-
Boehner Praises Rangel?
For a brief moment on Thursday, that nonpartisan “collegiality” that old-time members of Congress talk about so fondly reappeared in the Rotunda meeting room of the House Ways and Means Committee. The occasion was an event to honor Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), the former chairman of the committee. About 600 people gathered on the floor…
-
Who's the Next Troy Davis?
The execution by lethal injection in September of Troy Davis still reverberates through the criminal-justice system. With a string of prosecution witnesses recanting their testimony and Davis professing his innocence to the very end, many still wonder: Did the state of Georgia execute an innocent man? No one can say for sure, but there were…
-
The Root 100 Gather to Celebrate, Network
The 2011 honorees of The Root 100 were celebrated Saturday night at an elegant, upbeat dinner and dance party at Washington, D.C.’s Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Gathered were elected officials, activists, entertainers, media professionals and authors, all renewing acquaintances, comparing notes, telling stories and basking in the momentary recognition of being America’s most influential young…
-
The Root 100 Close-Up: Rashad Robinson
In his senior year of high school, Rashad Robinson organized a protest. It was, says this veteran connoisseur of protest, a “very successful” one. A drugstore in his hometown of Riverhead, N.Y., had decided that it would not serve high school students during school hours. The policy, Robinson says now, was a clear example of…
-
Survey: Don't Count Out Minority Voters Yet
If the Republicans’ 2012 presidential election strategy rests on a perceived miasma of indifference toward President Obama by black and Hispanic voters, they may have to think again. A survey of black and Latino voters conducted by Brilliant Corners for New York University’s Women of Color Policy Network shows 90 percent of respondents saying they…
-
The Root 100 Close-Up: Kasim Reed
‘Tis the season of municipal misery, with cities from New York to Los Angeles struggling to cover burgeoning demands for service with ever-diminishing revenues. However, in this recession-struck atmosphere, Atlanta is one of the rare major U.S. cities notable for hiring, not firing, essential public-safety employees and for expanding, not shutting down, programs for young…
-
The Root 100 Close-Up: James Shelton
James H. Shelton III’s teenage years at upscale, mostly white private schools in Washington, D.C., were painful. “I think I was kind of funny looking for a while there,” he recalls. “I didn’t have much money and my clothes didn’t fit. The other guys were wearing Members Only jackets and polo shirts, and I didn’t…
-
WWII Vet Follows His 'Drum Major Instinct'
This profile is the first in a yearlong series titled The Root’s Salute to Unsung Heroes, which will put a weekly spotlight on African Americans who have been recognized by the Corporation for National and Community Service as Drum Majors for Service. The inspiration for the honor is the spirit of community service that Martin…
-
The Root 100 Close-Up: DeVon Franklin
All right, let’s get the really big question out of the way: Those movie stars that DeVon Franklin associates with on a daily basis — Will and Jada and Vivica and Angela and the rest — what are they really like? Franklin, Columbia Pictures’ 33-year-old wunderkind vice president of production and a 2011 The Root…
-
A Centenarian Dedicated to Giving
This profile is the second in a yearlong series titled The Root’s Salute to Unsung Heroes, which will put a weekly spotlight on African Americans who have been recognized by the Corporation for National and Community Service as Drum Majors for Service. The inspiration for the honor is the spirit of community service that Martin…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
