Listening to Black Women

The System Works as Intended: Why Gary, Indiana Is Our Warning Sign

Shayla Brown — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:56:57 GMT

By Shayla Brown and Google Gemini

If you’re scrolling through TikTok or Instagram right now, you’ve seen the clips coming out of Gary, Indiana.

An elder sitting on a porch in suffocating heat, holding an oxygen machine that won't turn on. Mothers throwing out hundreds of dollars in spoiled groceries they spent their last SNAP dollars on, only to be told …

250 Years Is Long Enough

Shayla Brown — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:50:55 GMT

Every July Fourth, Americans celebrate freedom with fireworks, flags, and familiar promises.

Liberty.

Justice.

The pursuit of happiness.

But every year, I find myself asking the same question:

Freedom for whom?

Because for Black women, independence has always arrived with an asterisk.

This year marks 250 years since the birth of the United States. Two and a ha…

Why I'm Paying Attention to Obama's New Disney Series Journey

Shayla Brown — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:11:21 GMT

Can Black children see themselves on screen?

Listen to Black Women Creator; Shayla Brown

That's important. But I think an even more interesting question is this:

Can Black children imagine themselves at the center of wonder?

This week, Disney announced a partnership with Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground, to create a new animated…

“This is the type of love Church Mothers ruin.”

Shayla Brown — Mon, 25 May 2026 23:48:33 GMT

Photo by Clarke Sanders on Unsplash

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I wrote a poem about desire, religion, shame, surveillance, Black womanhood, and what happens when pleasure refuses to apologize.

Read it Here

About sacred vs. erotic.
Worship vs. sex.
Church vs. home.
Mothers vs. lovers.
Salvation vs. bodily autonomy.

I keep returning to this question:

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Who gets to define holy love?

And why has Black women…

John Davidson’s BAFTA Outburst Raises a Hard Question: When a Slur Is Called “Involuntary,” What Are We Allowed to Ask?

Shayla Brown — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:22:11 GMT

Photo by Robin Edqvist on Unsplash

During the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in London, a live broadcast was interrupted when John Davidson, a Tourette’s syndrome campaigner whose life inspired the BAFTA-nominated film I Swear, shouted the n-word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage preparing to present an award.

Host Alan Cumming addressed the …

A Case Study in Cultural Permission:

Shayla Brown — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:42:32 GMT

Photo by Mike Von on Unsplash

I want to be precise about something.

I am not writing this because I disliked anything I watched.
I celebrated all of it.

I celebrated Coco Jones singing Lift Every Voice and Sing.
I …

When the House Becomes the Stage:

Shayla Brown — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:26:52 GMT

Photo by Shino Nakamura on Unsplash

Last night, my timeline did what Black women’s timelines always do:
we watched something together, in real time, and started narrating it out loud.

Not in official commentary.
Not in neat think-piece paragraphs.
But in the way we talk to each other—half analysis, half feeling, half “wait… did y’all catch that?”

Bad Bunny’s …

The Career Bridge No One Is Talking About

Shayla Brown — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:07:16 GMT

As layoffs continue, applications disappear into black holes, and caregiving demands keep many women at home, a growing number are finding stability through remote, skills-based work in AI and tech. It’s not a silver bullet—but for many, it’s a lifeline.

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There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes with doing everything “right” and still being stu…

The Government Shutdown Is Over — But The Damage to Black Women Isn’t

Shayla Brown — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:54:22 GMT

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

Introduction

For forty-one days, the federal government shut down — the longest in U.S. history. While pundits debated party politics and policy deadlines, Black women quietly carried the weight of it all. From D.C. to rural Mississippi, Black women were the ones furloughed, underpaid, and overlooked — the b…

Why Is There No Outcry for Sudan?

Shayla Brown — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:56:22 GMT

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

This morning, I sat down to write for work — but all I could think about was Sudan.

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About the mothers there.
The women navigating the simplest parts of life — feeding children, finding water, holding babies in the middle of war, famine, displacement, and silence.

And I’m grieving. I’m angry. I’m tired.

Because I keep asking myself: W…

Black Women Are Losing Jobs in Record Numbers—And Congress Is Finally Paying Attention

Shayla Brown — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:40:00 GMT

Photo by Emmanuel Black on Unsplash

That number is staggering, but it’s also telling. It tells us what we already know: when this country sneezes, Black women catch pneumonia. When the labor market shifts, Black women are pushed out first. When political leaders gut federal jobs and roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, it is Black w…

A Young Man Found Hanging at Delta State: Listening Means Demanding Answers

Shayla Brown — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:46:32 GMT

On September 15, 2025, tragedy struck Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Twenty-one-year-old Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a Black student, was found hanging from a tree near the university’s pickleball courts. University officials canceled classes and postponed centennial events, while counseling services were made available to students and …

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Just Announced Their Engagement

Shayla Brown — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:54:00 GMT

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have officially announced their engagement, and the internet has not been the same since. On August 26, 2025, the couple shared the news with a joint Instagram post that instantly went viral.

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The caption was simple, playful, and exactly in their lane:

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

In the phot…

Gap Didn’t Get It Either

Shayla Brown — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:24:49 GMT

Cracker Barrel Was Right To Change

Shayla Brown — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:01:49 GMT

Photo by Brandon Ricketts: https://www.pexels.com/photo/logo-of-cracker-barrel-old-country-store-17073733/

There’s a strange thing happening in the news cycle right now: people are trying to punish Cracker Barrel for doing the responsible thing.

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The company updated its logo and interior design to feel more inclusive, more inviting, and less steeped in the…

BREAKING: ESSENCE Festival Responds to Backlash After 2025 Weekend

Shayla Brown — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 04:02:33 GMT

After a weekend that drew tens of thousands to New Orleans but left many Black women venting their frustrations across social media, ESSENCE Festival of Culture® has broken its silence with a public statement posted to LinkedIn.

In their post — which comes days after hashtags like #EssenceFest and #EssenceFail trended on Black Twitter and Instagram — the…

Adriana Smith Was Used. Say Her Name. Say What They Did.

Shayla Brown — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 06:24:37 GMT

Adriana Smith did not give birth. She was already gone—declared brain dead in February at just 9 weeks pregnant.

And still… they kept her.

They kept her body alive for nearly four months to incubate a pregnancy. Not because of medical necessity. Not because of clear legal mandate. But because Black women’s bodies have never been non-negotiable when it com…

Amplifying Southern Black Lesbian Voices This Pride Month

Shayla Brown — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:12:37 GMT

This month on Listening to Black Women, we honor her achievements and the worlds she’s brought to life with courage and clarity.

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🎬 Dee Rees: Mississippi Roots, Queer Southern Storytelling

Origins & Identity
Born in 1977 and raised in Nashville, Rees studied film at NYU under Spike Lee and launched her directing career with Pariah (2007 short, 2011 feature…

🎬 Straw:

Shayla Brown — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 23:13:38 GMT

I finally watched Straw. I needed to. Because the truth is, when a Tyler Perry film drops—especially one that centers a Black woman’s breakdown—there’s going to be noise. But what I heard across social media this time was different. It wasn’t just noise. It was nuance.

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Usually, folks either ride or rail with Tyler Perry. But Straw drew something I haven’…

Rita Brent: Comedian, Musician, & Proud Mississippian

Shayla Brown — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 13:12:47 GMT

In honor of Pride Month, Listening to Black Women is spotlighting Southern Black lesbian trailblazers who uplift and transform through their art. Today, we’re celebrating Rita Brent—a Jackson, Mississippi native whose blend of humor, music, and cultural insight celebrates our shared resilience and joy.

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