I was the textbook definition of an awkward twelve-year-old. I had braces, wild frizzy hair, and tended to match my eyeshadow to the color of any one my assorted array of graphic tees. This was only m...
We’re all familiar with equestrian statuary, or the full-sized equestrian statues that commemorate historic figures – most frequently emperors, rulers, or military commanders. These statues have exist...
As a black feminist who is usually conscious of how normalized our misogynistic and often racist pop culture is, I am mostly displeased by the portrayal of black women in music videos. From Taylor Swi...
In 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. He was later acquitted of the crime. Two years later, Eric Garner was killed after being placed in a chok...
2016 was Beyoncé's year. Her album Lemonade is inarguably one of the most profound cultural expressions of black femininity produced this year (and, let’s be honest, ever). Her thought-provoking lyric...
Two incredibly breathtaking, incredibly black things happened to me a few weeks ago. First, I attended the TidalX1015 concert benefiting the Robin Hood Foundation. Then, I visited the newly inaugurate...
Patrice Brown, a fourth-grade teacher in Atlanta who is known for being at the center of the hashtag #TeacherBae, is being criticized in the media — not for her body of work, but rather her body at wo...
19-year-old Röra Blue first caught the Internet’s attention with her jarringly honest photo series, “The Unsent Project.” The project, which has already accumulated thousands of submissions, is a coll...
The Manchester hard rock trio, The Empty Page, is breaking every rule in the industry. Led by bassist and lead singer Kel, lead guitarist Giz, and drummer Jim, the band is bringing feminism to a scene...
Hi, my name is Karla, and I have been a die hard Swifty for as long as I can remember. I pre-ordered all of Swift's albums, We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together was one of my favorite shower songs...
The first time I heard Fergie's "M.I.L.F. $," I genuinely thought it was a joke.
"Wow, Fergie’s just desperately trying to stay relevant," my friend declared. I laughed in agreement. The song's blata...
Welcome to "On the Ground," a new interview series that highlights the work young feminist activists are doing in their own communities.“Before my sophomore year at Andover, I didn’t even know what th...
We are now almost two months into the post-Lemonade universe, and it still seems the biggest public conversation the album has inspired is a debate about the true identity of "Becky with the good hair...
The stark reality of the high rate of sexual assault on college campuses is nothing new, and neither is college administrations’ resistance to addressing it. Far too many students continue to seek sup...
"I’m tired of men who aren’t professional or even accomplished musicians continually offering to ‘help me out’ (without being asked), as if I did this by accident and I'm gonna flounder without them,"...
In 2014, Kesha sued her producer, Dr. Luke, for allegedly sexual assaulting her. More specifically, she sued for freedom from a contract that bound her to only producing music with her assailant. Her ...
As one of the most beloved performers in the world, the release of any new Beyoncé song would have been cause for widespread celebration. But the recent release of "Formation" was something else entir...
We undeniably still live in a twisted, victim blaming rape culture. Women are shamed and doubted when they seek justice for their assaults and taught they must prevent their assault in the first place...
This past Saturday, Beyoncé released the first new song from her upcoming album, entitled "Formation." The song, and accompanying video, may be the most important works the star has released. If her 2...
When I met Grimes — the project of DIY musician, writer, performer, and producer Claire Boucher — after her recent Nashville concert, our first exchange was one of unabashed praise. “Your voice," she...
The Musée de l'Orangerie is a renowned art gallery in Paris, France. Although it's best known for housing Monet's "Water Lilies," the gallery is currently featuring an exhibit entitled "Who's Afraid o...
The most suffocating thing about being a black girl in a white supremacist, patriarchal world is the constant reminder that I’m not allowed to define myself. The media constantly reinforces this by fa...
I recently attended a feminist art show that included an abstract painting on a stretched canvas made entirely of the artist's period blood. The show featured many works condemning body shaming and pr...
The music video for "Blurred Lines" marked an important moment in our culture — not because of the (highly sexist) video itself, but because feminist and anti-racist critiques of the video were widely...
The Hunting Ground is an unabashed and damning portrayal of the still crucial and widespread problem of rape culture on college campuses. In fact, an estimated 20 to 25% of women in higher educational...