I had de ja vuh like for real this week. But it was nothing new, nothing unfamiliar. Sadly, this won’t be the last time someone says something stupid to me about something race-related. I apologize in advance if that word stupid seems harsh, but it’s getting boring, you know? Well, I guess you don’t know, …
Jay-Z, I Can’t Help But Feel a Little Dodgy about this New NFL Deal
So, Jay-Z made a multi-year deal with the NFL that has people doing some serious talking this week. His entertainment company Roc Nation will help the NFL choose performers at league events, and help the organization's social justice efforts. I’m not one to follow the crowd by any means, but on this one I’m leaning …
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Trevor Noah for President: He’s Smart, Thoughtful, and He’s Sees the Value of Inclusion
I love Trevor Noah. Not in an, I wanna lick your face and stalk you online nonsensical kind of way. This is more like, wow. What a good dude. The comedian and host of The Daily Show seems so empathetic, so smart, so kind and thoughtful. Patient too. Sometimes just listening to him talk makes …
Nike, Betsy Ross and that Old-School Flag Probably Isn’t the Real Problem
I’ve been seeing a lot of articles lately about Gen Z and millennials. Their beliefs are changing the world, rapidly reshaping entire industries, like retail. Many of these cost-conscious young people apparently feel no real loyalty to any one brand. Instead, they focus on using the vast online resources at their disposal to search out the …
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Beyonce, Pharrell, Please Cancel Adidas
So, Adidas is in the news for diversity problems. Employees at its Portland headquarters say they’ve been marginalized and discriminated against. Apparently management perpetuates a high school clique type environment, and ignores minority voices in favor of more familiar faces, often to the detriment of the business. Like having to pull your all white sneaker offering …
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Code Switched – It’s Not the End of the World
So, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) got some heat – shocker – for allegedly using a southern, “Black”-tinged drawl while speaking at Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network event last week. Atlantic Editor John McWhorter wrote an interesting piecedefending AOC, saying that she slipped into a pattern of speech that is likely entirely natural given her upbringing in close proximity …
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50 Cent: Making Waves, Making Change and Burning Gucci
So, by now you’ve probably heard about Gucci and the case of the blackface sweater. The luxury brand has been taking a lot of heat, as I think it should. It’s paltry in the extreme that a storied fashion house like this would be so insensitive to a key segment of its customer base. Their …
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21 Savage: Rich, Black, and Foreign
So, rapper 21 Savage is actually a British national. Who knew? I’m betting its news to a lot of people now that he’s in an ICE detention center. He was arrested on Sunday. I don’t know much about immigration except that it’s complicated, and it seems extremely unfair – on both sides of the issue. …
Silence, Armchair Activism, and Award Shows: Why More Men Should Speak Out
There’s a certain amount of arrogance in choosing to remain silent. There's also resolve. You could throw in some privilege, a hint of the spoiled, disgruntled and the rock solid certainty that what has gone before absolutely does not definite what is or what will be. I’m talking about myself here. But I’m also talking …
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Aquaman Shows Us Why Representation Matters
I saw Aquaman on Christmas Day and loved it. Jason Momoa’s carefree, hippie superhero was charming and engaging, and there were even a few black people in the film. A very few, two really, but both had lines and a prominent role in the story line. They were also atypical. No one was on drugs, …
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