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Power to the Peaceful: 11 Black Yogis
Co-founder of the legendary hip-hop label Def Jam and the clothing line Phat Farm, and producer of many movies and TV series, Simmons is the archetypal multiformat black entertainment mogul. Since 2000 he’s also added “devout yogi” to his résumé. Simmons meditates each day and has a vigorous, 90-minute daily yoga regimen. His studies at…
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Summer Means Business: The Season's Hottest Conferences
The civics and service organization will celebrate its 25th anniversary in San Francisco, June 9-12. The convention will feature notable guests Star Jones, Terry McMillan, Ledisi Young, Spinderella and more. Captions by Joshua R. Weaver Members of the 105-year-old Alpha Phi Alpha, the country’s first African-American intercollegiate fraternity, will convene in Chicago, June 22-25. Alpha…
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The Root Recommends: 'Rejoice and Shout'
Featuring interviews from some of gospel music’s giants, Don McGlynn’s Rejoice & Shout chronicles the journey of gospel from the church to pop radio and back again. The documentary film explores the historical significance of gospel music and the intimate and deep-rooted relationship between the genre and African-American culture. Rejoice & Shout also features rare…
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The Root Recommends: Sade on Tour
After more than a decade-long respite, English R&B/smooth jazz band Sade will return to the stage, visiting more than 40 cities on their much anticipated European and North American tour. In February 2010, Sade released their first studio album in 10 years, Soldier of Love, to critical acclaim. The album quickly peaked at No. 1 on…
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Don Lemon Talks, 74-Year-Old Woman Breaks Bodybuilding World Record and More
Don Lemon discusses black women and being gay on Black Voices: Don Lemon stands by his words in a new interview with Black Voices after being criticized for saying that being gay is “about the worst thing you can be in black culture.” Only about two weeks after coming out, Lemon discusses being “overwhelmingly surprised”…
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Is Facebook the New Face of Racism?
Although some argue that the era of the in-the-flesh racist may be nearing an end, racism is not, finding its newest home on the pages of Facebook, according to ColorLines.com Among the seemingly infinite number of Facebook pages and profiles exists the new guise of racism, documented by the blog NotRacistBut.com. NotRacistBut’s 18 pages are…
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Naomi Campbell Compared to Chocolate Bar in Controversial Ad
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has rallied support in her beef with U.K. candy giant Cadbury after the company compared her to its Bliss chocolate bar in a new advertisement, the Independent reports. Campbell reportedly plans to take action against Cadbury, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods, because the company initially refused to stop running the ad,…
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Obama Re-Election Momentum: Progress for the President
Almost seven months after Republicans took control of the House, pollsters, politicians and advisers from both parties tell the Associated Press that President Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012 is likely. On the heels of launching his re-election campaign, Obama’s hopes of returning to the Oval Office have gained some footing amid slow, yet optimistic economic…
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The Root Recommends: VH1's 'Single Ladies'
VH1, which is known for its unscripted megahits such as Basketball Wives and Love & Hip Hop, is jumping into the scripted-TV ring with the Queen Latifah-produced Single Ladies. The new “dramedy” features Stacy Dash, LisaRaye McCoy and Charity Shea as three Atlanta bachelorettes in search of the perfect man. In an interview with Jimmy…
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The Root Recommends: 'Reasoning From Race'
In Reasoning From Race: Feminism, Law, and the Civil Rights Revolution, Serena Mayeri unravels the intimate relationship between the civil rights and women’s movements during the height of America’s push for equality in the 1960s and 1970s. Reasoning From Race examines the use of civil rights rhetoric by women’s-rights activists following the tumultuous era of…