Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

The Racial Politics of X-Men

“Fiction,” said Stephen King, “is the truth inside the lie.” He might have also mentioned that, for many, it is the only truth they get, at least about some issues. It’s no secret that popular fiction exerts a strong influence on how kids, adolescents, and the rest...

June 28th, 2011 | Culture, Pop culture, Talk About Race | Read More

Dr. James Turner Discusses Barack Obama, Black Studies & the Absurdity of “Post-Race”

Anyone who studies anything remotely related to Africana Studies would know of Professor James Turner, founder of the Africana Studies & Research Center at Cornell University. After establishing the center over four decades ago, Professor Turner is retiring this year. His retirement should initiate...

June 17th, 2011 | Culture, Featured | Read More

White Noise

While indulging in a late afternoon nap, I was awakened by a phone call from a dear friend inviting me to see “White Noise: A Cautionary Musical” at the Royal George Theatre in Chicago. Produced by Whoopi Goldberg, and inspired by real-life singing white separatist twins, Lamb and Lynx Gaede,...

May 18th, 2011 | Culture, Reviews, The Arts | Read More

My blackness goes before me

A steady anger burns within me Welling up from deep Deep inside Three-fifths of a human being The sacred constitution of the Red, white and blue Walking into a room My blackness goes My blackness goes Goes before me Those of the majority Not all Not few But many Still do not see See me as human woman Only Black Not...

May 2nd, 2011 | Creative Writing, Culture, Featured | Read More

On multivitamin: art as dietary supplement

Excerpt/Preview: —- “On Multivitamin: Art as Dietary Supplement.” Artist Talk w/ Evan Nabrit and (American) Ex-Patriots in Paris, FR. 2010. — Filmed: November 21st, 2010. — American Visual Artist, Evan Nabrit (b.1982) gives talk on recent collage work @ intimate gathering,...

April 21st, 2011 | Culture, European, Pop culture, The Arts | Read More

10 Reasons not to read this

1. Let’s start with the obvious: The author is a white male, part of a group whose voice is vastly overrepresented in the media. Instead of reading yet another piece from a white male perspective, why not read something written by those whose voices are either not heard or marginalized. 2. Chances...

January 24th, 2011 | Creative Writing, Talk About Race, The Arts | Read More

Did Kanye West create a Monster?

Let’s get one thing out of the way here at the top: I don’t listen to a lot of music or watch many music videos. I also don’t follow Kanye West’s career. Basically, though I sometimes listen to it, I really don’t know crap about rap. On the other hand, I do know a little...

January 13th, 2011 | Culture, Pop culture | Read More

A Few Words In Defense of the N-Word, in the Novels of Mark Twain

Well, here’s a piece I never imagined myself writing: A defense of a white man’s use of the N-word. I want to start with a little back-story: I don’t use the N-word. Not ever. But I used to, not so long ago. I used it in the context of talking about racism in my psychology of race and...

January 11th, 2011 | Culture, The Arts | Read More