culture
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Al Sharpton on Nate Parker: Hollywood Trying to ‘Smear the Messenger’
The Rev. Al Sharpton has pledged not to let Hollywood “discredit” and block actor Nate Parker’s plans to release his upcoming film The Birth of a Nation, which tells the story of an 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. The movie, which won national praise from critics after its debut at the Sundance Film…
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10 Things Afro-Brazilians Want You to Know
Back in 2002, according to the Estado do S. Paulo newspaper, former U.S. President George W. Bush reportedly asked Fernando Henrique Cardoso, then-president of Brazil, “Does Brazil have blacks, too?” For Brazilians, this statement showed a stunning ignorance of the country, which is the fifth largest in the world and is one of the seven-largest…
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Unique Views, Episode 7: White Lies, the Birth of a Scandal and Celebrity Crushes
“Hey, y’all; I’m a white Olympic swimmer who dyed his hair gray, and I got robbed by some bro-zillions. Psych. I’m lying. But hey, I’m white and I’m already home, so who cares? Amirite!?” Looks like Ryan is out here Lochte-ing, and on episode 7 of Unique Views, he’s just one of several topics we…
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The Story of Bresha Meadows: Who Will Sing a Black Girl's Song?
Bresha Meadows, 15 years old, sits inside an Ohio Juvenile Detention Center. On July 28, Bresha walked into her parents’ room and killed her sleeping father with a .45-caliber, semi-automatic handgun. Having enduring years of “mental, physical, emotional” abuse, Bresha—along with Brandi, her mom, and the entire family—lived in constant fear. Only two months earlier,…
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White Lies: A Brief History of White People Lying About Crimes
Before there was Olympic thug Ryan Lochte, who lied about being robbed in Rio de Janeiro, white people were notoriously known for either committing crimes and pinning them on fictitious black folks or just blaming them for made-up or heinous crimes committed by someone else, because racism. Here’s a brief history of black people being…
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Michael Phelps' Gold Medals Can't Outshine Usain Bolt's Black Brilliance
Michael Phelps is an amazing athlete. The most-awarded Olympian of all time, he has collected an incredible amount of hardware for his display case: 23 gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals are nothing to scoff at. He’s an icon, an ambassador for his sport and, to quote Jay Z, not just a…
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To Those Who Think Women Who Enjoy the Club Aren’t Marriage Material: Stop Judging
How does a mid- to late-30s lady who goes out a lot, enjoys life with no kids but wants to be married with kids very soon deal with the judgments that no man will marry her if she’s like this? —Anonymous Ugh. I hate the messages our culture sends to single women about what will…
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Nonprofit BMe Deposits $1,000,000 in Black-Owned Bank, Calls on Others to #BankBlack
In the #BankBlack movement, one organization is putting its money—$1 million—where its mouth is. BMe Community, a national network dedicated to strengthening communities with the help of black men, is redirecting $1 million of its deposits into OneUnited, the nation’s largest black-owned bank, making BMe the “preferred nonprofit” for the bank, while OneUnited has become…
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A Hip-Hop Hall of Fame for the ‘Other Guy’
If you’re a fan of hip-hop, you know what I’m talking about. In most rap groups, there’s a standout emcee who is the face of the franchise, the leader of the team and the straw that stirs the drink. But we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about the other guy in the group. You…