Published inAge of Awareness·PinnedMember-onlyWhen A Black Woman Writes for the PublicHow the power of the pen helps me to empower others — The support shown for my writing this year has affirmed me of a closely held truth: I like putting words together and I always have. I abide by the gospel of Toni Morrison who once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written…Women4 min readWomen4 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Sep 12Applying to Graduate School: An UpdateSome advice from a now third-year PhD student — Three years ago, I decided to apply to graduate school, and it was a scary and very overwhelming time. I don’t want that to be the case for you. Full disclosure: I am a now in my third year of my Ph.D. program at Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard…Schools5 min readSchools5 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Jul 11Notes From GermanyWhat I learned from a country reckoning with race — On my first international book tour for The Black Agenda, which took place in Germany, I had the opportunity to engage with diverse audiences and gain valuable insights. Initially surprised by the U.S. …Race3 min readRace3 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Dec 1, 2022What The Sex Lives of College Girls Teaches Us About Student DebtMindy Kaling’s new show makes a case for student debt forgiveness. — Last year, a friend of mine introduced me to one of the few shows on television that documents college life through the lens of young women: The Sex Lives of College Girls. …Women4 min readWomen4 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Nov 21, 2022The Price of Not Knowing Your PlaceWhen an unparalleled opportunity turns into a painful reminder — Last Thursday, we met Jon Stewart. As he graced the stage, his demeanor felt familiar, perhaps because it was. And that is why when given the opportunity to meet him, we found ourselves waiting to do so at a private reception. As we inched through the line of students, we…Racism4 min readRacism4 min read
Nov 4, 2022The Opportunity of a LifetimeIt’s official. The biggest book publisher is betting on me. — I am often told that I do not stop and smell the roses so today, I am going to take my time with this announcement and then I’m going to run off and have a good cry: Portfolio Books/Penguin Books and Merry Sun are trusting me with the task of…Books2 min readBooks2 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Oct 31, 2022The Trojan Horse of College AdmissionsBanning Affirmative Action has nothing to do with merit — On October 31, 2022, the Supreme Court will hear challenges to the use of affirmative action in Harvard University’s admissions process. A key argument being made by opponents of affirmative action in both the general public and media is that race should be removed from consideration in college and university…Education5 min readEducation5 min read
Published inMomentum·Sep 29, 2022The Two Tales of Higher EducationA visit to North Carolina becomes a lesson in Higher Education Inequality — A week ago, I visited the first Historically Black College or University for women in the United States, Bennett College. The college itself is landmark, a beautiful representation of Black women, and a hallmark of Greensboro. The women who attend and teach at the college are known as the Bennett…Education4 min readEducation4 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Jun 19, 2022What Juneteenth Reveals About Corporate AmericaThe public blunders about Juneteenth are endemic to a larger trend of anti-Black racism — A couple weeks ago, Walmart began selling Juneteenth flavored Ice Cream. Yes, you read that right. The flavors mimicking Afro-centric colors paired with corresponding branding that set Twitter ablaze. Following the backlash, Walmart quickly pulled the holiday-themed ice cream flavor from shelves. A lesson that seemingly other companies failed to…Corporate Culture4 min readCorporate Culture4 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Jun 8, 2022America’s Student Debt Crisis Begins and Ends With Black WomenWhy focusing on Black women with Student Debt helps everyone — For the past decade, the student debt amongst Americans who pursue higher education has swelled to 1.75 trillion dollars shared among 45 million people. To put that into perspective, 13 percent of the population has student debt. Throughout the year, people have debated whether forgiving student debt is the best…Student Loans4 min readStudent Loans4 min read
