The first time I was pulled over by a police officer I was just about to turn 17. I lived in a suburb about 30 minutes away from McKinney, TX. I was on my way to drop off a family friend after the homecoming parade, and I was in a rush because my date was … Continue reading Good Cop, Bad Cop
The Department of Justice released its report on the Ferguson Police department today. One result is that Darren Wilson, the officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, will not face federal charges. The other result is the release of a slew of emails which prove the following: 1. Some Ferguson officials are verifiably, unequivocally, without … Continue reading No Legitimacy, No Justice, No Justice, No Peace
Congratulations, Flower Mound, Texas, you have become the caricature the nation imagines when they they think of backward southern towns where high schoolers hold up white power signs. Flower Mound is also where I grew up. Technically, I grew up on the border of Flower Mound and the less affluent suburb it shares a school … Continue reading The Power of Privilege in Flower Mound, Texas
This discussion was an extension of my piece about the disconnect I feel between being an American and being categorized as "African-American." My part of the segment begins at the 6:18 mark. Click the image to see the video.
Being African-American in America means knowing the country was not made for you. I mean this literally, not figuratively: The country was founded with the explicit legal mandate that in America, black people count as three fifths of one person. You learn that countrymen, brothers, and fathers of slaves fought and died to keep black … Continue reading Learning White-American History
"I don't need the right from anybody. I'm taking it." -Russell Brand Within the jaded recesses of my (just shy of) 25 year-old-mind lies the battered remnants of optimism. Santa Claus is not real, NYC Landlords will cheat you out of your security deposit, and the government doesn't actually work. These are truths I've learned … Continue reading The Right to Fight: A ‘Brand’ I Trust
Egypt and the UAE went forward with air strikes against Islamists in Libya without informing the United States. They did this presumably because they are concerned with the growing influence of Islamic extremists in their region of the world. No doubt their concerns don't exist in a vacuum -- the whole world is watching as … Continue reading Leading From Behind and Happy About It
I don't like being called African-American.I've always been pretty fond of being an American. I come from a military family from Texas -- patriotism is required. My appearance is not straight forward, black or white, so people often ask me what I am. Sometimes they ask for my ethnicity, sometimes they ask for my race, but sometimes … Continue reading The Problem Is In The Hyphen
"Everything is not about race." It's true. Most things humans experience in their lifetime are not directly tied to race. Things like finding a reason to get out of bed in the morning, paying bills, educating your children, and feeding said children have little to do with race on the ground when they are happening. … Continue reading “The Race Card”
I wasn't raised a "feminist" (I've written about that before), so I get the knee-jerk reaction against the word feminism. After spending my formative years in Texas it's just not something I go around calling myself. Am I a feminist? Yes, according to the dictionary definition I most certainly am. Usually though, I just prefer … Continue reading The F-Word
Courtney McKinney 