The vice presidential debate was a smackdown — and a warning

Let’s be real. The stakes are not high for vice presidential debates. They are the equivalent of high school Model UN competitions — inconsequential yawn-fests that we endure because they’re supposed to be important. But this is not a typical presidency, and it’s not a typical election year. And the two presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden — both septuagenarians — are the oldest candidates in U.S. history. It’s not out of the question that either Sen. Kamala Harris or Vice President Mike Pence could be sworn in as president before the completion of either Trump or Biden’s terms.

We have come to know what to expect of Harris. …

As Sade unveils the ‘This Far’ vinyl collection, the editors of ZORA give their take on the band’s songs that don’t get talked about enough

It’s been 36 years since Sade and her eponymous band emerged with a debut album that set the stage for an unparalleled sound and body of work. In the process, Helen Folasade Adu, the über-private Nigerian-born British singer with a voice of husk and honey, became a global mononymous icon. Now, fans can revel in Sade’s soft soul-and-jazz-soaked oeuvre with remastered versions of the band’s studio albums. Available tomorrow, This Far is a six-album vinyl collection boasting a title that may allude to new music in the future. (We’re hopeful.)

In the meantime, the editors of ZORA decided to revisit each album to share the Sade songs that don’t get talked about enough. Here’s our list of the most underrated Sade songs — one for every album. …

McArthur Fellow Tressie McMillan Cottom is unpacking the ways we speak about success

Everyone in this country was not “born equal.” We do not all have equal opportunity as is lauded in our society or experience equal opposition on our journeys through life.

But, as newly named McArthur Fellow Tressie McMillan Cottom writes, where you end up can be a pretty far leap from where you may have started.

“I keep wondering, how did I end up here when we started there? …

Can we really talk about Joan and Toni?

Watching Girlfriends in the early 2000s with my momma are memories I’ll always cherish. Even though I was too young to know what most of the show was about (Joan’s “three-month rule” or Sean’s sex addiction), I knew I enjoyed seeing four Black women going through life together. Even at my young age, I could feel the importance of sisterhood. I could feel the magic that comes with finding your “girlfriends.” I, too, wanted to be successful, beautiful, and Black with a core group of Black friends.

When Netflix announced the release of all eight seasons of Girlfriends, there was a collective elation that spread through Black Twitter and other social media platforms. Black womxn everywhere immediately began streaming Girlfriends when it dropped. It’s our cult classic. I binged season after season, warm from the nostalgia I felt just from hearing the theme song. As a kid, I idolized the friendships between Joan, Lynn, Maya, and Toni because it gave me something to look forward to as an adult. But now as an adult, I can clearly see the threads of toxicity running through their friendships because it was so well-obscured by their cute dinner dates, burgeoning career paths, and fun nights out. …

Speaking blessings or curses are both Biblical

I am an Episcopal priest who is also a Hebrew Bible scholar. I am also a womanist. I read the scriptures in conversation with Black folk centering the wisdom and experience of Black women. It is from this place that I have listened to well wishes for the current president of the United States in light of his Covid-19 diagnosis, the calls for prayer for him and his family and those around him who are also positive, and the rejection of those calls for prayer by some. …

Black mothers are more likely to be at risk for delivering prematurely and least likely to get help to prevent it

Jessica Wade’s first pregnancy was rife with problems. She and her husband, Marlon, had always known they wanted children and were thrilled when she got a positive pregnancy test. But then the complications began. First, doctors told Wade that she was carrying an “empty sac” with no heartbeat. Then they discovered she was actually carrying twins, and they could hear two heartbeats. And then, they told her, one of the heartbeats they heard was worryingly slow.

Wade says she went to urgent care seven different times between her eighth and 21st week of pregnancy. (A full-term pregnancy typically lasts 40 weeks.) “I knew something was wrong, and something was wrong,” she tells ZORA. At 21 weeks gestation, Wade miscarried one of the twins, and her water broke. …

‘The Taste of Sugar’ showcases love after the U.S. invasion of Puerto Rico in 1898

Anyone who lives in Puerto Rico can tell you that life is divided into two chapters: life before Hurricane María and after. Since Hurricane María made landfall in September 2017, there has been what the media calls an “exodus” of Boricuas searching for a better life. But author Marisel Vera, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, can tell you about entire generations of Puerto Ricans who have migrated stateside since Hurricane San Ciriaco devastated the island in 1899.

Vera’s latest novel, The Taste of Sugar, follows the story of Puerto Rican newlyweds after the United States invasion of Puerto Rico in 1898. They’re lured to Hawaii’s sugar plantations under the guise of a more prosperous life. There, they face indignities similar to those they encountered back home before and after Hurricane San Ciriaco. Besides the compelling plot, the book serves as a reminder that Puerto Rico is the oldest colony in the world, and its corrupt government and outdated colonial mechanisms have hindered its progress. …

7 tips on how to turn personal experiences into success in the workplace

There are not many women of color who can say they hold a senior leadership role in their jobs. The higher up the corporate ladder, the fewer women you will see occupying positions, and it’s more limited for women of color. According to Catalyst’s Women in Management research, 10.8% of women of color held management positions compared to 32.3% of White women in 2019.

But Laura Silva and Gloria Jimenez are part of that 10% and they’re hoping to make space for more. At 27 years old, Silva is the vice president of accessibility technology UX design lead at Bank of America. …