culture

Today most Americans tell themselves that we as a nation are finally beyond race. Or at least nearly so. Wake up! All the hope and self-delusion aside, racism runs much deeper than most Americans realize. Indeed, a sign of the depth of this fissure has emerged in the current Democratic presidential campaign. The last few…

Maple-Coated Pecans Yield: 1 pound (4 cups) 1 pound (4 cups) pecan halves 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar · Preheat the oven to 375°F. · Spread the pecans on a large baking sheet and toast for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking. · Remove the…

Agave-Sweetened Double-Orange Pekoe Tea Yield: about one gallon When it comes to non-alcoholic, beverage staples from The South, “Sweet Tea” will consistently be in the top two along with lemonade. And it ain’t called “sweet” for nothing. Although “Sweet Tea” usually comes pre-sweetened with white sugar, most people add just a lil’ bit more of…

It was hard to miss the recent terrible news that 3.2 million girls have a sexually transmitted disease. Worse, blacks were infected at twice the rate of white or Mexican-Americans, with more than half of black girls and young women reporting at least one. Again and again, those stats were splashed across newspapers, trumpeted on…

I am not good with goodbyes. And neither is David Simon, which is why he left us back at the beginning back where it all started. He dropped us off on the sidewalk stairs and told us to go. And we didn’t wave or smile, we just turned and walked away like a 5-year-old on…

It’s been two and a half years since Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans. And now, walking through the French Quarter or downtown, one sees absolutely no physical sign that the catastrophe ever happened. Walk through a neighborhood in the Lower Ninth Ward and the same is definitely not true. Acknowledging the contrast, my mind…

One of the few joys of approaching the ripe age of 48 is that curmudgeonliness comes much more naturally than it used to, and I get a good strong dose of it every time the NCAA basketball tournament nears. You see, I’m a big basketball fan but I don’t do brackets. I feel my hackles…

Dear Mister Madoff: Before it’s too late, I wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done for America. It’s been reported that Thursday you will plead guilty to 11 criminal charges, meaning you will spend the rest of your life in jail. A legacy like yours should not go unmarked as you fade into…

Nationwide we are seeing a growing disparity between male and female students enrolling in college. This gender disparity is most severe in the African American community. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have enrollment ratios approaching 65 percent female to 35 percent male. One would think that these schools would want to find creative ways…