The Feed

Jun 27
7 min

She's Giving: Confidence

For Plus-Size Girls Who Chose Self-Love When Insecurity Wasn't Enough 27 years... 329 months... 10,033 days... That is how long it took for the woman in this picture to be born. For over two and a half decades, she has been under construction, surviving the toils of childhood bullying, adolescent insecurity, and a lifetime of low self esteem masked by exceptionalism. Through it all, she persisted and has finally arrived. Even though I usually aim to present myself through a

Jan 12
3 min

Diary of an Exasperated Black Woman

First blog post of 2022, woo woo! Oh yeah, welcome to the new website. Take a tour, have a virtual cocktail while you look around, and get to know our new place. I love it and hope that you do, too. Shoutout to The Carter Standard, the Black woman-owned brand that made my vision for a more mature site come to life. Look, I know what they say about putting your business in the street and oversharing in public spaces, but can we talk? Like, really get real for a minute? Becaus

Jun 7, 2021
2 min

America…You Ain’t Foolin’ Nobody, Girl.

So you mean to tell me that after 156 years, the American Congress just woke up and said, “You know what? Let’s make Juneteenth a federal holiday!” Randomly. Without Pause. The week of? GIRL, IF YOU DON’T GO ON. America, you are not fooling anyone. Not a pot, not a kettle, not nary a living Black soul. WE SEE YOU. The Black community has celebrated Juneteenth – a day that commemorates the delayed freedom of Galveston, TX slaves more than two years after legal Emancipation – w

Feb 1, 2021
4 min

Happy Black History Month 2021!

Happy Black History Month, Kultured cousins! Each day this month, I will be sharing a quote from a notable figure in Black History. This post will be updated with each person’s photo and major accomplishments. Follow @TheKulturedQueen on Instagram for their full stories, and prepare to be inspired by some figures you know, and plenty that you don’t. Remember that Black History is American History, and thus worthy of discussion all year round. Day 1: W.E.B. Du Bois The first A

Jan 30, 2021
5 min

A Barbecue Ain’t Gonna Fix It…Part 2

Addressing and Overcoming Deeply Rooted Issues that Prevent Togetherness In my last blog post, I related my fondness for the movie Soul Food to my own experiences with silently observing family drama (just like the movie’s lead character, Ahmad). Personally, my Big Mama is still alive and well, so I’ve never had to scheme to set up a Sunday dinner like Ahmad did, but I do often have conversations with cousins, friends, and extended family members who echo many similar questio

Jan 20, 2021
1 min

My Vice-President Looks Like Me: Inauguration Day 2021}}}}

Garth Brooks, I’mma let you finish, but I had to let this out while my emotional self sits here watching this coverage. My sentiments on this historic day are ripped straight from the groupchat with my girlfriends: “It is such a beautiful day. The ancestors are smiling down on us; especially those whose blood, sweat, and tears are immortalized in the roads and buildings of the nation’s capital. Their weary moans have turned into a joyous chorus. Our Founders of DST, along wit

Jan 17, 2021
5 min

“A Barbecue Ain’t Gonna Fix It…” Part 1

Changes in African American Family Gathering Culture When I was a little girl, I loved the movie Soul Food. Probably way earlier than I should have been (lol), I used to watch the movie on repeat. Yes, I was entertained by the characters and storyline, but secretly, I always saw a lot of myself in the lead character, Ahmad. He was one of the youngest people in a large family whose memories and traditions spanned decades before his birth; and when he was born, he got to take p

Oct 13, 2020
3 min

Black History through Lovecraft’s Eyes

Tonight, I saw a thriving Tulsa before the 1921 riot, and I wept. Last week, I saw every detail of the day Black Chicago mourned Emmett Till’s gruesome death. In the weeks prior, I’ve seen the very real horrors of segregation, experimentation, abuse, sundown towns, and nearly every other challenge this America has imposed on Black life throughout its history on her soil. Although the images have been laced with fictional storylines of magic and mayhem, the stories of our peop

Jun 2, 2020
7 min

As the Riots Unfolded: My Thoughts As Black America Decided We’ve Had Enough

For the past week, a fire has been burning across America. After a month of news centered on the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, Americans witnessed a viral video of Minneapolis police officers murdering George Floyd. His death changed the direction of the wind, and Black Americans stood up to declare that, “We Are Done Dying.” Background Feel free to skip if you’re up to speed. Ahmaud Arbery – 25-year-old man whose afternoon jog on February 23 ended with him bei

