There’s no real redeeming journalistic value in the NYT’s Sunday Styles section. It’s a catalogue of overachiever nuptials and trend stories, most of which don’t hold up to the slightest scrutiny. A lot of the time it’s dumb fun. But other times, it seems to exists solely for the purpose of making you roll your Read More
Blackscientist is at it again. The problem is not that people are different. The problem is not that girls aren’t marrying. The problem is not that black women are reproducing. The problem is that the dominant ideology governing what is socially acceptable and legally rewarding works to systematically discriminate against queer ways of life, including Read More
Dr. Bitch wrote a thoughtful response to Jamelle’s post on the violence that is a fact of life for so many black youth which she was gracious enough to let us cross-post. I want to make it clear that, despite my conclusion, I don’t disagree with Jamelle at all; what started off as a “yes, as Read More
(cross-posted from US of J) When you have the time, you should listen to last week’s This American Life; it deals with an outbreak of measles among a group of children in San Diego, brought on by parents who refused to vaccinate their children. Here’s a quick summary: Measles cases are higher in the U.S. Read More
Some people want to extend the benefit of the doubt to James Bevel, who died last week of pancreatic cancer. Is that wise, though? None of his accomplishments in the Civil Rights Movement offset the physical and psychic trauma he visited upon his daughters for decades. Indeed, he mocked the idea that he would apologize Read More
(To read the first installment, written by slb, go here.) The town in which I was born and raised, Clinton, Arkansas, is deep in the sparsely populated Ozark Mountains in the Bible Belt. Both of my parents were born there as well, but spent some of their childhoods in different states. My father’s parents were Read More
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.759482&w=425&h=350&fv=autoPlay%3Dfalse] There was no shortage of criticism when Fryer first proposed this idea. And as Fryer himself admits with Stephen, it’s not clear yet whether or not it will work. But he’s right in recognizing that incentivizing high performance in inner city schools is a completely different animal. What’s more interesting to me, though, was Read More
My mother calls me a malcontent. She, who knows me at least as well as I know myself, claims that I am incapable of residing In The Moment and impossible to please. “You’re always after the next thing,” she often indicts, “and as soon as you get that, it becomes inadequate.” So it’s no wonder Read More
We know. If you’re anything like us, Thanksgivings “back home” are nothing short of surreal. You cross the threshold into your former home and your family, who likely haven’t seen you in six months to a year, either expect you to regale them with stories of your life in the Big City or stories of Read More
Tracie at Jezebel wonders if there’s a better word for fiancé. I never knew how much I hated the word “fiancé” until I got engaged. I kind of cringe when I have to say it to people I don’t really know and lately, I’ve been finding myself saying “my boyfriend,” then quickly, quietly adding “or fiancé, Read More
