I want to start by stating unequivocally that I do not condone the the shootings in Dallas last night. Sadly, however, I am not surprised by it. It is the result of years of oppression and injustice. History tells...
“Stop being black!” This succinct advice from my father perhaps best summarizes how to protect oneself from hostile encounters with the police. If you can manage to shed your race, then you have already diffused the situation immensely. However,...
FEAR! It is that simple and yet that complicated. It is a fear with origins deeply rooted in American history and engrained in the psyche of Black Americans. It is a fear that reminds you that the U.S. Supreme...
I can’t seem to get beyond the horror that occurred in my hometown of Orlando last weekend. Friday night the singer Christina Grimmie was shot to death while signing autographs for fans. Although I did not know her, her...
When I initially heard that George Zimmerman wanted to auction off the gun he used to murder Trayvon Martin, I was livid. And when I found out that he intends to use “some of the proceeds from the sale...
I cannot stress this enough: If you are called to jury duty DO NOT TRY TO AVOID IT!! I know you’re probably thinking you have better things to do. In reality, as a citizen of the United States, few...
I’m sure that there are those who will read this title and find it terribly pessimistic or unnecessarily provocative. Others may find it false because you believe America has ascended to that nebulous state of being “post racial.” However,...
Last week was the finale of the series American Crime Story: People v. O.J. Simpson. If you have not watched this series, then stop what you’re doing, get your entire life and go pull it up on your “in...
The longer I live the more Audre Lorde's words ring true to me: the master’s tools will never be used to dismantle the master’s house. In light of Lorde’s words, the more I work as a civil rights lawyer...
February marks the celebration of Black History Month. Setting aside the discussion on whether such a celebration should exist, (see e.g. Stacy Dash and Morgan Freeman), what I find most intriguing about the celebration is the selection of individuals...