Very Smart Brothas
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White People in Airports Keep Telling Me I Look Like Khalid
While in Washington, D.C., this morning waiting for a connecting flight to Birmingham, Ala. (I’m speaking at the University of Alabama this evening), I stopped at a newsstand to get some orange juice and to consider buying one of those neck-pillow things for the flight. (I declined. These things are $17.99 in Pittsburgh, but here…
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#GuestsDontPay Would Make Life Easier, but Nobody Would Celebrate Anything Ever Again (Unless They Were Rich)
The Washington Post recently published an article from writer Michelle Singletary titled, “Stop Charging Me to Attend Your Celebrations—#GuestsDontPay.” What’s the beef? Here’s the beef. From the article: I don’t mean any harm, but I am not paying to attend your parties anymore. I want to commemorate your life moments—your birthday, engagement, bridal shower, baby shower,…
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Who Got da Props? Who Got da Props? Cardi B, Runnin’ Things From the Bronx
If you’re a hip-hop head, reading that headline might have made your head explode. You probably recognize that combination of words and syllables from Black Moon’s 1993 song “Who Got da Props?” off of their Enta da Stage album. But they asked a very important question, and the answer to that question is undoubtedly Belcalis…
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Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods Album Probably Should Have Been Called 808s and Banjos
On Friday, Justin Timberlake will release his fifth album, Man of the Woods. You may remember that he teased the album with a visual trailer that was akin to a white version of Beyoncé’s Lemonade visuals, with Timberlake doing odd things in the outside with horses, snow, fire, frilly leather jackets, dirty T-shirts and gloves.…
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Is It Safe Now to Talk About How the Congressional Black Caucus’ State of the Union ‘Protest’ Was Just Kente Cloth Cosplay?
I was on a flight from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh during the State of the Union, so I missed the entire thing. Actually, “missed,” in this context, is somewhat misleading. Because even if I had been able to watch it, I probably wouldn’t have. Because the absurd theater of what happens when President Donald Trump…
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I Didn’t Go Home for Christmas Because I Was Ashamed About Being Suicidal
I just spent Christmas away from my family in Virginia for the first time. I had recently returned from teaching a Mental Health First Aid class for staff at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and escaping New York’s oppressively cold weather for a few days. I was still exhausted when Christmas Eve—when I’d typically go…
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Sooo I Don’t Know Shit About Black Panther. I Can’t Wait to See It With Y’all, Though
I think it’s time that I come clean about something that’s been eating at my soul food for the past, I don’t know, six months. Dear Black Community, I do not know jack shit about Black Panther, Wakanda, Makes Me Wanna T’Challa or pretty much anything related to the entire story being turned into a…
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I Can’t Get the Starter Earrings Out of My Ear, Which I Know Is a Dumb Problem, but It’s Still a Problem
Bad Boys II is a very good bad movie. Lots of shit blows up and Will Smith wears a fun shade of purple for a meeting to tell Gabrielle Union to fall back. Either way, this movie is forever seared into my memory for one super-memorable scene: Johnny Tapia is trying to move millions of…
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Reviews of Black Panther, Reviewed
Um, not exactly … Well … I didn’t actually … I didn’t actually see the movie, man. This is just a review of all the reviews I’ve read so far today. Nah. I didn’t get an invite. I mean, I do plan to see the movie. And I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. But none of…
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A Prayer of Congregation for Those of Us Who’ve Made It to the Super Bowl Without Watching the NFL All Season
If you know like I know, bow your heads. Dear 8-pound, 6-ounce, newborn baby Jesus, don’t even know a word yet, just a little infant, so cuddly but still omnipotent, I come to you with a prayer of silent struggle. For it is only by your grace that I and many like myself have managed…