This story contains themes or mentions of suicide or self harm. “Mama, I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she admitted over the phone, her voice barely above a whisper. Dr. Simone Cadwell had always been the strong one. The one people relied on. The one who had answers, who carried herself with confidence, who … Read more
Lora Brenner had lived her entire life of twenty-two years without realizing color. It was illegal in Principality 44. Legend has it that artist Klaus von Ritchen had once painted a work entitled “Still Life in Black and White” which displayed the irony since the painting was done in vivid colors. For this act of civil disobedience, he … Read more
Apartment 204B it’s been two months in an apartment where the walls are browned from water leakage. A block of the ceiling has fallen, it adds decor to the brown carpet that smells like mildew. I cough as the dust settles in the air, and something pokes out of the rubble. A gold intricate frame … Read more
This story contains sensitive content TW: slave trading THE SOUND OF BLACK Our hut burns hot and fast without warning. Everyone in our village is screaming and running. I outrun my older brother to the sand. He says girls never run fast. I glance back to see why he’s so slow and spot … Read more
C’s get degrees” Sarah messaged Josh. Sarah is an undergraduate college student studying at Hampton University. After long, hard, exhausting debates with her parents over choosing a college, let alone a major that’s “suitable” for their family lineage. All of the reminders of the sacrifices and strings they’ve had to pull just to get her … Read more