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We Are All Insecure
Eight weeks ago, The Root published an article I wrote, titled, “Is Insecure Preying on Black Women’s Insecurities?” It was a simple question, based on an honest concern I’d had while previewing the show prior to its debut on HBO: As viewers—and, at times, voyeurs—of Insecure, what was our intended takeaway? Was there a deliberate…
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When Will We Learn?
You have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have! “Twice as good” is the standard set for generations of black and brown children across America (and beyond), a warning consistently administered in stern but loving tones from parental figures as dissimilar as the fictional Rowan Pope and first…
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Who Gets to Be Black?
I don’t have to do nothing but eat, drink, stay black, and die. Langston Hughes initially penned the phrase, while Morgan Freeman’s Joe Clark famously paraphrased it in Lean on Me. Purportedly, Billie Holiday even uttered it during her first encounter with Maya Angelou. And while I might add “and pay taxes” (because the IRS…
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Trouble With the Curve … in Fashion
“Please fit … please fit … please fit …” This was the prayer I sent up, standing in my underwear, eyeing the rack of gowns that had been chosen for me. After years of modeling, it wasn’t an unfamiliar scenario, but this was different. I wasn’t being fit for a retailer’s catalog or campaign, but…
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Don’t Read the Comments … Especially if You’re a Black Woman
Two weeks ago I wrote an article in the form of an open letter to Nate Parker, confessing my conflicted feelings about the recently resurfaced revelations about his 17-year-old rape trial. It should be noted that my article was one of dozens on the topic, and far from the most damning. While I openly expressed my…
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An Open Letter to Nate Parker
Nate, I’ve always liked you. With interest and enthusiasm, I’ve watched your career evolve, and have been eagerly anticipating the release of The Birth of a Nation—both enthralled with the clips I’ve seen and kicking myself for not making it to Sundance this year. This is a story that has long needed to be told,…
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If You’re Not Voting This Election, You’re Ridiculous
Y’all, we need to talk. We need to put our heads together, get on the same page and come up with strategic solutions to avoid almost certain doom come November. I say this because there’s some dangerous rhetoric floating around. It’s bitter and fearful and frequently reeks of entitlement. And as this ideology gains momentum…
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More Than Microaggression: The Danger of White Obliviousness
I recently accompanied an artist friend to an out-of-town festival where he was exhibiting. As a photographer, he’s generally in the minority at these events; as a black man whose passion is creating narrative portraits of black and brown people, even more so. For this particular show, he confessed that he’d had to carefully curate…
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A User’s Guide to Dating While Black During Revolutionary Times
“Do you ever get scared driving around out here?” We were somewhere between Colorado and Nebraska, nothing to be seen for miles but fields, cows and the occasional Trump billboard. It was our first road trip in a newly minted “vacationship,” and after enjoying an extended Fourth of July weekend out West, my gentleman friend…
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5 Reasons Jesse Williams Is a Black Girl’s Best Friend
The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman. Malcolm X spoke these words over 50 years ago; Beyoncé brought them back into current consciousness a mere two months ago. On Sunday night, with…
