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Auntie Unfiltered: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Hey nieces and nephews. Can you believe we are at the end of the first week of October already? 2020 has been something else, and as we are still trying to catch our breath, 2021 is peeking around the corner like Wilona on some “Hey y’all!” We are still in a pandemic. In the U.S.,…
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Auntie Unfiltered: Can White Women Be Aunties, Too?
This week on Auntie Unfiltered, I go into the mailbag and answer a question from a white woman who wants to know whether white women can be “aunties” as well. The short answer? Sure. If you are an actual aunt to nieces and nephews and your nieces and nephews actually call you “Auntie”-whatever, then you…
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Black Spoken Word Artist Becomes 1st Ever Poet to Win America’s Got Talent
As a poet and spoken word artist myself, I can appreciate someone with a wicked pen game and great delivery. In fact, I am not the only spoken word artist and poet on The Root staff. Perhaps you’ve heard of Michael Harriot, our resident Wypipologist, master race-baiter and the last real Negus alive. Try not…
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Betsy DeVos Is the Subject of an Ethics Violation Investigation
Of all the egregious things Betsy DeVos has done since becoming Donald Trump’s inept secretary of education, could a possible violation of the Hatch Act be the thing that takes her down? The New York Times reports that during an appearance on Fox News earlier this month, DeVos criticized Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice…
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New York City, Portland, Ore., and Seattle Declared 'Anarchist Jurisdictions' by Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice has declared New York City, Portland, Ore., and Seattle “anarchist jurisdictions,” setting the stage for federal funds to be withheld from those locales until they comply with the wishes of Donald Trump. NBC New York reports the Justice Department cited “New York City’s rising gun violence, cuts to the…
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Auntie Unfiltered: Let's Talk About Conscious Communication
Every single day, I encounter people who project their unresolved trauma out on everyone else each time they open their mouths. It’s something I am hyper aware of with myself. I work hard to be aware of the words I use and how I speak to others. It costs absolutely nothing to be kind and…
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I Would Like to Speak With the Manager, Please
You saw the title. I would like to speak with the motherfucking manager. Over the weekend, I found myself in the McDonald’s drive-thru because… Actually, don’t fucking worry about why I went, just know that I was there. I was hungry and wanted something quick. I didn’t want a burger though, because even though we…
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Auntie Unfiltered: On Generational Trauma and Healing
How many of you got beatings when you were younger? How many of you are still trying to heal from them? How many of you are still trying to heal from your childhood period? Last week, Lauryn Hill’s daughter Selah posted a two-hour video on Instagram where she discussed her upbringing. She talked about her…
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LAPD Response to Reported Suicidal Man Ends With Officer Being Shot by ‘Friendly Fire’
If you are struggling to understand why people are calling for police departments to be defunded and have those funds reallocated to human services such as mental health professionals, then please allow an incident that occurred with the Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday to serve as one glaring example. The Los Angeles Times reports…
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Auntie Unfiltered: Ageism Is Bullshit
Happy birthday to me! It’s my 49th birthday today (I know, I know. Hold your applause.), and I couldn’t think of a better occasion to discuss the topic of ageism. Ageism is everywhere. We live in a culture that is obsessed with youth and looking young, as if the natural process of aging—a process that…
