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Obama Clears Diversity Hurdle With Foxx Nod
(The Root) — After months spent trying to assuage concerns that President Obama’s second-term Cabinet was shaping up to be about as diverse as a Republican National Convention, the administration reached a major diversity milestone on Monday. The president formally nominated Anthony Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., to become the new transportation secretary. Foxx…
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Black Producers Still Rare on Broadway
Updated April 30, 2013 (The Root) — Despite mixed reviews from critics, Motown: The Musical — produced by the record label’s legendary founder, Berry Gordy — is set to become one of Broadway’s biggest successes of 2013. [Editor’s note: It has received Tony Award nominations for sound design and orchestration, as well as nods to…
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Is Obama Evolving on Marijuana?
(The Root) — On Wednesday the Obama administration unveiled a new strategy for its drug policy. The location of the rollout was noteworthy. It took place at Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, a city so ravaged by the effects of drugs that it served as the backdrop to the hit television show The Wire,…
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Do We Need Any More Clintons or Bushes?
(The Root) — Largely overlooked amid the wall-to-wall coverage of the Boston terror attacks was some intriguing and potentially important political news. Former President George W. Bush weighed in on speculation regarding his brother former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s presidential prospects, saying that he hopes his sibling runs for the nation’s highest office in 2016.…
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Will President Obama Rise to the Occasion?
(The Root) — Wars and tragedies have a tendency to define a presidency, fairly or not. Lyndon B. Johnson’s disastrous handling of the Vietnam War ultimately overshadowed his extraordinary advancement of civil rights. President Franklin Roosevelt’s status as one of America’s most beloved presidents was solidified with his leadership during World War II. President George…
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Blame Liberals for Gun Control's Failure
(The Root) — When President Obama said, “This was a pretty shameful day in Washington,” after the Senate defeated a bill that would have expanded background checks for those purchasing firearms, he expressed the sentiments of many Americans, perhaps up to 90 percent of them. That’s the number of Americans that polls show support universal…
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Have Black Americans Left Baseball?
(The Root) — While the Jackie Robinson biopic 42 has become a certified success, attracting a diverse audience on its way to becoming No. 1 at the box office during its opening weekend, black Americans are still facing barriers to the baseball field. The opening of 42 occurred several days before the annual celebration of…
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Jackie's Widow: More Than a 'Baller Wife'
(The Root) — Thanks to the film 42, new generations are being introduced to one of America’s greatest legends, baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson. But though billed as a sports biopic, 42 has also introduced filmgoers to one of America’s greatest love stories. While much of the film focuses on baseball executive Branch Rickey’s unwavering, crucial…
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Could Boston Tragedy Heal America?
(The Root) — Though we are still waiting for answers regarding the culprit and motives behind the Boston Marathon attack, one thing we do know is this: It is impossible to avoid comparisons of this tragedy to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. There were instant similarities — most notably the shock, followed immediately by the…
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Jay-Z, Beyoncé Embarrass White House Again
(The Root) — Having previously shared my thoughts on the first couple’s close association with hip-hop’s first couple, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, I vowed not to address the issue again, since I’m not a fan of treading over the same territory in my writing. But I relented today at the behest of a TV producer. While…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
