There’s a specific type of educated Black man many of us have encountered. He moves through the world with a particular kind of armor—a polished, yet brittle, arrogance. You find him in academia, in politics, in the corner office. He is the gatekeeper professor who questions your brilliance, the political upstart who demands loyalty but offers none, the administrator who wields bureaucracy like a weapon. He is often accomplished, undeniably intelligent, and utterly exhausting

This has been a heavy couple of weeks. As a federal employee, I’ve felt the instability of our government firsthand. But as a Black woman in America, I know that when the system shakes, our communities are the first to feel the ground give way. On November 1st, SNAP benefits are set to be shut off, and any existing balances may be wiped clean. This is not a policy debate; it is a direct and calculated assault on the survival of our most vulnerable. At the same time, the digit

By Hilerie Lind There is a weight that comes with being the one who "makes it out." It is a peculiar, heavy crown, one that is often placed on your head by the very people you love most, and yet it feels less like an honor and more like a target. I’ve been thinking about my family. I’ve been thinking about my parents, who found their way to God after walking through the fire of familial addictions and wrongful imprisonment. I’ve been thinking about my mother, who became the f