A Memphis, Tenn., mother and her boyfriend are both in jail after the boyfriend reportedly beat her 3-year-old son so badly that he broke his thighbone, dislocated a vertebra and bruised his lung, Eyewitness 3 News reports. According to the news station, Anthony Gulledge, 30, arrived home Saturday to find that the little boy had…

New York City police officers have been issued a stern warning from their higher-ups: Either get back to enforcing minor infractions or don’t expect to take vacation or sick days, according to several unnamed officers who spoke with the New York Post. The Post notes that officers are now being ordered to hand in “activity…

Last week Boko Haram entered the northern Nigerian town of Baga and began opening fire on residents. According to news reports, bodies were left bloodied across roadways, and those who fled into the bushes were chased and executed. Once the shooting stopped, some 2,000 people were reported dead in what Amnesty International is calling possibly…

Around 5 p.m. Jan. 12, 2010, a 7.0 earthquake destroyed most of Haiti. Buildings were crushed, children were left parentless, and images of rubble and destruction became synonymous with the Caribbean country. In total, once all of the carnage was assessed, more than 100,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people were…

Let me start by saying two things: First, I love conspiracy theories and am willing to speak for hours as to why, based on sound reasoning and valid arguments, Tupac could, in fact, have faked his own death and is living in Cuba. Second, I am a profound protector of black legacy. I believe that…

It’s the early ’70s, and a figure stands, bathed in light, telling jokes, forever changing the landscape of comedy to come. Behind him rests his shadow, this faceless, murky image, left behind, tracing his steps. Shadows are funny like that—these dark images that aren’t quite the original but mimic their owner in shape and stature.…

Around 2 p.m. last Friday, Samuel Lee Bassett arrived at his Chicago home to find the place on fire. Police and firefighters were already outside battling the blaze, which had grown intense. Bassett was reportedly told to get back, but the 48-year-old wanted to save his dog. In an attempt to get into his home,…

The Colorado Springs, Colo., chapter of the NAACP was the target of a bombing Tuesday, and while no members of the organization were injured in the explosion, the chapter is adamant that its work must continue.  “We believe in civil rights for all, and really we won’t work in fear and we won’t be deterred,”…

On Saturday, Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defended his title, beating Daniel Cormier in a five-round decision, and on Tuesday, Jones announced that he is entering a drug-treatment facility after testing positive for traces of cocaine. According to Yahoo Sports, Jones was tested on Dec. 4, some weeks before his title defense,…

An Irvington, N.J., police captain is under arrest on charges she reportedly stalked and assaulted a Newark, N.J., city councilman. On Monday afternoon Monique Smith, 43, attended a ceremony promoting her to police captain. Later that evening she attended an event at a club in Irvington to celebrate that promotion, according to authorities who spoke…