Three Black poets you need to know "To me, these poets embody the greatest form of fortitude and heroism, which is why I choose to celebrate them for Poetry Month this year!"
From the stage to the screen: Being Black in entertainment "I interviewed three powerhouse entertainers, and here is what they had to say about the nuances of Blackness and the entertainment industry."
A Tale of Two Grizzlies Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a faraway land of black and white grizzly bears…
Black skin, Black hair, Black love, and overall Blackness "Blackness itself is a gift from the heavens up above, from the highest sphere of the galaxy."
Spotlight on the Black experience: Free at last "Why do they punish us for speaking our own language and force us to learn theirs?"
How police brutality affects African Americans psychologically “The police already view us as a threat before we even speak or move.”
Black culture, Black essence, Black celebration "I wish ... to be able to walk in absolute and unapologetic Blackness."
Mental health in the Black community: The struggle is real “The health of the Black community is greatly influenced by poverty, violence, mass incarceration, racial discrimination...”
Interview with Pasco City Council’s Irving L. Brown, Sr. “It is not only important, IT IS MANDATORY that we have Black representation in every area of the city.”
Jim Crow in the Tri-Cities "For Black workers, the Cold War years were a time of both opportunity and frustration."
Terence Caffey: "Little Rock's George Floyd" "While Terence was begging for his life, no one listened."
Black Womxn’s Lives Matter “On August 1, 2020, powerful women spoke to deliver a message of resilience and hope for the future despite the disheartening social climate.”
Ted’s Head: Listen, learn, act “And as you learn more, use your own voice, your own financial support and your own actions to dismantle the systems of oppression that have been built on centuries of racist ideas and policies.”
Alumni call on Richland School District to act against racism “We wrote this letter as a labor of love. Having gone through the Richland School District, I care about my community enough to hold it accountable and to ask for better.”
“Why can’t Black people work together?” Reflecting on the powerful privilege of individuality ”I’ve recently overheard several people quietly, regrettably, and innocently share the perception that ‘Black people don’t work all that well together’ and that 'We’re so divided.' That's a myth and a lie.”
Black Lives Matter in the Tri-Cities. This time it’s different “People are finally challenging themselves to take a hard look at institutional and systemic racism, and are educating themselves and each other.”
Black Lives Matter in urban planning Participating in urban planning is a great way to fight for equity and inclusion.
Juneteenth Forever Free “All communities should be celebrating Juneteenth, not just Black communities. All communities. Because Juneteenth is to Black people what 4th of July is to ALL people in America: acknowledgement of freedom.”
The area’s largest Facebook militia group is shutting down, but the ad hoc militia dream lives on Defend the Tri leader Dylan Tafoya announced he intends to delete his Facebook group “around noon” today, but that doesn’t necessitate the end of militia activity in the Tri-Cities.
If you support Black Lives Matter, there’s no room for encouraging ad hoc militias “These armed groups regress our community’s justice, complicate the work of our law enforcement officers, reduce the feeling of safety of our neighbors who are People of Color, and their net effect does not make our community more just.“
Sundown towns? Yes, sweet dear Richland. And Pasco*, too. There is no natural force that caused a massive split in demographics in the 1950s and the dramatic difference we still see today. You can’t solve problems if you can’t or won’t see them.
