I want you to know, my embrace will always feel like home. I want you to know, when the world is dark, I will serve as your light. I cannot promise you a perfect life. I can promise you I will always fight for you—for us.
A Letter to My Future Wife
Why We Must Care About the Government Shutdown and Why We Must Take Action
Currently, we are witnessing the longest government shut down in history. For decades, the public sector has served as a large source of employment for black workers. It is primarily because the public sector—as you would hope—has a less stringent history of racial discrimination in hiring practices than the private sector. So, for decades black workers have [...]
A Tale of Two Cities
In D.C., the humid air grabs you and embraces you with every step you take. The Capitol—a beacon of democracy and progress—stares down streets littered with Black, destitute souls—plagued with hopelessness. D.C., a tale of two cities—power and poverty.
Defying Complacency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anrFCnz4agU I miss hot summer days as a child. I miss running around without a care in the world. I miss filling water balloons up and having water balloon fights with the neighbourhood kids. However, I always overfilled my balloons. So many times, those vibrant coloured water balloons exploded in my hand in protest to [...]
Existential Decrees
The killing of Michael Brown was a turning point in my life. The death of a stranger never impacted me as intensely, before. This was when I lost my cape. My life started to feel more and more mortal. Fragility and mortality began ravaging and ripping through my psyche, like rabid dogs. Hearing about your [...]
My Whip
I try to take care of you as best I can. Regular washes and tune-ups. I always have you in the best gear. To others—you may seem ragged and worthless, a clunker. To me—you are special and beautiful. The manual says Toyota, but I know you are a Benz. I never really understood why people [...]
Frigid Waters
Love, the thickest, toughest, and most opaque pill to swallow. One of those medications where the side effects can be worse than the actual symptoms. Love is a game in which rookies seldom win and pros fall short. When the seed of love is well planted—you can never abort those feelings. I tried dipping my toes [...]
A Letter to Black Women Raising Black Sons
Cherish those nine months Those are the only guaranteed moments The second he is born Not a single moment is guaranteed At a moments notice his soul can be ripped from his body A stray bullet A too tight choke hold Or a drug overdose Can send a stream of tears Rushing over The edges [...]
When I Found Out I Was Black
I am a Black, Nigerian, Christian man, but these identities were not always an integral component of my identity. These identities were challenged day after day. I never identified as being a Black man, until my junior year in college. Growing up in a Nigerian household—my parents always created a divide between us and Black [...]
The Darker the Berry…
I always hear, "The darker the berry, the sweeter juice." I never, however, hear anyone speak about how the berry must be crushed and destroyed to reap the juice. I remember times that I wanted to destroy my dark skin in the hopes of reaping some sort of sweet juice. Some sort of sweet satisfaction. [...]