Self Defense For Girls: A Black Father Teaches His Daughter How To Fight Back
By SHAWN TAYLOR “How do you raise a child in safety in a world that is getting more violent by the day?” Some parents recently...
Affirmative Action & the Supreme Court: Why Diversity Matters To Me and My Kids
I am an Affirmative Action baby. Long Island Newsday paid my college tuition, in part, because of the color of my skin. It was my...
Trayvon Martin’s Parents are Still Co-Parenting—Through Death and Zimmerman’s Trial
By DEESHA PHILYAW A friend recently sent me an MSNBC article about Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and the trial of George...
With Baby Days Away, Kanye West Gets Gobbled by Gossip Monster
BY NICK CHILES The gossip monster that parades as the entertainment media has managed to achieve a distinction that I didn’t think possible: they have...
A New Way To Celebrate Father’s Day: Black Dads As Fatherhood Mentors
By SHAWN TAYLOR I am fairly certain that much of my family became Jehovah’s Witnesses because they didn’t want to celebrate holidays. Instead of just...
Have A Little Talk With God: Searching For Religion In Motherhood
It’s the pageantry of it all that I remember most. Weeks before Easter, my mother would hit Macy’s, searching through the sale rack for the...
George Zimmerman’s Trial: Finally, Justice For Trayvon Martin—Thanks To Many
Just over a year ago, I stumbled across a press conference announcement by a couple that was trying to draw attention to both the shooting...
{Dr. Ivor Is In} Teen Babysitting: Is Your Baby Ready To Watch Someone Else’s Baby?
By DR. IVOR HORN For Christmas this year our 13-year-old daughter asked us to help her find babysitting jobs. I ask you, “What teenager ASKS...
My Serena Williams Essence Cover Story: Talking Tennis, Curves & Loving Yourself Completely
I’m used to having butterflies when I interview celebrities, especially those I adore. But I had the flight of the Monarchs rumbling in my stomach...
Black Girl Sexuality: An African American Dad Vows Never To Police His Daughter’s Body
By SHAWN TAYLOR You would assume that the playground would be one of the few places where you could just be a father. No stress, just...
Amazing Black Children: Kid President, Asean Johnson and Y.N. Rich Kids Make Us PROUD!
Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen some extraordinary African American children floating through my webosphere—intelligent, passionate, humorous, talented brown babies who, even at their...
MyBrownBaby On the Today Show: What Women Think About the Minds Of Men, Cheating
I had a blast yesterday on the Today Show panel of moms, mixing it up with gynecologist Evelyn Minaya, former newscaster Carole Sullivan, chef and...
After Earth with Will Smith and Jaden Smith: A Pick-Me-Up Before We Head To the Movies Tonight
Okay, so can I just tell you that if Will Smith and his adorbs son, Jaden Smith, ever decide to do a concert together, the...
What You Do For Love: A Black Father Reflects On “Sacrifice” In Childrearing
By SHAWN TAYLOR Many children have trigger-points. It may be a place, a situation or a person, but when they’re triggered, they go bananas. For example:...
