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Why I’m Over the ‘Carefree Black Girl’ Label
The advent of the social media era has brought about a great many things—some good, some bad—and notably, it has facilitated the emergence of safe and thriving spaces for underrepresented people of color, both men and women. Worldwide, communities of black women have been able to stand in their glory and showcase their worth in…
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When Will I Realize ‘2-Piece and a Biscuit’ Is Not My Friend?
On any given Sunday (or, really, any day that ends with “y”), I have the consumption habits of a 13-year-old boy. I’m talking gigantic, carb-heavy meals that prominently feature either rice, cassava or potatoes, and a big ole chunk of meat that I can consume with aplomb. I’m the queen of the Popeyes two-piece and…
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Thank You, Ben Carson
Super Tuesday 2016 will soon be gone. Barring either 1) a miraculous influx of cash from donors with next to nothing else to give their money to (in which case, I would like to point them toward my IRS bill because the feds are absolutely not playing with me this year) or 2) a decision…
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9 Thoughts on Rihanna’s ‘Work’ Videos
A few weeks after the clusterf—k that was the Anti release (shoutout to the newly unemployed Tidal team member who tripped and hit the big red button hours before he or she was supposed to), Rih Rih decided to bless us with some choice visuals for her first single, “Work,” and she did not disappoint…
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Underrated Moments in Black History: When Tyra Banks Taught White People How to Moisturize
Black folks as a people have a collective predisposition against ashiness. In concept, this would be something that is not limited to us, because moisturizing is for the people, just like Wu-Tang and hot wings. However, extensive experiences (and by “extensive,” I mean my anecdotal moisturizing experiences involving white friends, colleagues and co-workers in my…
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6 Things That Are as African as Meryl Streep
At some point during an international film festival, in response to an inquiry about whether a quite Caucasian jury would be able to evaluate and understand North African films, Meryl Streep decided to go full Hotep and inform us that “We’re all Africans, really.” That clink you hear is the sound of Lady Meryl officially falling…
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Underrated Moments in Black History: When Bobby and Whitney Set the Bar for Black Love
After “Who made the potato salad?” and “What had happened was,” black love is one of the most ubiquitous topics of discussion within 21st-century Negronia. Over the years, there have been many couples who come to mind that have embodied the concept—Cliff and Clair Huxtable, Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Cam’ron and JuJu, Oscar and Trudy…
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Underrated Moments in Black History: Angela Bassett Slaps a White Woman
Happy Black History Month, everyone! I hope your edges are extra laid and your chicken extra crispy. More often than not, I find that Black History Month tends to turn into “Explain standard historical references to white people who just never bothered to do their Googles.” Don’t get me wrong; I’m learning things about black…
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The Real Housewives of Potomac and the Tragic-Mulatto Syndrome
The first time I heard the term “Jack and Jill” was in high school. A black girl l knew—let’s call her Toni—was living her best life. Her dad had an MBA from Harvard and was on the board of a bank. She got accepted early to Harvard. They owned their place in New York City.…
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22 People, Places and Things Less Petty Than Janet Hubert
Early Monday morning, Jada Pinkett Smith logged on to Facebook to tell the world that we should all boycott the Oscars because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences didn’t see it for Will Smith’s interpretation of an Igbo accent. That same MLK Day, “blacktress” Janet Hubert (aka the original Aunt Viv) popped open her laptop, picked…
