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Historic Tribute to August Wilson
(The Root) — By the time August Wilson passed away in 2005, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright had completed a profound body of work that has left an indelible mark on black culture, American literature and Broadway. Now, in a historic event, his series of 10 plays, each chronicling a decade of the African-American experience during…
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15 Iconic Black Celebrity Endorsers
With Mad Men back for its sixth season, one wonders if the progress that Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce — the fictional 1960s Madison Avenue advertising firm depicted in the AMC TV show — made last season in hiring a black secretary will be reflected in the ads it creates. Um, probably not. But with the…
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This Director Takes Cartoons Seriously
(The Root) — Ever wonder what Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost do in their off hours when they’re not spreading joy and merriment? Well, in the beautifully rendered, animated 3-D film Rise of the Guardians, which opens in theaters on Wednesday, all five join forces and become superheroes…
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Viola Davis: Her Film Challenges Status Quo
(The Root) — The thing I had to remember while watching Won’t Back Down, the new Hollywood release that follows the efforts of two determined mothers who set out to transform a failing public elementary school, is that it is only a movie. Despite the opening preface, “inspired by true events,” or the spirited display…
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13 Great 'Come to Jesus' Moments on Film
Some might say a higher power is working through Sparkle, the forthcoming remake starring late R&B diva Whitney Houston and feature-film first-timer Jordin Sparks. In the movie, which opens Aug. 17, Houston plays the God-fearing mother to three daughters who hope to make it big in show business. But in what may seem like a…
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Touring the City Where Hip-Hop Started
(The Root) — Hip-hop is to New York City what country music is to Nashville. A cool way to explore rap’s evolution in the Big Apple is to take a trip with Hush Tours, a company that specializes in hip-hop history and lore with an eye to the vibrant black and Latino communities from which…
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Stop-and-Frisk App Users on the Rise
(The Root) — Ever witnessed what appeared to be police harassment and wished that you could do something about it? Now you can. On June 6 the New York Civil Liberties Union rolled out its Stop and Frisk Watch smartphone app, a tool that lets bystanders record and report unlawful police encounters. Since its debut,…
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Black Music Back in the Day: Remember 1967?
For Black Music Month, we’re looking back 15, 25, 35 and 45 years ago to take stock of black music’s most memorable and pivotal moments. In the final part of our four-part series, we revisit 1967, a pivotal 12 months for some of black music’s legends of the ’60s — Aretha, Jimi, James, Marvin and…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
