Stomping out transmysogynoir: An interview with badass black trans femme Brielle Nicole
To understand the transgender/queer experience more (and learn how I can help to be more of an ally!), I reached out to badass black, trans femme Brielle Nicole for an interview.
She’s a millennial living in New York City, and she was kind enough to talk with me about how she stays strong in a world that politicizes her very existence…
This little girl recreated photos of indomitable black women for Black History Month
My five year old daughter, Lola, is in Kindergarten. Understanding that Black History is not something that would necessarily be given much priority at that age, and knowing my daughter’s love of playing dress up, I set out to make learning black history fun for her…
Starting February 1, we recreated a photo of an inspiring, indomitable black woman, and talk about her legacy!
I am racist, and so are you: Recognizing and addressing racism in yourself
Here’s the deal. Racism isn’t just guys in white robes and Paula Deen shouting racial slurs. Racism is subtle, racism is insidious, and our culture is so deeply steeped in it that it’s impossible to grow up in the US and not be racist. And the sooner we both acknowledge this, the sooner we can begin to address the problem. So let’s talk…
One day I hope to be enough: my experience growing up with dual ethnicities
“Jew-Rican.” “Christmukkah.” “I’m Jew…ish.” These are just a few terms I created or adopted over the years to add levity to the confusion people would experience when they learned about my ethnicity. I grew up on Long Island, New York, where there was a very high population of Jews. It was common to see symbols of both Christianity and Judaism, especially in public schools. Seeing Stars of David alongside Christmas trees and crosses on school windows, the walls of department stores, and in newspaper advertisements was commonplace. This dual expression of spirituality perfectly reflected my own household.
I’m adopted and have no clue about my heritage or race
“By the way, What are you?” I’ve heard this question, referring to my “race” so many times in my almost 30 years on this planet. When I was a kid it didn’t bother me. When I was a teenager, it made me sad. As an adult, it pisses me off to no end… and to be honest, it still makes me sad.
Wild and crazy: A curly hair journey to acceptance
My hair is, and always has been, curly. Unruly, wild curls. Frizzy, big curls. Messy. My hair didn’t grow down, my hair grew out. Nothing cascaded down my back except sweat in the summer. My hair wouldn’t hold a barrette and it had an aversion to combs. It wasn’t as beautiful as an afro or tight enough to control. It was just crazy. Somewhere around college and after, I stopped fighting my hair. I got tired of hating it. Correction: I didn’t have enough time to hate it. And my entire opinion on my hair changed.
How do you respond if someone is blatantly racist in front of your kids?
I in turn wanted to share this [now gone] post from Ask Moxie — the topic is powerful and uncomfortable, and definitely needs to be addressed. A (Chinese-American) mother was out with her two kiddos and confronted with blatantly racist comments directed at her
I was fat-shamed at an Afro-Centric Pregnancy Fair
The other day, I got fat-shamed. When you get fat-shamed often, like every time you turn on a television, it takes a lot to make an impact. My husband, Chris, and I went to our city’s second annual Afro-Centric Pregnancy Fair in Portland, Oregon. I had high hopes of being in a supportive environment of people who care about the unique challenges facing black women as they enter pregnancy, childbirth, and childbearing. I fantasized about talking with midwives, doulas, and new mothers about their amazing experiences and horror stories of hospitals, birth centers, and their living rooms. Instead, I got a major dressing down by a black doctor manning an information table for a clinic.