I knew that turning 31 would be more difficult than hitting the 30-year-old “childlike” milestone. Thirty-one was deeper; it meant that I was officially a 30-something, that I was truly in adulthood — whatever that meant. I could think back as a kid and remember all of the hopes and dreams I had and that …
Author Archives: B. Leigh Howard
‘Surviving R. Kelly’: Why don’t we protect our girls?
As a little girl, my mother was concerned over any adult around me. She would have to meet the parents of my friends and really get to know them before I was allowed to spend the night. If one of my friends’ mothers started to date a new guy, my mom would have to meet …
Perceived image of the angry black woman: The world vs. Serena
Over the past week, media sources have cited that Serena Williams was a sore loser after falling to Naomi Osaka in the 2018 U.S. Open. First, she was penalized for allegedly taking tips from her coach on the sideline while playing the game, which is not allowed. She addressed the umpire during the game for …
Black-woman rumble: Cardi B. v. Nicki Minaj
Black women are often pitted against one another. It’s as if every facet of our being revolves around some sort of competition where only one of us can survive. It’s the perpetual crab-pot mentality and only one of us can make it to the top, but in the process, we’re pulling each other down and …
When a woman gets ‘friend-zoned’
Men seem to always talk about their fear of being pushed into the “friend zone,” a category where a man is not considered as a romantic option for the woman with whom he has an interest. It’s not as if the man automatically enters this “zone;” it could develop over time. However, a man tends …
#herSTORY: the femme noire 