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Tag: Reparations

White-Centered Me

I’ve been attending lots of Zoom meetings on racism along my reparations journey. It’s got me listening to myself. What do I hear? Me. Little ol’ white-centered me. I used to talk about the ways my family was on the right side of history. “My grandfather refused to join the White Citizens Council.” “My great-grandfather...

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Reparations: Why Creative Writing

This is the 6th installment in my reparations series. Click to read the introduction. Continue with background facts about me and the salacious real me facts. I’ve included some warnings, plus the joy of reparative work. Today, we turn to what led me to take up reparations. Fiction Leads to Fact Twice, I’ve delved into my...

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Reparative Work

A scene from our reparations journey: We sit in the office of Dr. Ebony Lumumba, the Chair of the English Department at Jackson State University. We’re discussing the amazing conversation the night before on the stage of the McCoy Auditorium between Dr. Lumumba and Imani Perry. Dr. Perry was discussing her new book, South to America. (as soon as...

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Reparations Warnings

Before we get into reparations warnings, I want to thank y’all who’ve contacted me to let me know you’re reading or were intrigued to read The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. I truly loved this collection of stories (as you can tell from my review), and I’m glad to have successfully shared my joy. Next we continue my reparations...

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Reparations: the Real Me Facts

In my first post of this reparations journey, I didn’t tell you everything you need to know. The next part isn’t easy, and it would be simple to ignore it and leave it out. But it goes to the heart of the question: why am I making this journey at all? So. The Salacious Part My dad died when I was three years old. If you’ve...

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Reparations: Me Facts

I’ve been writing about race for almost as long as I’ve had this blog. Even before this early post using the metaphor of building a house on a cliff. Specifically, I’ve written about reparations, such as this post on the Mississippi that could have been. My 2022 reparations undertaking is not new. It is focused. I thought some...

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New Blog Features 2022

Good and happy 2022. In this new year, I’m making some blog changes. I actually intend to have regular features, which I’ve never done before (I’m an associative person; I follow ideas laterally; I’m very productive but hardly linear.) My news: I’m adding new blog features! New Blog Features The first of the three...

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The Mississippi that Might Still Be

When I heard that Mississippi during this massive moment of potential change was focusing on its racist flag, at first I thought, oh, dear Lord —that’s what Mississippians think matters now? But. I lose count when I try to say how many generations I’ve been from Mississippi (’cause, you know, we’re not very good at...

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