toni-morrison

I don’t pull punches in English class. As an aggressive literature major in a competitive academic setting, I thrive off of rigorous debate and live to challenge other’s readings and interpretations of a text–which is one reason I so thoroughly enjoyed a class meeting a few weeks back. The text? Toni Morrison's’ Song of Solomon. The scene up for discussion? When Guitar reveals to Milkman that he’s a part of "The Days," an underground organization of black men that retaliated against white violence committed against blacks. There are seven "Days," one man assigned to each day of the week. When a white person commits an act of violence against a black person, whatever day of the week it fell on is deferred to the man who has that day, and he must go out and mimic the act on a random white person – or people. I gave my analysis but started with an anecdote. “My mom and I often think about this very scenario," I said, "What if we went out, just us or black people in general, and killed whites as they kill us?” The class tried to go in on me. “That’s reverse racism,” a classmate said. A white classmate, mind you – I go to an overwhelmingly white college. “How is that any different than what the white people are doing?” “It’s justice,” I tried to explain. “Vigilante justice no less, but how is that any worse? There’s no ‘equal protection under the law,’ man. It doesn’t work that way for black bodies. They took it into their own hands because the justice system is against them”. “But it still isn’t justice,” another pressed, “They’re killing random people just like the white people are. They’re just copying what the white people are doing.” I kept my response rooted in the text, citing Morrison: “The character [Guitar] says explicitly that he doesn’t like doing it, and it’s hard to do it if he’s not drunk or high or both. He says that the Earth is ‘soggy with black blood’. He says here that they’re doing it to even numbers, and the randomness is to inspire fear. None of the black people know they’re going to be murdered, so they keep their killings random as to inspire the same level of fear. And mimicking the oppressor is a form of interpellation which serves to bunk the colonial project.” My professor screwed up his face. “The what?” I dove in and explained how the colonial project is the task the colonizer has undertaken to colonize, subjugate, and oppress and the various tools by which they do it. It’s fueled by institutional racism. I had my class shook. They couldn’t believe it. I had turned what was a “reverse racism, black-on-white crime” moment and showed them the reality – that we could do what they do – take up arms, kill, slip back into the night. And I showed them that while mentioning that we, as a black community, don’t do it because we don’t want to, we don’t need to. Black prosperity, health, success, and vitality do not have to, and do not, come at the expense of an entire corpus of people we have struggling under our boots. I’d have been scared if I were white too – to be forced to confront the reality of a system of racism from this radical black male with the afro who rooted his argument so deeply in the text that nobody could argue. Wouldn’t that be scary? I heard knees knocking, especially after a white classmate said I had crushed his idea of reverse racism. He said to the class that he sees it doesn’t exist. I say all this to say that half the arguments some of our white counterparts will put up aren’t always out of a place of racism, bigotry or hatred. People are largely the products of their environments, and sometimes ignorance prevails. And no one should be blamed for that. What I’m saying is that if I were white, I would probably have fought against what I was saying too, because it's easier to believe reverse racism happens rather than face the bitter reality of the deeply rooted system of colonization, racism and oppression that white people benefit from daily—and the fact that black people can’t be racist. And that one piece of ending racism would be to give up the privileges associated with whiteness. I’m a feminist – and gender parity means giving up my male privilege. That’s a scary thought. This means that engaging in a critical conversation with white people on race and race relations, especially as it pertains to white privilege and its source, might be met with opposition that's simply born from an understandable fear. I mean, just imagine what my white classmates were feeling. We ended the class by bonding over roasting Donald Trump. It was a good day. What are your experiences trying to educate the majority? Share your thoughts below!   Follow Ian Artis on Snapchat @iauggosnpcht and  Twitter @ianartis. READ NEXT: Larry Wilmore interviewed 6 Black Donald Trump supporters and this is what...

