In my 1986 novel A Woman’s Place I wrote about a friendship between three young Black women who meet at an elite White College in the late 1960’s. Each of the three young women, Faith, Crystal, and Serena chooses a…
Two experiences recently got me thinking about the meaning of the phrase “a life well-lived.” The first was attending the Washington, D.C. premiere of the new musical about the life of Frederick Douglass, American Prophet: Frederick Douglass In His Own…
Dear [insert your name here], As I write this blog post in the last two weeks two 18-year-old males, one White and one Hispanic have killed 31 people in two “mass shootings.” We feel exhausted, horrified, and like everything in…
Before Covid, Black youth aged five to twelve were the leading group of young people who committed suicide. This startling deeply unsettling quote was shared by Dr. Jonathan Shepherd, President of the Black Mental Health Alliance. He shared this as…
When I was a public-school student in Washington, D.C. the school library was a sacred space. Throughout my years in elementary, junior high, and high school, the school library was where I went to find myself in someone else’s story.…
