In 1966, SIUE officially began an East St. Louis special program named “Experiment in Higher Education” (EHE). This program was established through federal funding and provided financial support to disadvantaged students for their first two years of college. This was my dad’s first teaching j...

My father met a woman who would forever shape him as and artist and a man. She became a signature mentor, and provided him with character building guidance that he still draws from to this day. That woman, was the great African-American dancer, choreographer, creator of the Dunham Technique, auth...

The Memoir My Dad Wouldn’t Write is a radically honest conversation between a daughter and her dad. My dad has had an incredible life as a poet, activist, professor, and cultural worker. He wouldn’t write a memoir, so this series of conversations is partly that. You can find my podcast on –> www....

After the murder of George Floyd, the world has responded in an unprecedented wave of protests. My dad has lived through several massive surges of political fervor like the current one. These “surges” are often  (but not always) accompanied by “consciousness raising.”  What does it mean to come t...

The namesake of the Artist Retreat space I co-host with Dail Chambers’ — Fannie Lou Hamer— was a civil rights activist who used her singing and knowledge of spirituals and freedom songs toward the liberation of Black people. As artists we seek to provide refuge for fellow creatives who —...

Check out this #podcast Episode of THE MEMOIR MY DAD WOULDN’T WRITE Hear how my 82 year old dad uses history to understand the current health crisis, and his advice for communities hardest hit. (Listen on Spotify + Apple podcasts as well!)

My prime collaborator, Dail Chambers and I were recently notified that we were awarded a $250 grant via the Sprout Change Organization! Through Dail’s creative non-profit, Yeyo Arts, and the retreat space we co-host, Fannie Lou Hamer House, we plan to provide visual art making and writing opportu...

I’ve been contracted by YourWords STL and I will be facilitating poetry workshops for young women at Mary Grove where “The children and adolescents who are placed at Marygrove have often been through multiple, failed placements in other residential facilities or foster homes.” I’m excited to midw...

On August 5, 2019, writer, editor, and Black genius, Toni Morrison transitioned to ancestorhood. My father knew the iconic writer well. This is a special episode of THE MEMOIR MY DAD WOULDN’T WRITE where he discusses Toni Morrison from his unique point of view. LISTEN HERE:

My dad has seen how stories are shaped by who writes them and who publishes them. As a journalist and expert at almost every level of the field — typesetting, editing, reporting, column production, and sales — his insight into how the 20th century’s news industry shaped culture is fascinating! LI...