Dec 15, 2021The Work World Is DEMANDING That Black Folk Seek TherapyOkay, I have talked about family. I have talked about school. This week, I want to talk about Black folk and work. Most of us work between white supremacists and Black narcissists. That’s bad enough, but to compound the problem, Black folk are entering arenas where we have not been…Workplace Narcissism12 min read
Dec 5, 2021For the Sake of Collective Mental Stability, Black Folk Need to be Honest with Our Young PeopleOur young people have been taught that all things ignorant, poor, “country,” stupid, backwards, behind, and bad about Black people begin, live, thrive, and end in Mississippi. Then, they are sent to various colleges and universities in Mississippi. For the sake of the identity formation of the students, my sanity…George Vardaman10 min read
Oct 17, 2021Why Study Black Women Writers? ‘Cause the American Family Is Dysfunctional as Hell!Reader, I told you that I would be back with Part II of this blog. Now, it took me a little longer than expected, but I am back. And as promised, I will address Toni Morrison. …Literature And Psychology10 min read
Oct 5, 2021Why Study Black Women Writers? ’Cause Black Folk Are Just RegularThis is the second installment of a series that I am doing on Black people and mental health. This blog looks at the link between literature and psychology. This semester, I am teaching a class for upperclassmen that features Black women writers. …June Jordan9 min read
Sep 21, 2021The “Messy Auntie” Just Might be a PsychopathTraditionally, African Americans have been denied individuality and were forced to hide their human flaws by the hegemony. However, at this point in history, we need to give abnormal psychology some due diligence. By the way, I do not own the copyrights to any of the music that you will…Scientific Racism15 min read
Sep 11, 2021Young People Live in a Digital BubbleAbout five years ago, I realized that I had to make radical changes to my Composition II syllabus. Young people live in a digital bubble and are not always easy to reach. When we think of people living in a bubble, we think Baby Boomers from the World War II/Korean…Technology Bubble9 min read
Sep 3, 2021Slave Women Had to Deliver Babies of Their RapistsI am hearing a cacophony of anger. “Critical Race Theory.” “The 1619 Project.” “Real American History.” And my ear is tuned to language and how that language reverberates through the chambers of history. And in this case, the language comes to us from slavery. The restrictive Texas abortion law shows…Slavery9 min read
Sep 1, 2021Can Language Kill?What do you charge someone with when the words that they use become deadly weapons? Every day, I see people in power use words as deadly weapons. I do not think our legal structure has the proper tools to handle those who would use words weapons of mass destruction. When…Language Professional8 min read
Aug 22, 2021When Snoop Dogg Cussed Out Gayle King: What Did We Miss?Though I do not agree with calling a woman out of her name, I have been reflecting on the angry incident between a Black man and a Black woman after the death of Kobe Bryant. What should have been a time of mourning became a media fiasco. Furthermore, when Snoop…Snoop Dogg9 min read
Jun 13, 2021The Waterboy and January 6th: Call a Thing By Its Name, PleaseAt times, I am simply outraged by our leaders’ refusal to call domestic terror by its real name. I have a guilty pleasure: Adam Sandler movies. When I want to relax, I can pull on a pair of pajamas, grab a bag of Doritos, and watch Adam Sandler movies one…Adam Sandler4 min read