Mychal Denzel Smith | theGrio | African American News and Opinion

Eddie Long 'crowning': Why do black churches often put pastors on a pedestal?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

12:12 PM on 02/03/2012

OPINION - Too often for comfort, as in the case of Bishop Eddie Long, this trust and power is abused and corrupted...

D'Angelo comeback: Is neo-soul music stuck in the past?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:51 AM on 01/04/2012

OPINION - More than a decade since his last full-length release, D'Angelo still has the ability to get people excited...

Charles Barkley Weight Watchers campaign: Hall of Famer a role model for black men

By Mychal Denzel Smith

10:15 AM on 12/28/2011

OPINION - Sir Charles, as he is sometimes called, sets an example for other black men who don't typically receive an anti-obesity/pro-health message...

Can Kwanzaa be 'cool'? How to make the holiday hip

By Mychal Denzel Smith

7:56 AM on 12/26/2011

OPINION - In its 45-year history, Kwanzaa, while definitely celebrated by some, hasn't gained any notable popularity. It tends to be either vehemently derided or made the butt of jokes by those who do not celebrate it...

'If I Were a Poor Black Kid' column is just plain stupid

By Mychal Denzel Smith

7:56 AM on 12/14/2011

OPINION - Gene Marks of Forbes wrote a column entitled "If I Wear a Poor Black Kid" (which has been "removed from their website)...

Gingrich's poverty solution: Pay poor kids to be janitors

By Mychal Denzel Smith

12:51 PM on 12/02/2011

OPINION - The former Speaker proposes that in poor neighborhoods, the 'schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school.' Poverty solved...

Can rap stars Occupy while watching their thrones?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:50 AM on 11/25/2011

OPINION - Given the economic terrain back in August, boasts of 'planking on a million' felt hopelessly out of touch...

No n-word, no cursing, no problem for Kid Cudi

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:44 AM on 11/21/2011

OPINION - Kid Cudi plans to release his upcoming third album, by his side-group 'WZRD', sans curses and the infamous n-word...

Why did we let Sly Stone slip away?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:45 AM on 11/17/2011

OPINION - Sly didn't make it easy. Unlike Clinton, or James Brown, or even Rick James, Stone disappeared completely from the spotlight, shunning the entire industry...

Occupy Wall Street crackdown has consequences

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:36 AM on 11/15/2011

OPINION - They were trying to kill the movement. They've only set themselves up for an incredibly long fight...

Backing out of Oscars a big mistake by Eddie Murphy

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:01 AM on 11/10/2011

OPINION - Though not explicitly stated, it's as if Murphy is giving a silent nod of approval to what Ratner had to say...

Does Rihanna belong in Billboard's elite class?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

9:51 AM on 11/03/2011

OPINION - She could have just as easily been one of those here today gone tomorrow types, but she has played the game better than all the others and won handsomely...

Can 'In Living Color' make a comeback?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:33 AM on 10/31/2011

OPINION - This is the ultimate dilemma an 'In Living Color' reboot faces: how does it recapture what made the original so special in a vastly different time?...

Michael Kenneth Williams creates modern black heroes

By Mychal Denzel Smith

9:03 AM on 10/24/2011

OPINION - His very appearance can be alternately menacing or tender, owing in part to a highly visible scar that runs across his face...

Redefining rape: FBI finally comes to reality

By Mychal Denzel Smith

6:00 AM on 10/08/2011

OPINION - Rape is not sex. Rape is violence. Let's start there and see if we can't begin having an honest discussion on how to end rape altogether...

Does wardrobe discrimination keep blacks jobless?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:37 AM on 10/07/2011

OPINION - Racism is much more deeply entrenched in the fabric of American life than a simple whitewashing of one's identity can solve...

Michael Jackson murder trial brings back bad memories

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:34 AM on 10/05/2011

OPINION - We want the Michael that sang his song and danced his dance because he loved to see the smiles he invoked by doing so...

Do nostalgic TV shows whitewash history?

By Mychal Denzel Smith

8:41 AM on 09/26/2011

OPINION - While laudable for their realism and lifting the veneer of innocence and purity of the time periods they depict (some better than others), there is a possible drawback...

Rap inspires revolution abroad; apathy at home

By Mychal Denzel Smith

11:35 AM on 09/22/2011

OPINION - Since the end of the golden era, roughly around 1992, hip-hop has lacked any discernible political voice...

Why we need student loan debt forgiveness

By Mychal Denzel Smith

2:43 PM on 09/16/2011

OPINION - We need jobs now, absolutely, but if something isn't done about the student loan debt crisis, we very well could be looking at turning this Great Recession into a full on depression...

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