Self-reliance is an understanding of one's ability to define and determine the self. That understanding is a difficult one to reach as a black woman, but for these 13 women they not only reached it but articulated it so well. Often times our paths are obstructed by the looming presence of a society whose existence seems rooted in keeping us down. But, as Maya Angelou reminded us, we still shall rise. See what these 13 writers have to say about the matter of self-love and self-reliance. Toni Morrison "I want to feel what I feel. What's mine. Even if it's not happiness, whatever that means. Because you're all you've got." Zora Neale Hurston "I love myself when I am laughing. . . and then again when I am looking mean and impressive." Maya Angelou  "We have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? And, according to our light, according to our understanding, according to our courage, we will have to say yea or nay — and rise!" Audre Lorde "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." bell hooks "One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others." June Jordan "I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect." Alice Walker "HELPED are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be constant." Nikki Giovanni "I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal I cannot be comprehended except by my permission" Toni Cade Bambara "Revolution begins with the self, in the self. J. California Cooper "Build you a rainbow. Do it yourself! If you can’t do that, build your mind near one. Learn how to fly. Then … soar a little." Gwendolyn Brooks "In yourself you stretch, you are well." Ntozake Shange "Through my tears i found god in myself and i loved her i loved her fiercely" Sonia Sanchez "I shall become, I shall become a collector of me. And put meat on my soul." Share some of your favorite quotes on self-reliance!   READ NEXT: Why 'Sleepy Hollow' and the rest of Hollywood need to listen to fans of...

I was fortunate to receive an early copy of Bernice L. McFadden’s upcoming novel, The Book of Harlan. After reading her previous novel Gathering of Waters, a historical fiction tale surrounding the life of Emmett Till, with themes of animism and its presence in a family from Money, Mississippi , I was more than excited to dive into McFadden’s latest offering. The Book of Harlan is a biographical fiction tale of Harlan Elliott, a musician who is kidnapped by Nazi soldiers and forced into a concentration camp. The novel begins with the meeting of Harlan’s parents: beautiful and musically inclined, Emma Robinson, and hardworking love-struck Sam Elliott. Their love is one so magical it conjures up a son, Harlan, laced with so much lethargy, he enters the world yawning. That lethargy follows Harlan as he stumbles through his early adult years inebriated on a cocktail of women, music, reefer, and the rapture of the Harlem Renaissance. No one could ever imagine that the clock would strike twelve and the fantastical ball would come to its inevitable end. But it does. For Harlan, it is on the eve of his departure from Paris when the magical mist of excess and naiveté clears. What follows are a series of unfortunate events that will irrevocably change his life. Bernice’s prose stuns, yet again, in its succinct but visceral examination of the lengths of humanity. McFadden plunges into one of the most tragic atrocities against humankind and brings the humanity, the empathy, and the intimacy to the surface. In one of the most poignant scenes in The Book of Harlan, Harlan debates eating a cookie given to him and the other Holocaust prisoners on Christmas Eve. On one hand it is a gift from a murderer who stripped Harlan of his freedom and friend, on the other hand it is the most delectable piece of food he stands to receive while in the camp. His ultimate decision will bring you close to tears. McFadden continues testing the limits of humanity when Harlan returns from Europe and finds that not only is the euphoria of 1920s Harlem gone, but that life is not done with him—no matter how much he is done with it. What I found most compelling was McFadden’s juxtaposition of dreams and destiny. While I am not well-versed in McFadden’s work, a theme I am beginning to notice is life’s relationship with pre-destiny. When Harlan arrived into the world, yawning with apathy, we were told that his stay here wouldn’t be easy. And nothing could derail him from that; the alcohol, the drugs, the Harlem Renaissance, were no fortress to the pre-destined path Harlan was made to walk. The same is true for his best friend Lizard, whose escape into a new identity is the very thing that leads him to the confrontation of his truth. For McFadden’s characters, life has meaning. Each person she places in her stories is ascribed a duty that they are born to fulfill, no matter how trying the process, their existence serves a purpose far bigger than their individual selves. McFadden’s use of foreshadowing gives truth to this belief—she is constantly setting you up with clues, markers of significance, that we can only regard in hindsight with respect to our own lives—and gives her already omniscient narrator an even more mythical element, a structuring reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s. McFadden’s testing of humanity’s limits reveals one powerful truth: humanity has a resiliency; a