culture
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Don't Sass Me, Girl
Huffington Post better watch what they write about the youngest White House kid, Sasha Obama, from now on. Michelle Obama Watch (MOW), a blog dedicated to reporting on anything and everything about the new First Lady, jumped on Huffington Post’s case after it posted an article on it’s 23/6 site calling 7-year-old Sasha “sassy.” This…
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Is Class the New Black?
Over at Mother Jones, Debra Dickerson has a powerful and insightful essay on why the age of President Barack Obama means that “Class is the New Black.” Her thesis seems to rest on the idea that the heretofore invisible black middle class—which comprises some 40 percent of the US African-American population—has had mainstream exposure for the…
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Congratulations Are In Order
Ever since last summer, when Barack Obama became the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, black friends have told me myriad stories about non-black people smilingly congratulating them. “He could become president!” they enthused. Could and did. But he didn’t become president of black America: He became president of the United States of America—all of…
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Our First 40 Days
Sometimes new politics means more than just new voters, new leaders and new policies. There are times when it serves as the spark for something more. Now is that time for African Americans. There is a call out there for a ”Festive 40-Day Fast for the Future.” The idea is to establish and achieve a…
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Who Didn't See This Coming?
In the hate-to-say-we-told-you-so category, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn has vowed to hold up Eric Holder’s nomination to be attorney general because he’s scared Holder will prosecute Bush functionaries for torturing people. Holder, who would be the first black AG, refused in his nomination hearings last week to say he wouldn’t pursue prosecutions. After days…
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Of Kennedys and H.N.I.C.s
What a brave new world we really do live in, where formerly obscure African American political figures decide the fates of wealthy scions of former presidents—or maybe not. Announcing Thursday morning that she has withdrawn her name from consideration for appointment to fill New York’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, Caroline Kennedy has surely spared herself…
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At Last — The First Dance
The Buzz has hardly been able to get anything done. Since this video of the First Dance hit YouTube and The Daily Beast, it’s been on repeat all day. If you haven’t seen it twenty times, stop what you’re doing and watch the electricity between our president and first lady. All in attendance at the…
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Inauguration Day: Shout, Sing, Shop
During MSNBC’s live coverage, Keith Olbermann asked, “Is the White House ready?” Hard work begins in earnest Wednesday for President Barack Obama, but governance won’t be the first family’s only impact on American life—yesterday the Negro National Anthem made a joyous comeback while the Obama girls’ inaugural outfits crashed the J. Crew website. It was…
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The Big City That Wasn't Big Enough
They came in droves from all across the nation to get to inauguration, and when the big day arrived the expected happened — pandamonium. Wall Street Journal got wind of how public transit couldn’t accomodate all the people who headed to the National Mall before sunsrise. And CNBC has a view of the “sea of…
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President Obama's Inaugural Address
The new president has set forth to undo all of the messes Bush made over the past eight years, and “begin the remaking of America.” Read the full transcript of Barack Obama’s inaugural address.