Black Male Phobia – Is it Bias, Fear or…?

At a family gathering over the Easter break, a conversation arose over the various kinds of phobias people have. Of particular interest is when what is feared by one person is treasured by another. There are some kinds of fear for which general acceptance or at least understanding can be assured even by those who…

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We Are All Tuskegee

On this Black History Month, I would like to share a blog that I did for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in 2014. Dec 10, 2014, 9:00 AM, Posted by Collins O.Airhihenbuwa Collins O. Airhihenbuwa, PhD, MPH, is professor and head of the Department of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University. The first RWJF Scholars…

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Of Racism and Shitholes – This is not about structure

The recent racist comment on Haiti, El Salvador and African countries by President Trump and subsequent outcry offer many opportunities for a renewed action on this Martin Luther King Jr. day. The reference to African countries, El Salvador and Haiti as “shitholes” has been met with deserved condemnation. Yet, a handful of Africans have responded…

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Being with your spirit and your soul…

As we come to the end of the year to begin yet another, the question I would hope we each ask ourselves is: Am I at home with my spirit or have I become a stranger to my soul? The Edos of Nigeria have a saying; “ Ehi mwen su mwen – My spirit leads…

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Two-faced? Race, gender, and/or Culture…

…Polylogue… voice 2 A young White woman says to her African American peer, “you always say everything on your mind” to which the African American responds, “you never say truly what is on your mind”. This exchange occurred in the early 90s and was shared by a fellow Black professor who was studying how to…

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