capability to withstand the cruelest trauma. While humankind may develop some erroneous coping mechanisms, the will to survive is intact. That will can bring about the best in us -- we’ve seen it reflected in revolutions and protests. That will can also bring out the worst -- we’ve seen it reflected in wars and discrimination. It is a choice. One that must never be made lightly. Louis Armstrong said it best when talking to Lizard on the night before his departure to Paris: “Son, I don’t hate anyone. That’s not to say that I don’t have it in me. I believe we all got it in us—but whenever I feel it trying to climb out, I […] am reminded that love is more powerful than hate will ever be.” I continue to be amazed by McFadden’s work, and The Book of Harlan does not disappoint. Although it did leave a glaring unanswered question in one storyline, I can only hope that perhaps it will be answered in a follow up novel. If you aren’t tuned into McFadden, I highly recommend you add her to the top of your Must Read list. So lucky I got to read amazing Book of Harlan @queenazsa on sale May 3 run don't walk to your local @indiesfirst pic.twitter.com/5p1bzeZO07 — Kim van Alkemade (@KimvanAlkemade) March 19, 2016 The Book of Harlan by Bernice L. McFadden is a must read. I am so distraught right now. The tidal wave of emotions...#justread — Kayis2cute (@kayis2cute) March 24, 2016 Here is the link to purchase The Book of Harlan by Bernice McFadden. https://t.co/E2mrQgJ1EW @ReninaWrites @queenazsa — HUE-MAN BOOKSTORE (@HUEMANBOOKS) March 20, 2016 Be sure to pick up your copy of The Book of Harlan May 3rd! Published: 2016 Publisher: Akashic Books Pages: 342                 READ NEXT: Is Kevin Hart adding author to his...

In honor of Women's History Month, here are 15 women writers that should be on everyone's bookshelf: Maya Angelou Maya was the definition of what a writer should be. Not only was she skilled in the literary arts, she used her talent as a means to uplift and enlighten. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is one of her more popular works. Octavia Butler Octavia was the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Fellowship. Two books you should definitely add to your collection are Kindred  and Fledging . Toni Morrison Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her work, Beloved, Morrison is one of the most prized writers in American literature. She was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Angela Davis This academic scholar was one of the most influential writers that used her voice as a weapon to challenge a broken system of injustice. Her autobiography, Angela Davis: An Autobiography, has shaped the minds of many future leaders of change. Zora Neale Hurston Best known for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God , Hurston remains a literary legend. Her descriptive dialogue of the African-American experience was one of a kind. Alice Walker Walker’s literary talent stretched far. She was a novelist, poet and short story writer. She, too, was an activist in her own right. She is mostly known for her novel, The Color Purple. Assata Shakur Like Angela Davis, Shakur was one of the pillars of activism during the 1970s. Her autobiography is considered by many to be one of the most prolific books that deal with race and legal issues in the United States of America. Nikki Giovanni Nikki is one of the most well-renowned American poets. Social injustice sparked Giovanni to use her talent as a weapon to fight. Her work spans over nearly six decades, impacting millions in the process. Ida B. Wells This leader of change played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement. Like others during this time, she used her talent to document the trials and tribulations of the African-American experience. Her most popular work is Southern Horrors and Other Writings. Shirley Chisholm Recently Chisholm was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This life-long educator's literary works includes two autobiographical books: Unbought and Unbossed and The Good Fight Lorraine Hansberry Hansberry was the first black woman to write a play to be performed on Broadway. She is mostly known for her work, A Raisin in the Sun. Sister Souljah Sister Souljah is an American novelist that is mostly known for her literary work, The Coldest Winter Ever. Souljah also uses her voice as a means to address the social issues that plague a plethora of communities across America. Phillis Wheatley Wheatley was the first published African-American female poet. Her influence on the landscape of poetry can be seen and read from artists today. Terry McMillan This New York Times bestselling author's notable works include Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Michelle Alexander As the author of The New Jim Crow, Alexander has been setting the scene on fire with her advocacy for civil rights. The mass incarceration epidemic is something that Alexander is continuing to bring awareness to through her voice and pen.  Mario resides in Charlotte, NC. He is the owner of MDK Entertainment LLC and editor of 'Hip-Hop University: The Magazine.' His mission is to uplift minds through word and film. Connect with him! Website: www.mariodking.com Twitter: @mariodking, IG: @mariodking, FB: @AuthorMarioDKing READ NEXT: 18 times Toni Morrison slayed you softly with her...

