AARON BARKSDALE

Aaron Barksdale is a freelance culture writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Follow for regularly updated content.

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The Internet Is Convinced That Goldilocks Is a Story About Gentrification

Harmless childhood fable, or allegory for white privilege?

mind blown.

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Artists Offer Tools of Resistance From Companies Collecting Personal Data

A trippy workshop in Brooklyn challenged people to keep their personal information private from data mongering companies.

Tech and art combine to protect your privacy from data mongering companies.

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Raise A Glass To These 9 Clean Water Initiatives Across The Country

Looking at the glass half full.

Cheers to this! 

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Artists Create Stunning Murals to Raise Awareness of Ocean Conservation

PangeaSeed combines the worlds of art and activism to spread an important message about protecting oceans.

This organization is creating an art-fueled sea change around ocean activism. 

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Rob Kardashian Needs To Accept That His Daughter Is Part Black

The Kardashian-Jenner brood is infamous for their...

We’re gonna need Rob to do better

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Who's Allowed To Tell Certain Jokes About The Black Community?

Some jokes are funny and others are just not. In the world...

This goes way deeper than being politically correct.

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Here's Why Frank Ocean's Song "Chanel" Is A Celebration Of Bisexuality

On the 2012 Odd Future collaboration, "Oldie",...

I’m hi and I’m bye—wait—I mean I’m straight.

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Queer Photographer Shuts Down Racists On Instagram With The Perfect Read

As a society, we are all held to white beauty standards,...

Trolls are welcome to the “block” party.

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Moonlight's shine is a win for QPOC's across the country

For Us, By Us @Moonlightmovie

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You can thank us in advance for this one.

Confused about consent? Let Boyz II Men Break it down for you. 

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News of the GAP’s new 90’s inspired capsule collection left people responding with more than nostalgia.

We can’t shrug off this problem. 

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A Look At The Digital Storybook Broadening The Conversation On Race

For many minorities in this country, feeling like “the other” can be a painful reminder of the ways in which you don’t fit in. But one social activist ha...

Millennials give their take on race relations and what it means to be “othered.” 

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Red Bull Honors Three Women For Handling Their Business Like A Boss

Red Bull's new web series MAVENS celebrates the careers of three badass women who are shattering glass ceilings in arts and culture. AFROPUNK partne...

Red Bull Honors 3 Boss Ladies for being industry Mavens! @jocelyn_jc, @magda_love_, and @tomtommag #nastywomen

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What Is Black America To Do When The Obamas Leave Us?

“When White returns to the White House you have to become your own president."

Every line of this poem still rings true!

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A Stroke Of Genius Is Bringing Free Arts Programs To Kids Nationwide

As a child growing up in India, Adarsh Alphons was expelled from school for doodling in class. His former principal told his father, “Your son is too dum...

I love puns, art, and uplifting news. #projectart

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Why 'Noah's Arc' Is Still Relevant To Black Queer Men 10 Years Later

From the very beginning, “Noah’s Arc” wasn’t afraid to go there when it came to issues affecting the black queer community.

#BlackRepresentationMatters

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Why Are People So Offended By Charlize Theron’s Son Dressing Like A Disney Princess?

The backlash against Theron’s son is a misplaced frustration with the racism that persists in our society.

Charlize Theron’s son wore a dress and it shook our idea of Black masculinity. I dive into this and my own personal experiences being black, queer, and obsessed with a Disney Princess of the ‘90s in my op-ed for Refinery 29.