I'm going through so much personal upheaval right now that the only thing I can liken it to is the teen years. Raging hormones. Relationship problems. Fear of the future. Identity confusion. Questions about faith. How is it that someone on the verge of 59 feels like someone on the verge of 15? I don't... Continue Reading →
Why do our heroes die?
The death of Chadwick Boseman hit all of us hard for all kinds of reasons: Because it was so unexpected. Because Boseman never revealed his private battle. Because he was so young. Because we hate cancer. Because 2020. Most striking for me is that Chadwick Boseman was a hero to us. As T'Challa he represented... Continue Reading →
We are not more depraved
Dear Lord, They think we're more depraved. Isn't that it? Isn't that what's nagging and gnawing at me? Isn't that why they cite statistics about our crime rates and achievement gaps? They are saying we are more depraved. And yet, they built a house and put us in the cellar. They built it on purpose... Continue Reading →
Stalk and Kill: It’s the American Way
After a black man is killed for minding his business, I often ask God why. I plead with him because I don't get why he has allowed black people - my people - to be mistreated for 400 years. Often, I go to Exodus Chapter 2 where Moses "saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one... Continue Reading →
Do you own your aging?
When I got out of the shower the other morning, an old woman was standing there staring at me. Oh wait. That was me in the mirror. I had just washed my hair, so my receding hairline exposed my giant forehead and my gray strands glistened in the light. My varicose veins, my frown lines,... Continue Reading →
Seeing a psychiatrist saved my life
At the end of 2016, my mind took a dangerous turn onto the road of suicidal thoughts. Experts say that if you have developed a plan for how to kill yourself, it's an emergency. I had developed a few plans. I knew that if I didn't get help, my family would be burying me long... Continue Reading →