The Black Paper
We are not accepting new writing submissions for The Black Paper at this time.
By Shanel Adams
Mrs. Turner had to convince her husband that it was worth it. As a Mississippi farm boy, he was satisfied with renting their nice house in the city. Why leave? Her answer was that they needed their own home. That wasn’t a good enough response for him so he turned his back to her and went to sleep. But Mildred was determined. While Mr. Turner was at his plant job, there wasn’t an empty house in Detroit that she didn’t walk through. After finally finding the perfect green bungalow on a lively block on Yellowstone Street, she begged for him to take a look. He gave in. Before they knew it, they were all moved in as homeowners. Even Mr. Turner couldn’t contain his pride. It was 1963...
By Will See
Directed by Kate Levy
Music video on housing foreclosures and resistance by Detroit artist, Will See.
"On May 16, 2010, Detroit Police officer Joseph Weekley shot and killed seven-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones during a botched drug raid. Six years later, Weekley is still working for the Detroit Police Department, and has even been appointed the chair of the department’s race relations committee. In July, as members of the Detroit chapters of Black Lives Matter & Black Youth Project 100, we organized a march and rally in front of Detroit Police Department’s Third Precinct. The action was to honor the day that would have been Aiyana’s 14th birthday, and was tandem with direct actions all over the country on the same day demanding #FreedomNow."
I have been able to learn about tribes from Africa at Dabl’s African Bead Museum. I have learned the true art of being a b-boy or b-girl with The Foundation. I have seen the art of graffiti, I have marched yelling “Black Lives Matter” in the streets, I have twerked with the black LGBTQIAs at The Woodward. I have learned who I am in the black community and how many layers of blackness are in Detroit
by Chani the Hippie
Flint, Michigan has been in the news for the past 2 years because their whole water supply is filled with lead-contaminated water. People in Flint are not able to drink, cook with, shower with, or do anything with the water. Millions of dollars have been donated, millions of water bottles have been sent, but no solutions have resulted in fixing the problem. People are still bathing with bottled water, and unable to get a simple drink from their faucet. Without clean water boiling noodles cannot even happen.
By Chani The Hippie
Our money has made people rich over and over again. That is power. We have more power than we understand and our dollar is the biggest tool. With such a tremendous spending power we can change the climate of the world towards us if we use it. We need to use our dollars to empower ourselves economically. There are tons and tons of black businesses that we need to funnel our dollars into and support.
by Shalynn Vaughn
Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred (1979) is an influential novel that combines the horror, hopelessness, and heroism of slave narratives with the fantasy of science fiction into a beautifully woven tale. The story follows Dana, a young black woman, on a journey as she suddenly finds herself being sent through time and transported across the United States into Pre-Civil War Maryland. The novel pendulums between the truths most often felt in slave narratives such as physical and sexual assault, and the unexplainable events that could only exist in realms very much unlike reality.
"Yesterday, I went to The Block for brunch with some of my Sorors. I say brunch only cause we were drinking before 5pm, they don't have a brunch menu. :)"
Read Daisha's review of The Block - Midtown! This Black-owned restaurant is pricey, but worth it.
by Arielle Forbes
If you’re from Philly I am sure these don’t taste anything like Pat’s or Geno’s but they taste like Arielle’s J (lol). This is a quick 10-minute meal because the meat is so thin it cooks in no time.
I’m definitely over this pumpkin thing, but I had some left over acorn squash that I needed to use, so I put it along with some greek yogurt to use in this amazing mac n cheese.
Gerrae Cotton | Bougie Foodie
From cheap premium drinks to 1/2 off appetizers, Starter's Bar & Grill happy hour has it all.
By Amber Elle
David “The Electronic Owl” Booker is a 20 year old Fashion & Beauty Photographer located in the Metro-Detroit area. His work can be described as vibrant and unique. While edgy, his photos are polished with professionalism. His editorial looks and creative concepts show versatility while still remaining true to his brand. I sat down with David after working with him on a shoot to get to know the man behind the lens.
by Kizzie Adams
Justin Thomas is a young cat from Detroit attending college in Chicago. He’s my homie so he had no problem coming to the crib to chop it up with me about his ideals on where music is headed today and how he plans to turn that all around.
Singer/Songwriter Malinda LeBeau sat down with Black Bottom Arts intern, Brielle Symone, to talk about her music, her passion and her goals for her growth as an artist.
Driven by friendship, passion, and persistence The Creative Minds Coalition (CMC) produces projects that come from the heart and define each of their experiences in their own unique way. The man behind the sound, Ashton Woods, is the culmination of all the things that this brand represents. His methods may be a little unconventional but they are extremely effective. Fresh off the release of Richy Marciano’s Nottingham Pharmacy, I sat down with the producer to learn about his foundation, inspirations, and what the future holds.
