culture
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It’s Complicated
Last week I watched Demi Lovato’s YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, chronicling her well-publicized drug problem and eventual bipolar diagnosis. I remember when Demi first went public after a tabloid-filled meltdown; I was impressed by how she never hid behind the veil of “exhaustion” or tried to act as if it never happened (I’m looking at…
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8 Fight-the-Power Costumes Sure to Scare Wypipo
Yo, it’s been a hard year for black people. Overt racism and microaggressions abound. Here are eight costumes that you can wear to reclaim and proclaim your power. Radio Raheem in Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing exhibited the necessity of the #BlackLivesMatter movement before it became a hashtag. Be the first to…
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‘Radical Christian Terrorism’: Doesn’t Sound Nice, Does It?
Radical Islamic terror. Islamic. Terror. When you separate those words, they can’t be any more diametrically opposed. The dictionary defines terrorism as “the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion,” or as “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political, religious or ideological aims.” Islam—the religion…
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The 10 Scariest Black People
It’s Halloween season, which means being forced to pretend you don’t want to choke-slam old ladies for giving you marshmallow circus peanuts or candy corn (or, as I call it, “the devil’s butt plug”). Halloween is also the time when we celebrate being intentionally frightened because the holiday commemorates … ummm … you know what?…
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Nicki Minaj and Women Like Her Are No Friends of Mine: The Politics of Defending Real-Life Monsters
This week, pop megastar Nicki Minaj’s brother Jelani Maraj, 37, was back in court to answer to charges that he sexually assaulted his stepdaughter multiple times a week. If convicted, he faces a possible life prison sentence. The allegations, first reported by the preteen’s brother, who said he witnessed the abuse firsthand, testified that he…
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The Black Renaissance Is Real: HBCUs See Record Growth in 2017
Last week I went to Howard University’s homecoming, and like Deon Cole, Chance the Rapper and Malia Obama at the 2012 inauguration, I was reminded that once you see the bands stomping, the music playing and the quad popping, you know that nobody throws a party like an HBCU. In between panels on the future…
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Why Is Virginia Tech Silent About a White Supremacist Instructor Threatening and Harassing an Undergrad?
Under the guise of protecting “free speech,” a top university has allowed one of its instructors to teach students and work at the college, even though the school has received substantial evidence that the employee is an active white supremacist who has engaged in a campaign to threaten and harass an undergraduate student enrolled at…
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Fats Domino, Rock ’n’ Roll Icon, Dead at 89
Music, specifically rock ’n’ roll, has lost another great. The legendary Fats Domino of New Orleans passed away Tuesday at the age of 89, surrounded by friends and family. According to TMZ, the Jefferson Parish, La., Coroner’s Office said that Domino died of natural causes, noting that no autopsy was performed and his body has…
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Bloomberg’s Megan McArdle Can’t Tell Me Shit About White Supremacy
Here’s a joke: Q: What did the Nazi say to the segregationist? A: You’re doing a great job over there. While that joke may not make you burst at the seams in laughter (I admit that I haven’t properly cultivated my cache of Nazi material), it raises an interesting question: Are there varying degrees of…
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Life Lessons: Eat a Booty, Save a Life
While promoting her new book, We’re Going to Need More Wine, last week, actress Gabrielle Union chatted with Sway in the Morning about sexual desire and, more specifically, sexual gratification and reciprocity. The Being Mary Jane star discussed why people are sexually repressed; she also broke down why experiencing one’s own pleasure should be a…