race & politics
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That Time I Almost Stabbed A Couple Rednecks Who Saw My Headwrap And Assumed I Was Muslim
It came as a surprise to everyone when I graduated from one of the top private schools in the country and, instead of attending college like most of my classmates did, joined the military. I was an immigrant — my family came to America from Jamaica when I was 10 — and female children of…
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I’m Team Issa Over Team Lawrence, Because Issa Reminds Me Of Me
In the first scene of the first episode of Insecure, Issa Rae makes the mission statement of her show clear when she responds to a student who says her dad told her nobody is checking for bitter Black women. “Tell your dad Black women aren’t bitter, they’re just tired of being expected to settle for…
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Why So Many Liberal White Guys Just Can't Admit The Election Was About Race, Explained
Who are liberal White people? Liberal White people are somewhere trying very, very hard. Where can you find them? Trader Joe’s parking lots. Inner-city bike lanes. Jason Derulo listening parties. Giving TED Talks about couscous. Writing for Slate. Producing feminist porn. I see. So, how are liberal White people taking Donald Trump’s election? Well, I’m not…
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11 Questions You Probably Don't Have About VSB's Washington Post Profile But I'm Answering Anyway
Last week, The Washington Post ran an extensive profile of VSB. Below are answers to some questions you might have had about it. Wait, what? The Washington Post ran a feature on VSB? Yes. When did this happen??? Um, last week. Just like I said. How come you all didn’t say anything about this? I’m…
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On Insecure's Revolutionary (And Real) Depictions Of Young Black People Having Sex
Last night’s Insecure finale ended with both a bang (Lawrence finally deciding to take Tasha the bank teller up on her, um, offer) and a whimper (Issa’s couch cry in Molly’s arms); culminating a season unlike any other I’d seen on network or cable TV. Of course, we’ve seen shows where friendships between Black women served…
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Introducing #AcrossTheFence: A National Conversation Between Family (Based On August Wilson's Fences)
The screen adaptation of August Wilson’s iconic Fences — starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis — comes to movie theaters on Christmas Day, 2016. This is a historic moment, the first major August production on the big screen. The play (and the movie) of course, centers on a father, a mother, a son, and their extended…
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Mark Lilla's "The End Of Identity Liberalism" Is The Whitest Thing I've Ever Read
A predictable but still fascinating byproduct of the election is the emergence of a new sub-genre of discourse and literature solely comprised of White people attempting to explain Trump’s win without saying the words “race” or “racism.” Its almost as if they’re engaged in some sort of devolved, pre-racial game of Taboo. “Quick, explain what happened…
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Those "I'm Not My Grandparents; You Can Catch These Hands" Shirts Are Disrespectful As Fuck (And Wrong)
I was invited to New York City Friday evening for an advance screening of the screen adaptation of Fences — August Wilson’s iconic play. Afterwards, the cast — including Denzel Washington (who also produced and directed the film) and Viola Davis — took part in a panel discussion about the story the film told, August Wilson’s genius, Pittsburgh…
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Trump's Proving That Those Who Called Clinton "The Lesser Of Two Evils" Didn't Know What Evil Looked Like
So, I’ll be honest. After the shock of the election began to subside and the waves of the post-shock tsunami began to recede, there was a tiny, infinitesimal, Lilliputian part of me that began to look for silver linings. And, even, the subset of hope responsible for giving someone the benefit of the doubt. “Maybe Darth…
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As A Dad, Queen Sugar Hit Me Right In The Feels
I love Queen Sugar. Let’s start there. I’d take Queen Sugar on a $200 date, juju on the beat with it, and cook greens, beans, tomatoes and potatoes just so it would have something to take home in case it got hungry. For those who aren’t familiar, the Ava DuVernay-helmed show is the story of a Louisiana agricultural family—the Bordelons—dealing with…