In 1989, the legal and artistic implications of sampling were reaching a boiling point. Old-school rockers called it “stealing,” forgetting that their own heroes of rock guitar […]
Rap and Rebellion: The 1992 L.A. Uprising, 25 Years Ago Today
The following roundtable discussion was published in Option magazine 25 years ago. The points made in this discussion by members of the L.A. community and […]
U.S. Police Departments Promote Cops Who Kill People of Color
Cops who kill blacks and Latinos are not just getting off scot-free — they’re getting promotions and pay raises. Earlier this week, Erick Gelhaus, the […]
When the ‘SF Chronicle’ Sends Its Wine Critic to a Music Festival
My friend and colleague Gina Arnold, a top veteran music critic who wrote for me when I was editor of Option magazine in the 1990s, […]
God Bless the Black American National Anthem
The paradox of the Obama presidency, CNN recently pointed out, is that it has exposed a more deeply ingrained and widespread racism in America than […]
Welcome to Fez, Morocco: The Sacred Music Capital of the World
“The city of Fez lies below, very slowly disengaging itself from the morning mist and smoke, while a million cocks crow at once.” — Paul Bowles in Morocco […]
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: ‘Dreams’ Deferred
I first wrote the following commentary in January 2011 for the now-defunct Option-Magazine.com. At the time, America had a Black president. We were cautiously optimistic. […]
High school senior promotes free speech in Randolph County with a “Banned book read-off”
I’ve spent the past two days in my hometown of Asheboro, North Carolina, talking to residents in the small Randolph County community about books — […]
Critical Race Theory: School board reverses ‘Invisible Man’ ban, but education still threatened
If you don’t think race played a role in the banning of Invisible Man from a rural county school system in the Piedmont area of […]
Open Letter to the Randolph County Board of “Education”
Earlier this morning, I sent the following letter to the Randolph County Board of “Education.” For those who haven’t read the news, this board voted to ban […]