This week 16-year old high school student Amy Inita Joyner-Francis was killed in a bathroom fight at Howard Highschool of Technology in Wilmington, Delaware. At 8:15 am on Thursday, a fight between Amy and two girls broke out and a student reported that Amy's head was hit on the sink. It's still under investigation if the fight was over a boy, as many social media rumors claim. Fellow students also reported that Amy, who was a sophomore, was not a fighter, always a peacemaker, and in this particular conflict she felt it was her need to talk it out.

It's official after many discussions and debates. Today it was announced by the U.S. Treasury Department that legendary African freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman will replace racist U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the U.S. $20 bill. Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, spy, and humanitarian who escorted thousands of slaves from the Southern United States to the Northern United States to freedom. Harriet was so badass, she never got caught by bounty hunters during her many trips back and forth from the North to the South. In 2015, a grassroots organization called WomenOn20s rallied for women to be represented on U.S. currency in which Harriet Tubman was one of the finalists. It was also reported that other designs featuring civil rights leaders and women leaders will also be placed on pieces of currency. These new designs from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing are to be officially set into place in 2020.

While I know the racists are somewhere pressed and brewing up a protest of some sort, and I feel it's great that someone as despicable and evil as Andrew Jackson will be replaced, I'm not buying the genuine nature of this act. In my opinion, this is nothing but pacification to Black America. Not only to Black America, but it also aims to convince non-Black people and people outside the U.S. that progress for Black folks is evident. Another "Black first", another symbolic gesture with no real substance or depth. To add, Andrew Jackson will still be on the $20 bill, but he will be on the back while Tubman is on the front. Still symbolic of historic turmoil and our current state. While Harriet Tubman's likeliness lies on the $20 bill, Black Americans will still face injustice and systematic genocide by the hands of this system. Just yesterday it was reported that former NYPD cop Peter Liang got off for the ujust murder of Akai Gurley. I also noticed how quiet the media was about this, although it is expected.

The cycle never stops. Seeing that Harriet Tubman was so anti-establishment, I wonder if she would even approve of this. I feel as though Harriet will turn into another "Martin Luther King Jr." buzzword for undercover racists and racially insensitive folk to casually use in order to convince Black people racism and systematic injustice is non-existent, and many will fall for the jedi mind tricks. The great Ms. Tubman will also probably be reduced into this symbol to shut Black women in particular up about injustice, misogyny, and sexism. "Why are you complaining? Harriet Tubman is Black and a woman and she's on the $20 bill!" I can see it now. Even in death, dehumanized in order to keep her people quiet for a "kumbaya" sing along. Quite frankly, Harriet Tubman wasn't even considered human, let alone a U.S. citizen. Why is the U.S. Treasury and government so eager all of a sudden to showcase our heroes?

On a brighter and more positive note, I do think this will also give more people the opportunity to research Ms. Tubman's legacy as well as the legacy slavery has left on this country. But given the history of this country and the injustice and turmoil still experienced today by Black people, we still must call out this illusion of inclusion. I'm always wary when the "oppressors" want to join in the "revolution". Throwing a few crumbs while destroying a people is not "progress". I'll be convinced when the reparations come rolling in and when injustice against Black people ceases.

Why We Should Keep Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks Off the $20 Bill

In fall of 2016 (October 7), the story of the slave insurrection led by Nat Turner will be released in theaters. "The Birth of a Nation". Actor, writer, director, and producer Nate Parker produced and directed this film and he will also be portraying Nat Turner.

The film began production last spring and in January of this year it premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival for a competition. It was noted that the audience gave the film a "standing ovation" and Fox Searchlight Pictures purchased the rights to the film for $17.5 million.

While many Black people, including myself, are have had enough of the "slave movies", I like the fact that this movie was made. Throughout the history of Hollywood, slave films have always showcased a very biased portrayal of slavery; mainly images of subservience and White saviors. What seems to make this film different from other slavery themed films is that it conveys the 1831 Southhampton, Virginia slave rebellion where Nat Turner led a band of slaves to go from plantation to plantation revolting for their freedom. Because of this bold act, Nat Turner's legacy (like many other African peoples') has not been celebrated by the mainstream in comparison to the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. That isn't to devalue their accomplishments and fight, but let's be honest about how the more rebellious Africans are hidden from history books.


The film's title is a play off the 1915, historically and blatantly racist propaganda piece "The Birth of a Nation" (originally called "The Clansman") portraying Black men as a threat to White womanhood. After the release of the movie, which was even cosigned by bigoted president at the time Woodrow Wilson, the numbers of Ku Klux Klan members peaked (Source).

When I saw the preview, chills went through my body and I was a bit pressed it will be releasing in the fall and not sooner. Nonetheless, remembering that Hollywood has its hand in this film, I hope the story is accurately portrayed without any misleading information or White savior-ism.

I've been to Yassa before, but I wanted to make an official review of the restaurant. I went to Yassa African Restaurant last year and I remember having the Yassa Fish dinner. At the African Festival of the Arts last summer, I had the Tiebu Djeun dinner. Both meals absolutely scrumptious which is why I had to return for another one.

Some of you all are not going to like this post, but so be it. Yesterday, Harlem rapper Azealia Banks took to Twitter to vent her frustrations about the lack of support she does not receive from Black men. D.C. rapper Wale responded to her rant. This turned into a conversation about Black men's role in degrading Black women. Read the rant here.

