Thought — Page 4

Where Black Moms Matter

March 4, 2013

Black Children and Black History: The Importance Of Teaching Our Kids the Complexity Of Us

I was in the car headed to the Atlanta OneMillionRising rally with Mari and three of her female classmates, singing Prince’s “Adore” loud and off-key, when girlpie commandeered the radio dial in search of—what else?—hip hop. “I can’t believe you turned off Prince,” I sniffed. “Since your little friends are ...

March 1, 2013

Black Girls Have Quvenzhane’s Back, Plus: Michelle Obama’s Mom Dancing, Daddy’s Money Sneaks & More

I promise you this: the backlash The Onion faced after calling Best Actress Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis the “c” word was swift and severe, but it was black voices—those of us women—that led the charge. I saw some really beautiful posts written in support of our favorite 9-year-old big screen star ...

February 27, 2013

For 10-Year-Old Lil Poopy, Smacking Grown Woman Ass Is Just Another Day at Work

By NICK CHILES As the saying goes, you don’t need a license to be a parent. Almost anybody can do it. But that doesn’t mean, however, that everybody should do it. This came to mind when I stepped into the furor surrounding the 10-year-old rapper, Lil Poopy, and the ridiculously inappropriate aura ...

February 26, 2013

Marissa Mayer & Yahoo’s New ‘Work At Home’ Rules: The Mom CEO Show’s She’s Just One Of the Boys

So just a few days into her six-month anniversary as CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer announced through a Human Resources memo that all the yahoos who telecommute need to cut that mess out by June and bring their behinds into the office to work. In a memo that surfaced this ...

February 25, 2013

The Onion’s Quvenzhane Wallis C*nt ‘Joke’ Was Anything But Funny

Last night’s Oscar Awards ceremony was huge for Quvenzhané Wallis, the 9-year-old Beasts Of the Southern Wild actress who, with her adorable sparkly, puffy navy blue Armani gown and sleek press-n-curl and fancy puppy purse walked the red carpet as the youngest actor ever to get an Academy Awards nomination. ...

February 25, 2013

A Year Later, Trayvon Martin Stays Lodged in the Psyche of Black Parents

By NICK CHILES It’s been a year since Trayvon Martin pierced our consciousness. So many brutal, unforgettable stories have shocked our senses since last February. So many young people have been unforgivably taken from us. Jordan Davis. Aurora. Newtown. Hadiya Pendleton. It has been a year that may even bring ...

February 18, 2013

Airplane Madness: Man Slaps Black Toddler, Tells Mom To “Shut That N****R” Baby Up” (UPDATE)

UPDATE: Joe Rickey Hundley, the 60-year-old man accused of slapping a black baby in his face during an airplane flight, surrendered to federal agents and appeared in federal court today. Details of his plea and bond release are at the end of this post. Let me be very damn clear: ...

February 14, 2013

A Valentine’s Day Dance With A Purpose: Helping To End Violence Against Women

Today, my daughter and I will dance. Not just because we’re happy. Or because we feel like doing some Soul Train-styled dance off featuring the musical stylings of Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and the elements we know as Earth, Wind & Fire. Or because it’s Valentine’s Day. My girlpie and ...

February 13, 2013

‘They Deserve A Vote’: President Obama Makes a Powerful Case for Gun Control

By NICK CHILES “They deserve a vote.” With those words, repeated over and over as he introduced victims of gun violence during his State of the Union, President Obama last night brought the full brunt of his grand rhetoric to make the case why the nation must take action right ...

February 12, 2013

Hadiya Pendleton: Two Charged With Murder In Chicago Teen Honor Student’s Death

Chicago police may be getting closer to getting justice for Hadiya Pendleton: two alleged gang members have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 15-year-old honor student whose senseless killing compelled President Obama to add inner city gun violence to his national gun reform debate. Police allege ...