Between the ages of twelve to nineteen I idolized the same people you did. I looked up to people that were, subconsciously I guess, specific …
Does Black History Month still hold meaning in 2019
I know. The title seems ignorant and at the least, redundant. I know, on the surface, it seems asinine to question the importance of Black …
Speaking on and about black male students
Speaking on and about black male students continues to be a fundamental concern of mine. That is because even words like concern carry connotations that …
Fabrics, Clothes and the Cloth of Society
Have you every wondered why sagging pants is demonstrative of “negative values” but holey, plastic Croc sandals are not? If you’re like me, you’ve thought …
We miss the old Kanye
Over the last week I listened to more than a few of my students casually mumble one of Kanye’s newest tracks while working on their …
Make your class more inclusive to black students: 5 more ways
With black history month literally days away, teachers across the country are dusting off their Martin Luther King videos and photocopying Underground Railroad worksheets. Something …
Big Brother
When Kanye West dropped Big Brother I was inspired. I thought, “Shit, he’s right, you know. We need to appreciate the inspiring and influential contemporaries before they …
The Fresh Prince Syndrome: Track 2, “I Got A Story To Tell”
Hegemonic schooling practices are set up in a way that is meant to deceive and ultimately fail Black males in the long run, no pun intended. …
The Fresh Prince Syndrome: Track 1
I came of age in the ’90s. A time when instead of explicit forms of racism, Black males, like myself, developed alongside illustrations painted by …
The Thin Line Between Discipline and Vulnerability
I am not a father but I assume raising children is tough. I may be proven wrong by my own experience one day but I …