Fig & Olive

Despite having grown up in a decent black neighborhood, many of my peers lived in female-led households. That absence wasn’t born out of the woman’s choice to lead but a set of unfortunate circumstances that left them in that predicament. While doing research on housewives I was saddened but not shocked that only 8% of […]

Because the imaginary of black women (and black people in general) is so limited in the media, every image takes on a crucial importance and is forced to be taken a lot more seriously than entertainment ever should be. Black Panther is one of the first movies of its kind, scale and reach to feature […]

Men have traditionally been providers and protectors, increasingly both roles are criticized, deemed insignificant or even demonized. Modern Western society believes men should be more involved in their children’s lives, more nurturing and less “cold” —as their fathers’ generation was said to be. But as with the significant loss we face with fewer women taking […]

Gender Differences While the biggest gender pay gap is not merely between men and women but rather between married women with children and everyone else, there is still a gender pay gap between single childless women and men. The gender pay gap between single (childless) women compared to men is $0.04, $0.96 for every man’s […]

So how can we make the workplace more friendly to women, esp. women with children? Here are a few ideas: Baby on board One businesswoman, I’ve always looked up to was Rachel Zoe, she seems to have it all —the man, the business, the baby. But she became even more of a hero to me […]

Making equal pay the main issue women face in the workforce is a mistake. Women make $0.76 compared to every dollar men make —black women make even less, on the surface that seems pretty outrageous, sexist and an issue that deserves continuous attention until resolved. But that’s on the surface. When you delve into the […]

I find some people are turned off by minimalism and somehow believe it is something only the privileged might indulge in. Only the one who has known “the good life” can denounce it. I suppose this assumption is warranted, many of the popular minimalist stories -including the story of The Minimalists, feature people who lived […]

I’ve heard it a lot, particularly in the black community and steadily growing sentiment in mainstream culture -partly influenced by feminism, we need to teach our daughters to be independent. It seems like an obvious statement, teach your daughters to be independent so they don’t have to depend on men and they can take care […]

The bare minimum for a man to cover his ‘awra’ (‘nakedness’ according to Islamic law) is much less than that for women. Men must cover from their navel to their knees and women must cover all of themselves except their hands and face. That is the law, but the spirit of Islam dictates that male […]

Marriage is an institution that forms the foundation of society. Marriage provides order, security, and protection through stable relationships and deep ties to other human beings. Ideally, it also provides love and companionship. But I would never suggest —along with the author of the Unexpected Legacy of Divorce (who painted a grim picture of life […]