culture

  • A Prayer for Post Malone, Who Says It’s a ‘Struggle Being a White Rapper’

    Heavenly Savior, Today I come to you, O Lord, and humbly as I know how. In fact, I come to you so humbly that I will admit that I don’t know whether or not to pronounce the “h” in “humble.” I mean, I can see the letter right there at the beginning of the words,…

  • Black Writers Telling Black Stories and Doing Black Journalism Are Important

    It cannot be said enough: Representation matters. It matters in our schools. It matters in our workplaces. It matters in the television shows and movies we watch as well as in the music we listen to. And it definitely matters in the media. Journalists are considered primary sources as far as history is concerned, and…

  • Everything You Need to Know About Institutional Racism Happened This Week

    When one is explaining white supremacy, it is sometimes useful to have an understanding of the historical effects of policies and practices such as redlining, Jim Crow laws, implicit segregation, the criminal-injustice system and individual racism. It is impossible to comprehend the far-reaching effects of the all-American tradition of racism without a holistic examination. Or…

  • Breaking Up With Social Media Is an Act of Self-Care

    I deactivated my Twitter and Facebook three months ago. I told myself it was because I needed to concentrate on writing, and social media provided too many opportunities to distract and distance myself from the work. I’m compulsive and obsessive by nature, so once I’m into something, it takes a lot of work not to…

  • What Happened to Pastor Mark Burns?

    To be called to the church is a righteous mission; it’s a testament to devotion at the highest level. To serve one’s God is a mighty purpose. It requires selflessness and compassion. So it is with all due respect that I ask, what the fuck happened to Mark Burns? I don’t have any issue with…

  • The Only Thing Worse Than a ‘Pick Me’ Is Bragging About Being a ‘He Picked Me for Less’

    Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and with it, a flurry of marriage proposals will flood your social media timelines. Be ready. Your Facebook cousins ended 2017 in grand style with an argument about rings, which they will surely resurrect. An alleged Kay Jewelers ad for a $24.99 engagement ring had married and single women…

  • Why I’m Open to Dating Bisexual Men

    Why I’m Open to Dating Bisexual Men

    It’s 2018, in the year of our lord and savior Robyn Rihanna Fenty, and people are still 7-year-olds when it comes to sexual fluidity. A while back, while we were dining over fine cuisine at the Waffle House, a friend of mine asked if I had ever considered the fact that my ex-boyfriend was ……

  • Stop Talking to Me About Bitcoin

    I believe I first heard about bitcoin some years back in between one of those breaks that happen during MSNBC’s Morning Joe, a program I turn to when I want to immediately begin the day by cursing out people I see on television for not knowing what they’re talking about. I barely pay attention to…

  • More Than a #FatGirlRunning: Ultrarunner Mirna Valerio Shuts Down Naysayers and Promotes Self-Care

    Blossoming as one of the faces of body positivity, ultrarunner Mirna Valerio proves that she’s more than just a FatGirlRunning. The multidimensional author of A Beautiful Work in Progress has been making her way around the internet—and on the pavement. Recently, she was featured in a J.C. Penney campaign with yogi Jessamyn Stanley as well…

  • Fear of an Angry Black Woman: Why Mo’Nique Was Right

    Whether or not you decided to pull out your spreadsheet and add Netflix to the infinitely long list of things on the black boycott list, including Pepsi, the NFL, SheaMoisture, H&M and Cracker Barrel (to be fair, I don’t think Cracker Barrel did anything racist, but every time I go there, it just feels like…