Uncomfortable conversations: How W. Kamau Bell, the Fag Bug, and Malcom X taught me how to balance my rage with Gandhi moves

It’s time to have uncomfortable conversations. It’s taken me a long time to come to this. I’ve been living in the rage for so long that when it finally started to chafe, I didn’t recognize myself. And it’s not just my own rage, either. I have reveled in the fiery rants of John Stewart and…

Now what: on the Orlando shooting and privilege

The first thing my husband said to me Sunday morning was, “Have you seen the news?” The look on his face told me it would be bad. Because my job requires me to have a near-constant connection to social media, I usually allow myself to unplug on Sundays. It’s my feeble attempt at work/life balance…

From BernieBros to TrumpBots, the 2016 election season is about Privilege Panic

If there is one uniting theme in the 2016 presidential campaign season it is the rise of Privilege Panic. Again and again, across parties and at venues all over the country, we see a deep well of anger exploding with the landing of fists and the hurling of chairs (and death threats). From BernieBros to…

Fell on Black Days: The GOP’s old tricks stir the pot before midterms

We’re not even a month into 2014 and it already feels like déjà vu all over again. Within a week’s time we’ve seen a veritable greatest hits of GOP base-stirring plays: the resurrection of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act in Congress (because that was so much fun in 2011); a bitter firestorm set…