I grew up hearing stories about a great-great-grandmother who immigrated from Switzerland to the U.S. by way of New Orleans. According to stories, she was a linguist who spoke four or five languages fluently, an accomplished seamstress, and a medium. (My siblings and I loved the idea [...]
PYPM Move Forward; A Look at the Past
empathy2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00Originally Published on August 12, 2013. BNV 2013 Prelims - Move! Brave New Voices 2013 - PYPM poets Alex Santiago, Jasmine Johnson, Nayo Jones and Kendall Allen perform Move You may have read or head the history before it was re-written. It was May 13, 1985 when [...]
MotherFather: A Poem by Travis Reginal
empathy2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00MotherFather: A Poem by Travis Reginal I wake up at 3 in the morning with a pile of work I haven’t touched and deadlines that stand as daunting as skyscrapers and I think about you mother. I’m reminded of how at the end of [...]
Cripples
empathy2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00In the city of brotherly love, there seems to be little love for our youth. Through their actions it is evident that Lawmakers think the cost of having children in the city is a burden, one that be cut. Philadelphia policymakers slash budgets and programs. When asked [...]
The Worst of White Folks
Kiese Laymon2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00Way back in the day when Twitter was a bootleg reindeer name, David Rozier invented farting during Mass. A few minutes before we marveled at the six Catholics at Holy Family Catholic School sipping out of one gold goblet, and right after Father Joe suggested we [...]
Goodbye to My American Dream
empathy2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00My mom moved us here for a better life. But as a black woman, I'm tired of loving a country that can't love me back On the day of college graduation, I told my friends and family the news: I was leaving the country [...]
Installment #4; “Black People Don’t Float and Swim:”
Sherick Hughes Ph.D.2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00Unlearning Another Lie that Jim Crow Taught By Dr. Sherick Hughes | Originally Published at Saturday, June 1, 2013 | Special thanks to the Author Dr. Sherick Hughes, and the creator of History and Family Blog, Christine E. Sleeter, PhD. Unfortunately, the phrase “Black people don’t [...]
Prejudice; Omission is Permission! Colorblind is Color-Mute
empathy2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00In America the premise is people are colorblind. Certainly our children are is the constant refrain. I know this is not so, for as a child I saw what was not discussed. The people who did not care for and about me were white. Those who cherished [...]
Installment #3 “Did You Know Yo’ Mama was White?”
Sherick Hughes Ph.D.2016-11-29T17:39:38-05:00Using New Interracial Family Evidence to Trouble Jim Crow and Me (and You)Preparing to share and receive sensitive family history By Dr. Sherick Hughes | Originally Published at History and Family Blog Thursday, May 27, 2013 | Special thanks to the Author Dr. Sherick Hughes, and [...]