culture
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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…
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The Fire This Time: Anthology Features a New Generation of Authors Speaking Out on Race
In 2011 Jesmyn Ward won the National Book Award for her novel Salvage the Bones, an exploration of one black family’s experience during the 12 days leading up to, and after, Hurricane Katrina. Ward is also the author of the novel Where the Line Bleeds and the memoir Men We Reaped, a deeply felt accounting…
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Prenups Are for Poor People
And by “poor people,” I mean me and you, of course: basically, regular people. I’m 100 percent sure that the likes of Kanye and Kim Kardashian aren’t reading my writings, but if they are, I need the Pirate Black Yeezy Boost 350s in a size 10. Thanks. By definition, a prenuptial agreement is a contract…
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Nice Day for a ‘White’ Wedding: The Problem With Whiteness in Bridal Magazines
Wedding season may peak from late spring to early fall, but the planning goes on all year. Many a bride-to-be starts her dreaming and planning with a plunge into the sea of wedding magazines and websites, studying images that promise to make her the most beautiful woman on the most important day of her life. Judging…
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Drake Disses, Kobe Wishes: The Top 5 Pettiest Moments This Week
I’m not sure if the petty moon has eclipsed the sun of righteousness or if the winds of petty have swayed to and fro, but it has been quite a week of pettiness. I can’t recall another week when all the petty gods unleashed their wrath, but it feels like Petty LaBelle and Petty Pendergrass…