culture
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Keshia Knight Pulliam Doesn’t Need Your Judgments About Her Failed Marriage
Late last year, actress Keshia Knight Pulliam announced that she was engaged to former NFL player and reality star Ed Hartwell. Many found it to be a surprising turn of events. Pulliam had been in a very public and lengthy relationship with celebrity radio host Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan, and many didn’t even know the…
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How the Freddie Gray Case Fell Apart
Today, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby decided to drop the charges against the remaining three officers connected to the death of Freddie Gray. From the very minute that Mosby stood outside on the steps of her office and announced to the world that she would seek to move forward with the prosecution of the…
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An Open Letter to Bill O’Reilly From One of the Slaves Who Built the White House
Dear Bill O’Reilly: Yesterday I was just sitting here playing a game of Monopoly with Thomas Jefferson, Tupac and Harriet Tubman when someone turned on your show. (Yes, we do watch Fox News in heaven. Most comedies are rated R and are filled with cusswords, and we need something to laugh at.) First, I want…
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Democratic Political Infighting Over Education Harms Black Families
The Democrats’ political machine is in full gear this summer as special interest groups drive toward a common goal: getting the party elected to the highest office in the land. But the political action group Democrats for Education Reform, which favors charter schools, has veered off the road, blasting negotiators who altered part of the…
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6 Historic Structures in America That Were Built by Slaves
During the Democratic National Convention Monday, first lady and all-around black girl magician Michelle Obama gave a riveting speech. Honestly, there’s not a Michelle Obama speech out there that’s not inspirational, motivational and spirited. Ask Melania Trump. However, there was a part of Obama’s speech that spoke to the heart of every black person, and…
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Michael Jordan: A Day Late and a Million Dollars Short
On Monday, Michael Jordan decided to break his Clarence Thomas-like silence on race relations in this country to denounce the killings of unarmed black men, women and children at the hands of police. In a piece for The Undefeated, Jordan also condemned the killings of cops and donated $1 million each to the NAACP Legal…
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How to Be Less ‘Dangerous’ to White People
Black men are under attack. There may have been a time when that statement might have sounded like an exaggeration, but with headlines about men of color being shot, killed and falsely accused of crimes becoming almost daily occurrences, the reality of that declaration slowly begins to sink in. While women of color are not…
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#FreedomNow: Why We Must Disinvest From the Fraternal Order of Police
Last week, young black organizers across the country took to the streets to demand that the U.S. government, unions and police officers divest from the Fraternal Order of Police and declare #FreedomNow. We know that police unions can overwhelmingly further a culture of toxic policing that protects, pays and exonerates killer cops. What we may…
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A Great Black TV Show Is Suffering From Survivor’s Remorse
For the first time in several years, there are black-centered sitcoms that don’t make me want to cry out to Negro Jesus in agony. Up until very recently, all we had were the Tyler Perry-helmed shows, which worked for certain sects within our community, but like the reality-TV shows I actively consume on VH1 and Bravo,…
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Relationship Hall Passes Are Dumb, Like Jordan-Playing-Baseball Kinda Dumb
Warning: Sports analogies ahead … In theory, the concept of a relationship hall pass sounds like a novel idea. Getting actual permission from your partner to employ the services of a side chick or side dude for a set amount of time without any repercussions? It’s not my cup of tea, but if two consenting…