What Dolly Parton Meant to Us
Dolly Parton understood the absurdity of being Dolly Parton. She once entered a Dolly Parton look-alike contest and lost. I love that she was always in on the joke. That … Read more
Entertainment and Sports
The latest news on entertainment, sports, and events.
Free Crowns: Beauty, Resistance, and the Politics of Black Hair
“As much as India.Arie said, ‘I Am Not My Hair,’ we are also our hair.” That observation from curator Diamond Ashman serves as the foundation of Free Crowns, a group … Read more
Rob Base Gave Us Pure Joy
In 1988, I left Houston for Howard University and experienced a culture shock I wasn’t prepared for. Back home, my soundtrack was soul, R&B, gospel, and the laid-back drawl of … Read more
Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus
In college, I enrolled in a course called “Blacks in the Arts,” a survey of the creative output of Black Americans and its cultural impact. That class introduced me to … Read more
Kandy G. Lopez Stitches Everyday People Into Majestic Portraits
When I first saw a photo of Kandy G. Lopez’s work online, I thought I was looking at a painting. Then I looked closer and realized it was not painted … Read more
Clarence Heyward’s “Eden” Reimagines Paradise Through Black Experience
In Black communities, faith and art have always intersected. Henry Ossawa Tanner’s The Annunciation is a powerful example. In the painting, Tanner brings quiet humanity to the moment Mary receives … Read more
Ten Years Without Prince
I have been a Prince fan since the summer of 1982. I was twelve years old, sneaking a Controversy cassette into my cousin’s Pontiac Trans Am so my mother would … Read more
Cimafunk Brings the Funk to Discovery Green
When I visited Cuba in 2016, I fell in love with the people, the food, the art, and especially the music. That trip deepened an appreciation I already had for … Read more
Trudy Lynn at the Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival
A few years ago, when I was learning to play guitar, I fell deep into blues music. That rabbit hole led me to Trudy Lynn, one of Houston’s true musical … Read more
Human Stories Still Matter
In this age of generative AI, where language can be produced instantly, authentic storytelling has become essential to our humanity. This truth came alive at HUMAN. Stories.™, a Quiet Rebel … Read more