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Ark. Rushes to Execute 8 Men in Almost as Many Days—Half of Them Black
In what only can be described as a mad rush toward death, the state of Arkansas plans to execute eight inmates in April because of a looming expiration date for a drug the state uses in executions. The New York Times reports that all eight men—four black, four white—were convicted of murders that occurred between…
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17-Year-Old My-King Johnson Becomes 1st Openly Gay Division I Football Recruit
My-King Johnson is the latest millennial to eschew the closet, becoming the first active openly gay scholarship player in Division I football history. “I’m just here to play football,” the 17-year-old tweeted this weekend. Known to his friends and family as “King,” the 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end starred at Tempe High School. The Arizona Republic…
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When Being Black Gets Real: Rachel Dolezal Reportedly on the Brink of Homelessness
Racial perpetrator Rachel Dolezal is reportedly unable to find work and lives off public assistance these days. Perhaps she’s now getting the downside of being black in America.* But the infamous cultural appropriator seems to be taking it all in stride. “I’m not going to stoop and apologize and grovel and feel bad about it,”…
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Judge in Idaho High School Football Hanger Case Lashes Out, Says It Was Not ‘Rape’ or ‘Racial’
The Idaho judge who sentenced a former high school football player to just 300 hours of community service after he “more than likely” raped a developmentally disabled African-American teammate has accused the press (and public) of misrepresenting what happened. The judge says the case is not about “rape” or “sex” and that “people from the…
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Simone Biles and Mr. T Will Join Next Dancing With the Stars Cast
The latest cast of characters for ABC’s Dancing With the Stars will include an Olympic gold medalist and a man known for wearing lots of gold. Gymnast Simone Biles and actor Mr. T are slated to perform on the 24th season of the dance competition, though ABC has not officially confirmed. Biles, who dazzled as…
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5-Year-Old Dresses Up as Iconic Black Women for Each Day of Black History Month
A kindergartner from Washington state has the privilege of becoming 28 pioneering and accomplished black women for every day of Black History Month. Each day in February, Cristi Smith-Jones of Kent, Wash., puts a photo on Twitter to show off 5-year-old daughter Lola. The precocious girl pie has already transformed into Rosa Parks, Mae Jemison,…
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Chicago Pol Introduces ‘Laquan McDonald Camera Act’
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) introduced a bill in Congress this week that would restrict federal funding to agencies that fail to enforce police body camera and dashcam policies. The bill is named for 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, whose 2014 killing by a Chicago police officer stunned the country and toppled Chicago’s district attorney and top police…
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Retrial of Disgraced Los Angeles Sheriff Alleges Conspiracy to Cover Up Abuse
Ex-Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is being retried on charges that he conspired to prevent the FBI from investigating abusive deputies in his jails, among other charges. Baca’s first trial late last year ended in a mistrial when jurors voted 11-1 for the ex-sheriff’s acquittal. The Los Angeles Times reports that prosecutors are emphasizing…
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Over 5.5 Million South Sudanese at Risk for Starvation: Report
More than 5 million South Sudanese men, women and children are at risk for starvation, according to reports from the country itself and the United Nations. The South Sudanese government has declared famine in two counties of the country, according to an announcement by the South Sudan government and three U.N. agencies. The catastrophe is…
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Jefferson’s Monticello Makes Room for Sally Hemings
As the country slowly, surely comes to grips with its slaveholding past, one of its most iconic buildings is set to do the same. Monticello, the estate where President Thomas Jefferson lived (immortalized on the back of our nickel), will now give the enslaved young woman and alleged “mistress” of Jefferson “a room of her…
