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Jimi Does Philly
Philadelphia’s a fine city. I only know its hotels, and frankly that’s the kind of intimacy I prefer: plastic and superficial. I don’t need to know your Liberty Bells or your World’s Largest Cheesesteak. Lately, cities are one-night stands: hard and fast. In and out. Hours later, I’m looking down at your landmarks from 15,000…
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The Wright Question
PBS is airing the first extended interview with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright tonight. Bill Moyer will pummel him with hard questions about his patriotism and the politics of the pulpit, and Wright won’t back away, instead standing firm on his principles. And he should. When I heard that Wright was a UCC pastor, I wasn’t…
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The Wright Answer
For a while at the National Press Club, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was going along fine. But there was a point—and you can see it with the sound muted—where he started to answer questions and flew off the rails. I know a lot of Old Black Folks doing that Wright Thing: spouting off in public…
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And No Longer on the Street Corner…
Black professional fighters traditionally have had a way of inspiring a generation of young black men, for better or worse: Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson.Kimbo Slice is the new inspiration. What? You’ve not heard of Kimbo Slice? Well, maybe you don’t recognize him because I haven’t called him by his full name:…
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The Other Verdict
Single Father, Author, Screenwriter, Award-Winning Journalist, NPR Moderator, Lecturer and College Professor. Habitual Line-Stepper
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The Race Police Need to Lay Off Imus
Although I didn’t think it was possible, the latest Don Imus controversy is almost as ridiculous as the first one. Imus recently made an off-hand remark on his radio show about Adam “Pacman” Jones’ string of arrests, noting that “Pacman” was black. “There you go,” he said. “Now we know.” Some people chose to infer…
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Farewell to Black Moses
At my second wedding, I had the piano player play the theme song from Shaft as I walked down the aisle. For my MFA, I wrote my critical thesis on the ’70s film classic. Ernest Tidyman, the white author/screenwriter who created John Shaft (and many more iconic characters), was a cops reporter for Cleveland’s Plain…
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Schooling McCain on the Man Code
It’s easy to look at Sen. McCain begging off a handshake from Sen. Barack Obama and just see a white guy dissing a black guy. But I wouldn’t get Al and Jesse on the BlackPhone just yet—I think that whole thing is a sight more complicated than prejudice and politics. I’m (arguably) as much a…
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The Step-Parent Two-Step
Black women talk so much about the lack of “good” black men, but what I want to know is, who’s screening these applications? You know—who’s making sure the men you think are so hot actually past muster? Seems like a lot of young ladies end up with down-lows or fresh-outs, putting them up in some…
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A Divorce Supreme?
Sheree Whitfield of the real Housewives of Atlanta is determined to get a seven-figure settlement out of her divorce, even if means taking it all the way to the supreme court. I’m a big fan or fairness. And I’m not sure how that’s going to work out, but I’m sure that kids don’t need millions…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
