When I was a little girl, there was no Black History Month. Born and raised in Oakland, I became aware of the stigma of inequality and injustice at a young age via the public school system, housing discrimination, and stories from my family.
Today I am an out and proud 70-year-old (next month) Black lesbian, who has felt racism, sexism, homophobia, and ageism throughout my life.
Decades ago, my dad, Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau, took a bold first step. My dad was an award-winning art director, cartoonist, and artist, and created the first line of Black contemporary greeting cards.
As a young Black male with talent and vision, his success was met with many challenges — he was denied employment and multiple opportunities because of the color of