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The (Not So) New World Order
Yinka Shonibare MBE’s career retrospective at the Smithsonian just goes to show how strange things get when the empire strikes black.
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Maybe Your Great-Grandmother Really Was Cherokee
A new exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian traces black-Native American relations from the 1500s to the present.
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Is the USDA Still the Last Plantation?
During the Bush administration, 13,999 racial discrimination cases were swept under the rug at the Agriculture Department. What will Secretary Tom Vilsack do about it?
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Rakim's Back
Def Jam is 25. "Rapper’s Delight" is 30. And Rakim is 41. But with his latest album, The Seventh Seal, hip-hop heads can remember the best of the golden age.
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Strands of Strength
Photographer Yodith Dammlash captures the texture and beauty of black women's tangles. Dammlash enters every "kitchen" with caution, allowing her subjects to speak candidly about their tresses.
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Sheen, Mean and Clean
Black men have expressed their style and identity through their hair for centuries. From the leonine mane of Frederick Douglass, to the dipped ‘dos of the Jazz Age, to Michael Vick's braids, take a look at the brothers who have shaved, conked, cornrowed and locked their way through history.
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The Black Pack
A junior class of dynamic African-American political leadership—call them “the black pack”—has arrived in Washington. They went through a baptism of fire during the grueling two-year campaign, counting delegates, crunching polls, spinning the press, working doors and phones, managing armies of volunteers, reaping millions of new voter registrations and logging thousands of hours working for change. Watch them move from promise to power.
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The Tonight Show... with President Obama
President Obama chose The Tonight Show to get serious about the AIG bonuses, the economy and to defend Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. But the POTUS and Jay Leno were still able to share a few laughs...
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Keeping Soul Music Honest
From Dionne Farris to newcomers Imani Uzuri, Muhsinah Abdul-Karim and Georgia Anne Muldrow, these black musical outliers may not get much airplay, but they are helping R&B stay rooted in a politics of remembrance and accountability.
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How to Draw Noir Politics
Graphic storytellers Shawn Martinbrough and Joseph Phillip Illidge excavate the shady underworld of politics.
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You Got Served
Somehow, Venus and Serena Williams were overlooked in the "Most Beautiful" list at the Australian Open. Wrong!
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And the Oscar Went To...
Didn't watch the Oscars? Well, we've summed up a few of the highlights. Take a look at who won and who left a lasting impression.
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Mardi Gras Noir
Contrary to popular belief, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is not all about boob-flashing and illicit behavior. As a young black girl growing up, Mardi Gras always represented an integral part of my African American heritage. From the annual Zulu parade to quality time with the family. Here’s a look at some of my previous Carnival celebrations.
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You Got Robbed!
The Oscars are upon us. It's time to kick back, grab some popcorn and yell at the TV screen. Will Viola Davis or Taraji P. Henson get snubbed by the Academy? Well, if so, they'll be in good company. Here are some of the biggest Oscar flubs for nominated black stars.
