culture
-
From Daniel Holtzclaw to R. Kelly: For Black Girls When Their (Alleged) Rapes Are Not Enough
Like most black people in the U.S. with a love of soul music, nostalgia, Erykah Badu and us, I watched the 2015 Soul Train Awards Sunday night. There was Babyface, the career-maker, along with Tevin Campbell, Cameo (Cameo!), Boys II Men, Jill Scott and just so much legendary black star power, it felt like a…
-
Kobe Bryant Is the Best Kobe Bryant of All Time
Sunday afternoon, while much of the country was either watching NFL games or fantasizing about rib eyes and milk shakes while completing day 3 of their annual post-Thanksgiving Day green-juice cleanse, Kobe Bryant announced that this NBA season would be his last. The news was both completely shocking and completely foreseeable. Because while it made…
-
1st Trial in Death of Freddie Gray to Begin Monday in Baltimore
While cases of police misconduct flood the news, a trial involving the death of Freddie Gray is set to begin Monday in Baltimore. The trial, which has fallen under the radar a bit because of a gag order imposed by Judge Barry Williams, is the first of six separate trials for the police officers accused…
-
How Did These Cities Become the Top 10 Best for Black-Owned Small Businesses?
If you want to start your own business, location hits you as a major selling point. And for the African-American entrepreneur, the calculus is uniquely frustrating: It’s not just a matter of “Is where I live or where I’m moving to the right fit for my business?” It’s also the dark cloud of “Can I…
-
3 Times in 2 Years? Sounds Like Your Sex Life Needs a Boost
My husband and I have only had sex three times in the past two years. I’ve suspected that he is seeing someone else, but he always denies it. We’ve been married for 15 years. Is this just the way it’s going to be from now on? —Charice S. Many married couples find themselves having less…
-
Unexplored Interior Finds a Universal Humanity in the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda
Washington, D.C.: Unexplored Interior is a difficult play to watch. It takes the audience back to 1994, when 800,000 people were killed in 100 days, and the world stood by and did nothing. “It’s really bearing witness,” says playwright Jay O. Sanders. “It’s saying we can’t forget this happened, but most of all, it’s the positive…
-
Empire Recap: He Kissed a Girl and He Liked It
This was a fun episode. We get to focus on Cookie, and everyone had something to do, especially Jamal. His story is going to get folks talking. Let’s go! Carol is missing and getting high. Cookie and her bougie sister, Candace, take to the gritty streets of Philly in their conspicuous designer outfits to locate…
-
4 Reasons You Can Fix Your Own Damn Plate on Thanksgiving
The conversation over whether or not a woman should prepare her man’s plate has become somewhat of a Thanksgiving tradition on social media, and I’m dumbfounded as to why or how we even got here. Every time I see it, I’m tempted to log off—mostly because of the people who are so pro-plate. Maybe it’s…
-
My 8-Year-Old Knows Everything About Sex and Procreation. Is She Too Young for That Information?
Two years ago, when Emmy was 6, she spent the day with her aunt and cousin. When I came to pick her up, she had her nose deep in a book. Emmy has always loved to read, and I can’t count how many times she’s discovered a book at a friend’s house that she then…