I Do See Color 2023 (on Substack)
“Seeing” color is no more a problem than “seeing” height. Disrespect and discrimination are bigger issues.
Subscribe to this Substack column for $5 per month or $50 per year to read race- and culture-related posts. For $90 as a founder, get full access to “Black Girl In a Doggone World™,” “Homegrown Tales,” "Tickled," “We Need to Talk” and “Window Shopping” too.
(Looking for IDSC 2019? Click here. 2020? Click here. 2021? Click here. 2022? Click here.)
Subscribe to this Substack column for $5 per month or $50 per year to read race- and culture-related posts. For $90 as a founder, get full access to “Black Girl In a Doggone World™,” “Homegrown Tales,” "Tickled," “We Need to Talk” and “Window Shopping” too.
(Looking for IDSC 2019? Click here. 2020? Click here. 2021? Click here. 2022? Click here.)
62. Snobs play Spades too! ~ Harvard University Business School students organize the Spades clinic
61. Angie Stone's 'Brotha' is special to women too ~ Songs like Cecily Wilborn's 'Southern Man' and Angie Stone's 'Good Man' are energy boosters for the soul
60. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Elijah’s law: Learning about food allergies before an emergency happens ~ Black children with food allergies have higher rates of asthma, a factor in up to 75% of anaphylaxis fatalities
59. Racism can increase stroke risks and high blood pressure in educated black women ~ Black women with higher education more likely to identify racism in employment, housing, health care, education and with police
58. Contrary to popular belief, shoplifters come in all shapes, sizes and races ~ The difficult decision I made when police arrested someone accusing ME of stealing
57. A fair one between senators could recreate disturbing past with Congress ~ When Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin trying to fight Sean O’Brien becomes far less amusing
56. 98% of check writing scams are reported by young people ~ Black people wrote less than 30% of checks in the past 30 days
55. Subtle ways to avoid the 'stinky food' debate ~ From picky eaters to hyperosmia, ethnic food critics can avoid the controversy
54. There's nothing funny about the way Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee speaks to her staff ~ Why did it take three decades and a secret recording to make her apologize?
53. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Why your 'Contact Us' page should ditch the email address ~ All websites need a contact CSS form to fend off hackers
52. Bullying Funny Marco (or nonviolent black men at all) is wildly corny ~ The biggest lesson I learned from Milton on "Love Is Blind" that'll never sink in with Southside and G Herbo
51. 'Emotional truths' from Hasan Minhaj discredit victims of xenophobia, racism ~ Indian Jussie Smollett was never who I expected 'The Daily Show' correspondent to become
50. 'The Daily Show' lost one with Roy Wood Jr. ~ J. Valentine accidentally described what Comedy Central (probably) has on their team
49. Sketchy travelers: Speak up or mind your business? ~ The regrettable decision to not do more during a suspicious incident near Chicago's Union Station
48. Not all black folks embrace the n-word ~ And I'm not feeling Africans who embrace the word when speaking to African-Americans either
47. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Skip the astrology, do a Myers–Briggs Type Indicator test ~ You'll know if you can survive the job and the boss by these results
46. Celebrating Jeezy's divorce is weird ~ Even though the 'dark meat' comment from Jeannie Mai was admittedly offensive
45. Kim Fields and Joey Lawrence made me throw in the towel on 'Brotherly Love' podcast ~ Never downplay your blackness to make white people feel comfortable
44. 'My Messenger': Why I love black men ~ Lincoln University of Missouri's Poetry Writing Workshop
43. African-Americans' roles in fighting against environmental racism ~ Q&A interview with Norris McDonald, president of the African-American Environmentalist Association
42. Diabetes myths on feet, weight loss surgery, dietary care ~ Reach In! Reach Out! Program helps Chicagoland families with diabetes education
41. The more insults I hear about Jay Z's hair, the more I like his freeform locks ~ From the Team Natural movement to the Crown Act, let black people enjoy their hair
40. Inmate No. P01135809 ~ Central Park 5 has every right to have the biggest Cheshire grins on their faces when Trump's mugshot released
39. Black women wearing braids is not 'a mess' ~ Keke Palmer does not have to wear a weave to be considered pretty
38. Undisputed pride in Blackness ~ My take on the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, Bernie Mac and beyond
37. He brought a bat to a gunfight ~ Two lessons I learned from black fathers
36. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 4) ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
35. In support of the Black Fire Brigade ~ Black firefighters once again show how to relate to black people in an emergency
34. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 3) ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
33. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 2) ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
32. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Bootleg beauticians ~ Fighting against unlicensed hairstylists, hair damage, hair loss
31. When black teenagers silently cry out for help ~ Conversation with Dr. Carl Bell on why African-American teenage suicide continues to rise
