Dignity Over Aesthetics: The Inherent Violence of Beauty Standards
These standards harm in two key ways. First, they disproportionately affect marginalized groups—particularly disabled people—by demanding conformity to a narrow, often impossible ideal. Second, beauty ideals constantly shift, thus trapping everyone in a cycle of unattainability. Together, they ensure that the most vulnerable bear the heaviest burden.
Making Ends Meet: Black America’s Complex Relationship with Rent
The day I learned how to make salmon patties was the same day I learned of the word “eviction.”
What's Eating Harlem: College Institutions’ Roles in Gentrification and Displacement
Whether it be a new restaurant, an upcoming cultural event or an open mic night at the Apollo Theater, “What’s Eating Harlem” ensured that viewers never missed out on what Uptown Manhattan had to offer.
Beyond the Field: The Need for Transparency in Sports for Black Males
In the intricate history of American society, the path to social mobility and higher education has been notably challenging for low-income Black male youth.
Cornbread, Collard Greens, and Competition — The Gentrification of Soul Food
In 2016, Neiman Marcus infamously sold collard greens for $66 with a $15 shipping fee. Coincidentally, that same year, I sat in my grandmother’s kitchen and learned how to cook collard greens.
Black Women and the Critique of Gender as Category
Sojourner Truth’s infamous speech “Ain't I a Woman” stands at the precipice of Black women learning to reclaim the identity of “woman” as something that can be weaponized and mobilized behind.
Every Right To Be Angry — Black Women’s Rage as Resistance
Audre Lorde argued, “It is not the anger of other women that will destroy us but our refusals to stand still, to listen to its rhythms, to learn within it, to move beyond the manner of presentation to the substance, to tap that anger as an important source of empowerment.”
For the Women, By the Women — UWL and UBLSA’s First Annual Women of Color in Law Panel
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. And I am not free as long as one person of Color remains chained.” - Audre Lorde
Policy, Perms, and A Whole Lot of Product: The Success and Failure of the Natural Hair Movement
As a child of the 2000s, I vividly remember seeing the Dark and Lovely and Just for Me relaxer boxes in the beauty supply store and the smell of Mizani relaxer as it sat on women’s heads at the hair salon.
The Black Elite: How Class is Dividing the Black Community
In recent times, there has been an increase in discussion about the success of Black people in America. More discussions should consider, however, the ways in which poor Black people are being continuously disadvantaged as a barrier to reach the same level of success.
This is the Time, This is the Place — Black Women Lawyers’ Attrition Rates Reflect a Lack of Space for Authenticity
The attrition of Black women in the legal field is at an all-time high. This article utilizes Molly from Insecure to explore why, and what we can do to fix it.
Something Money Can’t Buy — The University’s First Ever Black Student Business Expo
On April 21, 2023, The University of Virginia had its first Black Student Business Expo that day, co-sponsored by the Black Economic Empowerment Society and the Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness.
Ariel Was Meant to be White
The conflict behind all of the discourse for why or why not Ariel should be Black is far deeper than keeping the Golden Age of Disney pure or bringing voices to certain communities.