Who Gets to Control a Killer's Story?
On Botham Shem Jean and the American obsession with criminalizing dead black people.
Hanif Abdurraqib
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His first collection of poems, The Crown Ain't Worth Much was released in 2016 and was nominated for the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was released in fall 2017 by Two Dollar Radio.
Too Much and Still Not Enough: Mourning Aretha Franklin
The funerals of my Muslim childhood were quick and modest. But I've learned to love the extended gospel funeral. Aretha's homegoing reminded me why.
'BlacKkKlansman' and the Art of Code-Switching
Beyond tics in dialect, code-switching often requires a shift in ideology.
What I Learned From Mister Rogers
It's in times of tragedy and shame that I miss Fred Rogers the most.
What's the Purpose of Empathy?
People love to romanticize empathy. But do they ever act on it?
How I Said Goodbye to the NFL
It finally got too hard for me to separate the sport from the league's flaws—especially its glaring refusal to countenance protest.
Scott Hutchison and How to Mourn Tortured Artists
Suffering songwriters have long helped listeners feel less lonely. If only we could repay the favor.
Why Is Kanye West Sounding Like the Alt-Right?
West's outlook, like that of the alt-right, claims underdog status as a way of selling an ideology of power.
How Basketball Briefly Saved Me From Politics
In the last month, I watched every Timberwolves game in an attempt to tune out something larger.
What the Terrorist Steals When He Takes His Own Life
What happens when suicide forestalls any possibility of justice?
A Guide to the Hidden Political Poetry of the American Midwest
Celebrating three poets whose work is as trenchantly political as anything on an op-ed page: a poetry of labor, of representation, of hope.
After the Parkland Shooting, Listen to the Teens
Young people have been leading protests for decades. What makes Parkland different?
Watching the Patriots Lose Is My Favorite Sport
There are a lot of reasons people dislike the Patriots. Many of them are rooted in the intersection of politics and sports.
'Proud Mary' and the Pressure on Black Audiences to Support Black Movies
Analyzing the persistent pressure on black audiences to root for products that aren't always very good.
The Selling of Two Timberlakes
A look at Justin Timberlake's rare flexibility in self-fashioning—a flexibility that his idols didn't always enjoy.
'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' Is Hopelessly Bad on Race
Many critics have praised Martin McDonagh's nuanced portrayal of bigotry. But his black characters are mere devices—and the bigot's redemption never really feels earned.
Christmas Carols Are the Purest Expression of Christmas. Why Save Them for December?
For me, Christmas Carols evoke hope in a way that Christmas itself never can.
Fear and the Future of Live Music
The very things that make outdoor concerts so special—freedom, escape, intimacy with strangers—are the first things that the terrorist tries to take away.
Macklemore Finds Himself, With No One Watching
Macklemore has taken a break from checking his privilege. The results are deeply refreshing.
How 'Girls Trip' Helped Me Escape the Madness of Trump's America
I have seen the movie seven times, and it helped me survive the summer.
The Best Dick Gregory Story
The comedian was able to cross over to white audiences without ever bowing to those audiences.
Black People Didn't Die So You Could Learn a Lesson
Detroit is yet another example of America's need to exculpate itself by watching black people die.
Vince Staples Is Reporting the News
On his new record, Staples comes across as an archivist, a relentless world-builder, a griot on the porch.
America’s Most Electable Fictional Presidents
Tired of these petty, increasingly irrelevant real-life candidates? Here is a deep and methodical analysis of our fictional presidents, and whether America deserves them.
My Demons and My Dog and This Anxiety and That Noise
Anxiety is clearest when it’s loud—and most dangerous when it’s quiet.
Marvin Gaye and the Unlikely Patriotism of Resistance
Marvin Gaye and the unlikely patriotism of resistance.