Category: observations
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Kalief, Everything is Broken
“I was broken in body, soul and spirit.” –Frederick Douglass on being conditioned into a slave. The Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass They broke him. His name is Kalief Browder. The teenager who defended his innocence of stealing a backpack. Browder wasn’t going to cop a plea for something he didn’t do. His integrity…
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QOTD
When I read the news the following always comes to mind: later that night i held an atlas in my lap ran my fingers across the whole world and whispered where does it hurt? it answered everywhere everywhere everywhere. excerpt from “what they did yesterday afternoon” by warsan shire
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in the details: On Failing
I thought I failed. But I didn’t. Setbacks and challenges aren’t failures. As long as you are not out of the fight, you are not a failure. Sometimes this is hard to see in the thick of things. Stepping away and looking at the goal from different views or asking someone with a fresh…
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RIP Anthony Mason (1966-2015)
His wasn’t born and raised in New York, but when Anthony Mason wore that Knicks jersey, he represented the city to the fullest. The power forward was an unforgettable force to be reckoned with during the Pat Riley era of the franchise. Thanks for the memories, you will be missed. New York’s Thoroughest.
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Melba’s Story
Melba Liston is one of those gems of Black history that doesn’t get to shine. Frank Morrison’s illustration of a little brown girl blowing a trombone longer than her body will catch your eye. Inside is where you will meet Ms. Liston with the words of Kathryn Russell-Brown in Little Melba and Her Big Trombone. So, who…
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QOTD
give your daughters difficult names. give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. my name makes you want to tell me the truth. my name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right. –Warsan Shire
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Jason Reynolds’ Voice
Dressed in all black, author Jason Reynolds sat in the back a young adult book seminar with a sense of calm until he was called to the front. As he was being interviewed, his passion, intelligence and light began to fill the room. Reynolds, a Brooklynite, discussed his literary works. He published his first book…
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Marissa is Home
Marissa Alexander is home, but is not free. In 2012, Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison because she fired a warning shot at her abusive husband and used the “Stand Your Ground” defense in Florida. The same defense used in the case of by Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. During and after Zimmerman’s…
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