Like many of my generation, the murder of Trayvon Martin, acquittal of George Zimmerman, and murder of Mike Brown were key moments in my radicalization. These events happened in my college years, and in some way or another, I’d become vocal against police brutality, social injustice, and anti-Black racism. My vocalization deepened, widened, and evolved the more I grew up, learned, and continued to be radicalized. For several years, I…
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“I come as one, but I stand as ten thousand.” –Dr. Maya Angelou My great-great-great-great maternal grandmother was Mary Ann Barrett. In 1865, she was freed from slavery in Palestine, Texas. Her former enslaver was a lawyer. In freedom, Mary Ann Barrett studied under him to become one herself, but she wanted someone in her family to formally study law and become an attorney. She articulated this dream to her…
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In the last year, our world remains unchanged. As I think of and mourn the ten victims of racial terror in Buffalo, New York, the majority of whom were Black women, I am reminded (somehow, without ever forgetting) of the work left to do. The work we cannot do on our own.…
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It was 2008. I was 13. I don’t remember where I was going––perhaps violin rehearsal at my instructor’s studio or choir rehearsal at the community music school. What I do remember is that, at that moment, my life was about to change. I looked up and saw a billboard. On it was a woman who would mean more to mean than I knew at the time. She was in front…
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U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 Five years ago today, a reporter from The New York Times informed me that my friend was found dead of suicide. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to think. I had just returned to the states from holiday, and while I was gone, my friend killed himself. I couldn’t believe it. The same reporter and I had an…
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Wow. Today marks my tenth blogging anniversary. I’ve basically raised a child and had my second-longest relationship* with NIA SPEAKS. Crazy. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way. When you take your thing seriously, others eventually will, too. I started NIA SPEAKS at the end of my sophomore year of high school, and by the time I was in university, I hit the ground running. I was…
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Last week, Kim Kardashian West revealed in her Vogue cover story that she is studying law with plans to take the California Bar Exam in 2022. She will be doing so in an unconventional way––instead of earning a law degree, Kardashian West will complete a four-year apprenticeship before sitting for the exam, an avenue the California State Bar and some others allow. In classic Kardashian-hating form, people came for Kardashian…
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Hi, loves! I’m currently typing with my thumbs to announce that I’ll be taking a brief, unexpected hiatus from NIA SPEAKS. *insert 300 crying emojis* I had a longboard accident earlier this week, resulting in dislocating my finger. The splint in which my finger is held makes many tasks more difficult, including typing on the computer; but I’m seeing a hand surgeon next week, so hopefully, my recovery time will…
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The following is a journal entry from my personal copy of Piccadilly’s 500 Writing Prompts. Create ten all-new funny scratch and sniff stickers. Describe the image and smell. Cardboard – a brown sqaure smelled as it’s named Sniff and spa – the sticker is a white robe that smells of eucaltyptus Mistakes – the scent of your ex’s cologne, a stick figure sticker Diet help – chocolate bar sticker and smell.…
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