race & politics
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Fuck This Entire Election Cycle
When Donald Trump was scheduled March 11 to stump on the University of Illinois Chicago campus, I was driving to Detroit with the goal of getting out of town before the inevitable protests began. I openly questioned on Facebook the purpose of protesting Trump, as if making a scene in public wouldn’t just embolden his…
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The White Person's Guide To Surviving A Terrorist Attack
My Dear Caucasian Brethren, I want to first thank you for allowing me to speak to the Global Society for the Advancement of White People for the third time. It is indeed an honor and a privilege to stand before such luminaries as Hillary Clinton, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump and the entire cast of Exodus:…
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To Black Men Who've Survived Sexual Assault: We Must Speak
***Author’s Note: The following piece is not me trying to silence or dismiss the suffering of other communities. This stems from my longing for an intersectional conversation on sexual violence. It is my attempt to talk about the pain which is inflicted when rape culture and toxic Black masculinity converge. I do not know what…
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Why "Well-Meaning" White People Like WTAE-TV's Wendy Bell, The White Privilege Turducken, Are The Worst
Wendy Bell is a lead anchor for WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate. I’ve never met her in person before, but I know many people who have. And she’s generally regarded as a pleasant, kind, and professional woman. And, like many otherwise pleasant, kind, and professional White people, Wendy Bell is utterly clueless about race, White privilege, and…
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Why Conservatives Are So Upset About President Obama's Photo In Front Of A Che Guevara Mural, Explained
Earlier today, President Obama (the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years) and a group of government officials were photographed in front of a mural depicting Che Guevara. Naturally, some conservatives seemed pretty upset by this. A guy in a coffee shop I was in today even said something about the beans tasting…
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On the Closing of Bohemian Caverns and the Void It Leaves in DC
(This is long. And yes, that’s what she said.) Because I started blogging, a significant number of opportunities came my way. One of the most significant was my relationship with Bohemian Caverns, and the ownership team of Omrao Brown, Sashi Brown, and Jamal Starr, who all became family for me. In particular, Omrao Brown became…
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By Nominating Merrick Garland, President Obama Is Trolling Republicans The Way Parents Troll Kids
I forgot exactly what led to it. Maybe I was told to go to bed a bit earlier than I wanted to. Maybe I wasn’t allowed to bring my Hasbro-made Millennium Falcon replica in the bathtub. And maybe I got in trouble (again) for peeing on the neighbor’s dog (again). (Don’t ask.) Either way, I…
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Ben Carson Endorsed Trump For A Job Hook-Up, Which Reminds Us Ben Carson Is Black As Fuck
You can say many things about Ben Carson, the backordered decaffeinated coffee machine who recently dropped out of the presidential race. Iconic surgeon. Popeyes enthusiast. Vigilante. Black History Month book report muse. Delusional motherfucker. But one thing you cannot do is doubt his Blackness bonafides. Yes, his actual politics, if enacted, would have put America back to 1953.…
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Dear White People: Donald Trump Is Happening Because You're Scared Of Black People, So Don't Be!
Both Donald Trump and Trump supporters seem to be perplexed that a campaign full of unambiguous antagonism towards people who don’t happen to be White has created the type of climate where what happened in Chicago last weekend happens. Which is like someone who happens to be lactose intolerant drinking an Oreo shake and then…
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Why I'm Over The Carefree Black Girl Label
The advent of the social media era has brought about a great many things – some good, some bad – and notably it has facilitated the emergence of safe and thriving spaces for underrepresented people of color, both men and women. Worldwide, communities of Back women have been able to stand in their glory and…