police brutality – HeARTtalk – Healing Through Art and Story

October 14, 2019October 14, 2019

Say. Her. Name.

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September 20, 2016September 20, 2016

Why Revolt Remains on the Table

I consider myself a peaceful person. For me, this simply means that I don’t believe that most problems can be solved through violence or aggression. I’ve lived most of my life by the mantra that says, “conflict is inevitable but combat is optional.” I don’t avoid confrontations but I certainly don’t take up arms every …

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July 30, 2015

Blood At The Root: Sandra Bland and Why I Wrestle With How to Live Free in America

The terror that filled me made my heart race and stomach dance. Tears threatened to break free from my widened eyes. My hands shook as I took inventory of my situation. Full stop at stop sign. Check. Hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2? Check. Seatbelt secure? Check. My preschooler strapped tightly into …

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March 30, 2015March 30, 2015

Redux: My Problem with (what some call) Forgiveness: A Heart Cracked Wide Open by Ferguson, MO

I wrote this piece right after the Ferguson rebellion regarding faith and forgiveness. I'm re-sharing it because there seems to be a whole lot of "I'm sorry's" and "you should/shouldn't forgive" making the social media rounds these days. *** Do some deaths have a purpose? I have to believe they do. Even the senseless ones. Even …

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December 4, 2014December 4, 2014

Is Today’s Black Activism Sustainable?

In the week since St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch’s announcement that a grand jury would not be indicting Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown, activists have been trying to extend the movement beyond the front lines in Ferguson. Last Friday, there was the Black Out/Black Friday boycott, which asked individuals to not …

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September 5, 2014November 7, 2014

It Could Have Been Me: When Stupidity Means Death and Other Fears of a Mother

(originally published on MyBrownBaby.com) I drank too much that night. I was nineteen years old, hanging out with friends in my dorm, listening to music, playing spades and sipping for the first time on something I'd never heard of until then: MD 20/20. Yep, I was nineteen. And dumb. Not dumb as in unintelligent or …

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