My Dad always said I had caramel skin. “A perfect combination of your mom and me.” Growing up, I never thought twice about the color dynamic within my family. To me, having a Mom and Dad that looked different from each other never struck me as strange. There have been plenty of discussions about mixed-race marriage (it took a 1967 Supreme Court ruling to make it legal. In all US states) but there is rarely any dialogue regarding the child that splits the two races: the people who bridge what is often perceived as the “privileged” and the “oppressed.” I found out for myself that to be in between these two worlds, meant my language and understanding had to change consistently and frequently. The frustrating part is, that those assumptions aren’t necessarily always from outside observers, they can also be from individuals within the group I’m trying to fit myself into. ...

 

  Feel confident, beautiful and empowered in your new wig, the instructions read. In the mirror a stranger stares back—weak, powerless. I see her ghostly image. She looks raw, bound, and scared. I sit in the pretend “barbershop” in our…

Lin Manuel Miranda’s decision to cast people of color (POC) as white historical figures in Hamilton the musical, both helps to further representation for POC in musical theater, and more accurately depicts the America of today, as well as the…

Life is a game of skill. Hone in on your skills, and rise to meet what wants to bring you suffering. Since releasing my debut EP, I’ve gotten the question “What is your songwriting process?” more times than I could…

I’m agnostic about the brain. I won’t stoop so far as to say that I don’t believe in it. But I’ve never experienced it — not mine, in any case. I’m not trying to be coy or obtuse. It’s just…

Bella’s most prized possession, a Mozart doll, lays in the center of her bed, surrounded by a small herd of Build-A-Bear stuffed plushies, American Girl dolls, and stuffed zoo animals. He lays stiff and unyielding in the throng of plastic and plush, wearing a sponge-like grey wig, and a red suit with white ruffles. When his key is turned, he plays Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, translated as “A Little Night Music.” And though intended as a light-hearted serenade, not a lullaby, its playful notes comfort Bella. ...