30. Visiting the Black Holocaust Museum ~ Archive post: What's a dollar really worth?
29. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
28. The Supreme Court's decision further makes the case for HBCUs ~ Why beg to get into a university that doesn't want you there?
27. Jack Harlow: From Brandy to bonnets ~ Thank you to Jon B., the Lawrence brothers and other white men who don't make me stare off into "But Why?" land
26. African-Americans could fare well with vegetarianism ~ Meatless Monday or everyday, here's why the health perks matter so much
25. The Kenya Barris hate needs to stop ~ Why Cancel Culture (and biracial gripers) may want to read more and talk less
24. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Hacker-turned-cybersecurity-expert Gregory D. Evans on quest to make computers safe ~ FBI put him in their top 10 list for computer hackers in 1996
23. Clair Huxtable gets on Keke Palmer's nerves, and women who think like Keke get on mine ~ Reality TV depictions do not reflect all black women
22. Genetic health: The tougher conversation than the birds and the bees ~ Why children need to know who their fathers are — absent fathers included
21. Should black music students be required to learn 'the classics' or 'THEIR classics'? ~ How the Jackie Robinson Parade molded my take on saxophone, piano lessons
20. Can submissive and non-submissive women get along? ~ The cultural clash that ruined a college friendship
19. Don’t wait too late to create your will ~ Black entrepreneurs, prioritize a will and testament early on
18. First black Mermaid movie releases, black women get bullied ~ Worry about your red carpet invite, not Kyla Pratt's outfit
17. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": iPhone theft on the rise ~ Before you recycle or discard that old phone, consider your backup options
16. Finding pretty dark-skinned girls is not equivalent to finding Waldo ~ Marques Houston, if Redman, Ne-Yo and Nelly can find them, so can you
15. Stop making me defend Kwame from 'Love Is Blind' ~ Yes, Kwame is awful, but stop insulting his Afrocentric features
14. Megaphones get you expelled from Congress, moving your mouth doesn't ~ The dumbest excuse of 2023 to defend why white women can protest but black men can't
13. Do white women think black women are lying about racism? ~ The question on 'Beyond the Scenes' that left me speechless
12. No, slavery stories aren't meant to be entertainment tales ~ Choose your 'haunted trail' tour bus excursions wisely
11. Hey activists, you can't force everyone else into activism ~ The hardest lesson I learned as a 'contumacious' activist
10. 'Dilbert' creator goes on stupid rant about equally stupid survey ~ Is it OK to be white? Or, is this the world's most unproductive survey question?
9. Should The CROWN Act include white people with locks? ~ My mixed opinions regarding white people with 'natural black' hairstyles
8. Should there be a Statute of Limitations on racist tweets? ~ Black men who are anti-black women: Who hurt you?
7. The main problem with the Morgan Freeman "I am American" logic ~ There's nothing wrong with self-identifying as black
6. From master to overseer, from slave patrol to police force, from white cop to black cop ~ The conversation I wish I could have now with that black train conductor
5. When black employees are accused of theft ~ If the customer is black and the employee is black, that doesn't mean they're in cahoots.
4. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": GPT-3, digital journals: I don’t trust them ~ In my never-ending fight against e-books versus paperbacks, I still want to hold paper
3. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": MyOneOne alerts loved ones of police stops, danger ~ The unbiased passenger during a police altercation
2. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": When NFTs work against artists ~ How WIPO PROOF can help to confirm the original artist
1. Black folks, stop doing the work of white supremacists ~ The Africa versus African American conflict needs to stop
61. Angie Stone's 'Brotha' is special to women too ~ Songs like Cecily Wilborn's 'Southern Man' and Angie Stone's 'Good Man' are energy boosters for the soul
60. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Elijah’s law: Learning about food allergies before an emergency happens ~ Black children with food allergies have higher rates of asthma, a factor in up to 75% of anaphylaxis fatalities
59. Racism can increase stroke risks and high blood pressure in educated black women ~ Black women with higher education more likely to identify racism in employment, housing, health care, education and with police
58. Contrary to popular belief, shoplifters come in all shapes, sizes and races ~ The difficult decision I made when police arrested someone accusing ME of stealing
57. A fair one between senators could recreate disturbing past with Congress ~ When Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin trying to fight Sean O’Brien becomes far less amusing
56. 98% of check writing scams are reported by young people ~ Black people wrote less than 30% of checks in the past 30 days
55. Subtle ways to avoid the 'stinky food' debate ~ From picky eaters to hyperosmia, ethnic food critics can avoid the controversy
54. There's nothing funny about the way Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee speaks to her staff ~ Why did it take three decades and a secret recording to make her apologize?
53. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Why your 'Contact Us' page should ditch the email address ~ All websites need a contact CSS form to fend off hackers
52. Bullying Funny Marco (or nonviolent black men at all) is wildly corny ~ The biggest lesson I learned from Milton on "Love Is Blind" that'll never sink in with Southside and G Herbo
51. 'Emotional truths' from Hasan Minhaj discredit victims of xenophobia, racism ~ Indian Jussie Smollett was never who I expected 'The Daily Show' correspondent to become
50. 'The Daily Show' lost one with Roy Wood Jr. ~ J. Valentine accidentally described what Comedy Central (probably) has on their team
49. Sketchy travelers: Speak up or mind your business? ~ The regrettable decision to not do more during a suspicious incident near Chicago's Union Station
48. Not all black folks embrace the n-word ~ And I'm not feeling Africans who embrace the word when speaking to African-Americans either
47. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Skip the astrology, do a Myers–Briggs Type Indicator test ~ You'll know if you can survive the job and the boss by these results
46. Celebrating Jeezy's divorce is weird ~ Even though the 'dark meat' comment from Jeannie Mai was admittedly offensive
45. Kim Fields and Joey Lawrence made me throw in the towel on 'Brotherly Love' podcast ~ Never downplay your blackness to make white people feel comfortable
44. 'My Messenger': Why I love black men ~ Lincoln University of Missouri's Poetry Writing Workshop
43. African-Americans' roles in fighting against environmental racism ~ Q&A interview with Norris McDonald, president of the African-American Environmentalist Association
42. Diabetes myths on feet, weight loss surgery, dietary care ~ Reach In! Reach Out! Program helps Chicagoland families with diabetes education
41. The more insults I hear about Jay Z's hair, the more I like his freeform locks ~ From the Team Natural movement to the Crown Act, let black people enjoy their hair
40. Inmate No. P01135809 ~ Central Park 5 has every right to have the biggest Cheshire grins on their faces when Trump's mugshot released
39. Black women wearing braids is not 'a mess' ~ Keke Palmer does not have to wear a weave to be considered pretty
38. Undisputed pride in Blackness ~ My take on the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, Bernie Mac and beyond
37. He brought a bat to a gunfight ~ Two lessons I learned from black fathers
36. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 4) ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
35. In support of the Black Fire Brigade ~ Black firefighters once again show how to relate to black people in an emergency
34. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 3) ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
33. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications (Pt. 2) ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
32. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Bootleg beauticians ~ Fighting against unlicensed hairstylists, hair damage, hair loss
31. When black teenagers silently cry out for help ~ Conversation with Dr. Carl Bell on why African-American teenage suicide continues to rise
