PinnedReuniting With The Man Who Should Have Been My Favorite UncleThis is my Uncle Butch. He’s a brilliant photographer who in his heyday logged more miles on his bicycle than most folks can fathom. He should have been one of my closest relatives but family drama and hurt feelings ruined any chance of that. It was so bad that the…Family4 min read
PinnedEmbracing My Average Black DickIn an effort to better understand my body insecurities I spoke to two of the “biggest” Black pornstars in the industry. — I’ve been watching porn since I was a teenager. But not until I was an adult did I understand that I was steeping myself in racism at the same time. When my father brought the gift of AOL to my childhood home, I’m not sure how he hoped I would…Sex8 min read
Published in LEVEL·PinnedA Meandering Story About the Time I Was HomelessI was a man with no keys — Some years ago, I was headed into my West Village real estate office, worried about all the things a new business owner worries. Staff issues, overhead, clients, accounting were all weighing on my mind. …Storytelling11 min read
Published in LEVEL·PinnedAre You Aware of Your Right Privilege?It’s hard being left-handed in a society that caters to righties — It all started pretty innocently. I was playing around on TikTok (don’t judge me) and someone asked, “What is something you’ll get a lot of hate for if you say it out loud?” My answer? “Right-handedness is one of the worst kinds of supremacy out there.” The response was overwhelming…Supremacy6 min read
Published in LEVEL·PinnedRoy Wood Jr. Thinks Your Career Is a JokeAfter years of making us laugh at our pain, the most likable man in comedy focuses on the most painful thing of all: our jobs — Roy Wood Jr. is the kind of guy who makes everyone comfortable. He has a talent for making strangers feel as if they grew up with him on his street in Birmingham, Alabama. Even if you have dissimilar viewpoints and values, you’d still want to sit and have a beer…Strawberry 20217 min read
Oct 5, 2021My Very Few Thoughts On Dave Chappelle.Dave Chappelle’s latest (and final?) comedy special “The Closer” premiered on Netflix today. The comedian took this opportunity to double and triple down on his thoughts on race, gender, and sexuality — his opinions and jokes on these subjects have left many people raw. Chappelle’s Netflix curtain call has brought…Dave Chappelle1 min read
Oct 1, 2021Superman, Lex Luthor, and the Thin Line Between Ethics and SuccessI am a huge Superman fan. I have a bookcase in my living room adorned with action figures, graphic novels, and other forms of nerdware. At the center of it all is a small poster of the Superman Versus Muhammed Ali comic, a Bizzaro Superman action figure, and other Kryptonian…Business3 min read
Oct 1, 2021NOT A REVIEW: Desmond is Not Here AnymoreWhat happens when someone you love can't remember the trauma you can't forget? — I received a DM on Twitter that read, "Shane, not a review request, but I had to share our Black film about healing with you. Desmond's Not Here Anymore just opened the HollyShorts film festival at the Chinese Theatre this past weekend. It stars Emmy winner S. …Short Film2 min read
Sep 30, 2021Equivocating Like a Motherfucker: An Open Letter to Chuck DSir, I’ll start with the prerequisite praise. You and the rest of Public Enemy played a pivotal role in centering my blackness. It is why the purpose of this letter is so disappointing. As we all know, R. Kelly, after two-plus decades of being a serial sexual predator, was finally…Chuck D4 min read
Published in An Injustice!·Jul 17, 2021What Now? Twenty-Four Hours of White Women TearsIn this episode, we’ll be talking about the danger of crying white women following the meltdowns of Abigail Elphick and Lindsey Shaw. — What Now? is a video series I have created to discuss relevant cultural issues. The videos are short (under three minutes) and shot in vertical format for mobile users. I’m posting them to Medium to test how well multimedia content will perform on this platform. [Transcript]White Privilege2 min read
