The ones who would rather “Shatter the country than Share it”
That America-loving patriots would rather “shatter the country than share it,” as Amanda Gorman noted in her poem following the Capitol Hill riot, came as no surprise to me. It was an effortless observation to make, growing up in the South, that the louder someone was about America’s greatness, the more likely they were to fly a confederate flag and own lots of guns.
Even as a teen, their message was already clear to me: their country was the greatest and they were willing, if not eager, to fight for it. I mean sure, as one of the only Black…
People compete over a lot of things on “reality” TV: jobs, love, survival, and even other people’s junk; however, the competition for the title of Top Chef is, hands down, the best. No doubt living in New Orleans, one of the culinary capitals of the universe and home to more than a few Top Chef Alum, including Issac Toups, and Nini Nguyen, a recent fan favorite, adds to my enjoyment, but there’s a lot of other reasons to love this show.
It’ll inspire you to get off the couch.
There aren’t many shows I find that actually cause me to…
…and not just because we owe it to Black women.
It is often said that the most difficult thing to be in America is a Black woman for one simple reason: They are simultaneously members of two of the most marginalized groups in this country. It is also often said that Black women missed out on many of the advancements and a chance to more heavily influence the feminist movement of the ’60s because it was occurring at the same time as the Civil Rights Movement. When faced with the zero-sum choice of where to focus their energies, many chose to go all-in on supporting the Black fathers, husbands, brothers…
…for violent, armed, cop-beating white mobs
In terms of a crime against our democracy, last week’s siege of the Capitol was the worst thing to happen to America since 9/11, but it wasn’t nearly as surprising. The Trump-inspired white terrorist violence we all knew was coming crashed through the doors of Congress. Trump summoned an armed mob of clowns, conspiracy theorists, insurrectionists, and white supremacists intent on disenfranchising 81 million Americans, inflamed and unleashed them on Congress.
For conservatives who haven’t fully bought into conspiracy theories and outright lies about the election, the Trump Mob that rioted at the Capitol, destroyed property, killed a police officer…
For Black Americans Trump’s America Loving Base Is a Familiar Foe
The America Trump and his supporters have put on display these past four years has shocked and horrified people here at home and around the world. “What has happened to America?” is a common refrain of those unfamiliar with or in denial about this country’s reality. For many African Americans, however, Trump and his base are as familiar as the chill that goes down our spine when we see a police car in the rearview mirror. What is new is how out of place and disoriented they look in a world and in a country that is desperately trying to…
It’s the Last Chance to Get Her Justice
I have only recently started to understand the profound frustration that underpins some people’s view that voting doesn’t matter. The issues and injustices they face aren’t on the ballot and are totally ignored, or deepened, by the powers that be. Even worse, some people’s issues are paid lip service every couple of years by an endless stream of politicians rehearsed in the performative art of empathy. Meanwhile, the unaddressed issues that plague these could-be voters mount.
New Orleans, where I live, offers a prime example of this by way of a public…
Misinformation, Intimidation, False Promises and Undisclosed Business Connections Call One Healthcare Provider’s Push to Reopen Into Question
A parent could be forgiven for thinking Jefferson Parish’s school reopening was officially sponsored by Ochsner Healthcare; its name has been used by the Superintendent so much in the past few months. This trusted name in the community was attached to JP’s first ill-conceived and under-resourced plan to reopen in early August while Covid infection rates in the Parish were the highest in the state and despite the fact that our schools serve the already hardest-hit segments of the community.
Disappointingly, it wasn’t…
Just Because You “Don’t See Color” Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Supporting White Supremacy
Racism is a major issue in this country and yet it’s nearly impossible to find any self-identifying racists. We’ve progressed to the point where there is a social stigma attached to it, and thus to even suggest someone might be racist is a sure-fire way to shut down a conversation. So in an ode to Jeff Foxworthy's “You Might be a Redneck if…”, I’ve come up with, what I hope is, a less abrasive way to discuss this sensitive topic. Feel free to add your own in the comments below.
You might be supporting white supremacy if you think being…
They Depend on Young People Protecting Us Instead of Us Protecting Them
I have yet to see a school reopening plan that isn’t suffering from one damning oversight: children’s actual behavior. As evidenced by the rapidly accumulating information coming in from what I’ve previously referred to as a nationwide Tuskegee Experiment being performed on some students and educators, reopenings plans are predictably failing, infections are spreading and teachers are already dying. More concerning, as the utter stupidity of reopening while a pandemic is raging becomes more evident, some of those still pushing for it have begun instituting policies to hide information about infections from parents, students, teachers, and support staff. For example…
The case for dating a friend.
In the not too distant past, I read a Tumblr post entitled, “Why Do Men Keep Putting Me in the Girlfriend-Zone?” To summarize the author’s supposedly satirical article, she complains about how her male friends, after a certain amount of time in their friendship, end up professing feelings for her. Oh God! How could this possibly be?! Why on Earth would a guy — after getting to know a woman really well through friendship — end up liking her? …
Brian M. Williams, JD
Writer, Traveler, Educator, Mardi Gras DJ with a JD. Author of “Stranger in a Stranger Land: My Six Years in Korea” and “When a Stolen Child Returns.”
