culture
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10 Things Less Disrespectful Than Kneeling During the Anthem (According to Donald Trump)
According to the twisted logic of Donald J. Trump (the “J” stands for “jerks off to pee porn”), anyone who chooses to kneel during a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is disrespecting the flag, hates soldiers, and was born to and raised by a bitch. While it is understandable that some are protective of the…
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Patriotism Is for White People
The American flag, drenched in the blood of American Indians and enslaved Africans, has been romanticized as a symbol of guardianship for all citizens of this nation. One of the main centerpieces of patriotism encapsulated in the flag’s meaning is military service. Be it the Revolutionary or Civil War, World War I or II, or…
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Best Part of Congressional Black Caucus Week? Exclusive Footage of Marvel’s Black Panther
These are some of the things the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference is known for: policy talk for the black community, mixed in with big parties, behind-the-scenes shenanigans and profilin’ outfits. This year was the same, with one huge exception : The panel put together by first-term Rep. Val Demmings (from Florida’s 10th…
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Black Men Still Watching the NFL Are Running Out of Excuses
On Friday, President Trump gave an impassioned white-power speech during a rally in Alabama. What has been widely reported is that Trump called players who protested “sons of bitches.” “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field…
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This Was Never About the Anthem
When Sharp Cheddar Stalin called the mothers of NFL players “bitches” in Huntsville, Ala., his hillbilly conservative base cheered him on because he vilified the men for disrespecting “our flag.” He castigated them for not showing the proper reverence for the national anthem. Welcome to another game of “stupid or liar.” You already know the…
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Can an All-Boys, Afrocentric Education Close the Achievement Gap?
“I am the pink flower” is not the kind of thing a ninth-grade boy usually says with a straight face, especially not in a room filled with other teenage boys. But the young men in Schalette Gudger’s English class at Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, a new all-boys public school in Washington, D.C., were…
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Is Burning Man Just a White-People Thing?
Last year I attended Burning Man for the first time, convinced by a friend who had returned from the event in 2015 bubbling over with excitement. “You have to come with me,” she told me and another (black) friend. “We’ll make our camp the blackest one out there.” She was only kind of joking. Months…
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Watch: Afro Pick Pops Up Near Philly’s Frank Rizzo Statue
For years, activists have pushed to remove Philadelphia’s Frank Rizzo statue. Now the Rizzo statue in Philly’s Center City section shares the floor with an 800-pound Afro pick, a new sculpture by black artist Hank Willis Thomas. The sculpture is part of a series hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Monument Lab, and it’s sparking a…
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Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative: Empowering Black Gay Men to Tackle Trump’s America
Since Donald Trump was elected, marginalized communities have understood that life could become more difficult, but no one could have imagined just how difficult. From the moment Trump was inaugurated, we have borne witness to the ways in which his presidency has negatively affected our lives. From instituting a Muslim ban to emboldening and supporting…
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What to Say When Your White Friend Wants to Use the N-Word
On Thursday, the British blowhard with a face that looks like a half-filled Hefty bag, Piers Morgan, wrote a piece explaining why black people shouldn’t be mad when white people use the word “nigga.” It all started because of a video of a group of white sorority girls singing the song “Gold Digger” at some…