including the Autobiography of Malcom X. Not long after my elder cousin Vivia Heron, an avid reader since early childhood and then a college student on the island, immigrated toRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on The Political Weaponization of Toni Morrison’s Beloved
How the Ugly American Became President—Again
Donald, who made his image as a reality star, looms large in a number of scenes: 1) May 2017: He shoves NATO leader Prime Minister Dusko Markovic of Montenegro out of the way before a picture taking session at theRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
I Am Not Ready to Back Down: A Democratic Voter Remains Unflappable After Trump’s Assassination Attempt
On April 2, 2024, I reported Donald J. Trump to the FBI as an imminent threat to the President of the United States. Why? At a time when world leaders were sharing Easter messages of renewal, rebirth and love forRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on I Am Not Ready to Back Down: A Democratic Voter Remains Unflappable After Trump’s Assassination Attempt
Why I Refuse to Watch the Footage of Tyre Nichols
I made the decision not to view the tape of Tyre Nichols being beaten by police officers. A brutalized Black body as ratings and click bait for the infotainment complex and for those immune to violence is not entertaining toRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Why I Refuse to Watch the Footage of Tyre Nichols
Tony from Santorini and Other Notes on a Trip to Greece
This past summer I was on Kamari beach in Santorini, Greece, with two friends, one old and one new. We were New Yorkers seeking respite from our city, our state and even our country when I met Tony. He, a BlackRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Tony from Santorini and Other Notes on a Trip to Greece
New Yorkers Must Pry Our State Out of the Reach of Seditionist Lee Zeldin
New Yorkers, you’re kidding me now! Liar and seditionist Lee Zeldin is within striking distance of our state’s highest office? How did this happen? Democrats are two to one Republican in New York. So, is it apathy, the idea thatRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on New Yorkers Must Pry Our State Out of the Reach of Seditionist Lee Zeldin
Jamaica Farewell: A Jamerican Reflects on the Outsourcing of the Island
On my recent trip to Jamaica from New York, I was surprised by how much—or perhaps how much more—of the island has been sold to foreign interests since my last visit several years ago. Outsourcing is a global issue, butRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Jamaica Farewell: A Jamerican Reflects on the Outsourcing of the Island
Scattered Reflections on Queen Elizabeth II, Monarchies and Colonial Legacies
. At a 1982 screening of the movie Gandhi, the contradictions faced by people of color raised under colonial rule were all too evident. During a scene where Indians stage a lie-in to protest the British, and soldiers from the CrownRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Scattered Reflections on Queen Elizabeth II, Monarchies and Colonial Legacies
Liz Cheney is No Heroine of Mine
Liz Cheney is no heroine of mine. She, like many loud and proud non-POC Republican politicians, live their lives in the in-between, where political stances, Christianity and integrity can be parsed. Cheney allowed herself to be primaried by calling outRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Liz Cheney is No Heroine of Mine
Interviewing While Black
On the day the Challenger blew up in 1986 I was drafted from my position as editorial assistant at McCall’s magazine to fill in for the executive editor’s secretary. I was told that the boss’s secretary was out sick, andRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Interviewing While Black
Why I Despise Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
I have a dream that I will never hear that damned “I Have a Dream” speech ever again. I hate the namby-pamby sentiments in the “content of the character” line that is misappropriated every year on Dr. King’s birthday byRead the Rest »
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Why I Despise Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech