On August 20, 2016, over five years after being introduced to Frank Ocean through his acclaimed mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA, I found myself waiting in line for nearly two hours at the singer-songwriter’s Chicago pop-up shop. After having already waited four years for a follow up to his debut album Channel Orange, two hours standing in… Continue reading Frank Ocean’s ‘Blond’: An Introvert’s Perspective
Month: August 2016
In Defense of Colin Kaepernick
San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has made my heart happy. Not because of his athletic ability, immeasurable talent or wealth, but because of his unapologetic stance on not standing for the Star-Spangled Banner. An anthem whose third verse declares: No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the… Continue reading In Defense of Colin Kaepernick
The First Time
He was never my boyfriend, but he was my first. We met the first day of new student week, freshmen year. He helped my dad carry all my bags to the third floor of our dorm. He was tall, charming, funny, and incredibly handsome. As my parents kissed me goodbye, my dad said, “Be careful… Continue reading The First Time
the punch line
One Saturday a couple years ago, I was waiting for a table outside of one of my favorite brunch spots in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A server came outside with an order someone had placed and said “black bean burrito?” I raised my hand and said, “sir, it’s African-American bean burrito.” That one went over pretty well.… Continue reading the punch line
Even Me
Dating in New York City can be fun, and I took full advantage of it as a single girl. I remember one date in particular. I met a guy at a party with friends, and in usual fashion exchange numbers and we set up a date the following weekend. I was staying in Harlem, he… Continue reading Even Me
Black Men, We Must Hold Ourselves and Each Other Accountable
This is article three of five in a patriarchy series—from the mouth of a Black man to the ears of Black men—written by the multi-talented Daniel Johnson. Subscribe via email. There is a lot to hold Black men accountable for when it comes to the perpetuation of patriarchy, rape culture, and anti-Black woman sentiment. There… Continue reading Black Men, We Must Hold Ourselves and Each Other Accountable
Vol 4: What Does it Mean to be an Emcee?
Peace. Art is subjective and that’s a good thing. There is no formula for creative magic, so trying to prescribe it is impossible—and wack! I think where a lot of Hip Hop heads go off the rails is when they try to set themselves up as the lords of the genre: “Who deserves five mics,… Continue reading Vol 4: What Does it Mean to be an Emcee?
The Black American Dream and Milwaukee
Milwaukee is my home. I was born and raised there. My family home is in the Sherman Park neighborhood, half a block from the location of the unrest that happened the weekend of August 12th, 2016. My parents still live there. Until recent history, Sherman Park was a bastion of black success, the heavily sought… Continue reading The Black American Dream and Milwaukee
The Desire to Drown
I knew from the way she set her schoolbag down that the argument wasn’t over. Usually it sat on the floor next to her desk in our shared office, but tonight she’d left it out in the hallway. A habit that had taken me some time to decipher. The office was where I worked and… Continue reading The Desire to Drown
The Baltimore I See
I grew up in the suburbs, about 10 miles west of Baltimore City, went to predominately white schools and only knew of “the city” as the Inner Harbor. My lens was very limited. Shielded by my own blindness, it wasn’t until I entered high school that I started becoming more aware of the other Baltimore.… Continue reading The Baltimore I See