smfreder

Feb 17, 2020

Love Letter to Kobe

Love letter to Kobe

Oct 24, 2019

Black Abroad My Journey Through the Motherland

This past summer I had a life-changing experience; I traveled to Africa, specifically, the country of Ghana. Traveling to Ghana was a once in a lifetime experience as it was almost a mythical journey full of ups downs and everything in between.

Aug 18, 2019

“Born a Crime”: The Full Book Review

In the book, Noah contextualizes his experiences and upbringing within wider societal changes happening in South Africa. Now this book is not offering a deep dive in the wider socio-political workings of South African society, merely, Trevor Noah is grounding his narrative within the wider narrative of South Africa.

Apr 4, 2019

Pan-Af Week is Not Pan-African

The long-awaited occasion is the week where black people are supposed to come together in friendship and attend a week of events carefully curated by the hardworking people of the Black Students Board.In my experience, however, Pan-Af does not and has not lived up to the values of Pan-Africanism, the term from which the week gets its namesake.Honestly, Pan-Af is NC State’s “African-American Homecoming week with a little diasporic spice.” An African-American homecoming week would not get any opposition from me, but I wish it was much more honest about it.The week is more often about parties, outfits and being on the gram with your clique than building solidarity between people of African descent.

Jan 17, 2019

Self-Care is Not the Only Radical Act

A famous quote by author Audre Lorde says, ‘Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Nubian Message used this quote as the cover for our self-care issue because of how much it resonated with my fellow colleagues. But there is an even more radical action: the act of caring for others.

Nov 29, 2018

Shawn’s Soapbox: America’s False Democracy

The midterm elections are over, and the blue wave turned out to be a blue splash with Democrats getting the House (an expected result), and Republicans keeping the Senate. While the promised blue wave did not sweep the nation, it did break through many barriers, especially for women of color, who showed out.

Oct 28, 2018

The Shop: De-stigmatizing Mental Health

For generations, the stigma of mental health has plagued the black community. Distrust of health services has lead to many stereotypes being perpetrated on the topic of mental health, such as only weak people seek counseling or the solution to mental illness is through religion and “praying it away.”

Oct 11, 2018

Shawn’s Soapbox: Why It’s Important for Black People to Vote

Shawn Fredericks | Staff Writer October 12 is a special day—not because of sports or entertainment but, something of far greater importance: politics. This Friday is the deadline to register to vote in the November general election. Voting is the main way, which is unfortunately only accessible to citizens, to make your voice heard on…

Sep 27, 2018

Why I Am Race First Instead of America First

Shawn Fredericks | Staff Writer Being black in America means existing in two modes at the same time: Black and American. As history has shown, my nationality is often at odds with my racial identity. I navigate this complexity by accepting the reality of my racial identity superseding my national identity. In other words, I choose…

Sep 2, 2018

Diversity Does Not Belong to White People

Shawn Fredericks | Staff Writer Interracial relations. Too often these words are used in a black and white context. More specifically, the idea of interracial relationships usually concern group relations between white people and black people. This needs to be said: diversity shouldn’t be treated as a “white only” ice cream shop where white people show…

Aug 27, 2018

How to Maintain Healthy Relationships

Shawn Fredericks | Staff Writer Relationships are an important part of the college experience and are a key part of having a long and happy life. However, between rigorous academics and incompatible personalities, college can be a challenging place to build worthwhile relationships. As your dear Uncle Shawn, I thought I’d share some lessons I’ve learned…

Aug 27, 2018

Hood Classics: A Playlist

Shawn Fredericks | Staff Writer Yesenia Jones | Staff Writer Hood classics are songs that bring back nostalgia. They remind us of good times at parties, hanging out in our neighborhoods, childhood friends and the places we’ve come from. In the words of OG James Baldwin, “Know from whence you came. If you know whence…