Black Barbies Get 'Natural' Makeovers For Holidays   By: Ryan Duncan   It's the holiday season and that spells s-t-r-e-s-s for so many Americans trying to complete their holiday shopping lists. The true meaning of the season, "Peace, love, and good will towards all men" is usually passed over as an after thought, while... Read More

Back to School: Are you on Facebook?   Parents may want to consider adding cell phones to the back-to-school list, and not just to keep tabs on their kids.       According to a USA Today article today, online and social media access are becoming increasingly prevalent and valued learning tools in the... Read More

  A Black History Salute to Multiple Oscar Winner Russell Williams II   DC is the seat of political star power but it lacks Hollywood-style luster. (Not a complaint.) As far as I know, none of this year’s Oscar nominees calls the DC Metro Area home. But at least one previous Academy Award... Read More

  Pictures Worth a 1000 words: The Power of Social Networking in Egypt's Fight For Freedom   The current battle for freedom and the removal of President Mubarak in Egypt is a complex, constantly shifting, increasingly violent, and confusing situation to watch. It's hard for anyone to really understand what's going on in that country, but one... Read More

Race & Gender in Pop Culture   By: Donna Lewis Johnson  If you are the mother of a teenage girl, as I am, you know the name Justin Bieber and the intense effect the mere mention of the name has on girls. Justin Bieber is to my daughter’s generation what Michael Jackson was... Read More

What’s Old Is New; What’s New Is Old—Again! Tom Vanderbilt’s thoughtful piece—“Streetcars vs. Monorails:  The future of urban transportation looks a lot like the past”—certainly reflects what’s happening today in Washington, DC; some want them, others don’t. The streetcar, once considered antiquated, is back in vogue, he writes.  Although monorail... Read More

  Pam Thinks This:  My Very Own Out/In List By: Pam Taylor I like lists.  Always have.  Nonetheless I have often wondered who anoints those at the end of each year with predicting what is no longer vogue and who/what will be the coming year’s attractions.  This year, I decided just as the... Read More

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WINTER IN AMERICA AND STILL THERE IS HOPE THAT WE CAN                     By: Gwen McKinney It’s winter in America.  The official date is about two weeks away, but I can’t help but reflect on the Gil Scott-Heron tune from the 1970s. Many might be too young to remember Gil and... Read More

  Tis' the Season For Giving To Those Who Do Good! By: Ryan Duncan Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday season has officially begun! It's a wonderful time of year, packed full of holiday cheer, parties with friends and families, and of course the giving and receiving of presents. Lots... Read More

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook Earlier this week we witnessed the 20th GOP Presidential Candidate debate, as if we hadn't heard these men bicker enough. The glaring issue that emerged from these debates had nothing to do... Read More

  What is all the buzz lately about Pinterest? It's all I've been hearing. Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest ... is everybody on Pinterest except me? In January, I learned of Pinterest.com, the next fastest growing social media "bulletin board" space. Pinterest, is simply a virtual pinboard that allows people to share their hobbies,... Read More

Voice Matters: A Conversation with Andy Shallal Andy Shallal moved to the U.S. from Iraq when he was 11 years old. After running several other restaurants and closing them, in 2005 he opened Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. Andy's mission for this restaurant was to have a gathering place for... Read More

In 2005, Andy Shallal opened Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. Andy's mission was to have a place for people of different incomes, races and identities to come together and exchange ideas about social and political issues. He now runs five restaurants throughout the D.C. Metropolitan area, honoring the legacy... Read More

When the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street Northeast opened its doors in 2006, Chief Operating Officer Scott Kenison remembers having to search far and wide for a nearby coffee shop. “At that time, this neighborhood was pretty desolate,” he said. “There was a Chinese place down the street,... Read More

Summer is in full swing, which means it’s time to update your home and office decor with fresh, vibrant designs. We’re head over heels for Jeanie Hays’ Philadelphia-based line of home accessories, Aphro Chic. The soulful collection pays homage to African culture with Kuba patterns, New York City life with... Read More

First Lady Michelle Obama shops for fresh produce with Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass at a Washington, DC, farmers market. Phtograph by Win McNamee/Getty Images. It’s an honor to shake the hands of the person who grew your food. This back to basics notion, proffered by the sagacious author Michael Pollan... Read More

By Shannon Mouton Photograph by Associated Press, courtesy of Deseret News. This is a true story. I witnessed the scene several Sundays ago in DC’s Eastern Market. In fact, I have a part: the “2nd Woman.” I was angry, very angry. Yet again, a Black person—a Black man—had been denied his humanity,... Read More

By Shannon Mouton For the most part, I’ve stayed out of the “legitimate rape” discussion. I chalked up Akin’s comments to ignorance, and I let it go. Then I read an article this morning about another man who voted for legislation in his state “that would have made any woman who obtained... Read More

By Ryan Duncan Occupy Wall Street was supposed to be a movement. Inspired by the Arab Spring, it was meant to be a protest against social and economic inequality, as well as greed, corruption, and undue influence of corporations within our government. We were supposed to be the 99 percent fighting to take... Read More

By Ryan Duncan We're back with a new episode from our series "A Quick Minute with Gwen." In this episode, our President Gwen McKinney sits down to discuss the recent presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. It was a controversial debate, with former Massachusetts governor Romney receiving the most... Read More

By Ryan Duncan In case you didn't know, today marks the sixth annual Blog Action Day! This year's theme is "The Power of We." According to the movement's website: Founded in 2007, Blog Action Day brings together bloggers from different countries, interests and languages to blog about one important global topic on the... Read More

By Gwen McKinney The other day, just out of instinct at the market, I picked up a plastic crate of strawberries. I got them home, and before I even opened the package they transformed, almost before my eyes, soft and mushy—not very appetizing and so unlike the succulently sweet strawberries of... Read More

In this special episode of "A Quick Minute with Gwen," our President Gwen McKinney takes a minute to reflect on the upcoming inauguration and the actions she hopes President Obama will confront in his second term. Her hope is that President Obama serves as the president of all Americans, no matter... Read More