Photos by Candace Sanders I fear that I have wasted too much time not loving or wholly accepting myself. I have spent too many years dishonoring my pieces, sometimes knowingly, other times with an unconscious mind that was not aware of the damage it would cause my soul. In attempt to please everyone else, I found myself at the kitchen counter subtracting my truths and measuring in the right amount…
Prior to the 1950s, the first appearances of black women in entertainment were in minstrel shows that featured white male actors portraying stereotypical black female roles. George Christy was one of the first women impersonators who portrayed Lucy Long, a flirtatious mulatto woman. These shows, which began in the 19th century, depicted black women as either the “coal black mammy” or the “yellow gal.” By the 1930s, black women were surfacing…
Here we are, 20 and some change. Still trying to find our “ism,” our “thing,” our place in the world. Ourselves. As a soon-to-be graduate, I’m finally entering the stage in life where I won’t identify as a student. That’s right. After years of instructional education, I will no longer be confined to the somewhat cage-like structure of a classroom. As freeing as that sounds, it raises the question of,…
Going to college is already a complex and rigorous journey for students. From understanding how to receive the most financial aid, to balancing a social life with academics, it can be overbearing for anyone. For some students, however, the journey is even more complicated for reasons out of their control: their race. If someone identifies as African American or black, they’ve already beaten one of many statistics by attending college.…
Jordin Manning, 20, They/Them Jordin is a third year sophomore at Kent State University studying psychology. They identify as Non-Binary & Sapphic and uses they/them pronouns. I chose Jordin for this interview because they have worked in the LGBTQ community since coming to Kent State. Altogether, Jordin has had positions in Threads, an organization that focuses on the intersection of being a queer person of color. They’ve also be…
Imagine having to rely solely on your social groups to understand something that goes beyond yourself. What would you know about a race, class, language, lifestyle, or even culture if you weren’t exposed to them on a regular basis? The answer for most people would be nothing beyond what they have learned from the media. The media can be considered the most potent means of communication. From television and movies…
*Suddenly, techno symphony music played and my attention was glued to the television screen; “Korben Dallas! Here he is, the one and only winner of the Gemini Croquet contest…” My eyes expanded widely as a cheetah printed bodysuit glided to the vocal point of the screen. Interest was immediately sparked when Ruby Rhod, a black androgynous radio host with cutting edge fashion and wigs, stepped onto the television during the…
I will never be a feminist. I understand that is a very extreme statement to make, but the feminist movement relentlessly proves to be a notion that I can not stand behind. I do not believe in achieving women’s rights based on the equality of sexes, when there is not even a less painful, more evident equality between white and marginalized women. I refuse to be invisible and pose with…
With a few ill-advised strokes of his pen, Donald Trump demonstrably changed the environment for millions of immigrants in America and hundreds of thousands hoping to gain entry to the States. Trump’s executive orders on immigration — the first struck down in court, the second currently in legal limbo — sparked a wave of violence and vitriol against immigrants and people of color, while grassroots efforts rose to fight for…
John D. Rockefeller once said, “I don’t want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.” A nation of workers is the society we live in today. For 23 years of my life, I have seen the people surrounding me living paycheck to paycheck, unhappy and deprived of the joys life has to offer. Too often, regret comes in the form of “I wish,” “I should’ve,” and “I…
