I woke up this morning to what some would call a “bad dream.” Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. There were a lot of supposed surprises this time around, but the biggest one would be the shock from mainly whites who thought America was “better than this.” As an African American, I should and have to celebrate progress, if only for my ... 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