How Janelle Monáe Done Changed Hip Hop
An essay about how I see the genre-bending artist as situated in and influential of hip hop culture in addition to the more commonly attributed funk and R&B.
Long Form
DJ’s long form writing including essays, articles, and short stories.
Reading Through Kwanzaa
A blog post about the Kwanzaa holiday and the books my family uses to teach Kwanzaa principles to our children.
Black History Month and the Magic of Cultural Retention
An essay about how Black cultural tough points are magical and how we can use them with intention to share our collective future. Originally written for Black Girls Create
The Invitation ‘Black is King’ Gives Us
Reflections on Beyoncé’s film, “Black is King,” and the invitation the project gives members of the African diaspora.
What ‘Harry Potter’ Doesn’t Teach us About Allyship & Activism
An essay, written in early 2020, for Harry Potter fans critiquing the ways even the “good” characters in the book fall short of in their activism and allyship.