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Meditation: Healing From the Inside Out
We close our minority-health video series with meditation—a practice that is dependent on calmness and concentration. Joshua Bee Alafia was introduced to meditation as a teenager. He went on to try many forms of meditation until 2006, when he found Vipassana—a practice originally taught by Buddha. He has since become a meditation instructor at the Brooklyn Zen…
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Supreme Court Battle Over Obama’s Immigration Plan Leaves Black Immigrants Anxious
Valerie Gabriel, a Liberian who’s been in the U.S. since 1991, was not among the throngs of people dancing and singing in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., Monday. She couldn’t join in the demonstrations in favor of President Barack Obama’s plan to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation and provide…
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How Players Like Kobe and LeBron Changed the NBA by Skipping College to Go Pro
Between 1995 and 2005, three of the greatest NBA players of all time—Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James—and several perennial all-stars, including Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady and Tyson Chandler, were drafted straight out of high school. Unfortunately, that path wasn’t quite the yellow brick road that it seemed. Others, like Ndudi Ebi, Korleone Young and Leon…
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Movie Review: Nina Is As Horrible As You Thought It Would Be
Let’s get this out of the way: Nina, the much-discussed biopic about legendary songstress Nina Simone, is bad. Really bad. Now let me explain why. Lady Sings the Blues is my favorite movie. I am equally obsessed with Diana Ross and Billie Holiday. The merger of the two was cinematic gold. I have watched LSTB…
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Man Who Shot Md. Firefighter Not Charged
The man who police say shot and killed a Maryland firefighter was not charged in his death and was released from custody Saturday, reports USA Today. Prince George’s County firefighter John Ulmschneider, 39, was shot and killed Friday night while responding to a call in Temple Hills, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C. A second…
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What Does Georgetown University Owe the 272 Slaves Who Saved It?
This week New York Times journalist Rachel Swarns published a formidable piece of journalism on how Georgetown University, one of the country’s most prestigious schools, was saved by the sale of 272 slaves in the early 1800s. Swarns, best known for her book on Michelle Obama’s ancestry, American Tapestry, wrote movingly about the devastating details…
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Watch: President Obama Takes on Steph Curry in Support of My Brother’s Keeper
If the activities from this week are any indication, President Barack Obama plans to really make his My Brother’s Keeper initiative a success before he leaves the White House. The president has been recruiting and using African-American entertainers and athletes to drum up support for the program, which focuses on black male excellence and support, and…
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Empire Co-Stars Marry on Grand Cayman Island
Although it could never happen on the hip-hop-themed juggernaut known as Empire (but then again, this is Empire), actors Grace Gealey and Trai Byers wed on Grand Cayman Island on Thursday. TMZ first reported on the nuptials with fuzzy images from the intimate, private ceremony showing Gealey—who plays the devious Anika Calhoun, aka Boo Boo…
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President Obama Meets With Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Nicki Minaj and Alicia Keys at White House
President Barack Obama met privately with a gaggle of socially conscious and/or highly influential rappers and singers Friday at the White House to push for support of his My Brother’s Keeper initiative, dedicated to helping young men and boys of color. The Hill reports that rappers Busta Rhymes, Common, J. Cole, Wale, Ludacris and Chance…
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Lauryn Hill Headlines Diaspora Calling! and She’s Still Got It
If you were ever one to doubt Lauryn Hill—her relevancy as a musician and whether or not, well, she’s still got it—the Friday-into-Saturday-morning performance at Diaspora Calling! (Hill took the stage just before 1 a.m.) would indicate that now’s the time to take a seat. Actually, 12 seats might suffice. Diaspora Calling!, the three-day music and…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
