Very Smart Brothas
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Yup, I Said It: Red Velvet (Everything) Is Overrated
I don’t remember exactly where I was or when it was the first time I tried red velvet cake. If it was like any other of my notable firsts, it likely occurred in a Delta’s living room while debating whether the cocker spaniel Noreaga referenced at the beginning of “Superthug” was male or female. But, I don’t remember, so…
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These Are The Tales, The PJ Tales, Part IV
Did I ever tell you about the one time I went to Rochester, NY? I probably didn’t. I’ve been to Rochester, NY, one time in my life. And because I am both genius and legend, I went in February, in the dead of cold in 2004. It was so cold when I landed in the…
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Michelle Williams Tells Mike Huckabee "You Come At The Queen, You Best Not Miss"
Apparently on an episode of The View (they still make those?), Mike Huckabee appeared and theorized in his book that Jay-Z was pimping out Beyoncé. As in, Bey’s sexual expression freedom was not because she’s an independent woman and all’at, but because Jay was making her do something she apparently doesn’t need to do: express herself…
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Yes, Black People Can Be Privileged. Because Blackness Is Fucking Awesome.
Earlier this week, our conversation about Light Girls segued to a conversation about colorism, which then segued to a conversation about the concept of privilege. Specifically, how certain members of the Black community are privileged more than others. Predictably, some scoffed at the notion that a Black person living in America in 2015 could be privileged…
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Florida Evans: Hero Or The Biggest Hater Ever? A Good Times Treatise
Despite originally airing before I was alive, Good Times was a cable TV staple of my childhood. I tuned in regularly to ponder: Will James Evans Sr. get the job? Will the Evans’ get thrown out? Did shape ups just not exist in the ‘70s? I still watch, and Facebook lets me know that my…
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I Just Turned 30, And, Well…How Does 30 Work?
Forty-one days ago, I turned thirty. I didn’t make a big deal of it. ‘Twas a lovely day, though. I had a quiet, masterfully seasoned dinner with Mister Man. Got me some birthday sex. Bought myself a serious person’s winter coat (that I hardly wear). The sky didn’t crash on my head. I’m still not…
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A Dark Girl On Light Girls
“When did you learn to be okay with being a brown skinned woman?” This question appeared in my Ask.fm mailbox and kind of took me aback, mostly because it’s premised on the idea that at some point I wasn’t okay with it. Or that perhaps hating your skintone is part of what you go through…