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Academy Awards 2014: Most Black Presenters Ever
In a year when movies like 12 Years a Slave have captivated audiences around the globe, the Academy Awards tonight will have 10 prominent black entertainers as presenters—the most ever in its 86-year history. The star-studded list includes Viola Davis, nominated for Doubt and The Help; Jamie Foxx, who won best actor for Ray; Whoopi…
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17 Black Women in Science and Tech You Should Know
In honor of Women’s History Month, The Root pays tribute to African-American women working in the fastest growing field around the globe. While their numbers may be relatively few (pdf), they are making great strides, using their science, math and engineering degrees to amass impressive digital portfolios. Jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)…
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‘Gladiator School’: FBI Investigates Idaho Private Prison for Abuse
The FBI has opened an investigation into one of the largest private-prison operators over its management of an Idaho prison with a reputation for violence, which inmates call “gladiator school,” according the Associated Press. Corrections Corporation of America, based in Nashville, Tenn., which has operated Idaho’s largest private prison for more than a decade, has…
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Mom Charged With Attempted 1st-Degree Murder After Driving Kids Into the Ocean
Thirty-two-year-old Ebony Wilkerson’s three children were reportedly screaming for their lives when she drove a minivan into the ocean surf off of Florida, the Associated Press reports. The children, ages 3, 9 and 10, were rescued Tuesday by bystanders and officers as the minivan was almost submerged off a coast in Daytona Beach, Fla. Wilkerson,…
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Michigan Doctor Teleka Patrick: Few Clues to Disappearance 3 Months Later
This week marked three months since 30-year-old Michigan doctor Teleka Patrick vanished without a trace after work one day. Patrick, who was in the midst of a psychiatric residency at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., was last seen on Dec. 5 as she tried to book a room downtown at a Radisson Plaza Hotel &…
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The Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Daughter Convicted of Money Laundering
A federal jury on Friday convicted the daughter of President Obama’s former pastor of laundering thousands of dollars from a $1.25 million state grant for a Chicago-based job-training program, the Chicago Tribune reports. Jeri L. Wright, the 48-year-old daughter of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, told the Tribune Friday as she left a Springfield, Ill., courtroom…
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Maryland Frat and Sorority Under Fire for Racist-Themed Party
Not again. A Maryland fraternity and sorority are under fire for reportedly hosting a Country Music Television vs. BET-themed party, where mostly white students dressed in hip-hop regalia and country-styled clothing. One white female student donned an Afro wig, butt padding and a clingy dress during the event, which the vice president of student affairs…
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Cops Investigate ‘Bias Crime’ at Washington State High School
Students at a Seattle high school could face disciplinary action after they reportedly hurled racial slurs at black basketball players on a rival team after a loss, MYNorthwest reports. The teams competed Friday for the fourth time this year at the WIAA State Basketball Tournament, but it was during the third matchup on Feb. 21…
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Detroit Officer Investigated in Rape of Domestic Violence Caller
A Detroit police officer has been charged in connection with the sexual assault of a woman, after he responded to a 911 call about a domestic dispute, according to MyFoxDetroit. The officer, Deon Nunlee, 40, was arraigned Friday and charged with three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of assault with intent to…
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SNL’s Sasheer Zamata Shines as Olivia Pope in Scandal Spoof
Dressed in a flawless white pantsuit while barking orders, Saturday Night Live’s Sasheer Zamata shined in her first big role as Scandal’s Olivia Pope. Zamata, who joined the show in January, is the first female African-American cast member to join the show in several years. But on Saturday, she delivered the performance of a veteran…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
