Hey, black people, come close. Let’s chat. You know I love us, right? So that means I have to be honest with you. The truth is we worry about the WRONG things. Just when thought Beyonce’ and Kendrick’s performance of “Freedom” had given us the biggest dose of black power and pride for the night during the BET Awards, Jesse Williams made an acceptance speech for the books ... Read More
EBONY and Why Black Media Must Have Staying Power
EBONY is still here, y’all. And I’m glad. Not because my byline has been inked on their pages or because Johnson Publishing Company signs a few checks that come way. I’m thankful because that magazine matters. Before I was a writer, I was a reader. For forever, I’ve been consumed by magazines geared towards African Americans, cherishing them for as long as we’ve had ... Read More
Billboard, WYD?
Since Prince Rogers Nelson’s sudden passing on April 21, Black America has been drowning itself in classic and under-the-radar music, sexy photos and funny stories about His Purple Badness. We’ve also been comparing notes on who's qualified to cover his eclectic music in a tribute versus who would "mess it up." Culturally, we have this inexplicable connection to music and will ... Read More
My Year of Yes
In just a bit, it’ll be a new year. As usual, folks are buzzing about their resolutions, goals and such, reflecting on the last 364 days and what they learned. And I am in that number. For weeks, I’ve been trying to get my hands on Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes. Everyone who takes up residence in Shondaland, of course, is cosigning the book that will supposedly open the ... Read More
BEYONCE Turns Two, Still Flawless
Two years ago today I was sleeping peacefully in my bed when my eyes popped open sometime around 1 a.m. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I grabbed my phone and checked Twitter. My timeline was moving at warp speed. All I could make out was Beyonce had just released an album. I was half-asleep, and as far as I knew, her album 4 was the only thing going. I rubbed my eyes…again, ... Read More