culture
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Artist Puts the Funk in NYC’s Newest Subway Station
Since picking up a crochet hook in the 1980s, Harlem-based fiber artist and cultural activist Xenobia Bailey has created sculptural marvels in the unexpected medium of yarn, moving from works of wearable art to large-scale installations celebrating the uniquely African-American aesthetic of funk. Now her first public-art commission, Funktional Vibrations, is on permanent view at…
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Growing Up as a Black Trans Man
In the last few months, we have seen substantial growth in media coverage of trans people, and especially black trans people. From Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox to brilliant writer and advocate Janet Mock, black trans women are breaking out. Black trans men have also gained exposure for their achievements, from filmmaker Kortney Ryan Ziegler to artist and athlete Kye Allums.…
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From Cookie’s Closet to Yours: It Could Be Fast, Affordable and Fabulous
After seeing the success of the first season of Empire, I knew that Cookie Lyon, the show’s stylish star character, would inspire a fashion line. Cookie (played by Taraji P. Henson) set Twitter ablaze each week as viewers commented on everything from her quick, no-nonsense wit to her animal-print dresses, three-finger rings and fur coats.…
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No, DeRay Mckesson Is Not Getting $40,000 to Speak at Yale
The headlines may say that activist DeRay Mckesson was offered a teaching position at Yale; they may say he’s getting paid $40,000 for it—but don’t believe the hype. Mckesson, best known for his prolific voice on race and black liberation on Twitter and his work as an outspoken activist, is not Yale’s newest professor. He’s…
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Emmys 2015: And the Winner Is … Viola Davis or Taraji P. Henson?
The 2015 prime-time Emmy Awards have set a record, with 18 nominations for black actors and actresses this year. If this weren’t already huge enough, Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson have both been nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for their performances in ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder and Fox’s Empire, respectively. If either of these two stars…
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Keep Your Hair Fly and Your Heart Rate High With These Tips
If you had to choose between your “too fly, gotta keep it dry” hairdo and your “tight and right” figure, which one would you pick? Unfortunately, when it comes to African-American women, about 2 out of every 5 prioritize their hair. I get it, the average blowout runs about $50, so spending that every week on…
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Unsung on Rapper YoYo: 25 Years Later, You Still Can’t Play Her Out
Even those who question how a recognizable ’90s rapper like YoYo is “unsung” should appreciate this installment of TV One’s juggernaut show. “Twenty-five years and I’m still standing,” Yolanda Whitaker says of her journey. While it’s no secret that female rappers were—and still are—scarce, most of us can only imagine how hard being in the…
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Can You Afford That Home Away From Home?
For most people, buying a vacation home may be one of the most significant purchases they will ever make. Potential buyers are often overwhelmed with sales pitches, website postings, and brochures that promise fun, happiness, and the good life. However, the most attractive homes in such places as Florida and California, or luxury mountain cabins,…