In May of 2023, Cyrus Carmack-Belton entered Rick Chow’s store to purchase a water: Andy [Chow’s son] told jurors he first noticed Carmack-Belton while stocking shelves. His mother asked the teen to leave his bookbag at the front of the store, to which he complied. “He goes to the water cooler, and that’s when I think he pockets the water,” Andy testified. “He starts coming to the front, and I ask him if there’s anything in his pocket, and he says no.” Carmack-Belton was telling the truth. But the Chows pursued him anyway. (Harris, R. J. L. (2026, May 31).…

Heteronormativity does not define sexuality as a whole. Heterosexuality could look like a woman marrying a transexual man. Some cisgendered people may feel this goes against the traditional understanding of what it means to be heterosexual, however, sexuality and gender are not the same discussion. Differences in ideologies surrounding gender conformity and heteronormativity do not contribute to general labels of sexuality and gender, legally or socially. Each sexuality may be defined by a preference ‘between two genders,’ but remember gender is not sex—one’s gender is an identity. You may argue gender influences sexuality, but they are not exactly one and…

Black women’s hair, whether dyed, straight, kinky/curly, long or short, all stem back to tribal AND Afro-anthropology. In Sudan, Chebe women are known for their extremely long hair. In Ethiopia, women style their hair with clay (often red) as a sign of beauty and class. In Nigeria, women often utilize woven yarn to stretch their hair much like feed in braiding hair or interlacing hair extensions. Realistically, it is fact that all appearance phenotypes originate from Africa, and not simply the first human record. So— commentary like “I just like my woman natural”, is often just anti-black rhetoric that is…

After watching news coverage around Chikei Rick Chow’s acquittal from murder charges, after wrongfully shooting 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, I am disheartened by the antonym within Parole Board malpractice. In films that depict the plight of black males in America within our Criminal Justice System, like The Kalief Browder Story and When They See Us, how are there still consistent failures within the correctional facility release process, that only result in wrongful imprisonment and unjust release. Korey Wise, from the exonerated five, was repeatedly denied parole because he maintained his innocence. In the New York state prison system, inmates are generally…

Civil rights are civil liberties. Constitutionally backed codification of existing legislation, or as the government calls them amendments. For non-progressives: you are 100% entitled to your belief, but it is 100% based on nothing. And this is unconstitutional engagement wielded to infringe on others. Campaigning essentialist-rejection as a just stance in politics stalls progress behind ‘that’s just my belief’ and “freedom of speech”.

I am not a doctor or pediatrician, and don’t have an in-depth understanding of biology, biological-chemistry, or a medical science eduation. But, I have noticed a trend in the political community. Campaigns around TransX individuals often promote misinformation around gender and how it is possible to attribute or assign gender through medical evidence [‘x’ for all persons within this label]. Before reading on, I will be centering my rejection of transphobia solely on defining gender as a chemistry not a biology. “Chemistry is such a diverse science branching into many industries, and its understanding is fundamental” (Kaur, scientianews.org). [In medicine]…

After the 13th Amendment and Civil War Reconstruction, Jim Crow Laws became the law of the land in segregating Black folks up until to 1960s.If the 1960s Civil Right Movement was initiated to desegregate the existing Jim Crow context, why do we remember the mission as the birth of DEI, and not an era that advocated for an end to racialized violence against former enslaved black folks?The era expanded discourse around equity and inclusion inthe transitionary period following the Civil Rights Movement. In contrast, the movement was initiated to integrate black folks into American society because we were experience high…

The incarceration system is modern day slavery because it was born from civil war, dismantling of slave labor, and the institution of “black codes”. Jails were initially run by local law enforcement, whereas modernized incarceration-systems function as plantations: transporting inmates and indentured servitude for criminal offenses/crimes. Because this all is a root from the passage of the 13th amendment, I believe private and government “security facilities” and “punitive” correction arms of our criminal justice system, in simple terms, just transformed how we view the black body— with intense surveillance, devaluation, and violence. Intense surveillance began with black codes that are…

As an admirer of the LGBTQI+ community, I have developed a “fangirl” appreciation for Ballroom culture. I’ve quickly learned that drag queens, cross-dressers, and transgender women often face a lot of derogatory remarks, such as “man in a dress.” You can be a man in a dress and rock the dress confidently. I have also worn a dress as a woman and have felt both sides of this experience. So, how does wearing a dress influence our conscious and subconscious perceptions of appearance? A dress is simply a dress. Choosing to wear a dress is a personal decision. Negative discourse…

In a government where we’re having real-time debates about whether Trump can run for president again, it seems utterly insane to me. The Constitution states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Note: the term “consecutively” is not mentioned in this clause; it refers to a lifetime limit. The subsequent sections address the Presidential Line of Succession concerning all “designated survivor” cabinet members. If Trump has already been elected twice, his name cannot appear on a presidential election ballot. To clarify, he can participate in campaigning, but he cannot actually be on the ballot. …