Why Do We Expect Victims of Racism to Forgive?
The common script is for the oppressed person to offer absolution. But who is served by such forgiveness?
A Politics That Requires Taylor Swift Is Not Healthy or Durable
The singer made news with the first real political statement of her career. It was overdue—and oddly depressing.
Who Gets to Control a Killer’s Story?
On Botham Shem Jean and the American obsession with criminalizing dead black people.
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.
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.
Reckoning With the Loss of Scott Hutchison
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.