There’s No Crying In Basketball?

There’s No Crying In Basketball?
What The Heat’s Tears Say About Masculinity & Emotion
by Jamilah Lemieux

I don’t follow sports much, but my beau is a hoops fanatic. I decided that, better than to be a ‘basketball widow’ this season, I might as well learn to appreciate the game and watch along with him from time to time. Between him, his friends and the interesting folks that I follow on Twitter, I’ve heard a lot about Miami Heat player Chris Bosh. More than people speak about his abilities on the court, they mention his tendency to cry after games and his recent remarks about the importance of “man hugs”. I don’t think you need two guesses to figure out what kind of response that’s gotten him from the young brothers out here.

Le sigh.

I understand that the idea of a grown man crying publicly and advocating for man-on-man affectionate touch makes many people uncomfortable, but I think that’s sad. Men–Black men in particular–aren’t typically granted the space to be emotional or affectionate. They aren’t allowed to express their feelings in the ways that women are. How many times have you heard even very young boys told to stop crying and “man up”? In a particularly tragic incident last year, a Long Island man beat his 17-month old son to death in a failed attempt to get him to ‘toughen up’.

I’ve often heard activist and writer Kevin Powell discuss the misnomer that men simply aren’t as emotional as women; since they aren’t given the freedom to cry or speak at length about their feelings, they often times express them through yelling or violence. I’m inclined to agree. While I do understand that there may be some inherent differences between the sexes (and no universal pattern of behavior that defines either of them), it seems apparent that we dehumanizing our men with the expectation that they remain ‘hard’ at all times.

Read the Full Essay @ Clutch Magazine

What Does It Take to Publish a Successful Digital Magazine?

Running an online magazine is rewarding, hard work

Clutch Founder/Editorial Director Deanna Sutton:
What Does It Take to Publish a Successful Digital Magazine?
by Felicia Pride

I don’t know when I first was introduced to Clutch magazine. But instantly I thought three things: dope + necessary+ finally. Under the passionate tutelage of founder and editorial director, Deanna Sutton, and under the banner ushering in the new era for young, contemporary women of color, Clutch represents an important model in digital publishing entrepreneurship—finding a need, successfully filling that need with high quality design and content, and connecting with your audience, sincerely at your home base and through social media. As a result, the magazine has accumulated a steady increase in viewers every quarter since its inception.

BackList caught up with the crazy busy Sutton to gain insight into her day-to-day, future goals for Clutch, and why tough skin is an essential trait for publishers.

BackList: What did you do in your previous life?

DS: I was in marketing and public relations for some top PR agencies and brands.

BackList: When did you first visualize Clutch?

Deanna Sutton: I first visualized Clutch in 2002 after I lost my father suddenly. I was in a deep state of depression and through an encounter with my best friend on the state of magazines for women our age, the idea was born. We started as print and re-launched as an online magazine in April 2007.

BackList: At one point, you were sort of running Clutch as a one-woman show. What was that like on a daily basis?

DS: I am blessed to have great friends, writers and supporters that helped a lot when Clutch first launched in 2007. But, yes up until about a year ago I was posting, assigning, publicizing and more for Clutch. No life.

BackList: Now that you have a team working with you, how have things changed?

DS: It’s still very hard. Coming up with content that our readers will like is extremely difficult. Our readers are one of a kind and expect nothing but the best and hold us accountable if we don’t give that. I still do everything I did before, now I just have some help.

BackList: Who is a Clutch reader and how did you finally profile her?

DS: The Clutch reader is extremely intelligent, fashionable, aware, social and progressive. It took me about 2 ½ years to figure out what our readers wanted and who the Clutch woman was. It took lots of chances on the content – from focusing on celebrities to fashion and beauty to finally commentary that matters to us. I am so not into celebs like that and I didn’t want Clutch to be stans for celebrities.

Read the Full Interview @ theBackList