Simone Monique Barnes

June 9, 2015

An Open Letter to the McKinney Pool Youth

Dear #McKinneyPoolParty Youth, I am sorry. I am sorry that the focus is on you and not on the many adults who contributed to this situation. I am sorry that the color of your skin caused some people to make you feel like you did or did not belong. I am sorry that many of…

April 23, 2015

Alaska officially recognizes indigenous languages

Alaska becomes the second state to officially recognize indigenous languages Yes! My former professor Dennis Norman often said that “when you lose a language, you lose a way of thinking.” Language tells our story, our history, our experiences, and the way we process the world. 2 down, 48 states + US territories to go.

May 28, 2014

Remembering Joy: RIP Maya Angelou

Dinner with friends at a tiny restaurant in Tribeca on my birthday in 1996. It was before peak hours, so the restaurant was nearly empty. My bestie Kenya Unique Massey gave me The Complete Collected Poems (Maya Angelou). It had been on my birthday/Christmas/Kwanzaa wish list for a while, so I was surprised (thrilled) to…