I was born in a country that used to be a part of the Commonwealth: Nigeria. A country that just got its’ independence from Great Britain in 1960. A country that is younger than my mother. A country that was torn apart because of colonialism’s chokehold on it. A country …
Lemme tell you a story about how my aversion to being ashy got me in some expensive trouble. I know I’m the Professional Troublemaker but this ain’t the type of smoke I wanted. On Friday, I did a last minute meetup with my awesome agent, Andrea Nelson Meigs. She doesn’t …
Yesterday, I found out my therapist passed away, unexpectedly. Today was going to be our next appointment. I last saw her 2 weeks ago, on December 29. I’m not even sure how to process it. I’m stumped. I’m stunned. I’m gutted. Who helps you process the sudden death of the …
When Beyoncé dropped The Gift in 2019, in conjunction with the live remake of “The Lion King” she blessed our ears with a heavily afrobeats album, partnering with some of West Africa’s finest musicians, in Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy. Every song was a vibe, some were …
There’s someone out there who you admire and has valuable knowledge that you’d love to tap into. They are often people you’ve never met. You want to learn more from them and emailing them is a great way to open the doors of communication. There is nothing wrong with asking …
We must all start operating from the same page, to minimize confusion in this world. When it comes to the state of caucasity, we gotta get clear on the groups that exist. In case this is your first time hearing the word “Caucasity,” know that it speaks to whiteness, white …
Kanye West has become Christianity’s town crier and just released an album (and IMAX movie) called Jesus is King to make it official. Months ago, he started doing Sunday Services, and people were gagging in glee because they were so touched that this man was loudly proclaiming his love for …
There are favorite teachers we will never meet. In 8th grade, my favorite English teacher assigned us Toni Morrison’s Sula. I have always loved reading so it was no thing to jump into the book. But once I was on those pages, those words mesmerized me, engulfed me and hugged …
In times of great crisis, we create great art. Donald Glover’s video for his latest single This is America is great art. It’s not because it’s trying to be overly subtle to where only art connoisseurs can defuse the meaning. It’s that it trusts us to pick up what it’s …
Picture it: a white woman feels challenged or uncomfortable about something a Black person said or did. Instead of using her words, she cries. Instantly, no matter what the initial catalyst of the situation is, she ends up being appeased, pacified and pampered. Lawd knows we’ve all seen virtual white …
Last week (April 5, 2018), my TED talk Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable crossed the 2 million view mark! It’s been watched, all over the world, 2 million times! It’s been transcribed to 18 different languages. In 15 years of writing, 8 years of speaking, it’s my most consumed thing. …
Black Panther! This movie has taken over the world! It’s been probably the biggest pop culture moment in the last decade, and the most highly anticipated film in a long while. It’s finally here, and it has lived up to every piece of hype it has gotten. I’ve seen it …
Yesterday was the much-anticipated (and dreaded) race for Alabama’s newest senator. One candidate was the run-of-the-mill Democrat. Nothing radical or life-altering about him. Doug Jones is the status quo in human form. And the other was a pedophile who stood boldly in his racist, confederacy values. Roy Moore would have …
This international tour that Cantaloupe Caillou is on will not stop providing moments of memes. It will not stop reminding us that we (well, yall. I know who I voted for) have elected Sunburned Stalin to represent us all on the global stage and it is the biggest mistake ever …
This post is long overdue because I first saw Jordan Peele’s new film Get Out over a month ago. Yes, I said “first” because I did something I usually don’t: I went to the theater again to see a movie. TWICE in one month. That is how obsessed I am …
Let me tell you something. The entire Trump administration must be made up of people who were raised by savages. Every week, they do some shit that is unbecoming of what people do when they are raised with sense as a core value and guiding principle. Latest is the picture …
In 2 days, the mascot of white supremacy and proof that God sometimes rushes through the creation process, Donald Trump the Dusty Degenerate, will be sworn in as president of the United States. And the four horsemen of the apocalypse will ride in as Jesus emerges behind them with a whip …
I forced myself to go to sleep around 1am. I wanted to keep hope, even for 5 more hours. I can usually find bright spots in situations. There are none for me here. I feel doomed. I wanted to wake up this morning celebrating the first woman president. Instead, I …
Terence Crutcher was a father, husband, son, uncle, pastor. Terence Crutcher was shot and killed by officer Betty Shelby, even though he was unarmed. What started as his car breaking down led to his body in the morgue. Keith Lamont Scott was a father, husband, son, uncle. Keith Lamont Scott …
There are times when I low-key miss the George W. Bush presidential years. Ok I admit, the only thing I miss about him is the ability to lambast him. Dubya was the guy who invited everyone to the kegger in college and was a BEAST at beer pong. He was …
Yesterday, I published a post on what Black folks will take with us if we decided to make our exit (BLAXIT) from the United States. It was jumped off by Ulysses Burley III at The Salt Collective and basically, we are taking EVERYTHING awesome. Because we created/invented/brought them. My white readers …
This country is ungrateful as hell. You know good and damb well Black folks built this thing with our blood and sweat, literally. Now you wanna treat us like Starks at the Red Wedding and we do not appreciate it. If we decided to peace out and make our Black …
We have been in anticipation of the Battle of the Bastards since we learned it was happening on Game of Thrones, and I have been nervous as hell for what it meant. Surely, the 2 Snows couldn’t both live. Like every GOT episode that is a battle sequence, this was …
The 2016 State of the Union Address (and last of the Obama Administration) was full of entertainment. Y’all know I watch some of these shows to be the lady on the stoop roasting everyone. This is why people miss me sometimes when I don’t live-tweet shows and events. You’re basically …
Soooo about Rachel Dolezal… I am aware that I’m tardy for the party in throwing my hat in the ring but I’m just here so I don’t get fined. I might be a day late and a word count short but this lady has taken over our minds in the …
It’s another day and another way that America shows that it is not here for Black people even though this country was built on our backs and our blood fertilized the soil. Eric Garner was killed as he was in a chokehold by a cop who saw him selling loose …
I hate Spirit Airlines with the intensity of 1,000 African suns at high noon! You should know by now that Spirit Airlines is my archnemesis because they make Soul Plane look like Virgin Atlantic and I never let an opportunity to roast them to pieces pass me by. It’s in my Life …
One day I looked up and everyone had become the Bubba Gump of Kale, talmbout kale salad, kale soup, kale smoothies, kale sammiches, kale nail polish (yes really. It’s called NailKale. Everyone go home. You’re drunk!). It was all kale everything and I was like whappened? Why it happen? I …
Jermaine Jackson has somehow turned out to be the oddest man in a family of really talented weird people and that is no small feat. Besides all the foolery he partakes in, like changing his last name to Jacksun (O__O) and being stuck in Africa because of his lack of …
My newest celebrity crush is Lupita Nyong’o and if you have to ask me why, then we have nothing to talk about. I’m here to write her a love letter, because she is everything. I’m not even here to talk about her performance in 12 Years a Slave. No. I’m …