Rann Miller, Author at Word In Black

When we teach about Jackie Robinson and other Black "firsts," the lessons inadvertently center white elite institutions — and establish white validation — usually at the expense of Black genius. Robinson, for example, was a star in the Negro Leagues, but his skill wasn't recognized until he succeeded in Major League Baseball, an institution that deliberately kept Black people out.

Teaching Black History Shouldn’t Start with Teaching ‘Black Firsts’

by Rann Miller February 26, 2026February 26, 2026

America still celebrating Black firsts in 2026 says more about America’s anti-Black racism than it does about Black genius, which never needed white spaces or validation to exist and thrive.

Use of the phrase "say her name" to protest the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement killing of Nicole Renee Good is appropriating Black language, seemingly with next to no understanding of the context in which it was created, writes Rann Miller. Coined in 2017, the #SayHerName was intended to draw attention to the death of Sandra Bland, a Black woman, while in police custody, but the entire nation knew about the slaying of Good, a white woman, within hours of its occurrence.

Opinion

Stop Co-opting #SayHerName. It Was Made for Black Women

by Rann Miller February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

U.S. imperialism abroad might seem distant and irrelevant to Black Americans, who have problems of their own. But the author argues that the fates of Venezuelans and Black Americans are intertwined, and not just through Black and brown peoples' global struggle for liberation.

Opinion

Why Venezuela’s Crisis Matters to Black America

by Rann Miller January 12, 2026January 12, 2026

The dismantling of affirmative action in college admissions has had an unforeseen consequence: fewer white men are getting into college. Less educated white men are President Donald Trump's core constituency; a policy that creates more of them plays into the hands of the age-old "pickpocket" strategy of conservative elites.

Opinion

D.E.Irony: Fewer White Men in College Keeps MAGA in Power

by Rann Miller December 23, 2025December 23, 2025

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