From her unyielding conviction to write beyond the white gaze, to her profound themes on womanhood, love, the value of black men in America, religion, and colorism, Toni Morrison has said it all...and then some. That's why the author, born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, is celebrated as the First Lady of Literature today. On her 85th birthday we've rounded up some of her most profound statements on love, language, and self. 1. "I got my mind. And what goes on in it. Which is to say, I got me." (Sula) 2. "You are your best thing." (Beloved) 3. "I've been just bored with evil. It's just not interesting. Evil wears a top hat, and it has tap shoes, and a cape, and it's on stage. And it's hollering. And goodness is always backstage, sort of waving. [Evil's] gotta have a costume. It's gotta be loud. It's gotta be bloody. Are you gonna do a double take?" 4. "All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was." 5. "Art reminds us that we belong here. And if we serve, we last." http://thestoryscape.tumblr.com/post/77074763376/i-am-a-writer-and-my-faith-in-the-world-of-art 6. "If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it." (Song of Solomon) 7. "She is a friend of my mind..." (Beloved) 8. "Love is divine only and difficult always. You do not deserve love regardless of the suffering you have endured. You do not deserve love because somebody did you wrong. You do not deserve love because you want it. You can only earn -- by practice and careful contemplation -- the right to express it and you have to learn how to accept it." (Paradise) 9. "I didn't fall in love, I rose in it." (Jazz) 10. "Love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all." (Beloved) 11. "Make a difference about something, other than yourselves." 12. "Oppressive language does more than represent violence, it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge, it limits knowledge." (Nobel Lecture, 1993) 13. "There is really nothing more to say -- except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how." 14. "Nothing could be counted on in a world where even when you were a solution, you were a problem." (Beloved) 15. "It's important to know who the real enemy is and to know the very serious function of racism, which is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining over and over your reason for being." (Morrison on Black Artists in Portland, 1975) 16. "Your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else." 17. "As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think." 18. "Does your face light up?" What are some of your favorite Toni Morrison quotes? Share them with us and with your friends below, and let's celebrate her birthday with the gifts she's given to us, her words! READ NEXT: Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah drops a word on fearlessness and black...

“I compliment my husband as his wife.” I used to see this as endearing before realizing my Queens’ worth. When I sort out an outfit for a gala, I pick out the shirt, type of pant, shoe color and bow tie. Afterward, I focus on the accouterments, cufflinks, watch, ring, pocket square sunglass and luxury oils for the body. My Queen is not a cufflink to the wardrobe of my life. She is essential to my confidence and being. Being married five years has turned me away from being a brute. In my past, I used women as a pleasure pillow to lay on for too many years. Meeting women was never a trivial pursuit, but searching for my sincere respect for their humanity took diligence. Men love their mothers by and large. We desire to love a woman the way we love our mothers. The year 2016 is about coming into an accurate, authentic and holistically improved version of yourself. Here are some dating tips inspired by Toni Morrisson for you to bring into the new year. 1.“You do not deserve love regardless of the suffering you have endured. You do not deserve love because somebody did you wrong. You do not deserve love just because you want it. You can only earn — by practice and careful contemplations...”      Love does not have a magnetic field that through desire finds us. Being an author on a relationship book and tenured relationship coach, I have found many people seeking what they haven’t prepped for. I recently mentioned in a Periscope video that the beauty we reveal on the outside will capture similar beauty. But we cannot forgo the work on the inside. Leaping over our inner problems will magnetically bring to us people with similar needs of inner construction. Healthy people attract other healthy love. In my coaching experience, Unhealthy love always has traits of “outer beauty lust” rising like steam from a hot kettle. Hurt people eventually hurt people. The glamorous career and concierge perks cannot whisk you away to a healthy heart. Spend the time necessary to seek the painful places. Small groups, one on one counseling or ordering a workbook on emotional wellness will start the marathon to a cleaner more beautiful version of you. Loving the holistically improved version of you curbs loneliness. Nothing brings more peace than being fulfilled while alone. 