As I stopped by a gas station, I noticed a Black youth standing outside the store. As I approached, I saw that the young man had buttons attached to his self-made display. He greeted me and asked if I wanted to buy one. “How much are they?” I asked. One button had caught my eye. He warmly responded, “Whatever you want.” As we talked, I observed that he had special needs. After my purchase, we chatted more about the organization linked to... Read more
On Easter Sunday 2019, over 200 people have been killed and 450 wounded after deadly attacks on three churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. Most of the lives claimed were from those attending Easter Sunday services* at the churches. At this time, we do not know all parties responsible for these terrorist attacks. We await to find out if these atrocities were the result of domestic or international plots. The attacks have prompted more people to look closely at... Read more
In a matter of four days, over a billion dollars from all around the world have been raised after news broke about the Notre Dame fire. Several of the wealthiest families in France have led the charge in donating millions of dollars to reconstruct the Notre Dame Cathedral. I value financially supporting sacred places, the arts, and the animals. I do not shame the wealthy for philanthropy. The fundraising in the aftermath of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire presents a... Read more
I was on a walk on another balmy spring day at a park. Behold, instead of family photo shoots, outdoor boot camps, and people playing with their dogs, a different activity was under way involving a couple of White patrons. The couple was practicing yoga, but this was not just any kind of yoga. They were practicing acroyoga—the stuff I see in print and digital magazines and think, “Amazing. There are spiritual ways for me to physically injure myself.” Ah,... Read more
Whenever two or more Black people are gathered, ISIS is in the midst. Well, at least this possibly racist and islamophobic logic made sense to certain United States government offices. A report by the Intercept revealed that the activism surrounding the protests (and riots) in Ferguson and Baltimore drew concern of the FBI and Department of Homeland security. These government agencies allegedly feared that Black protesters would join ISIS. I have written elsewhere that activism is not the same as... Read more
I was heading to the parking lot. After a long walk at a park, I was right on schedule to run an errand and return home. However, someone caught my eye, and I did a double take. Although, it was not unusual for people to sit in their cars at the park, something seemed off. I pondered, “Did she just choke up? Is she crying?” I had spotted a White woman sitting in her car with window down and hand... Read more
If you are like me and struggled with mustering up pretend shock when news broke about sexual harassment allegations against former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, then, pull up a seat at the table for another edition of fake Democrat outrage. In this post, I discuss three critical issues surrounding the Biden’s recent sexual harassment scandal. In effort to monitor my biases on this topic, I play devil’s advocate by exploring two counter-arguments. 1. Obvious in Plain Sight Biden’s not-so-secret... Read more
My friend inquired, as we were catching up, “How are you, Sam?” “I am well,” I responded, and continued chatting. Then, I stopped myself. “Girl, I need to tell you something. This week I am doing better, but I am still processing through something that happened last week.” A couple of weeks ago, I had an experience that I allowed to carry over into last week, days 266-272, in my year of Quitting the Bible. Although, I was in a... Read more
When her 10-year-old daughter left for school on a spring morning, Ashley Wright had no idea that only hours later she would receive a call from school officials that her baby girl, RaNiya, was being airlifted to a hospital. Almost no parent expects this kind of call. Two days later, RaNiya had succumbed to injuries from a fight with another child who had allegedly bullied her. Wright shared on social media, “As of 9:39 my baby girl has gain(ed) her... Read more
In this age, doctrines, traditions, and truths are being turned on their heads. This shaking up of power is a needed response to ways various groups of people have coercively monopolized the ideological and material domains within a context. It allows different opinions to hold equal importance. With this growing push, there is a corresponding increase in refusal to determine which, if any, opinion is right or wrong. Last week during days 259-265, I had a few experiences that resurfaced... Read more
Race and Grace
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