-
As a Kid, I Thought Huntsville, Ala., Sucked. As an Adult, It Looks Pretty Alright
In the summer of 1993, my family relocated from the major international metropolis of Frankfurt (really Bad Homburg), Germany, to the not-a-major-international-metropolis of Huntsville (really Madison), Ala. My father was in the Army at the time and was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky. Since my dad had a year left until his military retirement, my…
-
It Must Suck to Be a Dallas Cowboys Fan Right About Now
When I moved to D.C. in 2001, I decided to adopt the Washington RacistNames (real name Redskins, or Skins for short) as my NFL team and follow them exclusively. This was a fairly easy decision because short of the Oakland Raiders and mostly because of Bo Jackson, I never had a “team” per se. I…
-
What It Looks Like When the Whole Team's Winning
A few years back, one of my best friends had the opportunity to go back to his home church in D.C. and give a speech during a service. As a son of the church, he was speaking on his journey from his beginnings in southeast Washington, D.C., to, at that point in time, receiving his…
-
I Didn't Know I Wanted Golden Girls Action Figures Until I Saw That They Existed. Now I Want Other Collections
You know how you don’t realize that you want or need something until you find out it exists and then, all of a sudden, it’s something you’ve wanted your whole life? It’s how I feel walking into Target and why I had to stop going. Samesies with Virgil Abloh’s Nike x OFF-WHITE collection, Stance socks…
-
10 Music Biopics I'd Really Like To See
On Nov. 2, 2018, Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic about the group Queen, but mostly about the Freddie Mercury, hits theaters nationwide. I can’t wait because I’m a fan of the group and Mercury in particular, and I generally love music biopics and biographies. I always look forward to finding out things that I didn’t know.…
-
Queen Sugar Continues to Make Beautiful Television. I Hope It Never Ends
In the ending of “Copper Sun,” the second to last episode of Queen Sugar’s second season, the song “Fall Into My Arms” by Ngaiire plays as Ralph Angel stares at and walks into Blue’s room. Blue is his son; he’s largely raised him alone but with the help of his family, particularly Aunt Vi, but…
-
We Don't Trust the Criminal Justice System Until It Clears a Black Man of Sexual Assault. Then We're All In
In what I imagine will eventually be a very regretful decision on her part, Angela Rye—noted #BlackGirlMagic trumpeter, public speaker, CNN contributor and women’s empowerment scion—decided to jump out the window in defense of her “brother,” Charlamagne Tha God (CTG). Through Instagram comments that referenced resurfacing allegations that CTG drugged and raped a then-15-year-old girl…
-
VSB and The Glow Up are Making Boss Moves in Washington, D.C., July 19th! Come Through!
A few months back, we took to the streets of Los Angeles to talk about being Urban by Nature. We gathered a few hundred Angelenos for a night of discussion, drinks and networking. Well, we’re taking our talents back east, heading to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., for another event curated by The Root, VSB…
-
Set It Off Has One of the Blackest Scenes in All of Cinema That Nobody Ever Talks About
Set It Off is a movie I love watching. It’s such a nonsensical movie for so many reasons that it all blends perfectly, if you let the liquor tell it. It’s one of the greatest mediocre movies in the African-American Cinematic Theater canon. Once you add in the soundtrack, it really is iconic for so…
-
10 Thoughts About Boyz n The Hood, Released 27 Years Ago Today, and Why It Still Matters
On July 12, 1991, Boyz n the Hood hit theaters nationwide after early screenings in Los Angeles and New York City. As a 12-year-old living in Germany at the time who saw it while visiting relatives in Five Points, Ala., that summer, the movie changed a lot for me. Apparently, I wasn’t alone. 1. I…
