African American

For Black Millennials Who Considered Leaving When the Church Was Too Much

Thoughts from Hampton University Minister’s Conference 2018 This was my third year attending the famed Hampton University Minister’s Conference. My thoughts and reflections are still somewhat of a jumbled mass in my mind. What follows is my attempt to make sense of disorderedness in my brain in a coherent way that gives clarity to the […]

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For Colored Persons Who Have Considered Suicide When Being “Black In America” Is Enough: An Uppity Negro Response to CNN’s Black In America III

I know that’s a long title and certainly hyperbolic, but I think it addresses the gutted and eviscerated feeling that I experienced watching CNN’s Soledad O’Brien “Almighty Debt” a Black In America special.  Granted I went into this third installment of the Black In America series with some serious preconceived notions.  Rightly so I believe. […]

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“Don’t Talk About My Mama!” and Other Problems With Black Intellectual Rhetoric

We’ve all had that moment when we realize that a conversation somehow strayed down a rabbit-hole and turned into a debate, and that debate got intense and turned into an argument.  Somewhere deep down inside you were maintaining your cool when all of a sudden the other Negro made it personal and said something about […]

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Lies My Community Told Me: “Black Folk Don’t Do Those Things!”

Like many black folks around this country, our hearts sank, yet again when we discovered that the shooter at the Manchester, Connecticut Budweiser Hartford Distribution plant was black.  I, like others I’m sure, immediately said “Black folks don’t do those things” or something similar when we first heard about the news.  You know, black folks […]

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Book Review of “Losing My Cool: How A Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip Hop Culture” by Thomas Chatterton Williams

Earlier this week, my friend sent me a text and said “I found my new favorite writer. His name is Thomas Chatterton Williams.  His book is so well written I want to throw it.”  So immediately, upon such a wonderful review, I googled this brother’s name while on my phone driving (yes, I know what […]

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A Character Case Study of “The Boondocks” and Huey Freeman: Is he a Cynic or a Realist?

[Editor’s Note: This is the second of five installments of character case studies on characters on creator and writer Aaron McGruder’s comic strip now turned animated series on Adult Swim, “The Boondocks.”  I feel that each of the characters epitomize a particular social and political archetype or stereotype that is represented in some aspects within […]

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A Character Case Study of “The Boondocks” and Riley Freeman: Is He Homophobic or Just Comic Relief?

[Editor’s Note: This is the first of five installments of character case studies on characters on creator and writer Aaron McGruder’s comic strip now turned animated series on Adult Swim, “The Boondocks.”  I feel that each of the characters epitomize a particular social and political archetype or stereotype that is represented in some aspects within […]

Read more "A Character Case Study of “The Boondocks” and Riley Freeman: Is He Homophobic or Just Comic Relief?"