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Why America Needs a White History Month
Those who have enjoyed privilege need saving from their own myopia, Mychal Denzel Smith argues in a piece for the Guardian. The Republican presidential campaign has persuaded me. Not to vote for Mitt Romney, God no. They have, however, convinced me of something else I previously considered unthinkable. In some ways, the idea betrays my…
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On Hampton's Hair Rules
(The Root) — When I hit the campus of Hampton University as a senior in the fall of 2007, I had one thing on my mind: Free the Jena Six. The Iraq War made me pay attention, Hurricane Katrina angered me, the murder of Sean Bell left me disillusioned, but when I heard the story…
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Don't Be Embarrassed by Bad Black TV
Ebony‘s Mychal Denzel Smith says Basketball Wives and other outrageous television shows are pretty low on the list of things that cause him concern about the African-American community. There have been calls for boycotts, for the show to be pulled, open letters written prophesying the demise of Black womanhood; some have referred to the show…
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How to Be an LGBT Ally as a Straight Man
Ebony contributor Mychal Denzel Smith recalls the day he was hit on by another man in New York, and when he declined a date and shared that he was heterosexual, his suitor’s immediate response was fear. Smith notes this reaction as the reason blacks must change their attitudes toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender…
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The 5 Stages of Black Manhood
Ebony‘s Mychal Denzel Smith says that black men face life in America with a coping strategy that’s not unlike the psychological model for processing grief. … I have found that Black men experience this world in ways that are quite similar to the widely known Kubler-Ross “5 Stages of Grief” model: 1. Denial. In his…
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The LA Riots Won't Happen Again
Writing for Ebony, Mychal Denzel Smith says that black Millennials look back at the unrest and destruction of 1992 and ask, “What did that accomplish?” It has nothing to do with whether Black youth are less angry, less committed to ending racism, or are “post-race.” None of these things are true. We appear more complacent…
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Do Black Men Care Enough About Sexual Assault?
In an opinion piece for Ebony magazine, Mychal Denzel Smith writes that rape isn’t just a women’s issue, but far too many men treat it as if it is. I recently listened to Nas’ 1999 album I Am — a record I’d considered to be criminally underrated — when the song “Dr. Knockboot” came on…
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Why Conversations on Race Usually Fail
In college I had a professor who would dismiss class if too many of us had neglected to finish the assigned reading. It would infuriate us as a group of late-teens and early-20-somethings who felt that our very presence should have been rewarded, but I honestly couldn’t blame him. His reasoning was sound. What would…
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What Obama's 2013 Budget Means for Blacks
In a blog entry at Ebony magazine, Mychal Denzel Smith highlights several proposals in President Barack Obama’s $3.8 trillion spending plan that would directly affect African Americans, including a 4 percent increase in funds for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to help strengthen anti-discrimination enforcement. Though most of the budget fits Obama’s “a rising tide…
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Give Metta World Peace a Chance
The 2011-2012 NBA season is finally under way after a protracted off-season caused by a dispute over income and an owner-enforced lockout, and I couldn’t be happier. Kevin Durant is hitting game–winning three–pointers at the buzzer, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are flying high and Chris Paul has made the Los Angeles Clippers relevant for…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