May 7, 2020
1 min

For Colored Girls and Boys Tired of Masking Strength in Horror…

Original Poem written by Kristian Dudgeon I will not watch that video, I’ve seen the story play out far too many times. I will not make the same speech I’ve made countless times before; No one hears it. No one cares. And I am tired of my pleas falling on deaf ears. No matter what I say, How long I speak, Or how violently I cry, It’s just going to happen again. It always happens again. What is it like to be heard? To be seen as human first? To not worry about “fitting the prof

Mar 30, 2020
6 min

“Self-Made,” Real-Life Themes in Netflix’s Madam C.J Walker Series

The first time I learned about Madam C. J. Walker was when I chose to study her for a written report in the fourth grade. It empowered me as a child to learn that the first self-made female millionaire in America looked like me. She was plus sized, she was Black, and while short in stature, she never allowed anyone in the room to make her feel small. Born into a world that gave a million reasons why she couldn’t succeed, she still did. Madam C.J. Walker’s story of dedication

Feb 1, 2020
6 min

Grocery Shopping While Black: Costco Edition

Hannah Drake, Louisville’s acclaimed writer, poet, blogger, and fellow shade extraordinaire, is constantly reminding us of the importance of unapologetically taking and HOLDING our space. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is something I’m very serious about: I never hesitate to allow my presence speak its own volumes, especially when confronted by individuals who clearly would rather I not be there. Hence my experience tonight at a local Costco store. I went shopping with

Dec 20, 2019
4 min

Adulting 101: Lessons in Apartment Hunting

What it do, family? As many of you know from following me on Instagram and watching my stories, one of my biggest achievements of 2019 was moving out of my mom’s house. And we Bless Him (love you, Mom). Although it has been a great feeling to attain and customize my own space, it has not come without it’s own set of challenges. From long wait times to move in, to issues after I got here, the past few months on my own have been full of ups and downs. Everything has worked itse

Oct 30, 2019
8 min

Thoughts on Amber Guyger’s Conviction

Anyone who saw the news last week knows by now that Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who fatally shot Botham Jean in his own apartment in 2018, was recently finally convicted for his murder. A day after her conviction, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her crime. As expected, the short sentence sparked grief, frustration, and outcry from the Black community. Many lamented over the disparity in sentencing between Black and white offenders, a conversatio

Jul 27, 2019
5 min

#DiningWhileBlack: An Awakening of Economic Self-Advocacy

There’s a restaurant in my hometown that has been a local landmark since the 1920’s. Every summer, families flock by the hundreds to enjoy hot seafood, cold drinks, and some of the best tartar sauce and sides this city has to offer. My memories of sporadic trips to this place stretch as far back as I can remember. I’ve enjoyed breaking bread with my family in the same space that hangs pictures of our close ancestors holding silver trays, at a time when we were welcomed to ser

May 29, 2019
5 min

Life Lessons – Conducted by Quincy Jones

First, yes, I know it’s been a while. Your girl has been buried under a rock with work. Plus, let’s be honest, you all know me well enough by now to know that I’m in a perpetual state of trying to get and keep my s*** together. So, here we are. Welcome back. Speaking of getting one’s s*** together, do you know who really has it together? Composer, arranger, producer, musician, and overall renaissance-man Quincy Jones. I finally got around to watching his Netflix documentary r

Dec 2, 2018
1 min

Writing Challenge, Day 7: Favorite Villain

Day 7: Who is your favorite villain? This is easy. My favorite villain is Maleficent, hands down. Why? Because she played NO games. She had that same energy in the forest and in the King’s court. The love of her life stabbed her in the back (literally) and she rolled up uninvited to his baby’s public celebration like Cardi B in her Love & Hip Hop days: SAVAGE. What I like about Maleficent the most is that she is a complex character. When she was first introduced in the 1950

Oct 25, 2018
7 min

Jesus Take the Wheel….It’s Only Wednesday

Note: Yes, I am aware that this post was actually published on Thursday. Don’t @ me. It is the week before Halloween, and to say that it has been eventful would be a major understatement. The state of life in America continues proving itself to be more in shambles each day and this week has been no exception. By the time we reached Wednesday’s conclusion, I had to speak up about the culmination of events that have been at the forefront of the news and my mind so far. What be