Dani Leigh found herself in the hotseat when her song “Yellow Bone” began circulating on social media a few days ago. In this song, the line “Yellow bone that’s what he wants” is heard repeatedly, which led many to accuse Leigh, herself a fair-skinned woman, of colorism. Seeing this widespread disapproval, the singer responded on social media, saying:

“Why I can’t make a song for my light skin baddies ?? Why y’all think I’m hating on other colors when there are millions of songs speaking on all types.. why y’all so sensitive & take it personal .. gahhhh damn”

Leigh…

In times of need, which heals and who bleeds?

Hip-hop artist Cardi B was the center of attention some weeks ago after she asked her followers on Twitter if she should “spend 88K for this damn purse?” Several fans and onlookers commented, many of whom felt the rapper’s timing when asking this question was inappropriate. For example, Alicia Crosby tweeted:

“Sis, there’s an eviction crisis, folks can’t feed their families, students are drowning in debt, and people are sick with and dying of COVID. …

And the “beat” goes on…

A commercial by Beats by Dre, a leading audio brand co-founded by hip-hop legend Dr. Dre, meant to promote their new Beats Flex product recently began circulating via social media. In it a Black woman is seen stepping out of a vehicle wearing the marketed product. She then walks to face a Confederate statue and dances in front of it as the song “May I” by Flo Milli plays. The woman ends this commercial by walking away, after popping her derrière at the statue, followed by a tagline reading “FLEX THAT CLAPBACK.”

Arguably, Beats’ aim…

You can run, you can hide, but the past will always find.

Actress Letitia Wright, known for starring in Black Panther, recently came under fire last Thursday after sharing a YouTube video on her Twitter account in which Light London Church leader Tomi Arayomi questioned the safety of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. In this video, Arayomi also accused powerful entities of wanting to control free speech, seemingly challenged climate change, and made statements several people have deemed transphobic.

Wright responded to some who criticized her on social media, in one instance asserting, “Just using my own mind to think —…

There’s more to it than meets the eye.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Kamala D. Harris are now the President and Vice President-elect of the US, after a highly anticipated presidential race. For many, a changing of the guard in the White House comes as a great comfort considering President Donald Trump’s knack for endorsing hateful rhetoric and failure to adequately address the coronavirus pandemic. Others believe this victory for the Democratic Party gives Americans a chance at a better future. Sharing this sentiment are several Black voters, who as a collective voted for the Biden-Harris ticket at a rate…

There’s more to fear than blood and gore. Just wait and see what’s in store.

October marks the onset of what some might consider spooky season. Many spend the month watching horror films, sharing ghost stories, and visiting haunted houses — to a lesser degree this year because of the coronavirus pandemic — all in celebration of Halloween during the month’s end. Outside of this celebration, October is also deemed National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, meant to inform people about domestic violence, honor those affected by it, and help individuals stop domestic violence from occurring.

The US Department of Justice…

“Silence is so freaking loud.” — Sarah Dessen

In a recent interview with The Guardian, former model Amy Dorris alleged that President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her more than two decades ago at the 1997 US Open tennis tournament in New York. Dorris claimed she and her then boyfriend Jason Binn, a supposed friend of President Trump, accompanied him to the tournament after first meeting at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan. The alleged assault occurred when she left President Trump’s private box to use the bathroom. …

Disclaimer: This piece is by no means an attempt to shift blame regarding contentious intraracial matters within the Black community. Instead, this piece seeks to help foster unity and create a better understanding among Black men and women.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin

The Black community, in addition to racism and oppression from outside groups, often struggles with intraracial unity. Much of this is rooted in European colonization of African civilizations and the transatlantic slave trade, both of which gave rise to issues such as…