culture
-
Breaking All Barriers: Funny Gal Amber Ruffin Hosts the 2018 Webby Awards
For the very first time (yes, we’re still doing that in 2018), a black woman, Amber Ruffin, will be hosting the annual Webby Awards, aka “the Oscars of the internets” (my words). Ruffin, a comedian and comedy writer for Late Night With Seth Meyers, as well as a writer for Drunk History and many other…
-
A Sincere Apology to the Strong Black Men Being Attacked by #TheRootArticles
As someone whose job is writing about race, I often receive a broad spectrum of criticism from people aggrieved by my inherent bigotry. My inbox is constantly wet from the salty white tears of Mayo Americans upset about The Root’s anti-white agenda. Apparently, when I and other writers at The Root point out white supremacy,…
-
My Mother’s Daughter, a Multigenerational Talk About Motherhood, Part 5: Rasheedah
Editor’s note: This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day, The Glow Up interviewed four generations of mothers within a single Harlem family that recently welcomed its fifth generation. We’ve asked these mothers, ages 19 to 83, the same 12 questions about motherhood, daughterhood and matriarchy. This final installment is the conclusion—and also the beginning—of their stories. …
-
Beyond the Blue
Vibrantly glowing inside a dark hall, a small ball of fire burned suspended midair. The flaming orb bounced upward, lingering shortly, before landing in Princess Inara’s palm. Her brown eyes stared intently into the flame as if it were a mystical crystal ball. Unfortunately, she found no answers to her problems hidden within the circular…
-
My Mother’s Daughter, a Multigenerational Talk About Motherhood, Part 4: Aissatou
Editor’s note: This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day, The Glow Up interviewed four generations of mothers within a single Harlem family that recently welcomed its fifth generation. We’ve asked these mothers, ages 19 to 83, the same 12 questions about motherhood, daughterhood and matriarchy. These are their stories. If you want to know about a…
-
Breaking In: Gabrielle Union Plays One Bad Mother
The opening of Breaking In is jarring and confusing and sets the tone for the rest of the roughly 90-minute film, which could best be described as Panic Room-meets-Eye for an Eye—with black people. A handsome, older black man is jogging through a residential neighborhood when he is suddenly and without warning struck by a…
-
My Mother’s Daughter, a Multigenerational Talk About Motherhood, Part 3: Moji
Editor’s note: This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day, The Glow Up interviewed four generations of mothers within a single Harlem family that recently welcomed its fifth generation. We’ve asked these mothers, ages 19 to 83, the same 12 questions about motherhood, daughterhood and matriarchy. These are their stories. Full disclosure: Moji Alawode-El and I have…
-
Gillian Jacobs Is the ‘Life of the Party’ On-Screen, but Not So Much, She Says, in Real Life
Pittsburgh native Gillian Jacobs’ characters always seem to have a wild side to them. From her wild-child character Mickey on Netflix’s Love to her role on the recently released movie Life of the Party, in which she stars as Helen, a “Girls Gone Wild” college student, you’d think that Jacobs might have something in common…
-
Dear Black Male Nerds: Maybe There’s Another Reason the Popular Black Girls in High School Rejected You
By now you have watched and likely discussed Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) and his new video, “This Is America.” Whether you love it or hate it, it’s forcing a discussion about the state of black America and making many (white) people uncomfortable in the process. To be sure, I find the dancing more amusing…
-
I Honestly Thought White People Were Better Than This
I had forgotten about the first time. I usually hear their dogs barking as I pass their house while walking my dog, a 165-pound Great Dane. On most days, at least one of the dogs exits the house through what I assume is a doggie door, walks into the fenced-in backyard and yaps at us…