30. Visiting the Black Holocaust Museum ~ Archive post: What's a dollar really worth?
29. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Black students, get serious about minority scholarship applications ~ With Affirmative Action outlawed, Republicans are trying to block black scholarships altogether
28. The Supreme Court's decision further makes the case for HBCUs ~ Why beg to get into a university that doesn't want you there?
27. Jack Harlow: From Brandy to bonnets ~ Thank you to Jon B., the Lawrence brothers and other white men who don't make me stare off into "But Why?" land
26. African-Americans could fare well with vegetarianism ~ Meatless Monday or everyday, here's why the health perks matter so much
25. The Kenya Barris hate needs to stop ~ Why Cancel Culture (and biracial gripers) may want to read more and talk less
24. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": Hacker-turned-cybersecurity-expert Gregory D. Evans on quest to make computers safe ~ FBI put him in their top 10 list for computer hackers in 1996
23. Clair Huxtable gets on Keke Palmer's nerves, and women who think like Keke get on mine ~ Reality TV depictions do not reflect all black women
22. Genetic health: The tougher conversation than the birds and the bees ~ Why children need to know who their fathers are — absent fathers included
21. Should black music students be required to learn 'the classics' or 'THEIR classics'? ~ How the Jackie Robinson Parade molded my take on saxophone, piano lessons
20. Can submissive and non-submissive women get along? ~ The cultural clash that ruined a college friendship
19. Don’t wait too late to create your will ~ Black entrepreneurs, prioritize a will and testament early on
18. First black Mermaid movie releases, black women get bullied ~ Worry about your red carpet invite, not Kyla Pratt's outfit
17. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": iPhone theft on the rise ~ Before you recycle or discard that old phone, consider your backup options
16. Finding pretty dark-skinned girls is not equivalent to finding Waldo ~ Marques Houston, if Redman, Ne-Yo and Nelly can find them, so can you
15. Stop making me defend Kwame from 'Love Is Blind' ~ Yes, Kwame is awful, but stop insulting his Afrocentric features
14. Megaphones get you expelled from Congress, moving your mouth doesn't ~ The dumbest excuse of 2023 to defend why white women can protest but black men can't
13. Do white women think black women are lying about racism? ~ The question on 'Beyond the Scenes' that left me speechless
12. No, slavery stories aren't meant to be entertainment tales ~ Choose your 'haunted trail' tour bus excursions wisely
11. Hey activists, you can't force everyone else into activism ~ The hardest lesson I learned as a 'contumacious' activist
10. 'Dilbert' creator goes on stupid rant about equally stupid survey ~ Is it OK to be white? Or, is this the world's most unproductive survey question?
9. Should The CROWN Act include white people with locks? ~ My mixed opinions regarding white people with 'natural black' hairstyles
8. Should there be a Statute of Limitations on racist tweets? ~ Black men who are anti-black women: Who hurt you?
7. The main problem with the Morgan Freeman "I am American" logic ~ There's nothing wrong with self-identifying as black
6. From master to overseer, from slave patrol to police force, from white cop to black cop ~ The conversation I wish I could have now with that black train conductor
5. When black employees are accused of theft ~ If the customer is black and the employee is black, that doesn't mean they're in cahoots.
4. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": GPT-3, digital journals: I don’t trust them ~ In my never-ending fight against e-books versus paperbacks, I still want to hold paper
3. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": MyOneOne alerts loved ones of police stops, danger ~ The unbiased passenger during a police altercation
2. IDSC "BlackTechLogy": When NFTs work against artists ~ How WIPO PROOF can help to confirm the original artist
1. Black folks, stop doing the work of white supremacists ~ The Africa versus African American conflict needs to stop