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I Bought a Pair of Crocs. I've Even Worn Them Out in Public. Welcome to My Panama Talk
I’m not saying, nor alleging, that I’m cooler than you. You might have designer shades just to hide your face and maybe even wear them around like you think that you’re cooler than me. But what separates me and you (maybe even your mama and your cousin, too) is that, until recently, you wore Crocs…
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I Almost Walked Into A Fight: An Accidental Product Review of Apple's AirPods Pro's Noise-Cancellation Technology
Hey, you. Are you in the market for noise-cancelling earbuds? If you are, have I got a product review for you. Let’s start at the beginning though. As most of you know, we’re in the midst of a pandemic. That’s not really central to this story but I feel like it’s irresponsible to not say…
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Dear Taco Bell, You're Getting Rid of the Mexican Pizza? Really? Not Cool, Bro. Not Cool at All
Dear Taco Bell, you a rude motherfucker, yo. How you gonna just go and drop the Mexican Pizza from your menu? HOW, SWAY? For why? According to CNN, which I’m pretty sure also enjoys a solid Mexican Pizza, here are the facts: Taco Bell is eliminating five more menu items, marking the second time in…
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In Ghana, I Experienced an Interaction With the Police Unlike Any I'd Expect in America
All I could say after “it” concluded—and after I picked my face and bowels up off the floor of the car—was, “it is amazing what is possible when racism isn’t central to interactions with the authorities.” I may have fainted after that; I’ll ask my wife. The “it” in question was an interaction with police…
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9 Proper Nouns That Sound Better When You Add the Oh-So-Necessary, Very Unnecessary Extra 'S' on the End
If you are Black in America, there’s a better than 50 percent chance (this is non-scientific, by the way) that you watched Monday night’s Verzuz featuring Brandy and Monica, two singers of significant renown with a sordid history that was very much on display (to me) during the Verzuz. At its peak, it topped out…
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I Took My Kids to Visit Theodore Roosevelt Island Outside of Washington, D.C. I Had No Idea It Was a Former Plantation
I live in Washington, D.C., and much like most of the parents in the area—the whole country, really—my wife and I have looked for mostly outdoor activities to do with our kids since the beginning of the pandemic. Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs, are home to tons of museums and monuments; there’s always somewhere…
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My Head Is a Part of My Body and My Middle Name Is Makeba
As a child, the word “crazy” bounced around every black space I called home. “Crazy” was a destination and an origin. “Crazy” was at once a pejorative and wholly emblematic of our abundance. I loved the word “crazy.” I used it a lot in my oral communication with folks I loved. I used it to…
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Chloe and Maud Arnold, Phil Augusta Jackson and Michael Harriot Talk Black Joy at The Root Institute
What is Black joy? Is it a superhero? Is it a way of life? Is it under attack? The answer to all of those questions is both yes and…hmmm? Thankfully, to address and discuss the idea of Black joy, what it means on an individual basis as well as for the community—especially during times of…
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Aloe Blacc, Arisha Hatch and Kierna Mayo Discuss The Transformative Nature of Art at The Root Institute
Presumably, ever since art has existed, there have been conversations about what art actually means. And over time, the most effective ways to use art—protest, social change, allegory, etc.—became as essential to the conversation. In the Black community, where all art is under a microscope, those conversations of interpretation and use are central; no movie,…
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The Life Lost But Never Forgotten and The Movie I Struggle to Watch Because Of It (Happy Birthday, Tra)
I can’t just watch the movie John Q. I’ve tried a few times. I actually managed to make it all the way through to the end for the first time in almost 10 years a few months ago. It was on, I was up late and I decided to force myself to make it through…
