Opinion
Opinion
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Pardon Me While I Clap Back at the Wall Street Journal’s Bullshit
If, perchance, one day, a team of white supremacist elves (although that description may be redundant because I believe all elves are racist, including Santa’s, Keebler’s, Jeff Sessions, and even Kevin Hart) invaded the Wall Street Journal’s newsroom and—instead of printing the evening edition—ran 54 pages in 10-point Times New Roman font just repeating the word…
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Steve Harvey Is Stupid
Some people know things. Many people, however, are able to eke out a more-than-modest living by convincing people that they know things. They aren’t blessed with the gift of knowledge as much as they are blessed with the gift of charismatic sophistry. Politicians call it “spin.” Poets describe it as “silver-tongued.” Niggas who smoke Newports…
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Measles, Racism and How America Ignores Deadly Viruses
As America struggles to overcome the re-emergence of disturbing trends like Nazis, Watergate-style presidential scandals and—worst of all—fanny packs, white people have once again proven their resurrection powers by bringing back something even the most cynical among us could never have imagined. The measles. According to the CDC, the 764 confirmed cases of measles between…
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'Ex-Con,' 'Ex-Offender' and 'Ex-Inmate' Are Words That Reduce Millions to Stereotype
For those with criminal backgrounds, who decides when they get to be human again? text When President Donald Trump signed the recent First Step Act into law, many people considered it to be the most important criminal justice reform measure in years. I’ve followed the legislation with some interest because I served a sentence in…
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Children of Incarcerated Parents Remain Unseen; We Have to Do Better
Not all stories about children with parents in jail involve recounts of glass barriers, letters or collect calls. And sadly, many don’t end with reunions and redemption, but with pain and shame; some stories end way too soon. On Oct. 18, 2007, my father died from a pulmonary fungal infection contracted inside of an environmentally-hazardous…
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Waiting Is for White People: The Privilege of Not Impeaching Trump
First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more…
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White People Didn't Do This: On Nipsey Hussle and Conspiracy Theories
A few years ago, someone told writer Anna Merlan that I would be a good person to interview for a book she was working on about conspiracy theories. When she informed me that she was going to dedicate a chapter to black conspiracies, I was startled to find out that she had never heard of…
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To Live and Die in South L.A.
It’s important for people to understand why it’s OK for Nipsey Hussle to be seen as a hero in South Los Angeles. But we have to get a few things straight. Don’t get distracted by the fact that he was a Rollin’ 60s Crip; people join gangs because they seek a sense of community in…
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Candace Owens Was Named in the New Zealand Shooter's Alleged Manifesto. But Christchurch Is Bigger Than Her
Every time I write about Candace Owens, I feel manipulated. I feel manipulated because Candace Owens, on her own, is not newsworthy. She’s not witty or particularly charismatic. She’s billed as a commentator and activist, but to describe her grasp on politics, history, gender, or race as shallow would be doing a great disservice to…