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Black Artists Have Moment in the Sun at Art Basel Miami Beach
As big as Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 (Dec. 5-8) is for black artists, even bigger news out of Miami is the opening of the new Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) on Dec. 3. The museum went on a spending spree, buying up works by African-American artists after receiving a $1 million grant from Jorge…
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Richard Pryor Created Laughter From Pain
(The Root) — Before there was Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle or Eddie Murphy, there was Richard Pryor, one of the greatest comedians to ever live. Now a new documentary about Pryor explores just how much he influenced those who came after him and how much of a toll his groundbreaking comedy took on his life.…
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MLK III Marches in Memphis to Honor Dad
(The Root) — Forty-five years ago — on April 4, 1968 — the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. He was there to march in solidarity with black sanitation workers who had gone on strike over poor working conditions and substandard…
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Ex-NBA Star: 'I Took an Innocent Life, Too'
(The Root) — Could this be one of the great comeback stories? Former NBA player Jayson Williams spent 18 months in jail for the death of limousine driver Costas Christofi, whom he said he mistakenly shot and killed inside his home in 2002. A year ago he was released, and now he is a community…
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NYPD Chief: Stop and Frisk Is 'Lifesaving'
(The Root) — What happens when you put the Rev. Al Sharpton and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in the same room, in front of a mic? You get Sharpton making a joke: “We gonna bring Kelly on after I stop and frisk him in the back,” referring to the controversial police practice…
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Remembering Trayvon 1 Year Later
(The Root) — For Trayvon Martin’s parents, the one-year anniversary of his shooting death was a day spent reflecting on just how much they have lost and just how much they have gained. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin marked Feb. 26 by attending a “Million Hoodie Candlelight Vigil” in New York City’s Union Square, where…
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Trayvon's Dad Declares 'Hoods Up Day'
(The Root) — On the one-year anniversary of the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, his parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, addressed a crowd of hundreds gathered in New York City’s Union Square for a rally billed as a “Million Hoodies” rally. Also speaking at the rally was entertainer Jamie Foxx. The Root was…
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Gauging Post-Sundance Success Ain't Easy
(The Root) — There is nothing like basking in the glow of the Sundance Film Festival, especially if you are a first-time filmmaker. Ryan Coogler found this out when he got a standing ovation after the premiere of his film Fruitvale, which he wrote and directed. Coogler’s experience at Sundance only got better, when the…
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Isaiah Washington Back on His Own Terms
(The Root) — Isaiah Washington wants everyone to know he’s back — not just as a “hired hand,” as he made clear to The Root, but as an executive producer. His new movie, Blue Caprice, in which he also stars, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to a packed house and a round of applause.…
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Tillman: Cinema Needs More 'Human Stories'
(The Root) — George Tillman Jr. has shown he’s got range. He’s helmed a romantic comedy (Soul Food), touching biopics (Men of Honor, Notorious) and high-octane action flicks (Faster). His new film, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is another chance for…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
