Category: B/ME

It wasn’t exactly a Claudette Colvin or Rosa Parks moment but many of us understood what we all perceived Angela Bassett was feeling when she was snubbed (again) at the 2023 Academy Awards. I admit, the sight of Jamie Lee Curtis accepting her award for “Best Supporting Actress” and being…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the course of the MAGA-fueled years of Republican extremism that has become the center of the GOP, it’s that Republicans have a voracious appetite for self-induced drama — especially at the expense of Black America. In the latest effort to shield children from…

Like many of you, with Christmas around the corner, I’m more mindful to give thanks. In my case, it was for the universe exposing me to challenges that strengthened my faith in myself. I was taking notes on addressing anxiety recently as I listened to a therapist’s podcast, and she…

It’s almost Friday yet it’s as if I can still hear the sound. There was a lot of groaning over the week about Dave Chappelle’s show in San Francisco, and this time, it had nothing to do with his insensitivity toward the transgender community. The legendary comic switched up his…

Tuesday night’s runoff election in Georgia was nothing short of a nail biter. It was one for the historic books. Incumbent U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, a Black man, was squaring off for the last time against Trump-endorsed challenger Herschel Walker, another Black man. But unless you’ve tuned out for the…

Thanksgiving is in our rear view mirror and the holiday season is in full swing. But what’s been touted for ages as the most joyous time of the year isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be for many people. While Santa brings smiles to children’s faces, he delivers a…

Yes, I’m flipping off the bird millions once heralded as a Phoenix of the digital age. Ever since Elon Musk’s ostensible rescue attempt of the once-venerable social media platform known as Twitter, or Twatter as I often refer to it, it has appeared as if the feathered god of 280-character…

Election day came and went but I can’t say it didn’t feel elongated. I was on edge most of Nov. 7, 2022. How could I not be? Here in California we were braving a rare rainstorm that lasted all day and were on the eve of an even rarer ominous…

The most recent death of a mainstream rapper reminds me of how insidious the music industry has become, and it didn’t happen overnight. It has many shades of the crack epidemic of the 1980s with a much broader reach, killing Blacks everyday across America and leading to mass incarceration. Much…

Sometimes prevailing wisdom falls in our lap when we least expect it. Years ago, a close colleague and myself would frequently visit two friends who were in their senior years. Our conversations ran the gamut but I always felt like I walked away from our lunches and dinners with a refreshing…

If there was ever any doubt that one conversation could tank an entire political career, we needn’t look any further than the scandal involving former Los Angeles City Council president and member Nury Martinez. She and two of her fellow city council members, Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo, and…

Someone, please throw America a life raft. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse for Georgia’s contentious senate seat than a candidate like Herschel Walker, the man at the center of yet another controversy proved we haven’t seen the worst yet. I’m surprised I’m back so soon writing …

Netflix’s new “docu-series” titled “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which centers around the unthinkable murders committed by Jeffrey Dahmer, has been an unexpected, albeit controversial, hit for the streaming service. Reportedly, following its release, the series became the most-watched series during week 1 in the history of Netflix.…

Believe it or not, once upon a time, right-wing media giants like Fox News actually exercised some restraint when covering news about crimes involving Black suspects. But post Trump-era, the masks have come off — and Black suspects are the soup du jour served up daily. Unfortunately, too many people…

If you’re mildly educated and have endured the misfortune of hearing Herschel Walker speak more than once in 2022, you’ve probably cringed so much you lost count. At this point, I’ve reached PTSD level — I cringe upon the sight of Walker moving his lips on a TV screen. Sure,…

I have to admit, I haven’t been Team Blue for quite some time. Watching President Biden stumble (sometimes literally) through his first term as president didn’t make me feel as if I missed anything since becoming an Independent voter. Democrats have had their share of issues, but the Republicans are…

Perusing the latest news around the world this week, I couldn’t help but feel hit with a bout of deja vu — perhaps even a time machine. Last week, the feeling overcame me when I learned about a Black LGBT teen in Florida who has been assaulted twice — once…

I loathe conspiracy theories. I’ve said this before but as a journalist, I entertain possibilities, even when they stray from conventional wisdom if it serves a purpose that actually materializes into something grounded and honest. Unfortunately, it seems too many Americans lean so far into dire prognostics that they believe…

The rain pours heavy, soaking his oversized pants and ripped shirt as he staggers up a mound of mud surrounded by wooden contraptions. A man accompanies him not too far, but not close enough to be of any assistance. He’s a mere 6 years old. His vision is obscured by…