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  • Watch: Jessamyn Stanley, the Fat, Black, Queer Femme Who Is Not Your Negro

    Jessamyn Stanley describes herself as a fat, black, queer femme. The best part: She couldn’t care less about what you or anyone else thinks. #Winning. Despite the trolls, this yoga instructor-turned-author is “Gucci” (read: Life is good), with a new book, Every Body Yoga; a book tour; and a mammoth social media following. Stanley oozes…

    By

    Felice León

    Published

  • Watch: Young Chicago Authors Is a Safe Space for Black Youths

    If you want to meet the next breakout music artist or poet, look no further than the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Every Tuesday, raw artistry is brewing between the brick walls at Young Chicago Authors, a literacy organization that provides free poetry, hip-hop and journalism workshops for…

    By

    Ashley Velez

    Published

  • Watch: Morris Day Remembers the Day He Met His Friend Prince

    Imagine it: It’s 1970s Minneapolis. A 15-year-old Morris Day is skipping school to go hang out with this band his friend André Cymone formed called Grand Central. (When retelling this story, Day peeped his eyes over his dark sunglasses and said, “Kids, don’t follow my lead on that!”) His friend Cymone invited Day to come…

    By

    Danielle Young

    Published

  • Watch: Your Favorite Celebs Sing Their Favorite Prince Songs

    April 21, 2017, marks the one-year anniversary of Prince’s death. Yeah, I can’t believe it, either. It’s been an entire 365 (and counting) days since we lost one of the most prolific artists of all time. To say Prince impacted the music industry is an understatement. He shifted an entire culture, creating a lane for…

    By

    Danielle Young

    Published

  • Watch: Hashtag Revolution: #BlackTravel Takes the World by Storm

    Hashtags have defined pop culture. You spot them all over social media, and now many of them have become popular phrases, especially when they highlight blackness: #BlackBoyJoy, #BlackLivesMatter, #GrowingUpBlack and the list goes on. #BlackTravel has become more than a hashtag; it’s a lifestyle, offering up various imagery of beautiful black people all over the…

    By

    Danielle Young

    Published

  • Watch: Damaris Lewis, Prince’s ‘Black Muse’

    Once a Prince muse, always a Prince muse. Model Damaris Lewis met Prince in 2010 after receiving a strange call from his manager: An unnamed artist wanted to meet her. The end. Lewis agreed, and weeks later, Prince invited her on his Welcome 2 Australia tour (after she said no to an earlier invitation to…

    By

    Felice León

    Published

  • Watch: Are You #TeamTheRock or #TeamVinDiesel?

    The 559th installment in the Fast and the Furious movie series is upon us, and it’s called The Fate of the Furious. Yes, this is the franchise that cannot be stopped! With all the usual players—Tyrese, Chris Bridges, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, the Rock, returning star Jason Statham—and newcomer Charlize Theron, The Fate of the…

    By

    Danielle Young

    Published

  • Watch: Chicago’s Love Letter to Chance the Rapper

    Chance the Rapper is just days shy of his 24th birthday, and he’s already regarded as one of the most important figures to ever come out of Chicago. “He’s a true role model,” says Emily Jones, a Chicago native. “It’s kind of like what Barack was for us in 2008.” The love is reciprocal. Chancelor…

    By

    Ashley Velez

    Published

  • Watch: Michelle Carter, the Shot-Put Diva, on Loving Your Body, No Matter Your Size

    USA Track & Field star Michelle Carter walks into any space exuding confidence, with a bright smile, carefully combed tresses and a freshly beat face. Carter is the 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s shot put and an entrepreneur. Can you say, #BlackGirlMagic? But life hasn’t always been a crystal stair for this three-time…

    By

    Felice León

    Published

  • Watch: Hashtag Revolution: 16-Year-Old Girl Teaches Only Lesson You’ll Ever Need About #Melanin

    Hashtags have defined pop culture. You spot them all over social media, and now many of them have become popular phrases, especially when they highlight blackness: #BlackBoyJoy, #BlackLivesMatter, #GrowingUpBlack, and the list goes on. #Melanin is a shining example of a hashtag-turned-movement. Not only is it a fresh and delicious word to use in place…

    By

    Danielle Young

    Published