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Jay Connor

Writer. Producer. Visionary. Proud pupil of the esteemed Professor Xavier. Church hugs and yellow lights are my mortal enemies.

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Playboy •

Amy Schumer and the Myth of the Perfect Ally

People of color are under relentless siege from our first gasp of air to our last. We’re locked in a perpetual waltz of paranoia and prejudice with a dance partner named racism. It’s infuriating. It’s exhausting. It’s survival. And as James Baldwin once so eloquently stated: “I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.” So with hope as our only recourse, we cling to the notion that while all white people benefit from racism, not all of them are practitioners of it. And that the ones who understand the difference use their privilege to make our daily waltz a little less torturous.

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The Extraordinary Negroes •

Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Proves White Male Privilege is Invincible

It was in that exact moment that Judge Brett Kavanaugh became the latest bastion of blindingly white male privilege and hypocrisy. Otherwise known as a long-standing precept in which black men are married to our pasts, even if unrelated to our own victimhood, while our white counterparts are routinely afforded the luxury of dissociating themselves from their own, despite their role as a perpetrator. This is best exemplified in the deluge of prominent support that Kavanaugh received prior to his confirmation, in which his behavior was either minimized or outright dismissed as youthful folly.

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The Root •

Black Twitter Invites Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Wakanda to Receive Vibranium Ribs After Freak Accident

While we have yet to receive confirmation if the Dora Milaje is standing guard while Shuri fits the 85-year-old Ginsburg with brand new Vibranium-laced ribs, her age translates into increased concerns about her long-term health. Especially considering that according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in four adults age 65 and older fall each year. Resulting in injuries that are both severe and expensive as hell.

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The Root •

An Ode to Combat Jack, One of My Heroes

One of my heroes died yesterday. Yes, losing Prince hurt. As did the death of luminaries such as Dick Gregory and Maurice White. But for all their contributions in moving black culture forward, their statuses as legends were solidified prior to their passing. My fear is that Reggie Ossé, better known as Combat Jack, who at 48 years young succumbed to colon cancer months after announcing his diagnosis, was denied a similar fate.

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HuffPost •

Opinion | Strong Black Men Are Victims Of Assault, Too

Unfortunately, our responses to sexual misconduct are governed by the prism of patriarchy and toxic masculinity in which men are meant to be sexually dominant, not sexually dominated. We often assume that men ― especially those built like Terry Crews ― can’t be sexually assaulted. But if they are assaulted, the preservation of both their manhood and their heterosexuality requires their silence. This creates a culture of outward skepticism and internalized shame in which black men especially are deterred from revealing their abuse.

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AFROPUNK •

The anti-Black history behind anxiety in our community, and 3 ways to tackle it

Though we’ve made tremendous strides to address and de-stigmatize the umbrella of mental health within our community, it’s important that we specifically address the plight of those who suffer from anxiety. Just as we single out disorders such as clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, it’s equally important that we not only identify the unique obstacles that anxiety presents, but that we actively pursue the means to diminish its prevalence.

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The Root •

How the Legacy and Influence of Combat Jack Lives On in These Black Podcasts

He left a legacy that consists of a commitment to black culture, respect for his listeners, uplifting black-owned businesses, amplifying the voices of black women, providing relevant information that empowers the black community, producing high-quality content and being utterly groundbreaking. In honor of his legacy, The Root created a list of black podcasts that display some of the notable qualities The Combat Jack Show embodied.

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The Boombox •

Pretty Young Things Repeat After Me: Why Michael Jackson's 'P.Y.T.' Remains Timeless

For all his popularity, he felt short-changed. He knew the musical maturation found on 1979's Off the Wall had manifested into a newfound independence that was neither rewarded nor properly recognized by the establishment. The high sales figures for the album and its singles had resulted in only two Grammy nominations for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," and none in the major categories (he won for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male). He was also angry that Rolling Stone passed on putting him on the cover.

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How to Help •

Bernie Sanders Wants to Save Labor Unions. Here's How You Can Join the Fight.

Livable wages and health care access have long had a sworn enemy in anti-union legislation. But if Sen. Bernie Sanders gets his way, a new bill will help exploited workers reclaim their power. Right-to-work laws, the crown jewel of states like Kentucky and Arizona, not only diminish wages but contribute to the expansion of the gender wage gap. That translates into higher poverty rates, lower average pay, and a walkout (or seven) as employees fight for the benefits that collective bargaining pro

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The Boombox •

From 'Yeezus' to 'Yhandi': How The Old Kanye Gave Birth to the New

While the intersection of vanity and sensationalism had always been Kanye’s forte, Yeezus was a prophecy disguised as a body of music. Part tribute, part travesty, his album title invited the scorn of evangelicals and casual Christians alike, despite the fact that the King James version of Psalms 82:6 seemingly co-signs this moniker: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” But as a revolutionary only limited by the boundaries of his own imagination, his beautiful mind rose from the ashes of sped-up soul samples to deliver the album his previous incarnation was incapable of.

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