The Origin of “Cool” and its role in Black History

Posted by & filed under African American, American, black history month, Chicago, classic, cool, curly hair, Esperanza Spalding, Gwendolyn Brooks, jazz, kinky hair, Lester Young, natural hair, Nina Simone, Smithsonian museum.

I recently caught a news report about a new exhibit at the Smithsonian museum which attempts to encapsulate what it means to be cool. I stopped getting prepared for my work day to listen to what the curators of the exhibit had concluded who and what to be cool in our society. Entitled “American Cool”, the… Read more »

The Various States of Freedom

Posted by & filed under Atlantic, beach, iguana, Kinfolk Magazine, natural hair, ocean, Puerto Rico, Rio Grande, St. Regis, transition, vacation.

For the past four days, my husband and I took a much-needed break from the day to day. We traveled to Rio Grande,  Puerto Rico for rest, relaxation, and reflection. For this trip, I was determined to do a couple of things: meditate, reconnect with nature, be silent, be still, be grateful, be fun, and… Read more »