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As a Kid, I Thought Huntsville, Ala., Sucked. As an Adult, It Looks Pretty Alright
In the summer of 1993, my family relocated from the major international metropolis of Frankfurt (really Bad Homburg), Germany, to the not-a-major-international-metropolis of Huntsville (really Madison), Ala. My father was in the Army at the time and was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky. Since my dad had a year left until his military retirement, my…
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It Must Suck to Be a Dallas Cowboys Fan Right About Now
When I moved to D.C. in 2001, I decided to adopt the Washington RacistNames (real name Redskins, or Skins for short) as my NFL team and follow them exclusively. This was a fairly easy decision because short of the Oakland Raiders and mostly because of Bo Jackson, I never had a “team” per se. I…
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What It Looks Like When the Whole Team's Winning
A few years back, one of my best friends had the opportunity to go back to his home church in D.C. and give a speech during a service. As a son of the church, he was speaking on his journey from his beginnings in southeast Washington, D.C., to, at that point in time, receiving his…
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I Didn't Know I Wanted Golden Girls Action Figures Until I Saw That They Existed. Now I Want Other Collections
You know how you don’t realize that you want or need something until you find out it exists and then, all of a sudden, it’s something you’ve wanted your whole life? It’s how I feel walking into Target and why I had to stop going. Samesies with Virgil Abloh’s Nike x OFF-WHITE collection, Stance socks…
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That Time in High School That I Didn't Get Hired at McDonald's
I don’t know about you, but where I lived in the mid-90s, there weren’t many places for a high schooler to get a job, or so I thought, anyway. Close to me was the world’s most perseverant Hardee’s of all time, McDonald’s, a Bruno’s and a Winn-Dixie, the last two both grocery stores. Well, it…
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6 Jobs I Might Have to Look Into Now That I Know You Can Get a W-4 for Being a Real Ninja
On the list of things I’ve always wanted to be in life, placing “ninja” on LinkedIn is definitely high on the list. Of course, that desire ebbs and flows because who the hell ever thinks they’re going to be an actual, real-live ninja? But as it turns out, that shit is legit a real job.…
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We Don't Trust the Criminal Justice System Until It Clears a Black Man of Sexual Assault. Then We're All In
In what I imagine will eventually be a very regretful decision on her part, Angela Rye—noted #BlackGirlMagic trumpeter, public speaker, CNN contributor and women’s empowerment scion—decided to jump out the window in defense of her “brother,” Charlamagne Tha God (CTG). Through Instagram comments that referenced resurfacing allegations that CTG drugged and raped a then-15-year-old girl…
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VSB and The Glow Up are Making Boss Moves in Washington, D.C., July 19th! Come Through!
A few months back, we took to the streets of Los Angeles to talk about being Urban by Nature. We gathered a few hundred Angelenos for a night of discussion, drinks and networking. Well, we’re taking our talents back east, heading to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., for another event curated by The Root, VSB…
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5 Super Smug-Ass Types of People Who Need To Cut the Shit
Smug is a funny word. It’s a word whose definition does it no real justice. But what is the definition? Glad you asked. Smug is an adjective that means having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one’s achievements. You know the type, the folks who are super duper self-satisfied and feel superior in…
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10 Personal Reflections a Year After Becoming Part of The Root
What a difference a year makes. Just a little over a year ago, Damon and I signed those final signatures to complete the process to transition into becoming part of The Root. Like most things in life, it’s important to reflect on milestone moments. By this point last year, Damon had begun working as a…
