culture
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The Caucasian’s Guide to Black Christmas
Editor’s Note: This post originally ran on December 22, 2017 Whether you believe the Christmas tradition is rooted in the pagan holiday Saturnalia, a baby born in swaddling clothing or shamans getting high on magic mushrooms (yes, it is a thing), we can all agree that Christmas has become more than a simple religious remembrance…
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The Solange-Curated Bridge-s at the Getty Center Is a Hypnotizing and Ethereal Viewpoint on Transition
There aren’t many experiences that have left me so truly speechless that they’ve stayed with me forever. Cue the unmatched Solange Knowles and Bridge-s. Brought to Los Angeles’ Getty Center Museum by Dropbox and Getty in partnership with IAMSOUND, Bridge-s explores the themes of “transitions through time.” From Getty’s press release: Exploring themes of transitions…
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Barack Obama Calls Out ‘Cancel Culture’ in the Era of Donald Trump
For all eight years of his presidency, Barack Obama was the epitome of class and grace, ever speaking to how to bring opposing sides to common ground, whether during a beer summit or in offering a hand to recalcitrant Republicans. Now, the nation’s forever president is calling out “cancel culture,” telling an audience at the annual…
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Don’t Get It ‘Twis’-ted: Sign Language Interpreter Steals the Show at a Twista Concert and Shows Importance of Access for Deaf People
Twista may be the fastest-rapping MC in the world, but how good is he with his hands? His sign-language interpretive hands, that is. Probably not half as good as Amber Galloway Gallego, the sign language interpreter hired to bring Twista’s show to life for fans who are deaf or otherwise hearing-impaired. At a concert Saturday…
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It's All Love: Sorry, Met Gala, the Love Ball Is the Invite We Really Want to Score
The category is: LOVE. There’s camp, and then there’s camp, honey—and, as evidenced by this year’s Met Gala, not everyone gets it. But as Lena Waithe pointed out that night, the LGBTQ community has always gotten it—in fact, she maintains that black drag queens and the ballroom culture they and their brown counterparts birthed is…
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The Ladies of SWV Will Have You 'Weak' With This Black-Ass Interview
There are three types of people in this world: Those who like flats Those who enjoy drums Those who don’t know we’re talking about chicken And one member of the Grammy-nominated group SWV fall into each of these categories. In the latest installment of “Black Ass Game Show,” the R&B legends share their preferences between…
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OK, It Might Be Time to Forgive Chrisette Michele
I’ll preface this article with a full admission that I was never a diehard Chrisette Michele fan. Like many in the culture, I noted her as an undisputed vocalist who could sing sing, resting comfortably at the table with other current singers who sang sang. You know, the unofficial Award Show Tribute Collective founded by…
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Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' ta F' Wit? The Creators of Shaolin Jazz Disagree
To call the Wu-Tang Clan one of the most influential musical acts of all-time isn’t hyperbole. When they burst onto the scene in 1993 as a gritty and grimey Staten Island, N.Y., counterpoint to the Dr. Dre-helmed polish of Los Angeles G-funk, music shifted, too. In the decades since, the Wu footprint has shown up…
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Ailey, Ascending: Alvin Ailey’s Company Celebrates 60 Years of Dance with a New Work Honoring Its Founder
How do you celebrate six decades of groundbreaking dance? If you’re the legendary Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, you stage a yearlong anniversary celebration titled “Ailey Ascending,” with a star-studded gala and new ballet as its centerpiece. Launching its five-week holiday season in New York City on Wednesday, Nov. 28, the company, founded by choreographer…