Claire Francis

Once upon a time I tried to use Instagram to advertise my services. Here's one of the results.

This is a fake ad for the city of Toronto. Although the photo isn't mine, I edited it and wrote the text.

“I think moving through this world is an expression of freedom because Black people are insistent on being here, on taking up space,” says Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae. “Our very being, the conversations we have, the ways in which we try to use our talents and time to care for one another — those are all expressions of Black freedom.”

Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae’s research and teaching in Waterloo’s Theatre and Performance program (Department of Communication Arts) centres on notions of blackness and freedom as expressed through art and performance...

Book Review - Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

An interview with scholar and educator Dr. Joseph Smith, on racism within the education system.

"There are adults who are in therapy because as a child, their parents led them to believe ridiculous things about themselves, in the name of God. There are people whose mental health has been shattered because so-called Christians have been determined to deny their humanity over things that are a matter of personal choice or identity.

Yet funnily enough, what another person does in their private life has never managed to snuff out mine."

Some say honesty equals anger. I disagree.

"...when people call Black people angry for discussing racism, they are not merely expressing an ignorant idea. They are actually revealing just how much faith they put into racist ideologies."

Reflections on a pandemic.

Playboy talks to Kyle Andrews about 48 Long, a style website for big and tall men.

This profile features Bajan designer Jay Applewaite of Jay Applewaite Designs.

Justice for sexual abuse victims is not ‘lynching.’

ince last week I’ve been wondering one thing: Can Black people stop giving out Skinfolk Passes to people who behave horrifically? And in particular, to predatory men?

Within the African-American community, “skinfolk” refers to other Black people — those who share your racial background. Ostensibly we share a bittersweet bond that comes from having common experiences as marginalized people.

But in the wake of the Cosby verdict and the movemen...

I came late to the cosmetics game, so it's no surprise that I've had a challenging time finding foundation that matches my skin tone. Other than experimenting with lipstick when I was young, I never made much of an effort to figure it all out. Sometime in my early 20s, a friend — and a fellow Black woman — gave me a makeover. Since then, I’ve been curious. Today, I still have to figure out contouring and highlighting, but I can handle my own makeup basics. And one of my favorite staple produc...

This past Sunday in the wake of the news about Kobe Bryant, I had a lot of thoughts. Among them, I was wondering whether or not I should post something on Instagram, and if I did, what would I say?
In the midst of my questions, there flickered an idea. It was one that I’d had before: “If you don’t post, people might not think that you care…” Deep down, I know that this isn’t true. And in the past, I’ve been silent regarding certain events.
But honestly. Those words capture the kind of world w...

Fibroids impact African-American women more severely than white women, yet we also wait longer to get help.
Between bleeding and cramps, periods are inconvenient for women at the very least.
But in 2014, I started to think that my period was actually going to kill me.
By the beginning of August, my period had lasted over eight weeks.
My cramps were so excruciating. I was yelling in agony and nearly crying from the pain.
I couldn’t imagine feeling any worse and surviving. Or being more terrifi...