Published inBallasts for the Mind·Mar 26The Zora Challenge SyllabusA collection of books, articles, films, podcasts, and more by and about Zora Neale Hurston Updated on May 24, 2023: Added Dr. David Johns 2023 article in The Griot. Updated on April 26, 2023: Added Zora Neale Hurston’s 1930 scholarly article from The Journal of American Folklore. Updated on April…Zora Neale Hurston39 min readZora Neale Hurston39 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Mar 11Why the film Everything Everywhere All at Once should win Best Picture at the 2023 OscarsA statistical analysis of historical data Three years ago, I introduced a historical statistical model which I used to predict which movie would win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The model gave the film 1917 the highest chance but the Academy bucked historical trends and chose Parasite as the…Academy Awards4 min readAcademy Awards4 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Feb 1128 Days of Wisdom for Black History Month 2023Below you will find one piece of wisdom for you to reflect on each day in the month of February from a notable person of African descent. This collection of quotes features historical and contemporary figures. They have been beneficial to me, I hope they do the same for you…Wisdom8 min readWisdom8 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Feb 1Favorite Books from November & December 2022Reviews of Take My Hand, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Black Roses: Odes Celebrating Powerful Black Women Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez Take My Hand is one of those books you will not be able to put down. It’s cinematic and should definitely be adapted into a film…Book Review2 min readBook Review2 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Nov 10, 2022Favorite Books from October 2022Reviews of Soul Culture and Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books, and Questions That Grew Me Up by Remica Bingham-Risher In Soul Culture, Remica Bingham-Risher has written a beautiful book about the Black community, mentorship, growth, and revision. The book is a collection of essays that are…Books3 min readBooks3 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Oct 14, 2022Favorite Books from September 2022Reviews of Handkerchief, The Street, and A Man of Iron Handkerchief by Gracia Rich Jordan Chandler is cold-blooded, she is not someone you want to mess with at all. She is a killer and a wealthy one at that. If you don’t get in her way then you won’t have…Books3 min readBooks3 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Oct 7, 2022The 100 Best Books by Black AuthorsIntroducing the Black Book Canon from the Black Readers Conference “Black people have always read. They were waiting for something to read that they might be able to identify with, that’s all.” -Terry McMillan, “Inside the Push to Diversify the Book Business” by Marcela Valdes What are the best books…Books47 min readBooks47 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Sep 1, 2022Favorite Books from August 2022Reviews of Mule Bone, Marriage Be Hard, and South to America Mule Bone by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes “Dis ain’t no trial. Dis is a mess!” -Methodist Sister Mule Bone is a comedy and a tragedy all in one book. It is divided in three parts: 1. “The…Book Review5 min readBook Review5 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Aug 3, 2022Favorite Books from July 2022Reviews of Native Son and Dust Tracks on a Road Native Son by Richard Wright I first read Native Son over a decade ago when I took a Black Literature class in undergrad. I remember enjoying it but I did not remember the plot. Reading it for a second time…Books3 min readBooks3 min read
Published inBallasts for the Mind·Jul 21, 2022Favorite Books from June 2022Reviews of George Henry White and By Executive Order. I ended June 2022 by reading two great books. Check out my reviews of each below. This article contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Ballasts for the Mind may earn an affiliate commission. George Henry White: An Even…Nonfiction4 min readNonfiction4 min read
