I was asked by a colleague to give a talk to Hopkins' Black Faculty-Staff Association this month. I wasn't able to because of time constraints, but I told her that if I did give a talk, it'd probably be titled "Why I Hate Black History Month". Actually, the title I gave her was not safe for viewing. But while I hate black history month, I probably hate the concept of "post-blackness" even more. 

Now, real talk, to the extent black artists use "post-blackness" as a vehicle to get out of the "black artist" box I'm with it. Black artists should be able to make their living like any other artist without fear of being ostracized because they don't do "black" art. 

But to the extent the term becomes a convenient way for us to dodge a commitment to fight inequality, I think it's "a bad look". 

So when the Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle asked me to participate in a debate about the issue, I gladly agreed. Not just because I believe they are one of the reasons I love Baltimore, but because it gave me an opportunity to flesh out my strong opinions against the idea in public. The link below has the entire debate, plus a couple of incredible performances in between. Take a listen. I think I could have defended the "post-blackness" side, I'm glad I didn't have to. 

Is Blackness History?