Chaseedaw Giles

Author's posts

Seasonal Cooks’ Secret Sauce: Heaping Nutrition and Cultural Zest

Two “nutrition ambassadors” from Oldways, an organization that makes tradition and pride centerpiece ingredients in food education, invite KHN into their kitchens for a peek at A Taste of African Heritage dishes to accompany holiday celebrations.

Don’t Drill Your Own Teeth! And Quashing Other Rotten Dental Advice on TikTok

TikTok videos extol doing your own cosmetic dentistry like gluing gems to your front teeth or filing down your teeth. The trouble is social media rarely shows the mistakes or the pain.

What Does It Say About Your Neighborhood If the Supermarket Isn’t So Super?

A mother-and-daughter team went comparison-shopping to see what grocery store shelves revealed about inequity in America.

Opioids like ‘Lean’ Permeate Hip-Hop Culture, but Dangers Are Downplayed

In big cities and small towns, opioid use among some young hip-hop fans is about emulating their favorite rap star’s image — while paying little attention to the serious consequences.

An Indie Artist’s Plea to Look Beyond Algorithms and Curated Playlists

The pandemic-induced lockdowns have only increased the demand for music-streaming services. This independent singer wrote, recorded and produced an album with musicians around the world during the pandemic’s rolling stay-at-home mandates.

The Do’s and Don’ts on Social Media for Vaccine Haves and Have-Nots

In the thick of a global pandemic, and with a vaccine rollout that has been less than optimal, it’s no surprise that selfies featuring the coveted covid shot surface on social media timelines. But is posting a vaccine selfie on your social media account a faux pas or a needed encouragement for others to get the shot?

Food Guidelines Change But Fail to Take Cultures Into Account

For decades, the federal government has tried to guide our eating habits. They once again revised recommendations, but they didn’t incorporate ethnic and cultural differences of the American diet. Here’s why.

How to Pull Off a COVID-Era Music Festival

One woman’s attempt to create a festival celebrating diverse music ran up against the reality of the pandemic this year. But it also yielded lessons in how to reimagine events in the COVID era.

For A Black Social Media Manager In The George Floyd Age, Each Click Holds Trauma

In communities of color, the decision to participate in this moment of collective trauma — whether by watching and sharing the video of George Floyd’s death, discussing racial injustice on social media, or protesting and speaking out in the 3D world — can be one rife with anxiety and profound mental distress.

Baltimore’s ‘Squeegee Boys’: ‘If We Don’t Go Out, We Don’t Eat’

The federal government’s relief package left behind many of America’s poorest workers struggling to make ends meet as the coronavirus ravaged and unemployment rose. Baltimore’s “squeegee boys” are among them.