It remains unfathomable to me how often certain white men forget – conveniently or otherwise – that their success was made possible because a Black person opened a door for them. What is even more profound is how, once they have secured their fame and fortune, they eventually reveal their “true selves,” retreating into the comfort of whiteness as if it were a birthright rather than a shield. Such is the case with Dr. Phil McGraw, the Oklahoma native who rose from an unstable, impoverished...

This June, my husband and I traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, to join a remarkable Juneteenth heritage celebration hosted by Halisa and Rick, creators of the Our Black Utopia podcast. What they curated from June 10–20, 2026, was more than a gathering – it was a living testament to the global heartbeat of Black people seeking peace, belonging, and wholeness. We were among 110 Black couples and singles from across the U.S. and Europe. Some had recently relocated abroad; others had been living in...

My name is not important. What is important is where I come from. I was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in a house where my grandmother kept a Bible on the kitchen table and a list of poll tax receipts in a shoebox under her bed — proof that she had paid, again and again, for a right that should have been free. She voted anyway, every chance she got, dressed like she was going to church, because she said democracy deserved your best. I was small when Dr. King came through Alabama. I...