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Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey (left) and Claudine Gay. (Lincoln University and The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BY NATASHA CROOKS | Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey, a beloved professor at an historically Black University in Missouri, committed suicide on Jan. 8, reportedly as a result of racism by the school’s president. Harvard University president Claudine Gay recently resigned amid accusations of plagiarism. Many view her resignation as an illustration of the broader issue of marginalizing Black women within the predominantly white male academic space.

Academia is not inherently designed for the success of Black faculty. These institutions were initially created for and catered to white people, placing BIPOC in a position where they must succeed within systems not designed for their success. Centering Black scholars in roles critical to the institution involves challenging the role of white supremacy addressing systemic issues within academia that create unrealistic expectations.

(Click here to read more)

Harvard Law School graduates take part in the Black Commencement at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on May 23, 2017. The ceremony is designed to celebrate Black students’ unique struggles and achievements at the institution. (Keith Bedford / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BY FAITH CRITTENDEN | As we sat on the bleachers, my grandfather became bored with waiting to see his first grandchild, my brother, walk across the stage for his bachelor’s degree. Using his bellowing voice, he broke out singing NYU’s alma mater song. I was mortified. But over the years, I have come to appreciate how he embraced the power of legacy.

The uprooting of affirmative action has left an unequal scale in the world of admissions, which many believe should be addressed by removing legacy admissions entirely. However, my grandfather’s story and the stories of many others like him point to an essential reason why legacy admissions should continue—just with restrictions that center on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as on restoring access to economic, social, and cultural disinvestment in underrepresented groups.

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Maya Angelou, prolific and award-winning author, poet and civil rights activist (Talbot Troy); and Lusia Harris, the only woman officially drafted by the National Basketball Association. (@usabasketball / Instagram)

BY LEAH MILNE | Especially at this moment in history, it is important to recognize, acknowledge and honor both the extraordinary and the so-called ordinary people who have changed the course of Black history and are making history today. We must then use this knowledge to fight efforts to suppress that history.

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Listen to United Bodies—a new podcast about the lived experience of health, from Ms. Studios, on Apple Podcasts + Spotify. 

Grief is long, complicated, isolating, and devastating. It’s also something that we will all experience. So then, the question becomes, if so many of us are experiencing such profound loss in our lives, why isn’t it easier to talk about? In this episode, Wanda Irving, Co-Founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, joins to discuss grief and how she’s used it to spark a movement. 

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