Earlier this week, CF Sheri wrote “Atlanta Harm Reduction: Prevention as First Response” to shine a light on the great work of the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition (AHRC). Today, CFs EeshaP and Crunkadelic continue to lift up the AHRC that, like so many grassroots organizations doing direct service in our communities, is struggling with financial […]
always arriving: a black scholar’s mixtape
But we knew. And our knowing was like a sister’s embrace. Sonia Sanchez, “A Letter to Dr. Martin Luther King,” homegirls and handgrenades (1984) I first sat at the feet of Sonia Sanchez at Spelman College where I was assiduously loved and educated. Sanchez was invited by the Women’s Resource and Research Center to help […]
Atlanta Harm Reduction: Prevention as the First Response
Dear CFC Community, There are some places where people are warned never to go, known for violence, drug traffic, and poverty. For those who have not grown up in these environments we are taught to fear and/or condemn people who live there. This is not true of everyone. There are some s/heroes who “see the […]
Not that Kind of Dr.
She has a substance abuse issue, she has anxiety disorder, she had an abortion during the semester (did not tell parents), she experienced sexual abuse by older female family members, she experienced being homeless (on her on) before coming to college, she is escaping a dangerous neighborhood and has lost several friends to gun violence, […]
Truth. Be. Told. An Interview with Katina Parker
If you’ve been looking at my posts lately, I’ve clearly been on a kick of interviewing people who are creating work in the world that inspires me. The latest installment comes from multimedia maven Katina Parker about her project Truth. Be. Told. that highlights Queer Black Visionaries and their work in the world. Let’s take […]
On Being Called Out My Name
When I was working on my Ph.D., I swore that I would not be one of those people who tripped every time someone didn’t greet them with the proper title… As a first generation college student I was not aware, during my undergraduate years, that most of my professors had a Ph.D. (or even what […]
Five Ways Talib Kweli Can Become a Better Ally to Women in Hip Hop
After this latest week of utter shamtastery in Hip Hop, the words of the late great Aaliyah resonate now more than ever: We need a resolution; there is so much confusion. Rick Ross thinks that drugging a woman and raping her isn’t rape, but rather a case of misunderstanding. FOH Talib Kweli thinks that […]
Live Unchained: An Interview with Kathryn Buford
When I wrote my open letter to Quvenzhané Wallis, I began with a quote from Warsan Shire, a brilliant poet and writer who spoke the truth of giving your daughters difficult names. The equally amazing Jessica Solomon, a part of the Live Unchained organization, reached out with their intent to celebrate Warsan and other Black women creatives […]
Dear Universe: A Book Talk with Yolo Akili
One of the perks of writing for the CFC is I get to shed light on projects that excite me. Dear Universe is one such project and it comes from my dear friend Yolo Akili. We had the opportunity to talk about his unique book and how it pushes the boundaries of traditional self-help and […]
From the Margins to the Mainstream: In Defense of Henry Enuta & Other Intersex People Around the Globe
A Guest Post by Sean Saifa Wall On March 26th, 2013 in Sapele, the Delta State of Nigeria, Pastor Henry Enuta was physically stripped and humiliated in public because he is an intersex person. According to news reports, he was almost killed by a lynch mob before being taken into custody by police. Most of […]