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Six Things No One Tells You About Your Wedding Day
1. You will not eat. Ok, this is a lie. Several people who’ve gone through this process before warned us there wouldn’t be much time for eating. But, since we believed we’re special little snowflakes and shit, we ignored them. After all, the venue we chose was specifically chosen because of their brunch menu. What’s…
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On Bachelor Parties And Blackouts
(Editor’s Note: After some thought, I’ve decided to change the title, edit out the hashtag, and remove the references to Jada. Don’t want to be seen as capitalizing on what that girl has had to go through. D. Young) It started with Bellinis. We got there at 2:30. The bottomless was ending at 3. So, in order…
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I'm Getting Married In 10 Days. And I'm Fine With That.
I keep waiting for it to happen. Since maybe May, (approximately) 40% of the conversations I’ve had with everyone from my friends and family to my (new) barber and my fiancee’s co-workers have included a mention about my upcoming wedding. And, since June, 50% of those convos contain a variant of the following question: “So…are you…
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I'll Never Stop Saying the N-Word
Writing at Very Smart Brothas, Damon Young says that there is an appropriate time and place to say the word “nigga,” and determining one’s audience is an integral part of figuring out when that time is. Interestingly enough, my knowledge of and affinity for words could be an argument for not using some of them. Since there are…
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The NBA Finals' Most Annoying Viewers
Before Thursday night’s big game, Very Smart Brothas’ Damon Young offered some very direct words of advice to basketball novices, including must-know facts and essential etiquette. … 1. Shut the f*ck up There’s nothing wrong with being an NBA novice. Basketball isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so it’s perfectly understandable if you just don’t happen…
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The NCAA: Too Good to Be True
While the nation is fully engulfed in March Madness, Damon Young writes in a piece for Ebony that he’s been reminded of why college hoops could never replace pro basketball. Like millions of other sports fans, I spent countless hours following and/or watching the first couple rounds of the NCAA tournament last weekend. And, like much of…
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Kevin Hart, Revolutionary
(The Root) — There are many people who do not think Kevin Hart is funny. This in itself is neither a surprise nor particularly noteworthy. There is no comedian who everyone thinks is funny, and, aside from Michael Strahan and a few four- and five-year-old boys, there is no person who thinks everyone is funny.…
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The 'Black Card': Who Gets One, and Who Gets to Keep It?
Very Smart Brothas‘ Damon Young — inspired by reactions to Christopher Dorner but also referring to figures like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — tries to unpack what makes us decide that some folks are authentically black while we retract others’ racial credentials. Anyway, Thomas and Dormer are just two prominent examples of this phenomenon …
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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…
