In an interview with Financial Times, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, powerhouse scholar, author and feminist, casually revealed that she’d had a baby by turning down a cocktail due to breastfeeding. Wait…She had a baby?! And she didnt tell us? (us = random strangers who are fans) *clutches pearls* Adichie says she didn’t want to “perform pregnancy,” meaning have a very public ... Read More
Distractions Delay Progress
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
Babyface and the Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack 20 Years Later
Last night we experienced the highest level of musical nostalgia during the tribute to Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds at the Soul Train Awards. I was satisfied with the tribute (even though I wondered why Toni Braxton and Karyn White weren’t there), but when he sat at the piano to perform a medley of songs he’d written and produced, collectively, I think everyone watching lost it. ... Read More
Dear Vogue: A Big Booty Is NOT a Trend
Let me get this out first: WE CAN’T HAVE SHIT. *woosahs and le sighs* Patricia Garcia, Vogue writer, hipped me to something new in her essay, “We’re Officially in the Era of the Big Booty.” First, let’s start with the title. We’re “officially” embracing big butts, huh? Says who? Fashion designers? Pop culture experts? Mark Cuban? This is something new, I ... Read More