I am black. My husband is white. Before becoming a mom, I always wondered what my kids would look like. We now have two beautiful mixed children. As we are raising them, I am beginning to wrestle with questions...
I have been going to the polls since I can remember. My parents voted before work and made a point of taking my brother and me so that we knew the significance. In high school, my friends and I...
I am an African-American teacher who loudly and proudly celebrates Black History Month. It brings me so much joy, yet so much anguish. Every February, I brace myself for my colleagues' collective groan as they feel forced to teach...
As a sophomore in high school, I heard my name being called over the school-wide intercom. “Roleen Bell, please report to the library.” The library? Ok, this can’t be for anything too bad. I took my sweet time, casually...
A few months ago I walked into Meijer with my youngest, MJ. She was comfortably nursing in my ring sling and I was focused on my shopping. As I walked toward the carts an older black woman stopped me...
Growing up, February was so important to my family because my our roots run deep. All of my grandmother's brothers served in the military and each served during wars. My grandparents were sharecroppers in the south; they spent the...
I quit my job. It took months for me to make the decision. I never, by any stretch of the imagination, thought of not working. I love my kids and my husband with everything in me, but staying at...
Let me precede this blog by saying this is not a blog paying homage to Bill Cosby. Straight up, there it is: there's a difference between Bill and Cliff. But, that's not what this blog is about. This blog...
“I don’t like dark skin.” These are the exact words said about my 3-year-old black daughter by another child. This is a very personal matter for all parties involved. I am not going to get into details about why,...
Ms. Dawn Whitehead was my first Black Woman teacher. She was also my first Black teacher and I didn't have her until I was in high school. Ms. Whitehead was wonderful, beautiful, and smart. She was a representation of...
For the past week, I have been glued to the television screen as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson prepares to ascend to the highest court in the land. As a Black woman, I was filled with pride as she was...
I spend my Saturday afternoons with young ladies ages 12-14. Now before you sigh and ask if I am crazy, know that I volunteer for this. I have volunteered to do this for years for the Center for Leadership...
About fifteen years ago, my grandpa wrote an e-mail to me, my siblings, and my cousins. He had recently learned how to scan pictures, and had sent us newspaper clippings of my Japanese grandma after she first arrived from...
Election season is somewhat like a holiday for me, a long and visceral one, but a holiday nonetheless. I know not everyone feels this way between the hateful ads, the constant debates, and the loops on the news. Most...
In + Around Indy
See Circle City: Indianapolis Farmers’ Market Roundup
Spring has sprung! We can all finally come out of hibernation and enjoy the warmer temperatures and outdoor activities, including visiting an Indianapolis farmers’...
