Blog no sidebar

(ThyBlackMan.com) Full Force is one of those rare musical collectives that managed to balance the art of producing hits for others with the ability to craft their own catalog of memorable tracks. Emerging from Brooklyn in the early ’80s, this group of six—brothers and cousins—pioneered a sound that mixed funk, hip hop, R&B, and New Jack Swing before it had even been fully defined. Known for their muscular image, powerful […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Stevie Wonder is more than just a musical icon – he’s a storyteller whose catalog is a treasure chest of soul, funk, jazz, gospel, and, most importantly, love songs. While his political anthems and socially conscious tracks often receive the spotlight, Stevie’s love-centered music reveals just how deeply he understood the complexities of human connection. His ballads and upbeat romantic numbers alike offer intimacy, vulnerability, and sheer joy in […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s an exciting time to be a fan of NFL quarterbacks. Although the Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees era is over, there are still several current NFL quarterbacks that will be bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after their NFL careers are over. The only obvious slam dunk first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback still active is Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers. The case for Kansas City’s Patrick […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Former President Barack Obama railed against Texas for attempting a mid-decade redistricting to create more Republican U.S. House seats. On social media, Obama said: “We can’t lose focus on what matters — right now, Republicans in Texas are trying to gerrymander district lines to unfairly win five seats in next year’s midterm elections. This is a power grab that undermines our democracy.” Obama, in 2022, wrote: “Three years ago, […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) LL Cool J’s name has long been synonymous with hip hop’s evolution, versatility, and resilience. From the moment he burst onto the scene in the mid-1980s, his commanding voice, lyrical bravado, and ability to cross musical boundaries set him apart from his peers. Few artists can boast a career that spans decades with hits that still resonate across generations, but LL has consistently proven his staying power. His catalog […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Few voices have spoken with as much enduring clarity, moral gravity, and emotional depth as Dr. Maya Angelou’s. The celebrated poet, memoirist, and cultural force left behind a treasure trove of quotations—words that have traveled beyond the pages of her poetry and memoirs and embedded themselves into the soul of global consciousness. For decades, students, artists, activists, and scholars have turned to Angelou’s wisdom for guidance, affirmation, and healing. […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Mariah Carey’s name has long been synonymous with vocal excellence, genre-defining pop ballads, and an unmatched ability to capture emotion in song. While her biggest hits often dominate playlists and radio rotations, her catalog is deep with love songs that go beyond the mainstream smashes everyone knows. These tracks show a different side of Mariah — one that is intimate, nuanced, and masterfully arranged. They span her career from […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Four presidential elections have passed since Barack Obama’s won the presidency in 2008, and we are still experiencing the backlash from his first election. As a U.S. senator from Illinois, Obama rose rapidly to power and became the most successful Black presidential candidate having won the Democratic nomination and then the presidency. While Jesse Jackson did not reach the White House, his presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 became […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) When I was in graduate school, one of my mentors (Dr. Carson Lee, RIP), gave me a copy of a book written by Jonathan Kozol titled “Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools.” The book is a powerful firsthand account of systemic racism, neglect, and educational inequality in Boston’s public schools during the 1960s. Kozol, a white teacher, recounts […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s with some discomfort that I consider the possibility that Trump’s radical immigration agenda will lead to better immigration policies. The discomfort comes from the cruelty involved: the roughing up of good people who’ve been quietly working, the celebrations of brutal incarceration, the racially tinged rhetoric. Hope comes in the form of changed perspective. Outside of agriculture, the existence of an illegal workforce is no longer openly tolerated. The chaos […]