Stanley's Articles
Baracka Flacka Flames and Hip-Hop Minstrelsy
Yes, the Tea Party images of Obama as a witch doctor, and Fox News' endless racist antics, are highly problematic. But when it comes to dehumanizing black people, hip-hop wins, hands down.
The Roots of Black Homophobia
Black folks are no more or less homophobic than the rest of the country, notwithstanding boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s bigoted rants. But like every other ethnic group, we're a complex lot. Parsing our biases takes nuance and understanding.
'Louis': Music Over Movie Making
Sometimes, marvelous music makes a mediocre movie seem better than it actually is.
Civil Rights' Most Misunderstood Moment: The Freedom Rides
Stanley Nelson's new documentary, Freedom Riders, illuminates true profiles in courage. There was strength in pacifism.
The Peril of Racial Memories
The prize-winning author meditates on The Root’s photo gallery of judgments marred by racial issues. The tension, he contends, lies in the belief among some whites that, once in power, blacks will behave just like, uh, white people.
George Steinbrenner: The Man-Child Who Would Be King
The New York Yankees owner was no angel.
Sending the Devil Home
A documentary shows how women toppled a dictatorship and brought Liberia's decade-long civil war to a halt.
A Farewell to Hank Jones
He didn't get the fanfare common to pop artists, but the legendary pianist drew heartfelt tributes from his fellow jazz masters at Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church.
Memo to BP: You Can Run, but You Can't Hide
There are advantages to the relentless, 24-hour news cycle of our celebrity-obsessed media. Sometimes the bad guys get their due.
A Coup for the Cool One
Battered by criticism of his calm nature, the president showed he can counterpunch when BP created a $20 billion escrow fund to deal with the impact of the Gulf oil spill.
