What Lives Inside an Emerald
Twelve years ago, my mother Cynthia and I sat together at a dining room table, the kind of table that has witnessed a thousand ordinary family arguments, a thousand ordinary meals, and we were trying to build something that the city of Seattle had long decided our community did not deserve: a story told in full.
If Journalism Didn’t Matter, They Wouldn’t Fear It
His Name Was Trayvon Martin
Today is the 11th anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death.
You’re not yet old enough to know that his name should mean something to each of you. But I can’t recall his life without thinking of yours.
The Myths That Kill Our Dreamers
Myths can destroy our dreams … I’ll tell you why that thought haunted me after I visited Montgomery, Alabama, a historical crucible for both brutal oppression against Black people and their courageous resistance against it during the Civil Rights Movement.
OPINION | The Banality of Injustice
The following is an edited transcript of a speech given at the 2022 Reimagining Behavioral Health Conference: Race, Equity, and Social Justice. Prompting the speech was the question, “What does justice look like when navigating mental health?”
More Black kids are dying by suicide. The reasons, unfortunately, aren’t surprising
You want to forget the first time you tried to kill yourself, but you never can.
Yes, mercy can co-exist with accountability in our justice system
Our state, much like our country, does punishment well. It does redemption quite poorly. For those embracing punishment, I have a question to ask you…
After Buffalo, we can’t afford to mourn and move on, unless we’re willing to accept more tragedy
A prerequisite of living while Black in this country is learning to mourn and move on. Another is concluding there is no amount of butchering, murder or elimination of Black life that will ever make America stop guzzling the syrupy poison of white supremacy.
Thousands of WA grandparents are raising kids — and they need more help
If this country genuinely cared about protecting the lives of children, Barb Taylor would be out of a job and grandmothers like Ollie Reeves would never anguish over how to feed the children in their care. But it doesn’t.
Before you rage against critical race theory, it might be helpful to know what it is
Valued reader, I really need you to ask yourself a question: Do you know what critical race theory is?
After the insurrection, I fought my urge to abandon this country
A year ago today I began planning my exodus from the United States.
Did you even hear about this shooting in South Seattle?
I’m beginning to think there’s no amount of suffering that will force us to sustainably care about the well-being of our Black community.
Why can’t justice punish and heal at the same time?
Though not for everyone, healing justice provides an option for survivors of violence and their families not wishing to follow tragedy with tragedy.
What Really Happened in CHOP?
One year ago, protesters transformed six blocks on Capitol Hill and captured the nation’s attention. Nobody knew where this would go.
Naomi Osaka prioritized her mental health. It’s time we followed suit
The Chauvin verdict is simply justice. Why are we celebrating it?
Why does society shrug when Black men are killed in Seattle’s South End?
To heal our collective trauma, we must first face it
Reparations can take many forms. Let’s start by being honest about what we’ve wrought
