culture
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Why Black People Are Being Left Out of the Weed Boom
Editor’s note: This is part 2 in an ongoing series that looks at the growing legal marijuana industry and its effect on the black community. Zulu, a Maryland resident who calls himself the African Herbalist, sells marijuana on the black market. The 32-year-old is using a pseudonym to avoid being picked up for breaking the law…
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The Conveniently Missing Racial Politics of EpiPen Access
The availability of essential lifesaving tools like the EpiPen never rises to being a crisis until the price hits white people’s wallets. Foreclosures and the lack of affordable housing drew Big Short condemnation when idyllic Caucasian suburbs went into meltdown. Drug wars go into cease-fire and even Republican presidential candidates, of all people, view addiction…
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10 Tips for Postpartum Survival
It’s common knowledge that pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, but no one tells you about the fourth period: life with a newborn. Some people actually refer to the early postpartum period as the fourth trimester, and it’s rough, especially for first-time parents. I’m 17 days into parenthood at the time of writing this, and…
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The School for Magical Negroes
Hello, people of color! Are you tired of bearing the burden of walking around as the scary, dark-skinned demon who makes white women clutch their purses in Wal-Mart parking lots and clinch their anuses in elevators? Have you grown weary of candidates for president painting you as a Muslim bogeyman who needs to be expelled…
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Don’t Read the Comments … Especially if You’re a Black Woman
Two weeks ago I wrote an article in the form of an open letter to Nate Parker, confessing my conflicted feelings about the recently resurfaced revelations about his 17-year-old rape trial. It should be noted that my article was one of dozens on the topic, and far from the most damning. While I openly expressed my…
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More Beyoncé, Less Britney: How MTV Can Improve the VMAs
For some years now, MTV has largely relied on nostalgia and the promise of returning to what used to make its Video Music Awards show vital viewing to lure people into watching. You watch—majorly because the performers list is so stacked that you can’t help giving in to temptation—and then you’re let down. This year…
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Colin Kaepernick Shows That #BlackLivesMatter Even When His Career May Not
San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose last Friday to remind America that black lives matter. It’s a laudable goal, and one for which he should be commended. The role of the black athlete in addressing pressing social issues has moved from the “risk it all” activism of the 1960s to the “Republicans buy…
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It’s Been 11 Years Since Hurricane Katrina Ravaged New Orleans
When the rain started on Aug. 23, 2005, in New Orleans, many residents weren’t worried. The swampy bayou was used to wet weather. However, days later, when the weather didn’t let up and the storm surged from a threat to an absolute promise to ravage the Southern city, those residents were worried … and trapped.…