Kanye West has been called many things. Most of them are euphemisms for the very prejudicial and problematic “crazy” designation. I’m on a self-imposed vacation. I am only doing things for fun. When commentary about the latest Kanye “episode” crossed my social media, I decided to indulge. As I watched Kanye’s interview on Sway’s radioRead More “Just How Krazy is Kanye? Ethnographic Lessons. No, Really.”
Tag Archives: Cultural Criticism
The Logic of Stupid Poor People
We hates us some poor people. First, they insist on being poor when it is so easy to not be poor. They do things like buy expensive designer belts and $2500 luxury handbags. To be fair, this isn’t about Eroll Louis. His is a belief held by many people, including lots of black people, poorRead More “The Logic of Stupid Poor People”
When You Forget to Whistle Vivaldi
Last week Johnathan Ferrell had a horrible car crash. He broke out the back window to escape and walked, injured, to the nearest home hoping for help. Ferrell may have been too hurt, too in shock to remember to whistle Vivaldi. Ferrell is dead. Social psychologist Claude Steele revolutionized our understanding of the daily contextRead More “When You Forget to Whistle Vivaldi”
When Your (Brown) Body is a (White) Wonderland
This may meander. Miley Cyrus made news this week with a carnival-like stage performance at the MTV Video Music Awards that included life-size teddy bears, flesh-colored underwear, and plenty of quivering brown buttocks. Almost immediately after the performance many black women challenged Cyrus’ appropriation of black dance (“twerking”). Many white feminists defended Cyrus’ right toRead More “When Your (Brown) Body is a (White) Wonderland”
Bulletproof Big Mommas: Black Women Cannot Stop Bullets #atl
Yesterday a man entered an Atlanta middle school with a semi-automatic weapon intending to kill some cops with as public a platform as possible. Antoinette Tuff is a clerk at the school. The gunman instructed her to call a local news station to record his attack. Tuff managed to talk the gunman down after heRead More “Bulletproof Big Mommas: Black Women Cannot Stop Bullets #atl”
Drive-By Thoughts: Making Dollars and Sense of Don Lemon’s Logic
Don Lemon recently joined a storied list of black public figures that have, throughout the years, chided the black community’s cultural failings. Lemon not only agreed with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly’s post-Zimmerman trial moratorium but thought O’Reilly did not go far enough in blaming black people for their dire straits. I have no desire toRead More “Drive-By Thoughts: Making Dollars and Sense of Don Lemon’s Logic”
Race and Grad School, Redux
I have had many interesting discussions about my essay on race, reality and “don’t go!” graduate school advice. I thank the Chronicle of Higher Ed for picking it up. I revised their printing with a clear statement that, I hoped, responded to comments I had already received on my blog: This is not an argumentRead More “Race and Grad School, Redux”
And A Child Will Lead Them: Aamira Fetuga and Suzy Lee Weiss
When Suzy Lee Weiss wrote her now infamous, high profile screed about how diversity initiatives in college admissions unfairly penalize white middle class kids who don’t have the good fortune of gay moms, Indian headresses or African poverty, I condemned the Wall Street Journal for running it. My thinking is that permanent records of ourRead More “And A Child Will Lead Them: Aamira Fetuga and Suzy Lee Weiss”
Blanket “Don’t Go To Graduate School!” Advice Ignores Race and Reality?
When I decided to return to graduate school I was about as devoid of prestige as one can be. I was old, from a no-name undergraduate university (worse, maybe, an HBCU!), I lacked social capital, my undergraduate performance was fine but not stellar, and I did not know the difference between sociology and anthropology. Fortunately,Read More “Blanket “Don’t Go To Graduate School!” Advice Ignores Race and Reality?”
Lean In Litmus Test: Is This For Women Who Can Cry At Work?
I have reasons for not leaning in with Sheryl Sandberg. Kate Losse writes a great, insightful piece that situates Sandburg’s book in the neo-liberal corporate ethos that dominates some feminist traditions. That is one reason I am not so interested in the book. The less erudite reason I am not interested is that it failsRead More “Lean In Litmus Test: Is This For Women Who Can Cry At Work?”