culture
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#NoDAPL: Is It Time for Water Protectors to Leave Standing Rock?
After the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Sunday that the Dakota Access Pipeline owners—Energy Transfer Partners, MarEn Bakken, Phillips 66 and Sunoco Logistics Partners—would not be granted easement to drill beneath Lake Oahe on the Missouri River, many water protectors at Standing Rock celebrated, but with the clear-eyed certainty that the fight is far from over.…
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7 Gift Ideas for Women Who Are Living Their Lives Like Olivia Pope
Does your sister (or aunt or best friend) have a demanding job, a troublesome personal life, needy friends and a flair for style? Well, she sounds a lot like Scandal protagonist Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington). She’s not in need of much (unless you have the perfect man available), so what do you give the sister…
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This Definitive History of Racist Ideas Should Be Required Reading
There are some books that just demand space on your bookshelf—not just because they’re interesting but also because these books break new ground in a way that will enrich your intellectual life. A new book on racism, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, written by Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D.,…
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These 2 Works Celebrating James Baldwin Are Here Just in Time to Soothe Our Weary Souls
Just weeks after an election that confirmed America’s embrace of racism, misogyny and other forms of violent intolerance, we could all use a solid dose of the work of James Baldwin. The great author died almost 30 years ago, but his writings and insights are prescient, pithy and wise today. People in New York City…
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La. Sheriff Seems Real Happy to Say 'Nigga' in Public
I am going to need these white men in positions of power to grow up. I’m going to need them to stop acting like teenagers whose feelings get hurt on Twitter. I’m going to need them to log off and do their jobs. To date, the president-elect and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff investigating a murder…
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Mariah's World Is Flat and Uninteresting
In theory, Mariah Carey, reality star, sounds nothing short of must-see television. Long before Real Housewives came along, Carey offered the world various strains of grandiosity, eccentricity and lots o’ theatrics. Surely, someone who admittedly acknowledges living in her own bubble would be the perfect vehicle for a new reality series. However, Carey has been…
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We Need More Black People Rooting for Tech Entrepreneurs, Not Just Football Players
Editor’s note: Once a month, this column will tackle broader questions about what the country should do to increase educational opportunities for black youths. At the Bayou Classic, the annual football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and Southern University Jaguars, the stakes of the competition off the gridiron have the potential to be much…
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16 Artists Who Made Sure Black Lives Mattered at Art Basel Miami Beach
The beauty of art is that it starts with one person’s dreams and ideas, which are then realized in a painting, sculpture or other art medium. From there it lives on forever, hopefully for all the world to see. That’s one reason it’s so important that the artwork of black artists, who often document the…
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#NoDAPL: Big Win at Standing Rock as Army Corps Denies Easement for Dakota Access Pipeline
Updated Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, 5:30 a.m. EST: Predictably, Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners—owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline—have made it clear that they aren’t going anywhere and that the Army Corps statement was just politricks as usual. Read the full statement below: For more than three years now, Dakota Access Pipeline has done…
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Fidel Vive! A Cuban-American Activist Reflects on El Comandante
I am a Cuban Muslim in Miami in mourning for Fidel Castro Ruz. And I have been wearing my black armband all week long. I first learned the news of Castro’s transition to the realm of the ancestors from Cuban journalists who broke the story. I was shocked and saddened by the news of the inevitable fate that awaits us…