We continue to drive a machine that promises us nothing. When is enough, enough? — I used to declare with pride that I’ve worked since I was fifteen years old. I dabbled in babysitting before then, but my first real checks came from a receptionist job at the nursing home where my mom worked. …

A new publication for Black people dedicated to healing from anti-Blackness and internalized oppression. — All of 2020 was especially hard to sleep, but the month of November took the cake. Six am bedtimes from relentless insomnia made my mind wander over the possibilities for my work. After a Reiki session weeks prior, I realized I could no longer (and had no desire to) use…

The quicker we unlearn and let go of these stigmas, the faster we can go about saving the lives of Black children. — Two years ago, after Anthony Bourdain died, I shared some words on Instagram about what he meant to me as someone who had an innate pull to see the world and its people. A follower commented and said, “Suicide is never a solution. He should have fought his nemesis.” …

Choose wisely. — Hostels can be a hit or miss, and after spending time in almost one hundred of them, I know this to be true. They’ve made me want to pack my stuff and find a flight home, but after learning my deal-breakers in booking them, my travel experiences, and sleep have…

With the rise of Black youth dying by suicide, we need well-funded research that will tell us why and how to stop them. — The suicide rate in America amongst Black youth is increasing rapidly, and we have to ask ourselves why we are not collectively outraged by the preventable deaths of Black children. In November 2019, a frightening study was released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which concluded that suicide attempts…

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be seen. We’re human. — I will be the first to tell you I have no desire to be famous. The thought alone sends me into the most intense sweats and makes me want to run and hide. I honestly don’t know how celebs do it. I still get uneasy when pitching major publications because…

Capitalism does not reward emotional intelligence in men. — My longest relationship to date was four years and ended in 2016. In hindsight, we should have parted ways many times through the years, but we convinced ourselves that dysfunction and toxicity was love. Throughout our time together, I always found myself reading relationship advice columns, blogs, and books to…

They will become our politicians, our teachers, police officers, and lawmakers if we do not teach justice. — Almost every week I scroll to find a video on Twitter of young, white girls and boys, usually, teenagers expressing some of the most hateful, racist behavior toward Black people. They laugh and giggle and look into the cameras of their smartphones as they repeat the N-word and wish that…

After 1,127 days on Earth, this is all I know for sure. — I often look at photos of myself as a child and wonder what I was thinking and what I knew at that age. Then I think about my late teens and early twenties and remember always wanting to be older. Always wanting to be a year older because it seemed…