culture
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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.…
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4 Questions Parents Should Ask a Principal or Teacher to Ensure Their Child’s Success
Failing schools that service low-income black kids will continue to get away with egregious levels of educational neglect because they know no one will hold them accountable, unless parents are savvy enough to demand what their children deserve. Here are four questions that focus on school culture, instruction and assessment that parents should ask their…
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The Night Of Illuminates Issues of Class and the Justice System
Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers. It can happen to you. That’s the chilling premise behind HBO’s latest edge-of-your-seat limited series The Night Of, which wraps up this Sunday. Based on the BBC series Criminal Justice, the show is a dark, deliberate exploration of what it’s like to unwittingly end up the suspect in a…
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How Afrofuturism Progressed From Sci-fi Literature to Fashion
Afrofuturism can be credited to literary greats like Octavia Butler and visual artists like Basquiat. These artists used their mediums to explore a revolutionary world where black characters controlled their own destinies. Musicians from the late 20th century like Sun Ra, George Clinton and Afrika Bambaataa melded the themes of space, alter egos and black…
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George Curry, a Fierce Journalist Who Never Backed Down From a Fight
They’re taking George Curry back to Alabama for burial. I assume that’s what he wanted. He died suddenly of a heart attack the other day in suburban Washington, D.C. Alabama—where we were both born, that made us the butt of many jokes because we always regarded “Sweet Home Alabama” with mixed emotions, as do many…