I’m not a huge fan of failure. I rarely dance and I’ve always been the type to not make a move on a girl until I see the “It’s already yours” look in her eyes. Is that cowardly? Probably. But that’s how I grew up. When I was younger, few things scared me as much …
When I was a kid, I looked up to Shaq. By the end of college, I wanted to be a cross between Huey P. Newton and Earl Graves. Now that I’m 25, I idolize happiness. I’ve come to realize that life is a bell curve. You come into this world knowing nothing and gravitating to …
Dear writers, The time for phoning it in is over. If what you write doesn’t have a pulse, it doesn’t matter how insightful or pressing the issue is. There is a narrative going around that people don’t read anymore. That’s not true. People just don’t read boring, soulless work if they don’t have …
I had an epiphany today. I need to yell at white people more. That’s where I went wrong in the past. At one point, I was getting speaking engagements and media interviews. The brief frenzy came from an editorial where I called out Lake Oswego for its culture of racism. People loved it and wanted …
If I were publisher, After school programs would fight job training For front page spreads. I’d treat youth mentors like pro athletes. Give every elder a politician’s prestige. Teach history every day Not just as a footnote to holidays. Profiles would pinpoint lessons, Not intoxicate you with charm. More old money education. Less …
Watching “Long Distance Revolutionary” was humbling. On one hand, it was inspiring and on the other, it was a reminder that if you weren’t a teenage writing prodigy, don’t have a freedom fighting resume, haven’t been shot, wrongly imprisoned and locked up on death row for decades while continuing a prolific journalistic output, then you’re …
Journalism: Short Form Historians and the Art of Documenting Paint Dry Read More »
As I was walked into Safeway this afternoon I passed by an older man with a case of Pabst. The first thought that came to my mind was “sucker juice.” No disrespect to the man but what does it mean when you spend on alcohol? What is the lasting impact? Is it positive? Could …
The biggest irony of the Rick Ross “date rape” controversy was that everyone saw a rise in their profile except female MCs. Everyone from Rosa Clemente to Crunk Feminist to Talib Kweli to Jasiri X made their presence felt in the conversation. I even read an article today interviewing children. With everyone talking about what …
Female MCs Get No Shine and I’m Part of the Problem Read More »
I may have helped commit a crime yesterday. As soon as the news that the FBI had identified suspects in the Boston bombing came out, I was given the word to throw the CNN Wire story up immediately. After we got it up and beat out some other local publications, we cheered; not because we …
Am I the Only One That Missed the Actual Evidence? Read More »
Like many people, I’ve been following the coverage of the explosions at the Boston Marathon. I keep hearing the word “terrorist” and I cringe because despite the fact that the term could apply to anyone, Americans often associate it with “foreign” people. Since 9/11, our response to “terrorism” targeting us has been one of blood …
Boston Marathon Tragedy: When Explosions Hit Our TV Screens Read More »