2. “Me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.” Time and time again, men seek to devour. Men who are not fed in some spiritual sense tend to thirst and hunger for women. My experience with women was about being a false king. I spent time believing that being a lustful womanizer would thrust me into manhood. I used my promise to love as a means to satisfy my loins. Men promise to love in order to get sex. We all need the promise of tomorrow to get through today. No ring after a 10-year relationship? Probably not walking down the aisle anytime soon. Propelling him to move the relationship forward gives you the grip of confidence needed. In 2016, our Grandfathers antiquated reign over the home is out. Today, couples are in power positions together. My wife is the cornerstone of my success. Avoid a man who believes he is solely yours. 3. “He wants to put his story next to hers.”  Committed is a word of continuous action propelled by love and passion. You can’t push human to be committed past their will. Your 2016 life of being single will be liberated the moment you desire a partner versus a prisoner. No more moments of convincing, praying, thinking, settling and giving up or in. He who stays forever decides out of love. Struggle plates, like struggle dates, cannot be tolerated. There became a point in my relationship when I was dating my wife that I made similar decisions. She wasn’t 100 percent sure I was the guy. Spending her time with me, my money and sharing intimate details wasn’t enough. I cried, prayed and thought on what to say to get her to commit. At some point, I became fed up and gave my relational resignation in sorrow. Eventually, she understood a decision must be made. Dating in purpose cuts the crap from the relationship. Be with me or flee is the motto. I believe a man knows in six months whether or not he wants to make it official or even marry. If you aren’t the married type, at least ensure he is committed. Don’t be tied to someone who is just dragging you along. The truth of the matter is most relationships without ties get tangled. Be a host of love and positivity, but be clear about expectations. Chill with those who want to build with you. Life is imperfect and being single is more difficult than ever. Healthy love starts with a conversation. The words you speak to yourself heal or hurt from within. Beauty is her name, on the inside and outside. Chris Marvel is a Relationship Coach/Expert and author of upcoming book Love Laws- Rules of Love and Relationships in the 21st Century. He has been seen or spoken of on ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports time Ohio, Yahoo, Huffington Post and HuffPostLive, also working with future NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and other notable professional athletes and entertainers. He has also contributed to various radio shows around the country including a regular guest spot on Radio One in Cleveland. He also is known for offering commentary and insights on professional athletics, leadership, human development, and spiritual growth. He a columnist for the Call and Post Newspaper and a recent “Emerging Leaders” honoree in Who’s Who in Black Cleveland. He has shared the stage with Iyanla Vanzant and Wendy Williams at the Empower One Conference in 2015 as...

Reading is something that I valued more than anything growing up. Books were a way to leave all of the abhorrent mess going on in the world and travel to a land far away with individuals that I came to consider some of my good friends. But one thing that I will never forget about the list of books I was required to read throughout my high school career was the fact that almost every book was written by a white person. I was left to seek out any black authors on my own, when I knew that it was the other students in my predominately white classroom environment that more than likely needed to read these books the most. Below you will find a few black authors that I believe should be required in every high school curriculum across America — because our history is a part of American history. 1. Toni Morrison    2. Ralph Ellison  3. James Baldwin 4. Frantz Fanon 5. Maya Angelou  6. Aimé Césaire  7. Alice Walker 8. Zora Neale Hurston  9. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 10. Langston Hughes  What black authors do you recommend everyone read? Leave your suggestions in the comments. Want more content like this? Sign up for our weekly newsletter below. [mc4wp_form] ...