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Confessions of a Bad Dad on the Eve of His 2nd Child
As my wife and I careen into the last few weeks of her pregnancy and prepare for life with our new little girl, it’s beginning to dawn on me just how bad a job I’ve been doing as a parent for our first daughter. Four, almost five, years into the game, and I’m finally coming…
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The Unfinished Business of the Black President
There’s a huge difference between having a president who’s black and having a Black President. With Barack Obama, we thought we hit the jackpot and we were finally gonna get both, but boy, were we wrong. Almost eight years into the Obama era, and we’ve still not grappled with some of the vexing issues of…
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The Definitive Ranking of Obscure and Defunct Sneakers
It’s back-to-school time, and if you’re black and of a certain age, you know you can’t start school without a fresh pair of new shoes. Some of us mowed lawns or babysat our bad-ass cousins to save up some bread for some fresh J’s or a pair of crispy Reeboks. Others of us weren’t so…
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A Hip-Hop Hall of Fame for the ‘Other Guy’
If you’re a fan of hip-hop, you know what I’m talking about. In most rap groups, there’s a standout emcee who is the face of the franchise, the leader of the team and the straw that stirs the drink. But we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about the other guy in the group. You…
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I’ve Been Down in the Dad Hole for 4 Years and I Have Questions
Let me start this whole thing off by saying that I used to be cool. At one point in my life I was a working DJ, avid sneaker collector, hip-hop aficionado, fluent speaker of slang and avid consumer of modern popular culture. Then, a little over four years ago, things changed. I became a father.…
