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Sweet Home Alabama?
I have a complicated relationship with Alabama because Alabama is a complicated place. Though I’ve lived less time there than anywhere else in the world that could be considered home (fall of 1993 through spring 1997 and only two summers, ever), it is also the state where I went to high school and where my…
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Very Smart Brothas x Mahogany Books Monthly Book Club: Zora and Langston by Yuval Taylor
Since November 2018, VSB has teamed with Mahogany Books, an online and brick-and-mortar, black-owned bookstore located in Washington, D.C., to do a monthly book club. On the first Friday of each month, we meet in the bookstore and discuss the book we read for the month in a very casual, entertaining and often enlightening manner.…
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According to This Power Press Release, Several Characters Will Live Beyond the Finale. For Why, Beloved? For Why?
The sixth and final season of the STARZ hit television show, Power, is set to premier on Aug. 25. The season will be long as hell at 15 episodes, but considering the extremely high entertainment value, I’m willing to be all in and park my ass on the couch every Sunday night to pray on…
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That Time My Delivered Package Was Held Hostage and Exchanged for a Six Pack of Beer
I’m one of those people who live in a neighborhood where anytime I get an “out for delivery” email/text/raven for any package that won’t fit into my mailbox, I know it means it’s time for me to head home. I will either receive the package personally or be present to witness it NOT being delivered…
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John Singleton Introduced Me to a World That Changed My Life
John Singleton passed Monday, April 29, 2019. After suffering a stroke that left him in a coma, his family ultimately decided to take him off life support. To say it was a life gone too soon is an understatement, especially for a figure who has had such a tremendous impact on the black community at…
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President Trump Is Personally Trying to Keep Fact Checkers Employed to Boost His Employment Numbers (That’s a Lie)
Let’s just get to the “This Can’t Be Life” punchline first: According to the Washington Post’s Fact Checker Database, a directory that keeps track of claims made by one President Donald J. Trump, in the 828 days since he’s been in office (and as of April 27, 2019), Trump has made 10,011 false or misleading…
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Howard U's President Dropped a Statement About Walking Dogs On The Yard; Here's How It Reads In My Head
Washington, DC, is in the midst of a culture war between the new residents who want to mold the city into their own version of VanillaTown and the folks who didn’t ask for any of this shit but now have to defend their ways of life. Yes, we’re talking gentrification. From new residents of Chinatown…
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6 Ways Beyoncé's Cover of 'Before I Let Go' From Homecoming: The Live Album Just Changed the Game
Last night, Beyoncé did what Beyoncé does and dropped a whole ass 40-track album, Homecoming: The Live Album, out of nowhere that we didn’t know was coming but we’re all better off for having. Beyoncé, ever since that first secret drop back in 2013, just comes through whenever she wants and takes over the entire…
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Dear Game of Thrones Fans, I'm Going to Try Really Hard to Catch Up Because the FOMO Is Killing Me
I’m one of those people: I’ve never seen a full episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones. I say full episode because I tried to watch the first episode a few years ago and just couldn’t make it through. I don’t know what happened or why on that particular day I couldn’t complete the task. I…
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I’m Gonna Go On Ahead and Count Tiger Woods’ Win as Another One for the Black Community. Cool? Let’s Fight
Tiger Woods made a triumphant return to Augusta National on Sunday, winning his fifth Master’s Tournament (and his first since 2005), becoming one of the oldest golfers to win a major tournament at age 43, and putting him three back from tying the record for most majors titles, currently held by golf-legend Jack Nicklaus. Only…