About two years ago I wrote about how the “monsters” of Halloween give people a way to explore their own shadows. I’ve also written several times about various forms of demonization and dehumanization: how some people with power chip away at other people’s humanity by rendering them malevolent and monstrous. But there are other ways […]
Representation and Invisibility
Tyson asked this question on Real Talk with Bill Maher back in 2011; but he was not the first to ask and I suspect no answers will be forthcoming. Discussing diversity and the relationships between social location, experience, and decision-making perspective seems to be one of the quickest ways to make lots of people uncomfortable. […]
Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
In case you missed it: the PBS tribute to James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket. (Length: 1:25:12) What is it you wanted me to reconcile myself to? I was born here, almost 60 years ago. I’m not going to live another 60 years. You always told me ‘It takes time.’ It’s taken my father’s time, […]
Videos: Gabrielle Union & Dustin Hoffman
1. At the 2013 Essence Magazine Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon this February, Gabrielle Union received the Fierce and Fearless Award. Her acceptance speech is remarkable. (It starts at about 1:03 of 11:32.) “We live in a town that rewards pretending and I have been pretending to be fierce and fearless for a very long time. […]