The benefits of medical marijuana are often overshadowed by stigmas like it being a gateway drug and that people are using it just to get high. In my case, it has helped me to keep anxiety in check and flourish in ways I never thought before. As the battle for it to be legalized continues the testimonies I hear from patients at my job show me that l am not the only one who's quality of life has improved from its medicinal properties. Marijuana helps so many and I am thankful that I am reaping the benefits.
These super seeds are packed with fiber, adding a digestive benefit, and best of all, they're so easy to incorporate into your everyday diet. Check out 5 ways you can incorporate chia seeds into your diet below!
When is the last time you checked the nutrition labels on the food you buy at the grocery store? Today, our food is covered in labels, “Gluten-Free,” “Non-GMO,” “Organic,” “Free Range,” or “Fat Free.” How did something as simple as food become so complicated? And how can we muddle through it all?
Well, it's about that time again. The weather is getting nicer and those "summer bodies" are out in full force. All winter, you talked about working out, and maybe you even started... But then life happened, and the workouts got fewer and farther between. It's time for that to change! Here are 5 great reasons why you should always make time in your life to run!
By Rosie DeSantis
Kofi & Lauren & Louie & me
(Aaron too),
we found the hatch up to the roof
during recess, said
today, now on,
everything gotta be different...
By Jessica Reed
On the city's west side,
Summer scents of blackened charcoal watered my mouth in hunger for hot dogs perfectly grilled, burnt on top.
My stomach danced to Mr. Softy’s childish jukebox,
kids on my block hustled for $1 passports to ice cream dreams.
Nothing stung like the buzz of the ice cream truck
passing us up ‘cause our shouts were unheard, hands waving into fading hopes,
rising again
when the next truck came...
By La'Shante “Shaunie” Grigsby
...I'll take the good, bad & the ugly
The cold nights under the fire
No lights but that didn't matter
It was the calm and the storm
The love from your child un-torn
It will forever remain the same
It is embedded into my soul that itches to learn of every story untold
Forever and always, I remain Detroit
by the 2015 James & Grace Lee Boggs School Summer Interns
Freedom is to be liberated from all things. It is not only the complete emancipation from society’s standards, but also the recognition of one’s self worth...
by J. Snow
I composed this album during a time in my life where I finally realized the one way I can truly exercise power in my life, by letting go. And not just letting go, but allowing that process to open you up to the limitless possibilities of an infinite universe. In Carthasis EP, I seek to convey the concept of fluidity as an adaptive principle that can lead to a more fulfilling life.
by Amber Elle
The WALK Fashion show brings high fashion feels to the city instead of having to travel to other cities to get that experience. An integral part of the fashion scene and a major part of its revitalization in Detroit, WALK has something for everyone to enjoy. To stay updated on WALK shows and events visit their website.
The masks are on and the mystique is high at the Russell Industrial Center. The BLUSH Fashion Masquerade has begun and the anticipation is high to see the collection from the featured local designers Basha Boyd and Herman Marbury.
by Amber Elle
The season all fashion lovers adore is here. It’s time to say goodbye to swimsuits and sandals and hello to our beloved boots and sweaters. With the changing seasons come changing wardrobes but luckily our favorite wardrobe staples are here to stay. Here’s how to incorporate a little of that summer heat into your coolest fall fashions.
by Lynx M’Chea
Seeing yourself making the same mistakes you have made before, is synonymous to watching the rain falling around you like a sunrise. No matter how hard you try to fight against the rain it falls; hitting the ground with a sort of musical laughter at your futile attempts. Sometimes, I think with a sigh, mistakes must happen. For reasons I neither know of nor can precisely understand, mistakes are the only way I learn anything. I can hear the protests all around me. Foolish loved ones desperately trying to stop me, yet I persist and fight until I have dug yet another hole of which I cannot leave.
by Ryan Moody
My whole life I have been indoctrinated into playing by the rules. I truly believed that as long as we all mastered living within the arbitrary boundaries of what a Black person “could” be, we would be protected because of it. But that just isn’t true. These white lies just try to hide the fact that under white lies one thing: fear for white lives. But instead of challenging this pervasive, irrational reaction, we systematically assuage it at the expense of my people.
Suzie made her way through Donors’ Court, where giant slabs of marble were carved to depict the white faces that kept the University financially afloat. She hated those cold, pompous eyes that followed her, but she always turned her Naomi Campbell on when she passed so they could watch her work.
"I don't like people."
"Do you want to?"
“I would love to like people. It's just so hard to give a rational shit about irrational things."
"There's not one person you care about?"
"My dad. My mom is alright."
By The Equitable Detroit Coalition
The Ilitches’ choice to open their brand new, highly subsidized sports and concert venue with a Kid Rock concert has generated a lot of anger and left many Detroiters feeling disrespected. But the Ilitches' disrespect for Detroiters began long before the first shovel hit the ground to build the new arena. It began with Olympia Development’s refusal of a real community benefits agreement that would have made them truly accountable to Detroiters whose money the developers were using for private profit.