While I do not agree with the outlandish, self-hating, internalized anti-Black statements Banks made (I'm actually disgusted by her words), I do understand where she's coming from. I even think Wale missed some of her points while they two went back and forth and he did not address the facts that what Azealia expressed is how some Black women feel and it comes from issues between Black men and women. In a way, Wale's "obliviousness" for the most part made her point about Black male ignorance of Black female pain even stronger. Wale's response somewhat speaks to the matter of Black men not listening to the cries of Black women.

Because of the legacy of systematic White supremacy and untreated Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: There is an issue with support, respect, and protection of Black women from Black men. There is an issue with Black men publicly shaming and blasting Black women on media formats like YouTube, Twitter, even popular culture. Rap and hip-hop has a bad reputation of lyrically devaluing and reducing Black women into "bitches", "hoes" and "thots" only good for being sexual conquests and punching bags. Of course this does NOT reflect all Black men. There are many Black men across the globe who celebrate, respect, cherish, and protect Black women and I do feel that they don't receive the credit they deserve and are often overshadowed by the blatant and brainwashing battle of the sexes promoted by the American media. However, the conversation about misogyny and sexism from Black men towards Black women still needs to be had because it's a problem. Ignoring it, pretending that it's non existent because you personally know "good Black men" or the rebuttal of "all Black men ain't like that" is honestly not helpful.

I feel that Azealia Banks is definitely coming from a place of hurt, trauma, fighting demons, and harboring a lot of anger. This is often viewed in many of her Twitter rants. She has always openly discussed her struggles of being a dark skinned Black women and how she feels unappreciated due to this issue of colorism among other social, and racial issues. In this particular rant, I feel like it spoke to the time when she had beef with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and many Black male rappers were coming out the woodworks to co-sign her. Many did not publicly speak up for or agree with Banks even though she did make valid points about how hip-hop and the media praised Iggy. Being a Black, dark skinned, petite woman who is also opinionated and makes alternative styled music in the hip-hop industry makes one an automatic outcast.



Unfortunately, throughout the months, the years, Azealia has dug herself a hole of hypocrisy she can't seem to get out of. Azealia Banks actually does make great and factual points from time to time, but her hate filled rants and meaningless beefs overshadow not only her rhetoric, but her music as well. On one hand, she's very upfront and honest about this issue between Black men and Black women, along with many other race-related conversations, but in the same breath she has constantly belittled, torn down, and been destructive to other Black women as she claims Black men do. This is the problem when you play petty "Tic-for-tac" games. It becomes a continuation of making baseless, emotion-filled revenge statements and actions that display your own flaws more than others.

I've always stated that if a Black man thinks lowly of Black women, it's a reflection of his own self-esteem, and vice versa. Bank's point about Africa was conflicting and contradicting in itself. If Black women were running Africa, how did the Black men sell everyone out? That sounded just as insane as the: "Black women ruined the Black family" ignorant ass statements. Placing non-White men on a pedestal in retaliation to Black men who do it is equally ignorant, self-hating, contradicts everything "pro Black" ever stated, and plays into the idea that the White man's ice is cooler when it's not. Not only that, but it also shows that the only reason you acknowledge these individuals of other races is due to your self-hate and your desire to "get back" at Black men or Black women, not actual love or admiration. A trophy mate. A self-esteem booster. Plus, you're playing into the stereotypical shucking and jiving celebrating of everything non-Black. So please tell me who's really winning in this situation? "Tic-for-tac" is a losing game.

This isn't to ignore her cry for help, air out her dirty laundry, bring up old news, or let Black men who participate in this none sense off the hook, but I find it puzzling how someone who constantly engages in petty Internet beefs and tears apart others, specifically fellow Black women, often does the same thing they claim to hate being done to them: slandering Black women, perpetuating colorism, spewing hatred, and placing Whiteness on a pedestal...whilst professing to be "pro-Black". Claiming to hate the White media and all things representing Whiteness in one breath, but posing in White publications and using White men to shit on Black men in the next. A cycle of confusion, tap dancing self hate straight out the plantation, and mental instability. People who live in glass houses can't throw stones. You can't cry about oppression when oppressing others.

Yes Azealis Banks is human and as human we're imperfect and we get into scuffles with out fellow man, including those who belong to the same race and same sex. But when the scuffles contain a trail, a pattern of problematic (I can't stand the term "problematic", but it's appropriate to use) speech, it's time to look for the common denominator: you. To be brutally honest, I also feel that some of Azealia's lack of support also stems from her constant drama, despite her claims on it solely being on her being a Black woman. It's nothing wrong with discussing your pain of being a dark skinned Black woman. You can be as angry as you want to because no one can tell you how to feel. But can we address the pink ass, glitter tutu, lacefront wearing elephant in the room once that's finished? Don't pretend like you stand up for Black women while you berate them as much as you claim Black men to. Don't pretend to be an advocate for dark skinned Black women when in the same breath you tell a Black teen girl who's darker than you to "pick cotton". The same way you claim Black men take advantage of Black women and Black issues for self-serving reasons is the SAME thing you do, all the time. You don't speak for me when you promote the same misogynistic, anti-Black sentiments you say you're against no matter how good your points are.

This conversation, as well as others, needs to be had in safe, intimate settings. Actual human interaction where folks can hear, see, and sense one another's expression, emotion, and body language. Not solely typing 144 characters to get a point across. Especially when the meddling media is the audience. Real healing. Despite my feelings about Azealia and her attitude, I really do hope she gets the relief that she desperately needs and I wish she would start use her frustrations to vent in her music instead of beefing with others. I'll always give you props when you're right, but don't ever think you about to use me to fulfill your personal agenda/beef with someone else. Thanks, but no thanks.