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4 Questions With Kamala Harris
On Wednesday, President Obama’s re-election campaign announced 35 national co-chairs — a mix of elected officials, everyday volunteers and a few celebrity friends. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, actress Eva Longoria, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, actor Kalpen Modi and AME Bishop Vashti McKenzie are among the names that made the list. In…
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Great Tweets in Black History
African Americans have overcome unthinkable struggles and reached proud triumphs throughout our history — but imagine what those achievements would look like reflected through the platform of today’s social media. Here are some of black history’s most famous moments, reimagined in 140 characters or less. @HonestAbe Good lookin’ out on the Proclamation. Now let’s talk…
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White House Pays Tribute to the Blues
On Tuesday night the president and first lady paid tribute to blues music as part of the PBS In Performance at the White House series. Seated around a brightly lit stage, about 200 guests gathered in the White House East Room and waited excitedly for the show to begin. Spotted in the crowd: Health and…
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Gabrielle Union Hits the Trail for Obama
As part of the Obama campaign’s “Greater Together” initiative to reach young voters, on Tuesday the team hosted a student summit at North Carolina Central University. The event marks the first of more than 28 others that the campaign will hold throughout the next two weeks at historically black colleges and universities, including Morehouse College, Norfolk…
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Was the Payroll-Tax Bill a Bad Deal?
When Congress voted last Friday to extend the payroll-tax cut and unemployment insurance for the rest of the year, it was seen as a win for President Obama. The measure, which passed along bipartisan lines, involved little of the congressional squabbling that normally arises around his agenda. Likely to avoid the appearance of voting against…
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The Pressure of Preserving Our Legacy
A powder horn carried into battle by the black soldier Prince Simbo during the American Revolution. Harriet Tubman’s silk shawl — a gift from Queen Victoria. A Stearman PT-13D plane used to train Tuskegee Airmen. A photographic portrait of Elizabeth Catlett, the renowned sculptor and printmaker. The black fedora from Michael Jackson’s Victory tour. These…
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Activists, Lawmakers to March on Selma
A coalition of civil rights organizations and members of Congress are planning to re-enact the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery in protest of new voting laws passed and proposed around the nation. Scheduled for March 4-9, the event also seeks to draw attention to Alabama’s immigration law requiring government officials to verify citizenship…
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King Memorial Quote Flap Continues
When the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial was officially dedicated last October (after the ceremony’s original date was postponed in the wake of Hurricane Irene), it seemed to mark a grand finale. From Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity first hatching the idea in 1984 to Congress authorizing it in 1996 to the Alpha-established Martin Luther…
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Who Is Peta Lindsay?
“All revolutions are impossible until they happen; then they become inevitable.” —Albie Sachs, South African activist and judge (1990) With a knowing chuckle, Peta Lindsay recalls this quote when I ask whether our country could feasibly adopt socialism. Then the 27-year-old, who is running for president of the United States on the Party for Socialism…
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'Tough Choices' in Obama's 2013 Budget
On Monday President Obama released his budget proposal for the 2013 fiscal year, which the White House is calling “a blueprint for how we can rebuild [the] economy.” Much like his 2012 budget request, it has little chance of actually getting passed by Congress. But as a symbolic statement on his economic vision, it continues…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
