Published inBlack Stories Matter·Jan 13, 2021Beetle Does “Crazy”BY BEETLE BAILEY There is no monolith of Blackness. Being Black is not all Black things to all Black people. A large part of it, sometimes, is simply being not-white. I’m not white. But my not-whiteness is more than just a sometimes-unfortunate skin condition. The not-whiteness is soul-deep—a mentality. Whenever…Black Lives Matter10 min readBlack Lives Matter10 min read
Published inBlack Stories Matter·Jan 6, 2021Odell for PresidentBY ODELL WINFIELD I always loved being a librarian. I’m a collector of information and stories. Until now I have only been a word keeper. But tonight I’m going to be a word “speaker” and share my story. As a kid, I believe my life doesn’t have its own meaning…Storytelling6 min readStorytelling6 min read
Published inBlack Stories Matter·Dec 30, 2020Shai Checks “The Box”BY SHAI BROWN My mother was my hero. She was the prettiest woman in the world, 5' 11 with caramel skin, short hair, amazing style, and swag. She had a body to die for. You’d never know she gave birth six times. At one point in her life she was…Black Lives Matter7 min readBlack Lives Matter7 min read
Published inBlack Stories Matter·Dec 23, 2020Twinkle and Ezra Need You to Get Your White MenBY TWINKLE BURKE and EZRA HUBBARD TWINKLE I’m not a teacher or a nurse, but I often play one on TV. See — producers and writers like to cast women of color as nurturers — teachers and nurses being the most popular forms in the acting world. …Black Lives Matter10 min readBlack Lives Matter10 min read
Published inTMI Project·Dec 16, 2020The Lucky Ones: Betty’s StoryBY BETTY MACDONALD As an 18-year-old girl in the early fifties, I possess very little knowledge of my body or reproduction. It will be twenty years before The Supreme Court passes Roe v Wade into law, making abortion legal. Not only is abortion illegal, so is contraception in many states…Abortion4 min readAbortion4 min read
Published inBlack Stories Matter·Dec 16, 2020What Callie Learned from 90210BY CALLIE JAYNE I grew up in a white neighborhood. And I mean white, only .6% Black. Growing up around all white people messes my mind up. I have a sense of self-hate that’s hard to overcome. There’s massive pressure to be what the white world expects of me, fit…BlackLivesMatter6 min readBlackLivesMatter6 min read
Published inTMI Project·Dec 16, 2020The Lucky Ones: Diana’s StoryBY DIANA FREID It’s 1967, I am 19 years-old, and I am pregnant. I don’t understand how this can be. I think it’s impossible to get pregnant the first time you sleep with someone. I cannot have a baby. My boyfriend asks around and gets a name and a number…Abortion4 min readAbortion4 min read
Published inTMI Project·Dec 11, 2020The Lucky Ones: Mourka’s StoryBY MOURKA MEYENDOROFF I was 19-years-old in the fall of 1966 when my friend Barbara and I drove my two-tone 1956 Chevrolet to Baltimore, Maryland, where I was to have an illegal abortion. One afternoon, a few weeks prior, I had returned from school, pulled into my driveway, parked, and…Abortion4 min readAbortion4 min read
Published inBlack Stories Matter·Dec 11, 2020She Saw What I Couldn’t See in MyselfBY RITA WORTHINGTON At 24 years old, I don’t believe I’m a good mother. I don’t do drugs or neglect my children, but I’m unmarried, on welfare, and struggle to bond with my four children. I got pregnant when I was 15, had my daughter at 16, and 3 other…Black Stories Matter4 min readBlack Stories Matter4 min read
Published inBlack Stories Matter·Dec 11, 2020Upright and TruthfulBY TAMIKA DUNKLEY Throughout my scholastic career, I’m praised for being a “Wonderful straight-A student.” I’m the student body president and the leader in multiple choirs and bands. I spent six to seven days at church. I attend every bible study, worship service, and benefit. From a young age, I’m…Black Stories Matter6 min readBlack Stories Matter6 min read
