Preston Mitchum
The Root
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Preston:
Devon Wade Must Be Remembered for Disrupting the Prison Pipeline, Not Merely for How He Died
I will never forget the first—and, unfortunately, what would be the only—time I had the pleasure of meeting Devon Tyrone Wade, the Columbia University Ph.D. student killed late Sunday night. → Read More
These Black celebs desperately need an ‘Auntie Maxine’ makeover
Everyone can learn a thing or two from Waters, especially older Blacks who have chosen to lay in bed with whiteness (some literally), instead of fighting it. → Read More
Kevin Spacey and the Damage Done
By now, we’ve all heard about Anthony Rapp’s allegations of sexual assault by Kevin Spacey when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. Waking up in the middle of the night to the revelation of Rapp’s story and Spacey’s response felt like a punch in the gut because it doesn’t just happen in Hollywood. → Read More
Life Lessons: Eat a Booty, Save a Life
While promoting her new book, We’re Going to Need More Wine, last week, actress Gabrielle Union chatted with Sway in the Morning about sexual desire and, more specifically, sexual gratification and reciprocity. → Read More
Terry Crews reminds us that we have to talk about sexual assault of Black men and boys
In the height of Weinstein and Nelly’s accusations, it’s critical for Crews’ story to not get lost because black men don’t often speak up about their own sexual assault... → Read More
Cardi B’s historic moment is a win for us all
Every Monday, for more than a month, I have rushed to Billboard's Twitter page to see if Cardi B finally topped the charts. Then, yesterday, after I was traveling from a long flight, I turned on my phone with several congratulatory and "we did it!" messages. → Read More
Confessions of a Black, gay soldier 6 years after DADT repeal
Six years ago today, former President Barack Obama ended the ban on openly gay military service -- known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, or DADT. Since then, gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members have been able to serve their country openly, honestly, and for the first time since the U.S. → Read More
Times are tough: #BlackBoyJoy apparel will brighten up your world
#BlackBoyJoy Apparel is the name of a new clothing brand that seeks to highlight the black male experience in a positive light.. → Read More
Let’s Love Hood Girls Who Aren’t Famous as Much as We Love Cardi B
It’s time for us all to admit that our beloved Cardi B is a national treasure and will save a nation. But it’s also time to reckon with the fact that our rightful adoration for Cardi B reveals a troubling truth: We dismiss, denigrate and force white-appeasing standards on black and Latinx women like her every day, then pretend to love them when they achieve fame. → Read More
Trump’s military trans ban is disgusting and sadly expected
With his latest promise of a military trans ban, President Donald Trump has again proven to be no friend to the LGBT community. → Read More
Are White LGBT People Really Less Racist Than Their Cisgender, Straight Counterparts?
For black and brown people in the U.S., racism is sadly a part of our daily experience. Whether we choose to cope with it, ignore it, or aggressively f ... → Read More
PrEP and Pleasure: We Need More Holistic Sexual Health Conversations
We should discuss the benefits of sex as much as, if not more than, the risks, writes Preston Mitchum, explaining that holistic sexual health providers look at pleasure alongside options to mitigate risks. → Read More
Maia Campbell’s viral videos are no laughing matter
Recently, a video surfaced online of former actress Maia Campbell appearing to go through a relapse or experiencing a mental health break. The video shows Campbell missing a tooth, wearing a black bra, pumping gas, and describing an alleged rape. → Read More
Public Service Announcement: ‘Black Pride’ Is for Black People Only
If you reside in the nation’s capital and, at the end of every May, don’t notice thousands of black LGBTQ people descend from the gay clouds in their fiercest outfits to slay the weekend away, then you may be living under a rock. → Read More
The White House is fueling anti-abortion extremism –
Eight years after the murder of George Tiller, the Trump administration is promoting the same views that led to his death. → Read More
Trump administration’s new drug policy is War on Drugs 2.0
Attorney General Jeff Sessions instructed federal prosecutors to stop seeking leniency for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders. → Read More
The 2017 Miss USA Is a Proud, Black HBCU Graduate, and She’s Also Problematic as Hell
For the second consecutive year, Miss District of Columbia, a black woman and HBCU graduate, has been crowned Miss USA. Outgoing 2016 Miss USA, Deshauna Barber, crowned her fellow Washington, D.C., resident, Kára McCullough, 25, Sunday night in Las Vegas. McCullough is a chemist working for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Two black women were named Miss USA, back to back, in front of a… → Read More
Dear Miley Cyrus: Hip-Hop Culture Never Needed You and It Won’t Miss You
We often see celebrities evolve before our very eyes, for better or for worse, especially if we have been exposed to them since childhood. Beyoncé, for example, went from creating mainstream pop music to making music more reflective of black women’s lived experiences in her critically acclaimed Lemonade. → Read More
‘Stealthing’ Is Just Rape by a Different Name
Lately, I have been seeing “stealthing” on my entire social media timelines. Intrigued, and likely against my better judgment, I searched for clearer meaning. In short, stealthing is when a man intentionally removes or damages his condom without his partner’s knowledge and/or consent. While stealthing may not be a new phenomenon, we should make no mistake about what to call it: sexual assault. → Read More
I’m a Black Nerd Who Went on PrEP
A self-described black queer nerd with a penchant for social justice, activism and community involvement, who also loves sex, weighs in on the benefits of PrEP → Read More