For a long time, sneaker culture was really asking one question: What's everybody trying to get? What's dropping Saturday? What sold out? What's reselling for twice the retail price? What celebrity wore it? What's everybody posting? And somewhere along the way, a culture built on individuality started looking remarkably similar. Everybody chased the same releases.Continue reading "Beyond the Hype: Sneaker Culture Is Getting Personal Again"
St. Croix Just Landed on a Rooftop in D.C. — And Reminded Me Where My Real Education Began
My first classroom didn't have desks. It had a kitchen, a dining room, tourists looking for an experience, and locals looking for community. From 1986 to 1991, my family owned and operated The Old Gallery Restaurant & Bar on St. John, Virgin Islands. At the time, I didn't think of it as an education. ItContinue reading "St. Croix Just Landed on a Rooftop in D.C. — And Reminded Me Where My Real Education Began"
The First-Day Fit: When Back-to-School Sneakers Become a Family Economics Lesson
Back-to-school shopping has always been about more than notebooks, pencils and backpacks. For generations of young people, what you put on your feet on that first day has mattered, too. And maybe that makes the sneaker store one of the best places to start teaching our children about money. Growing up in the Virgin Islands,Continue reading "The First-Day Fit: When Back-to-School Sneakers Become a Family Economics Lesson"
From the Virgin Islands to the Top: USVI Women Win the 2026 Nike RBI Championship
The U.S. Virgin Islands women’s softball team didn’t just show up on the national stage. They left as champions. The USVI captured the 2026 Nike RBI Softball World Series Championship, defeating Houston Astros Nike RBI, 3–1, in the championship game at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida. For the young women wearingContinue reading "From the Virgin Islands to the Top: USVI Women Win the 2026 Nike RBI Championship"
Companies Design the Product. The Street Names It.
There's a new Air Force 1 dropping this holiday season. Nike's internal name for it is something like "College Grey/Pink Glaze." Somewhere in a design studio, a team spent months getting the shaggy suede texture right, the pink outsole just muted enough, the little MetroCard-style hangtag perfectly dialed in, right down to swapping the MTA'sContinue reading "Companies Design the Product. The Street Names It."
The Bridge That Bears His Name: Bob Cousy Pass
For years, I drove that highway to get to the College of the Holy Cross, sitting up on College Hill, overlooking the city. I've taken that exit dozens of times, windows down, music up, coffee in hand, thinking about the day ahead. Bob Cousy Pass sign. (Photo courtesy of Spectrum News 1 Worcester) I neverContinue reading "The Bridge That Bears His Name: Bob Cousy Pass"
The Ferry Was Never Just Transportation
Reflections on being featured in Growing Up in the Caribbean There are moments in life that make you pause and look back at your journey with a new appreciation. Recently, I had the honor of being interviewed by Keshia Prince-Anderson for her Growing Up in the Caribbean series. Her article, The Infrastructure of Love City:Continue reading "The Ferry Was Never Just Transportation"
Before Opportunity Arrives… Reputation Enters the Room First
In 2017, I was introduced to Travis Grillo of Grillo's Pickles by the one and only Premium Pete. That introduction eventually led to creating promotional content for Grillo's Pickles, a video that caught the attention of Cardi B, and coverage in Global Grind. Years later, I've realized that this story isn't really about pickles. It'sContinue reading "Before Opportunity Arrives… Reputation Enters the Room First"
Somebody Had to Fight for the Square-Toed AF1. This is the Real Story.
Nike's square-toed Air Force 1 debuted at Paris Fashion Week, splitting fans over its boxy new shape ahead of a 2027 release. But cultural educator Dee Wells argues the real story isn't the toe — it's the fight designers and color & materials managers had to win to convince Nike's executives these were the sneakers worth making. A look at creativity, conviction, and the careers hidden inside a single shoe.
Authenticity Is the Flex: What Rama Duwaji’s Knicks Parade Dress Teaches Us About Culture, Career, and Community
At the Knicks championship parade, NYC First Lady Rama Duwaji skipped the famous labels for a custom dress by emerging designer Miss Claire Sullivan. What that choice teaches us about authenticity, culture, and lifting up the next generation of creators.
