Wendy Jane's Soul Shake

Anthony Bourdain Eating in Hue Vietnam – photo credit: David S. Holloway/CNN

If I die and come back as a white man, I want to come back as Anthony Bourdain.

Since the June 8th death, a suicide, at age 61 of the famed chef, author and host of the popular television show, Parts Unknown, there has been an outpouring of love for this man. Out of all the news bits, social media articles, and postings from friends, every single comment has been positive. Every. Single. One. People loved Anthony Bourdain so, so much. Whether Black, White, Latino, Asian–whatever race, ethnicity, gender–everyone loved him. But I don’t want to come back as him because I want everyone to love me even though I do want everyone to love me and am too much of a people pleaser because of that, but that’s for my therapy sessions, not you all. I want to come back as Anthony Bourdain for the […]

Damon Young from Very Smart Brothas (VSB) posted a piece on The Root a few days ago, titled, 10 Simple and Subtle and Easy Things I Do Every Day To Fight White Supremacy, and in his usual comedic genius style, got to the essence of how he defies white people’s systems of oppression simply by being himself.  He makes you laugh, but if you’re white, and have a conscience and care anything about racism and lived experiences of people of color, you have to nod in recognition of how we get in the way of Damon Young’s freedom. And, he shouldn’t have to work so hard to fight white supremacy. That should be the job of white people, right? I mean, we’re the ones who […]