taylor crumpton

only one more day away!

It’s not to late to register for my session on how to make money as a freelance journalist at this year’s @indiejournalists.bsky.social conference!

Rep. Al Green was holding a sign that reads "Black People Aren't Apes" at the State of the Union:

Rep. Al Green was holding a sign that reads "Black People Aren't Apes" at the #SOTU:

This year’s Academy Awards are asking a radical question: What does it mean to be a Black mother? Two visions of Black motherhood are in the spotlight at this year’s Oscars.

This year’s Academy Awards are asking a radical question: What does it mean to be a Black mother? Read @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social's story on the performances of Black motherhood by award-winning actresses Teyana Taylor and Wunmi Mosaku url-media.com/this-years-a...

Registration is now open for the @indiejournalists.bsky.social ’s 2026 Freelance Conference on March 5 and 6! For only $89, take advantage of sessions on AI, fellowships, newsletters, and more! Plus, participate in the first-ever Pitch Fest! Register now: theiij.com/sessions-26

One thing we don’t do well, societally or interpersonally, is digest harms when there really isn’t anyone to blame.

Being called a n*gger on international television in front of your peers is a harm.

Having a disability that creates that harm through no choice of your own is a harm.

so we paid the tariffs and now the corporations that passed the costs on to me and you are the ones that are going to be reimbursed, do i have that correct

The UT System's New 'Controversial Topics' Policy Is About Policing Knowledge When politically appointed regents and administrators determine which topics are “germane,” academic freedom quietly shifts into political compliance.

New from María Del Carmen Unda: For generations, women of color have shown that “neutrality” is often a way to police whose stories matter and whose expertise counts. Knowledge rooted in lived experience is repeatedly framed as political, while dominant perspectives are treated as universal.

This year’s Academy Awards are asking a radical question: What does it mean to be a Black mother? Two visions of Black motherhood are in the spotlight at this year’s Oscars.

"It is fair to say that Black women are the mothers of the world.
At the same time, the empires that rule and govern this world have never had the well-being of Black women and children in mind."

for @url-media.bsky.social, I wrote about Black motherhood at the Oscars

url-media.com/this-years-a...

Having a Boyfriend Really Doesn’t Have to Be Embarrassing. I Promise. Yearning for love in unprecedented times is hard enough.

Hi! I'm getting married on Saturday and wrote about it for @thebarbedwire.com
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/12/b...

Having a Boyfriend Really Doesn’t Have to Be Embarrassing. I Promise. Yearning for love in unprecedented times is hard enough.

Chanté Joseph started a debate when she wrote, in Vogue, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?”
But our contributor @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social says it doesn’t have to be.
Now more than ever, Americans are yearning for a radical, revolutionary type of love.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/12/b...

'The Traitors,' 'Southern Charm' and Identity Politics on Reality TV with Preston Mitchum and Taylor Crumpton (+ Jill Zarin's Garbage Bad Bunny Take) Podcast Episode · Gabbing with Gib · 02/10/2026 · 1h 1m

NEW POD: #TheTraitorsUS, #SouthernCharm and identity politics with @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social and "Summer House: Martha's Vineyard" alum Preston Mitchum!

Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

INSTITUTE FOR NDEPENDENT URNALISTS Taylor Crumpton Independent Journalist 2026 IIJ Freelance Conference March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online Lifestyle Freelancing Soleil Ho Worker Owner, Coyote Media Register at theiij.com Lale Arikoglu Articles Director, Condé Nast Traveler Meena Thiruvengadam (Moderator) Independent Travel Journalist

Hear from Condé Nast Traveler editor Lale Arikoglu, and writers @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social, @soleilho.com, and Meena Thiruvengadam on how to find anchor clients on the culture, travel, style and food beats. Learn more and register for just $69: theiij.com/sessions-26

Taylor Crumpton TIME columnist The Barbed Wire contributor Speaking at the IIJ's 2026 Freelance Journalism Conference The IIJ's annual conference includes 14+ hours of entrepreneurship, learning, and community for independent and creator journalists Sign up at TheIIJ.com Institute for Independent Journalists

It’s still possible to get paid for reporting on food, style, culture, travel and wellness! Learn from journalists like @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social, contributor to @thebarbedwire.com, at this year’s IIJ Freelance Conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

At the end of the day, the Black Lives Matter era was about whether people should be killed in the street, and lots of people decided yeah and put those little blue flags on their cars. It spread to everyone because it stopped for no one.

