From my mind to the screen may your eyes be enlightened by my thoughts. This is my prayer for all who read my words.
The Roads Back Home: On Being a Black Traveler
As I prepare for my fourth trip to Africa (In a country other than Senegal) in February, I reflect on what it is like to travel as a man of African descent. I say this because my travel experience will be different, and my perspective on the world will be drastically different. When traveling, I…
What Folklore Teaches Us About Traveling the World
Today, I was studying for my master’s thesis and preparing for particular projects. Then something came to mind: “Why is studying folklore important in traveling?” Many of you might be thinking, “Folklore? I’m not traveling to learn about people’s stories.” That is what many of us believe folklore is about, but in reality, it’s not…
Welcome to Onyx Thought: Where Travel Meets Folklore and Literature
Hello, everyone. My name is Onyx Thought. I am an Africanist, folklorist, and literary critic. I am able to combine all three of these together due to two bachelor’s degrees in Africana studies and English; I’m currently working on my master’s in Multicultural and Transnational literatures and Folklore from East Carolina University. I am passionate…
“Sinners” reading and media list
After seeing Ryan Coogler’s film a second time, I decided to compile a list of suggested media and literature to help me better understand the film’s complex tapestry. I have compiled a list of films, songs, and books (fiction and nonfiction) to explore to better understand or complement the movie. Sinners as a film represents…
Xenophobia in Black America
Recently, the topic of blackness has been immensely important in the community in relation to what it means to be Black in America. The advent of Black immigrants has invited a conversation concerning who defines blackness. I typically hear African Americans spouting, “We need to create boundaries that define what is blackness according to those…
Religion in Black Nashville (Part 1)
Religion in Nashville’s African-American population during enslavement is quite interesting. Many African-American traditions throughout the South followed the same pattern: African spiritual traditions attempted to be kept, and the traditions were creolized marrying the Judeo-Christian values of their European counterparts. These traditions all merged and gave birth to hoodoo an Afro-centric spiritual tradition amongst African-Americans.…
African-American Nashville an Intro
Like much of our history we talk about the general aspects of history, but never the details. African-American history is no different. So many things are overlooked or not talked about enough that we miss parts that make up the complete story of a quilt that makes us who we are. Humans are products of…
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