Musings: A Medgar Evers College Student Blog
Musings is a blog featuring the writings of Medgar Evers College students from the English department. On a regular basis, they contribute essays that address a variety of topics ranging from pop culture to Black literature. Please read and enjoy...leave a comment, too! We'd love to hear from you.
Media Manipulation and Reflections by Former Black Panther Bro Shep Shakur
Interviewed by Levi Wise-Catoe (*This interview was conducted in March 2010, but has recently been revised and formatted for Musings blog. The author has also added the introduction, which reflects back on the interview experience from the current perspective, and...
Unveiling the Hidden Gems: Writers Behind-the-Scenes at the 17th National Black Writers Conference
Levi Wise-Catoe | April 29, 2024 For some college students, working, volunteering, or possibly interning at campus events might feel like a dreadful task, possibly even a tedious chore, but for others, it may be a life-changing event and something...
Behind the Scenes at the 17th National Black Writers Conference: Stories of Triumph and Inspiration from an Intern and Student Emcee
Levi Wise-Catoe | April 29, 2024 Many people do not understand all the details and hard work that goes into putting on an extravagant event like the 17th National Black Writers Conference—but detailed oriented it was. Everything from the weekly...
Defining Discourses: An Examination of the 17th National Black Writers Conference Event 2024 and Community
Levi Wise-Catoe | April 29, 2024 On Friday, March 22, 2024, the National Black Writers Conference presented its summit keynote, a conversation with the 2024 NBWC Honorees Paul Coates, Peniel E. Joseph, and Bernice L. McFadden, with Gloria Browne-Marshall moderating....
Celebrating Diversity: The Remarkable Story of a Queer Black Writer’s Path to Recognition
Levi Wise-Catoe | As a young writer, I was deterred from focusing on poetry because everyone, from my family to my friends to my dog Peanut's veterinarian, warned me that poetry doesn't sell and also that poets don't make money....
Exploring the Intersection of Ethnography, Anthropology, and Black Literature: An Interview with Professor David Orenstein
Levi Wise-Catoe | The theme of the 17th National Black Writers Conference was All That We Carry: Where Do We Go From Here? A writers conference that took place from March 20 - 23, 2024 at Medgar Evers College in...
Madan Sara and Haiti Today: A Conversation with Lulaine Childs
Levi Wise-Catoe | The documentary from Etant Dupain, Madan Sara (2021), foregrounds the hard-working women at the heart of Haiti’s economy. I had the chance to see the documentary when it screened at Medgar Evers College on February 5, 2024,...
Review: Black Is… Black Ain’t
Levi Wise-Catoe | On February 23, 2024, The Forum at Columbia University honored Black History Month with a free screening of the film Black Is... Black Ain't (1995), by Marlon Riggs. Black Is... Black Ain't explores the theme of Black...
Between the Lines: Bayard Rustin, A Legacy of Protest and Politics
Levi Wise-Catoe | Growing up as a Black boy in Paterson, NJ, and attending Roman and Irish Catholic Parochial schools, Black history was not very familiar to me. I grew up in a religious Southern Baptist family and participated in...
The Rebellious Life of Mrs Rosa Parks: Event Review
Levi Wise-Catoe | Who was Rosa Parks? There is much more to Parks’s story than is taught in U.S. classrooms. Yes, Parks is a national treasure and one that is often overlooked as a mere footnote in the Civil Rights...
I Love These Childhood Shows But They Have Issues
Tremira Mitchell | Recently, I’ve been looking back at shows from my childhood. I long for these shows to make a return on TV, as I very much enjoyed them when I was younger. These shows are very entertaining to...
Black Girls Can Be J-pop Idols Too
Tremira Mitchell | One of my favorite music genres is J-pop, also known as Japanese pop. My love for J-pop started back in middle school, after listening to various songs from anime soundtracks. Although I couldn’t understand the language, it...
Beneatha’s Place
By Takiyah Howard | If you have yet to read anything from the rich canon of Afro-European literature, let me introduce you to one great work, Beneatha’s Place (2023), a play written by Kwame Kwei-Armah. A spin-off from A Raisin...
Brooklyn Book Festival
By Tremira Mitchell | On Sunday, October 1, I was given the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at the Brooklyn Book Festival at Cadman Plaza. The Center for Black Literature participated in the event’s Literary Marketplace, spreading awareness about their organization....
National Black Writers Conference: Heard Far and Wide
By Keyshawn Jackson Allison | I attended the National Black Writers Conference on April 1st. It was a captivating and informative experience. Cinnamon Barrington and I were tasked with registering attendees, speakers, VIPs, and vendors, and I learned much about...
Black Excellence in Crown Heights
By Cinnamon Barrington | April 1, 2023, was an amazing day! It was the National Black Writers Conference. The first time I heard about this conference was in the first semester of my 3rd year at Medgar Evers. This year,...
How Does Literature Reflect on a Society’s Cultural Norms?
By Cinnamon Barrington | There is a huge diversity of ethnicities and cultures practiced by people around the globe. In more conservative societies, men occupy positions of authority within the home and women are consigned to secondary roles. The Woman...
Kindred: The Importance of Ancestry and Culture
By Keyshawn Jackson Allison | We are often told by our loved ones about the importance of family and ancestry. It is highly important to remember your ancestors no matter the terrible circumstances in the past they may have lived...
Women’s Empowerment Through Literature
By Cinnamon Barrington | March is recognized as Women's History Month. Women's History Month is a time to recognize the achievements of women throughout history and honor the continued progress that women have made in modern times. Most of my...
Prevention and Preparation: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
By Keyshawn Jackson Allison | March has marked the start of Women's History Month. As a result, women and their experiences are being highlighted. Recently, I attended a Zoom event with Marquita Bass, which introduced me to the dangers of...
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