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'Nigga Neurosis' and Our Reaction to Dorner
Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young says that some are just supporting the black former LAPD cop because he’s black and getting back at something “white” — and that’s messed up. … This (the “Nigga Neurosis”) is one of the more unfortunate byproducts of a lifetime of dealing with America’s neurotic relationship with race. It’s something so…
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Murder Footage? TMZ Went Too Far
Ebony‘s Damon Young says the website’s video of Andre Lowe getting shot — which doesn’t even include his name — is encouraging viewers to justify their feelings about “black thugs.” But outrage aside, Young argues, there’s no story if there’s no audience. I refuse to watch any footage of an actual person actually dying, and…
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One Man's Pledge to Stop Asking for Smiles
When a man asks a woman to smile, the request often seems harmless to the man, but to the woman, the very question could make her want to fight. This is what Ebony contributor Damon Young realized after a recent chat with a female friend who was having a rough week. After hearing Nicki tell me…
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The 10 Most Annoying Online Habits
Damon Young, writing at Ebony, draws up his list of irritating online behaviors that he says should have been left in 2012. 2013 marks the 15th full year that I’ve been “aware of” and engaged with the internet. In that time, I’ve detected many different types of consistent internet behavior, and I’m old enough to be annoyed…
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Date Like a Grown Man
Damon Young, writing at Ebony, says that a man can absolutely be too old to date just for the sake of dating. Black man, aware of large discrepancy between number of “eligible” Black women and “eligible” Black men, uses this to his advantage, beginning a string of ego-boosting and sexually fulfilling pseudo-relationships, because, well, he…
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My Problem With Prayer
Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young explains how his mother’s illness has led him to re-evaluate the religious practice. … Much of this love and support has come in the form of prayer. People praying for her, praying with her, and even suggesting special prayers for situations like this. In fact, tonight I searched for “mom”…
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3 Thoughts on the Uppercut Heard Round the Internet
Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young reflects on the role that he believes gender played in the recent punch by a Cleveland bus driver, and wonders whether it’s problematic that he wasn’t more upset by the violent footage. … [T]hat uppercut heard ’round the internet reminded me of the fact that some men — myself included —…
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How to Build a Black Relationship Bomb
Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young gives his comedic take on what happens when we idealize high-profile African-American couples. Step 1: Find a famous Black couple, and hold them and their relationships up as infallible paragons of everything right with Black love, Black dating, Black relationships, Black sex, and Black marriage It does not matter if…
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Aaliyah, Drake and Why We Lie When Famous People Die
Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young says we have no idea what the late singer would have thought of the “emo” rapper’s obsession with her, and we shouldn’t pretend that we do. I wonder … if Drake fans will be able to forgive him for being haughty enough to release an album featuring tracks from the…
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5 Things That Get Men All Emotional
From weight to fashion to music, Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young presents a list of topics about which guys are surprisingly self-conscious. Although the common stereotype is that women are the emo-est gender, anyone who’s ever spent any time around any man knows that there are certain common subjects — income, height, sexual prowess, fighting…
