The Potty Mouth Granny

  • Whatever Happened to Honey Magazine? The Publication That Spoke to a Generation of Black Women

    There are magazines you read, and then there are magazines that become part of who you are. For me, Honey was the latter. Founded by Kierna Mayo and Joicelyn Dingle, Honey debuted with a preview issue in 1999 featuring Lauryn Hill. It blended fashion, beauty, music, politics, relationships, and culture through a distinctly Black feminist…

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  • Mary Jane Richardson Jones: The First Lady of Black Chicago

    Long before Chicago became known for towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, there was a woman quietly building something far more enduring—a legacy. Her name was Mary Jane Richardson Jones. If you’ve never heard of her, you’re not alone. History has a habit of overlooking Black women, even the ones who helped shape cities. But without…

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  • The Many Ways in Which the United States Ain’t Shit

    I was sitting here thinking about America, a country that is often described as the greatest nation on Earth. It is a nation that has accomplished extraordinary things. It has sent human beings to the Moon, produced some of the world’s greatest innovations, and given birth to cultural treasures such as jazz, blues, gospel, and…

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  • Bye Bye Baby Cat🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛😢😢😢

    On May 17, 2009, a tiny black kitten entered the world. For the next seventeen years, he filled one family on the South Side of Chicago with more love, laughter, and joy than anyone could have imagined. He ruled the house with the confidence of a king, entertained them daily with his endless shenanigans, and…

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  • Why Thou Hate Women So Much Fellas?

    According to social media, women are somehow responsible for everything from declining birth rates to rising housing prices, poor customer service, and probably bad weather. If a woman chooses marriage, she’s criticized. If she chooses to remain single, she’s criticized. If she has children, somebody has an opinion. If she doesn’t have children, somebody has…

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  • Humanity’s Centuries-Old Fascination with Whores

    Let’s be honest: few figures have occupied more space in the human imagination than the whore. Kings wrote laws about them. Priests preached sermons against them. Artists painted them. Writers filled novels with them. Politicians condemned them in public and sought them out in private. Entire civilizations have spent thousands of years obsessing over women…

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  • If I Was Black and Male For A Day

    First of all, before I write this essay, I would like to state that I love being a Black woman. I love the beautiful brownness of my skin, my hair which is a crown that has anointed me Queen of my universe, my full lips, slanted eyes, and the strength of my ancestors who endured…

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  • Chatham: The Pride of the South Side

    When people talk about Chicago’s historic Black neighborhoods, places like Bronzeville and Hyde Park often dominate the conversation. Yet on the city’s South Side lies a community that has long represented stability, homeownership, education, and Black middle-class achievement: Chatham. Bounded roughly by 79th Street to the north, 87th Street to the south, Cottage Grove Avenue…

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  • Pill Hill: The Quiet Crown on Chicago’s South Side

    There are parts of Chicago that never seem to make the national conversation unless somebody wants to talk about crime, dysfunction, or urban decay. And as a native Black Chicagoan, that selective storytelling has irritated my soul for years. Because this city contains multitudes. Beauty. History. Elegance. Complexity. Survival. Pride. And tucked quietly into the…

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  • My Secret Lover

    I met him 31 years ago while riding the bus. He was tall, light-skinned, and cute—at least to my eyes.Now, I’m not a flirt by nature. I’ve never been the type to chase after men or throw myself in their path. But that day, something about him made me step outside of my comfort zone.…

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