In my previous post, I discussed how reading Eldridge Cleaver’s “Soul on Ice” affected my view of the Black Panther Party. Today I will review how the revelations of another former Black Panther stunned me further, sealing my disillusionment. When the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of Black Nationalism in […]
June
10
Fists Down-Part I
posted by ExiledMind
In this two-part series I detail how I fell out of love with the militancy I found so enthralling in my youth. Today’s post delves into how a book I read as a teen unsettled me and led to uncomfortable questions about my idols.
Election Year: Substance versus Symbols
posted by ExiledMind
In five months Americans will elect their next president. I will not make any predictions regarding the victor. Life has taught me the value of taking a wait and see approach to such matters. But with our currently heightened racial tensions I am keenly aware of how politicians are addressing this moment. Last week Joe […]
June
08
Life is Good
posted by ExiledMind
Like many of you, 2020 has not gone the way I expected! We are roughly halfway through the year and my life is in a different place than it was on January 1st. On June 3rd I looked at my monthly calendar, wistfully smiling at what I wrote months before. My last day at my […]
July
27
Diaspora Tings
posted by ExiledMind
As the mother of a bicultural child,the incessant Dispora Wars on social media resonate on a personal level. In today’s post I delve into my reasons for staying out of them altogether.
May
10
New Territory: On Humility in Parenting
posted by ExiledMind
As a parent, I don’t think that the basic act of procreating is an accomplishment. As long as your reproductive system is in order, having a child is an easy process. The act of raising that child to be a well-balanced, creative, emotionally healthy, confident, and successful adult is another matter. Before my daughter was […]
March
20
The Beauty of Choice
posted by ExiledMind
“Because you never know where life is gonna take you and you can’t change where you’ve been, But today, I have the opportunity to choose”-India Arie, ‘I Choose’ Monday to Friday I rise at 5:15am to begin my day. As I shower, brush my teeth, and give my face a light touch of makeup, I listen to […]
February
18
Deja Vu
posted by ExiledMind
November 1992 I grimace in dismay as dingy water from the puddle I carelessly stepped in splash onto my leather-accented jeans. It was two years after I moved to Seattle. I should have known to avoid puddles by then, but I was so full of excitement that I forgot. I was walking along Southcenter Boulevard […]
