the hardline

The National Urban League released a statement saying that would like President Obama to deal with more black issues — what like, line dancing? Re-animating Freaknik? What? It’s as if they don’t get that what’s good for America is good for all Americans, because we are, you know — black Americans. You all know I’m…

I heard about “Prom Night in Mississippi” on local NPR about a week ago, and went out to peep it here at Cleveland International Film Festival. “Prom Night” is a documentary about a town in the South that still has segregated proms until townie and actor Morgan Freeman offers to pay for an integrated one.…

President Obama repped quite nicely on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” last night. He caught some flack for doing a TV show, but at least he’s not reading from the funny pages, like Franklin Roosevelt often did when he was on the radio. I understand the objections, though. There was room to crash and burn, but…

I’ve probably read and written enough about people’s domestic foibles lately to last me a while. But Mary Mitchell wrote that she’s glad that Eni Skoien got a few licks in on her husband when allegedly she came home to find him hugged up on two hookers in the kid’s playroom, and it just sounds…

Whenever I see an auction for civil-rights era keepsakes, such as the personal affects of Rosa Parks, it makes me uneasy. It cheapens the legacy of whatever deed was done by that individual when you reduce it to memorabilia. It feels like someone’s  side-hustle, and I don’t dig that. Get a job. Don’t go selling…

Rihanna reportedly took a peek at Chris Brown’s PDA and set off the course of events we’ve been reading about for the last few weeks.  With all the different reports, I’m all kinds of conflicted and disgusted overall by the Chrianna incident, but one thing I’m sure of: if you love someone, you don’t read…

Samuel L. Jackson signed an unprecedented deal with Marvel Comics to star as Nick Fury, and it’s got me wanting for more black super-heroes on-screen. I’m a comic book head from way back, although my taste now leans towards the more literary alt comics like this home-town favorite, but I’m still waiting for Black Superman,…

Bayard Rustin and Malcolm X debated back in 1962, and it’s hard to imagine what it felt like to be there—-fortunately Robert Gore reported on it for the Village Voice. Malcolm has been lionized, but Bayard Rustin is a figure we don’t hear enough about. I think his history is obscured by homophobia and an…

New Yorker Magazne’s new cover depicts the First Lady walking the runway, and some are crying foul, saying focusing on her fashion diminshes her role. Me? I don’t know that it gets at her in any substantive way, but substance never seems to be the point of writing about the Obamas lately. Although some will…

At its heart, hip-hop culture is about innovation: taking what you have and finding something useful —- Sean “Puffy” Combs embodies that, in alot of ways. B. Coops did this really interesting interveiw with him when he talks about the hard work behind his sucess. I admit, when I first read about a former dancer…