Category: News + Notes
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Public Apologies, Mental Health, and the Complicated Work of Accountability
There is something arresting about seeing a full-page paid advertisement in a major newspaper that reads like a personal confession. The piece circulated this week, written by Kanye West, is an open letter of apology, explanation, and appeal. It speaks of trauma, bipolar disorder, public harm, and a desire for forgiveness. It is vulnerable, calculated,…
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Rain Is My Kryptonite: A Confession of Dampened Productivity
There are superheroes with laser eyes, others who can fly, and some who can stop bullets with their bare hands. And then there’s me, brought to my knees not by villains or cosmic forces, but by rain. Yes, rain. My kryptonite. The sound of raindrops against the window doesn’t soothe me, it sedates me. The…
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When the Rapture Didn’t Rapture: Wig Laid, But Nowhere to Go
“I lowkey was excited for the Rapture today. Brother Joshua you need yo ssa beat! Had me put my good wig on for nothin’!” That line sums it all up. Many of us went to bed last week scrolling TikTok and Twitter (X, if you insist) only to wake up yesterday morning still here, still…
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If He Gets His Job Back, What About Us?
Jimmy Kimmel is back. After ABC/Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! following “controversial” remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the network has announced that his show will return. Support poured in from fans, fellow comedians, unions, celebrities, and free speech advocates. That’s wonderful. I love that for him. But it also has me thinking… Who else should’ve gotten…
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Apple in Downtown Detroit
Massive thanks to our community partners at Apple for inviting me to the business partners preview held Sunday, September 21, at the brand new Apple Store in downtown Detroit at 1430 Woodward Avenue. What a space, from the layout to the people and the energy, it’s really something else. The event wasn’t open to the…
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“Girl, Why Is Patti LaBelle at Your Birthday Party?!” — Keke Palmer Captures a Whole Mood
Some things just live rent-free in your mind forever — and Keke Palmer questioning why Patti LaBelle was performing at Ariana Grande’s 16th birthday party is one of them. In the now-viral clip, Keke, with her signature blend of humor and disbelief, exclaims:“You’re 16, girl, why is Patti LaBelle performing at your goddamn birthday party?!”…
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PBS Didn’t Change—We Did.
There’s a meme floating around with the familiar faces of Elmo, Big Bird, Mr. Rogers, and the gang from Arthur, stamped with a powerful message: “PBS didn’t ‘become woke.’ You grew up to be a bad person.” It’s a gut punch, sure—but it’s also a necessary truth. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has always stood for…
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When “Verification” Becomes a Microaggression: On Dignity, Documentation, and Being Black While Professional
There’s a particular exhaustion that comes from being both polite and Black in professional spaces. It’s the fatigue of having to restate facts you already clarified. The restraint required when someone responds to your clear communication as if it’s inadequate. The mental gymnastics of asking yourself whether their confusion is legitimate or a passive-aggressive test…
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“Grounded in the Stars”: Why This 12-Foot Statue Is Stirring Up So Much More Than Bronze
When British artist Thomas J Price unveiled Grounded in the Stars, a 12-foot bronze statue of a fictional Black woman, it was meant to be a celebration—a bold, unapologetic assertion of presence, dignity, and resilience. But, predictably, it’s become a flashpoint for outrage, particularly from the kind of people who have always struggled with seeing…
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One Big Beautiful Bill: A Plain-Talk Breakdown on What It Is and What It Could Mean for America
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed something called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (also called H.R. 1). That’s not just a catchy name—it’s a massive piece of legislation, over 1,000 pages long, touching almost every part of American life. Supporters are calling it bold and transformative. But critics? They say…
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Issa Rae Didn’t Own Insecure—But Now She Owns the Game
In 2013, Issa Rae signed a deal that would catapult her career to unimaginable heights—but with one major catch: she gave up ownership of her breakout series Insecure. Fast forward to 2025, and while HBO still holds the rights to that hit show, Issa Rae now owns an entire empire built on its success. She’s…
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When Power Meets Principle: The Firing of Dr. Carla Hayden and the Battle Over Access to Truth
In a moment that stunned many and surprised too few, Dr. Carla Hayden, the first Black woman and first professional librarian to serve as Librarian of Congress, was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump on May 8, 2025. Let that sentence breathe. Because when we talk about the erosion of democratic ideals and the targeting…