I Think I’m in a Gang!
HAPPY ARMY DAY 2026!!!!!! As I look back on this article I wrote while I was still Baby ARMY about 7 years ago, I can’t believe how far I have come in my love of BTS and my love of my fellow ARMY. I have made friends and connections with so many people from not […]
My Opinionated Rant: Expectation vs Reality: Arirang and BTS
On March 20, 2026, BTS most anticipated comeback with their 5th studio album Arirang was released. This would be their first studio album in more than 6 years following a pause due to the 2020 global pandemic, and then an official hiatus due to compulsory military service. In between the two, they released a string […]
Clothing Beyond Fashion: Aligning Outside of Your Culture
There has always been a greater conversation about appropriation vs. appreciation, a conversation that I find to be important, yet exhausting. There are instances where there is a clear line of what can be considered an inappropriate representation of someone else’s culture. Whether it is to mock or cosplay to appear cool or hip is […]
A Journey into Becoming ARMY and Beyond
Author Talk: A Conversation with Elondra Birchfield author of Purple Hearts: Maya’s Journey With BTS We all have an origin story of how we started our journey as fans of K-pop and Korean culture. For some, it was a way to connect to a culture and community that we were already familiar with. The journey […]
Korea and Pride: Queer Culture in the Background
Starting in the United States in 1999 and adapted globally over time, every year June is recognized in most parts of the world as Pride Month. For those of you not familiar, Pride is a global celebration and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community. However, Pride is not as widely celebrated in some countries. If it […]
The Unicorn in a Foreign Land: The Black Experience in South Korea
아니요! 만지지 마세요! No! Please Don’t Touch!” This may be one of the first phases in Korean that some Black foreigners learn while spending any type of time in South Korea. Whether you are there for a week or two as a tourist, there for a few months as a foreign exchange student or have […]
Here We Go Again: Korean Entertainment Lack of Awareness
Back in January, I was scrolling through my Instagram, and I see a post by one of my favorite Black American comics Kevin Fredericks (KevOnStage) and to my surprise there was a clip of the recent Korean pop group Got7’s fan-meet concert Nestfest. The caption on the clip says, “He’s not a Delta.” Confused, I […]
Why do I call myself the Melanin Ajumma?
Recently I had a friend ask me about the name of this blog, The Melanin Ajumma, and why I had chosen such a name. Being Black American, she understood the melanin part of the name, but not being familiar with Korean Culture, she had no idea the reasoning behind Ajumma. It then hit me, that […]
Black Creatives in the Korean Music Industry
In the United States, the entire month of February is observed as Black History Month. Stating in 1926 as “Negro History Week”, Black History Month evolved into an entire month celebration and achievements of African Americans in the U.S in 1976. This Black History Month, I wanted to shine a light on some Black creatives […]
Harvey Mason Jr: A potential ally for K-Pop inclusivity into The Recording Academy-Grammy’s
As I revisited my favorite Korean Pop albums of 2021, I found myself listening to “Magic Carpet Ride” by NCT 127 on repeat. I grew up in the 90’s where R&B was king and you would sit anticipating when you could here your favorite songs on the radio. “Magic Carpet Ride” give me the same […]