culture
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Beyoncé’s Feminist Essay: Yes, That Was Smart
Would Beyoncé be interesting to hang out with in person? Is she really, truly musically talented? Does she deserve to be called a feminist? Is she actively scheming to heal deep-seated African-American cultural wounds by letting her 2-year-old’s hair look like a 2-year-old’s hair? Welcome to the list of highly subjective and largely unanswerable questions…
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Marissa Alexander Must Watch Her Every Step
I’m worried that Marissa Alexander might end up becoming another Claudette Colvin. Colvin was the teenager who in March of 1955—nine months before Rosa Parks sparked the civil rights movement by famously refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man—was hauled off a bus, handcuffed and jailed for doing the same thing.…
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Amber Ruffin: 1st Black Female Writer Ever for a Late-Night Talk Show
It’s been a great year thus far for black women in comedy, and it looks like it’s about to get even better. Amber Ruffin, an alumna of Second City in Chicago, will be joining Late Night With Jimmy Fallon as a staff writer—and with that will win the title of the first black woman, and…
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Eagles Receiver DeSean Jackson’s Home Is Burglarized
Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson’s home was robbed of cash, jewelry and a handgun, totaling some $250,000, ESPN reports. The burglary to Jackson’s Philadelphia home happened while he was on vacation, and according to police reports viewed by ESPN, there was no sign of forced entry. Jackson’s mother, who discovered the apparent burglary on Saturday…
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12 Years a Slave Won, but Black Hollywood Was Snubbed at Golden Globes
Last night’s Golden Globes may be considered a big night for the slavery epic 12 Years a Slave, which took home the award for best motion picture, drama. But it was not a big night for the film’s stars, director or frankly anyone else who happened to be black and in the room that evening.…
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Cash-Strapped HBCUs Seek a Lifeline
When Grambling State University’s football team forfeited a game against Jackson State University last year, players thought they were locked in a singular battle with the administration. They presented administrators with a list of things they were fed up with, including a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride to play against their competitors. Further, they complained about dilapidated…
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Donny Hathaway: We Didn’t Want the Music to End
Thirty-five years ago today we lost the great American soul singer Donny Hathaway. Best known for “A Song for You,” “This Christmas” and classic duets with Roberta Flack, Hathaway was a church-trained singer, pianist, producer and composer who recorded three solo albums, scored a film and conducted orchestral symphonies. His preternatural genius was a music-industry…
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CNN’s Don Lemon: Is ‘Thug’ a Racist Term?
Police officers in Omaha, Neb., rankled social media users last week when they released a video of a black toddler swearing as a warning about “the thug cycle” in America, prompting CNN’s Don Lemon to do some soul searching. During an appearance on OutFront Friday night, Lemon said the story had become “personal” and seized…
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First Lady Michelle Obama: 5 Myths
In a piece at the Washington Post, Robin Givhan challenges several widely held beliefs about first lady Michelle Obama that have stood the test of time: 1. Michelle Obama is the most fashion-friendly first lady. Obama has been a pronounced and polished advocate for American style, seamlessly moving from custom-made evening gowns to mass-market fare. She has…
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109-Year-Old Black Arkansas Church Engaged in Preservation Battle
Centennial Baptist Church, a Gothic Revival-styled boarded up structure in Helena, Ark., has deep roots in the African-American community, NPR reports. But poverty, racial tensions, among other things in the Delta town, have made raising restoration funds difficult, the report says. Phyllis Hammonds, executive director of the foundation that owns Centennial, was baptized and married…