culture

  • Unique Views, Episode 6: Hotep vs. Being Woke

    For this episode of the Unique Views podcast, we had a special guest lined up. A guest who is directly responsible for changing the world as we know it. A guest who helped influence and alter the musical landscape. A guest who was directly responsible for bringing Beyoncé into existence. I don’t believe in throwing…

  • George Zimmerman Punched in the Face After Bragging About Killing Trayvon Martin: Report

    George Zimmerman won’t stop talking about killing Trayvon Martin, except this time, he apparently got punched in the face for it. According to witnesses who spoke with CNN, Zimmerman walked into a Florida restaurant and bragged about killing the unarmed teen in 2012. Joseph Whitmer told the news station that he and some friends were sitting…

  • Take the Shot: Adults Need Vaccinations, Too

    Nearly all of us remember suffering through multiple vaccinations as children, for everything from the measles and polio to those painful tetanus inoculations. But medical experts are warning that older adults, particularly African Americans and Latinos, are disproportionately at risk for preventable illnesses because they are not getting vaccines themselves. “I’m urging all adults, especially…

  • Antonio Sabato Jr. and Stacey Dash Believe Stumping for Trump Got Them Blacklisted From Hollywood

    Pop quiz (and bonus points if reading those words made you think of Tamia): When is the last time Antonio Sabato Jr. was poppin’? Most will likely answer the early to mid-1990s, when Sabato gained attention as a Calvin Klein underwear model and appeared in the legendary Janet Jackson video for her single “Love Will Never…

  • Open Letter to White People Who Are Obsessed With Black-on-Black Crime

    Dear Caucasian Brethren, I decided to sit down and write this letter to you because every time I try to have a nuanced conversation with you, I am interrupted by the same shrill refrain. Here is an excerpt from every conversation when I ask you to help me find a solution to a problem: Us:…

  • 8 Olympic Athletes Embrace Their Black Girl Magic in Rio

    Long before the hashtag went viral, the Black Girl Magic that women of color exude has been omnipresent in the actions of both everyday and famous ladies alike—from the single mother who selflessly puts family before herself, to the fierce sisters who proudly rock their natural hair in all its glory, the brave activists like…

  • All of a Sudden My Boyfriend Doesn’t Believe in Marriage

    I’ve been with my boyfriend for two-and-a-half years. We’ve discussed marriage and looked at rings, at his request. Recently he’s been conflicted about whether marriage (as an institution) is for him. He says he loves me and doesn’t want to break up. I don’t know if this is a normal fear and I should give…

  • In France, Black Lives Struggle to Matter, Too

    I have an older cousin named Halima. She lives in Nimes, France, with her husband and 5-year-old daughter, named Hikma, who is an avid Frozen enthusiast (called La Reines des Neiges in French) and Beyoncé-in-training. For the most part, they live relatively peaceful middle-class lives. But every morning, Halima makes the trek from Nimes to…

  • Korryn Gaines Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect for Black Men to #SayHerName

    On Monday, Baltimore County police shot and killed 23-year-old mother Korryn Gaines while she was holding her 5-year-old son, making her the ninth black woman to be killed by police this year. I feared that two common trends would find their way to the forefront after hearing the Baltimore County Police Department’s version of events. I…

  • Black Folks Don’t Need Education Reform; We Need a System We Can Call Our Own

    The scant mention of Democrats’ official platform on K-12 education on the main stage at the Democratic National Convention last week was clearly a political effort to distance the party from the fray. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has backed off many hallmarks of the accountability era that started with the passage of No Child Left…