By making time for the tradition he loved, my father showed me what Black joy looks like — Growing up, Saturday mornings meant hearing voices like Toni Braxton, Phyllis Hyman, Shalamar, Keith Sweat, Barry White, and Regina Belle as I helped my dad clean the garage. …

The franchise’s diversity quick fix has still failed its contestants of color — Last June, The Bachelor kicked off an exhaustive sweep of changes as it responded to criticism over the franchise’s lack of diversity. From the surprise announcement that Matt James would be the first Black Bachelor to talk of employees attending diversity workshops, the franchise appeared to fast-track diversity efforts after…

Even though my dudes still get way less screen time, the show gave me something I didn’t know I was missing — For 18 years, I successfully avoided the rose petal-strewn road to Bachelor Nation. But after watching The Bachelorette’s hectic Season 16 super trailer ahead of its November premiere — and with some encouragement from my Bachelorette-obsessed mom — I eagerly cleared two hours of my Tuesday night to see if…

Forget the playlist. We want to know what heels Patti LaBelle will be rocking for her Verzuz with Gladys Knight. — Just one week after the iconic meeting between Brandy and Monica, we are being gifted yet another spirit-shaking Verzuz combination — the grand divas of soul Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight. The announcement about LaBelle and Knight came on September 8 — after fans suggested for months the two singers…

From “Sweet Nothings” to “Knock Knock,” these are the tracks we need to hear during Brandy and Monica’s Verzuz. — Our Verzuz dreams became reality on August 23 when it was announced that Brandy and Monica would be the next pair to duel in the music battle. …

Jill Scott’s debut album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 is a vessel of self-discovery. — I first met Jill Scott at a Circuit City in Charlotte, North Carolina. My dad was treating me to any album of my choice that day. And I knew exactly which one I wanted to buy. I flipped hurriedly through the rows of CDs in the store’s R&B section, the…