Why Do We Eat Black-Eyed Peas On New Years? Hoodoo | Essence For the majority of Black households, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve to bring in good luck and prosperity is second nature. Find out why.

“For the majority of Black households in the U.S, the tradition of eating a bowl of black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve to bring in good luck and prosperity is second nature.”

www.essence.com/culture/why-...

Gutsy, Fearless Journalism Isn’t Dead. Don’t Let Bari Weiss Convince You It Is. Gutsy, fearless journalism is alive and thriving. Look back with us at the hopeful and heartbreaking reporting from The Barbed Wire in 2025.

Hello, a moment for earnestness this holiday season:

It was miraculous when we scraped together enough money to launch a newsroom 16 months ago. I had a clear vision of what @thebarbedwire.com could be, but it required a lot of things to go right. Many did not!

thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/23/2...

What Do I Want for Christmas? Two Words: Glen Powell. Congrats to Michelle Randolph this cuffing season. Desire is important, and it’s time more women talk about smoking hot movie stars.

All I Want for Christmas is Glen Powell.

I wrote about my celebrity crush for @thebarbedwire.com

thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/23/g...

What Do I Want for Christmas? Two Words: Glen Powell. Congrats to Michelle Randolph this cuffing season. Desire is important, and it’s time more women talk about smoking hot movie stars.

A thirst trap who oozes irresistible charm. Texas’ finest leading man. A boy every mom dreams of her daughter bringing home for the holidays. The inimitable wordsmith @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social on her burning desire for Cuffing Season’s #1 Draft Pick, Glen Powell

thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/23/g...

I’m pretty sure that I do. Also, since I finally survived my first year in Chicago, we can hang out in person!

Sis, I might take you up on this offer of yours because I had a lot of breakthroughs this year in my career. And I do a horrendous job of acknowledging my work. So thank you.

You know what it is—

If Taylor wrote it, YOU NEED TO READ IT!

I wish there was a Spotify Wrapped for journalists because I wrote my ass off this year.

Why Holiday Music Charts Are Stuck in the Past Mariah Carey isn’t the problem. Nostalgia is.

I wrote about the never-ending reign of "All I Want for Christmas Is You", everyone's desire to make the next holiday classic, and how nostalgia prevents us for opening up to new Christmas songs for @time.com

time.com/7341203/chri...

“But, what about those who were country before it was trendy? What about the generations of Black farmers and ranchers whose lands were seized from them by eminent domain?“

I reviewed #HighHorse : The Black Cowboy for @thebarbedwire.com

The rise of the creator economy has blurred the line between the personal and the performative. What was once private—a positive pregnancy test, a baby shower, a child’s first day of school—has become brand content. For many creators, the more intimate at the moment, the more lucrative of the post. The financial incentive to share has turned the private self into an asset class. The blueprint was laid years ago by mommy bloggers, whose lives be became a business model. Now, their children, who grew up online, are speaking out, questioning why their childhood memories became monetized content.

“The rise of the creator economy has blurred the line between the personal and the performative.”

Really enjoyed a short piece in the recent Time magazine by @taylorcrumpton.bsky.social These opening lines on the frankly out-of-control “content creator”/“influencer” economy are excellent.

A disabled child’s mom reported him missing. He was in federal custody for 48 days. When Emmanuel Gonzalez walked away from his mom’s fruit stand in October, Houston Police called ICE instead of reuniting them.

Emmanuel’s story enraged many Houston residents as community members grappled with the cruelty of keeping a disabled child locked away from his mother.

This article was published in partnership with @thebarbedwire.com:

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‪It's official! I'm now the Newsletter Writer and Contributor to Big & Bright from @thebarbedwire.com. I'll be creating a twice-monthly newsletter and regular stories about the highs & lows of LGBTQ+ Texas life, with an emphasis on queer joy.

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Black women are in an employment crisis. The solution isn’t ideal. Black women’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average, twice as high as white women’s unemployment rate, and slightly higher than Latinas’ unemployment rate.

Black women are experiencing the highest rates of unemployment since the COVID pandemic. 91,000 Black women lost their jobs in the month of September. I reported on the Black women's unemployment crisis and possible solutions to resolve it for @url-media.bsky.social
url-media.com/black-women-...