The Catholic Church lead by Pope Benedict XVI continues to spew out homophobic teachings as he (a man disconnected by at least 5 generations) called me “unnatural.” As the Pope ironically celebrated his pagan holiday by lighting a Christmas tree, he also used the stage as an opportunity to tell women what they could and […]
Django is a film that’s been pivoted as an answer, when it raises more questions than anything. Should it be viewed within its historical significance, and the extent to which it can portray the horrors of slavery while reinvigorating a moment in history that many find irrelevant and antiquated? Or rather, should it be divorced […]
Appearing on his Smiley & West show with Tavis Smiley, Dr. Cornell West pulled no punches while discussing the current national conversation surrounding gun control. While he’s happy the discussion is happening at all, he laments the fact that it takes white people getting shot for the debate to be taken seriously.
This year McDonald’s will be open on Christmas day. “Starting with Thanksgiving, ensure your restaurants are open throughout the holidays,” reads the Nov. 8 memo from McDonald’s USA Chief Operating Officer Jim Johannesen. “Our largest holiday opportunity as a system is Christmas Day.” But at least that means thousands of minimum wage employees will get overtime pay, right? Wrong! McDonald’s […]
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5fa6TZc8kI Lately, I’ve been greatly concerned with the misconceptions and myths that continue to be perpetuated about youth in our society. For Black youth in particular, we are often subjected to ahistorical misconceptions that revolve around notions of youth apathy. We often get projected as rebellious ciphers that are for some reason less respectful, less […]
Megan Piphus, an upperclassman at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She’s using music, ventriloquism, and puppetry, to inspire youth to dream big and in color!
It’s sad that it takes a tragedy so horrifying it’s beyond belief to get us to recognize a problem that’s been staring us in the face for decades. The culture of violence that this country was founded on is as American as apple pie. Sadly innocent children and brave teachers were murdered in Newtown, CT, and we can only […]
In the wake of the terrible massacre in Newtown, Conneticut, Democrats (and many Republicans) are pushing for the return of an assault weapons ban. Would such a ban go far enough?
At just 18 years-old, Polite Stewart has already earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Southern University. Congrats to this talented young man! He’s just getting started!
I had planned on using this morning’s post to conclude my silly holiday special. Since I took time last week to make a mixtape of rappers covering Christmas songs, I figured I’d spend this morning telling you all about this new, mythical black Christmas figure I had invented. Since Kwanzaa is insufficient and the idea […]
In the LGBTQ community there is something called “throwing shade.” A colloquial term used to describe instances when one individual verbally and offensively altercates another. I am not interested in the shade itself, but moreso the reasoning as to why this experience is so common among interactions between youth of color in the LGBTQ community. […]
BET’s new documentary ‘Murder to Excellence: Life & Hip Hop in Chicago’ spotlights our youth, the challenges they face, and the multi-faceted art to which their struggle has given birth.