Allison Gaines

Nov 11, 2024 | levelman.com | Allison Gaines

Noman is an island," the English poet John Donne wrote, arguing that "every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main." And yet, such an analogy doesn't seem to apply to Black Americans, as they've been uniquely targeted and discriminated against rather than embraced as part of the whole. Many feel isolated, a sentiment further inflamed by Donald Trump's victory.

Oct 26, 2024 | levelman.com | Allison Gaines

Kamala Harris, a Black and South Asian American woman, shattered several glass ceilings before reaching this point in her career. She became the first woman of color elected as District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General of California, and Vice President. Depending on the election outcome, she may also become the first woman to become president. Yet, Harris' ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket has inspired a layered debate on race and gender.

Oct 22, 2024 | levelman.com | Allison Gaines

They claim it's just a costume, but it has historical significance"Blackness is not a costume" is an assertion numerous Black people have made. And yet, some folks have worn blackface despite its offense. Minstrel shows, which began in the 1830s, featured White actors who blackened their faces, typically using shoe polish and burnt cork to mock the physical characteristics and mannerisms of Black people. These performances rose in popularity after the Civil War.

Oct 7, 2024 | levelman.com | Allison Gaines

To say that Ta-Nehisi Coates' new book, The Message, and his subsequent interviews are ruffling feathers would be an understatement. This may be because many Americans have been conditioned to see the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians as too complex to navigate. Like a crew without a captain, lost at sea, they imagine we don't have the intellectual capacity or experience to find our way to land. However, Coates offers a perspective of moral clarity in a storm of trepidation.

Sep 26, 2024 | levelman.com | Allison Gaines

Execution of Marcellus "Khalifah" Williams exposes inconsistenciesThe matter came up for judicial investigation, but as might have been expected, the white people concluded it was unnecessary to wait for the result of the investigation - that it was preferable to hang the accused first and try him afterward," Ida B. Wells wrote in The Red Record in 1895.