Laughing and Crying With Laura Harrier, the New Star of Spider-Man
Ashley Weatherford | The Cut
“Harrier is biracial, in a moment when the Tracee Ellis Rosses, Rashida Joneses, and Zoë Kravitzes of the world are vocalizing the complexities of living in this country representing two disparate backgrounds. Harrier has joined the conversation. ‘Growing up, there were no families on TV that looked like mine. I remember doing the census as a kid and my mom being like “This is a really big deal because this is the first time you can check more than one box.”’”
With 4:44, Jay-Z Is Being Celebrated for Owning His Mistakes. For a Black Man, That’s Rare.
Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib | Vox
“No size or age dictates the rate at which we learn to turn away from our old mistakes, and clean ourselves up before making new ones. And so when I think about the platinum-plated response to the 47-year-old Jay Z’s 4:44, I also think about the 12-year-old [Tamir] Rice—how he was never afforded the mistakes that come with growing up, and the accolades that come with surviving them.”
How a Russian Street Art Museum Defies Kremlin Censors
Sophie Pinkham | The New Republic
“Street artists have the freedom to make whatever they please—with the important caveats that if they’re caught, they are subject to arrest, fines, and prosecution—not to mention the destruction of their art. A museum imposes limitations on the works shown within its walls on the basis of aesthetic, political, and other criteria, but in exchange it promises conservation, protection, and respect for its holdings.”