culture

Years ago, a woman named Demetria sent me an email. The subject read something like, “The Other Demetria.” I did not know her, but I clicked, solely because she had my name and the narcissist in me figured she must be awesome. Turns out, she was writing to introduce herself because I had her name.…

As soon as it was reported that Jesus’ purported favorite fallen quarterback, Tim Tebow, had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, I knew someone would bring up Michael Sam and the notion of unfairness. Enter the Outsports headline: “Tim Tebow signs with the Eagles and America asks, ‘How in the $%@& is Michael Sam not with a team?’”…

What began with community gardens has grown into a movement. Urban farming has a positive impact in neighborhoods with limited access to produce, and it is on the rise in cities across the United States. Urban farming creates jobs, beautifies blocks, provides access to healthy food and connects the community. Here are seven (of many)…

It was a march for the people when Justice League NYC’s March2Justice arrived in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, attracting activists, everyday citizens and even an actor from the hit Fox TV series Empire. Hundreds had set out from New York City to call for justice for those affected by police violence. “I feel like it’s my…

With nearly 47 million Americans living under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, access to affordable fresh food is still a daily struggle for some, especially for those living in so-called food deserts, areas with limited access to healthy fruits and vegetables. But in cities across the country, where infrastructure is crumbling and vacant…

Look a little closer and you’ll find that state legislatures are some of the most unapologetic cesspools of racism in America.  Which is one reason some of us cringe at that familiar concept called “states’ rights.” There’s a long history attached to that phrase, and lately, the worst interpretations of the concept have been on…

From the moment Samuel L. Jackson made his Broadway debut as Martin Luther King Jr. in her play The Mountaintop, also starring Angela Bassett, back in 2011, Katori Hall, just 30 at the time, became a recognized player in contemporary American theater. In London, where the play was produced in 2009, the Columbia University grad…

Culture is the very thing that paints the fingerprints we leave upon all that we touch in the universe. As a person of African descent living in America and growing up in the ’80s, I can recall a time when films featuring predominantly black casts and helmed by black directors would bring out the community…