theory & essay
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An Explainer for Folks (Dudes) Who STILL Don't Understand The Shea Moisture Ad Uproar
Supreme. Jordans. Build-a-body IG models who advertise that paste-on bra every 5 minutes. Defending Nate Parker. The Decision. These are just a sampling of things dudes go ballistic over, when in the grand scheme of things, they don’t really matter. So why come these same ninjas act like they don’t understand why the hell Shea…
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Henrietta Lacks at Johns Hopkins, Slaves at Georgetown, and Compensating Specific Historical Wrongs
On Saturday, HBO aired its original movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an adaptation of the book of the same name. Even if you’ve never read the book (as I haven’t, but am going to) you’ve more than likely heard somebody you know talking about this book, written by Rebecca Skloot, that talks about…
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Steve Stephens Is at Fault for Robert Godwin Sr.’s Death. He and He Alone. Not Joy Lane or Anybody Else. Stop That Shit.
I don’t remember the first time I heard the phrase “toxic masculinity” but it has stuck with me ever since. It’s not a hard concept to define or understand. Effectively, and simply, it’s a label placed on actions and behaviors attributable to “manhood” that are destructive, often violent, and naturally come with extremely negative consequences…
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An Ode To Spelman College From a Morehouse Brother
Yesterday, April 11th, was Spelman College’s Founder’s Day. On April 11th, 1881, the beginnings of what has become a shining star of Black America saw its inception. And I, for one, am thankful that the founders saw fit to create this institution of higher learning that has honestly done almost as much for me as…
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I’m A Grown Ass Man and I Do Not Fuck With Bugs And Such.
I’d like to tell you a story. Can I tell you a story? I’m going to tell you a story. The other morning as I prepared for the day to be a good day, while taking my morning constitutional, reading the stories that populate my “News” app, and generally enjoying a few moments of peaceful reflection,…
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Criticism Is A Great Thing You Analog Motherfuckers
Out of the hundreds of perplexing and entertaining responses I received when writing about Dave Chappelle on VSB last week and then again at GQ this week — tweets, comments, and emails ranging from “you’re a coon” and “y’all must’ve been bought by NBC or Home Depot or something” to remarkably descriptive suggestions for different…
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If You Ever See What Looks To Be A Dead Possum On The Ground, Leave That Zombie Possum The Fuck Alone
They say that the best way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans. I generally agree with this; the universe and His intentions for it are too incomprehensible for mortal understanding. But I do know, with one hundred thousand trillion percent certainty, that God’s plan for me does not involve me seeing…
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Six Tips For Everyone Who's Ever Emailed Me For Advice On How To Start A Blog Or How To Write For A Living
1. Perhaps, because I’ve managed to create a popular blog and etch out a career where people pay me money to write words about things on a computer screen so that people can read them, you’ve assumed that I have unique insights to offer. This is understandable, as you’re not the first and will not…
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Is Rick Ross A Good Rapper?
There are two ways to answer the question asked in the title. 1. He is a professional rapper, having been one for over a decade, and his professional rappings are quite proficient and popular. Compared to the average person — or, even better, compared to me when I attempt to rap (which often occurs when…