In a culture where black and brown boys are unfairly expected to be stoic and ultra-masculine, we thought we'd talk to three from different backgrounds, about how they're breaking this mold, through their personal presentation and lifestyle, and proving that defying hypermasculinity is not about appearance, but about changing how we think. Hypermasculine ideals and pressures are often pushed onto black and brown men from all angles of society, including media, inside of classrooms, and within f

"I saw that a few online trolls were looking for loop holes as to why these girls can't come together and trying to discredit [the shoot] because not all of the artists shot together," she mentioned. "But I think that feeds into the larger problem of people pitting them against each other. The message of unity still stands; because even though not all of the girls shot together, they all knew who would be included in the photo with them and loved the idea of being featured alongside each other,

Hip-hop, a genre which bloomed out of a counter narrative in response to a system whose hands were wrapped tightly around the necks of its people, is one of counter culture's greatest byproducts. Long before the term hip-hop was coined, it was happening. And throughout the years, women in hip-hop have driven the culture forward, watering it into full bloom. Women who have helped develop the art form and shape cultural legacies that outwear the test of time and collectively make up what can be th

As Queen Afua once said, “There is a cosmic conversation going on within you, but you have to be quiet to hear this sweet language of the unspoken.” Samantha Smith is a living testament to this. Sister to the late Ermias Asghedom (professionally known as Nipsey Hussle), she has mastered the art of listening to her own spirituality and using her voice as a means to heal others, working daily to push the wellness world beyond the surface level. As an LA-based holistic esthetician, she works to in

On Friday night, drag queens and their admirers once again gathered in Tompkins Square Park to kick off the annual Drag March to Stonewall Inn. This year’s festivities honored Gilbert Baker (aka Busty Ross), the artist, activist, and rainbow flag creator who died earlier this year. We spoke to participants like Brian Griffin (aka Harmonie Moore Must Die), who helped start the march with Baker in 1994. Watch that video above, and then play the video below for a taste of Sunday’s official NYC Prid