Commentary

As a co-host for Keeping it Real with Rev. Al Sharpton, a nationally syndicated radio show, I have been asked on a few occasions why Sharpton, perhaps the nation’s foremost civil rights activist, is still marching after all these years. Last week, I offered an inquisitive listener a simple, three-word response to his question: Stand […]

“I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside. There is no shame in black beauty.” — Lupita Nyongo Women battle with […]

When you think of the word “feminist,” who comes to mind? A thought provoking article in the latest issue of EBONY explores how the Internet, particularly social media,…

For iPhone users: Except for news stories or commentaries, I can’t remember the last time I used the N-word. I don’t use it in my private life, not even to refer to my friends or buddies. I don’t call people my N-words. I don’t see it as a term of endearment. And by no means […]

Another dead black man. Another mysterious death. Another federal investigation. And yet, there are no immediate answers for why Alfred Wright, a 28-year-old physical therapist and a married father of three, was found dead in a field in Jasper, Texas. Not one. What makes this case more curious — and insidious — is that Wright […]

For iPhone users: Let’s get this straight:  yes, it’s rare for someone who looks like Lupita Nyong’o to capture the Hollywood spotlight.  However, don’t dare fall into the trap of thinking that someone who looks like her … is actually rare. Nyong’o is gorgeous.  But not because Hollywood said so, and dare I say, her […]

Black students at the University of Michigan are describing their college experience at the prestigious Ann Arbor institution with one provocative word: Racism. “Our list of demands came out of a tense racial climate that is being experienced not only at Michigan, but at college campuses around the United States,” Tyrell Collier, the president of the […]

“I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing especially tough odds to stay on track and reach their full potential.” – President Barack Obama President Barack Obama is determined to empower young black men. And today, America knows it, too. […]

As my heart skips a beat about all the drama coming my way now that Scandal is back and my girlfriend (in my head) Olivia Pope is is once again being her smart, fabulous, three-dimensional, complicated self; it suddenly occurred to me that I was thinking of her as my girl, but where in the […]

I know God is busy but He seems to be answering many of our Fast Food prayers lately. If you’re a big fan of breakfast, (and who isn’t?) you’ve probably heard that Taco Bell will start selling breakfast burritos and waffle tacos and McDonald’s is extending its breakfast hours until 11. That’s a good start […]

Today marks the second anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s senseless death. The unarmed teenager was gunned down by security guard/wannabe cop George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida while walking home from a convenience store. Although told to stand down by police after reporting Martin as “suspicious” Zimmerman followed the teen and confrontation ensued. […]

America never loved us! That’s how the young activists of the civil rights group The Dream Defenders felt moments after a jury failed to convict…