Michelle E. Brown
Viewpoint: Diversity, Even in Opinion, is Good
Spoiler Alert! If you are reading this, you are in the Op-Ed section. If you visit the Online Etymology Dictionary, you will read that this section of a "newspaper opposite the editorial page is usually devoted to personal opinion columns (aka [...]
Viewpoint: It's a Stacked Deck, but We've Got That Woman Card Up Our Sleeve
Life started out simple, or so it seemed. There were two boxes — female/girl and male/boy. It was all supposed to be simple from there. We would walk down that female/girl path from that first breath to our last without variation. There were [...]
Digging Deep, Pulling Together and Doing Whatever it Takes
The win for marriage equality was our high point, but we knew it would not be smooth sailing ahead with this victory. We knew there would remain opposition. We knew there would be push back, but I doubt anyone could have predicted the magnitude of [...]
Politics Be Damned: Time for Saner Minds and Voters to Prevail
We're deep into this election season. Candidates on both sides are vying not only for votes but for those all-important delegates needed to be named the presidential candidates for their respective parties. One name I didn't think we would still be [...]
I Want to be 'In It To Win It,' not Torn Between Two Lovers
There are two very distinctive sides to me. On the one side, I need to have a plan with everything thought out. I need to weigh all the pros and cons and have a backup plan B, C and even D! I guess you could call this side of me [...]
Stalls for Change: We Need Safe Communities, Not Urinary Segregation
Having spent several joyous days in the land of gender neutral bathrooms (a.k.a. Creating Change in Chicago), I am even more astounded than ever by the fear-based, hate-driven and incredibly stupid bathroom wars continually waged against the LGBTQ [...]
2016: Time Has Changed Us, but We Can Change the Future
Maybe because his music was part of the soundtrack of my youth, or because his fans and the music world were mourning David Bowie's passing, but I found myself humming "Changes" as I sat down to watch President Obama's last State of the Union [...]
The Season To Give Thanks And Thankfully Give
It's that time of year when, with joy or dread, we all get ready for the holidays. There's dinner to prepare and parties to attend. Everyone's making a list for someone to check twice before hitting the stores for the sales to buy gifts for the [...]
Aging: Taking Care Of Ourselves Includes Speaking Up For Those Most Vulnerable
I'm getting older. Aren't we all? From the moment our lives begin, we are on that road to the end of life as we know it. I'm in pretty good health and most days the brain cells are functioning optimally. Like many folks, I tend to live in the [...]
Report Urges Collaboration Between LGBTQ & Racial Justice Organizations To Address School To Prison Pipeline
At the 2012 ACLU dinner in Detroit, Melissa Harris-Perry, author, college professor and host of a weekly news/information broadcast on MSNBC, spoke about the "school-to-prison pipeline" to the progressive mostly white straight and LGBT audience [...]
Fire & Ink Four: Igniting The Genius In Us
Imagine attending a family reunion and discovering that your family consists of some of the greatest creative minds alive who not only share your passions and your interests but come ready to share, encourage and inspire with ideas both familiar [...]
Why I'm Not Feeling Pope Francis' US Visit
I am no papal hater. I recognize that a lot of who I am, both good and bad, comes from my Catholic upbringing. My father came from a family with strong Baptist roots, but during a tour of duty in the Army, he apparently drank the Kool-Aid (or [...]