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How NASA’s Katherine Johnson Had the Right Stuff to Win the Space Race
“Get the girl to check the numbers.” These words came from astronaut John Glenn in February 1962 as he prepared to become the first American to orbit the Earth. The trajectory of his orbit had been calculated by NASA’s new state-of-the-art computers, but Glenn did not trust the machines. Mercury 7 astronauts had always relied…
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Talib Kweli Calls Gene Simmons of Kiss Out of His Name Over Hip-Hop
Conscious rapper and black Twitter denizen Talib Kweli mixed it up with Kiss frontman Gene Simmons and his fans on social media this weekend. Simmons, 66, reduced rap to “talking” in a recent Rolling Stone interview: “I’m looking forward to music coming back to lyrics and melody, instead of just talking,” he said. “A song, as…
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Famed Civil Rights Photographer Dies at 85
Famed photographer Bob Adelman, whose portfolio captured many moving moments during the civil rights movement, died Saturday in Miami. He was 85 years old. “He was an amazing man with a passion for civil rights, a sweetheart of a guy,” Adelman’s attorney told the Miami Herald. Adelman’s most iconic work happened during the 1960s, documenting…
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Va. Church Awards $2,100,000 to HBCU Students
The Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., hosted its 14th annual HBCU College Festival last month and awarded students $2.1 million in scholarships through historically black colleges and universities. The all-day event, held Feb. 20 at a local high school, attracted students from Virginia and nearby Washington, D.C., but also from as far away…
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Thousands Protest Donald Trump in NYC; Protesters Stop Traffic in Ariz.
As was the case in Chicago last week, thousands took to the streets of New York City on Saturday to protest Donald Trump, and dozens more shut down a highway in Arizona at the same time. The protests, though not officially linked, look like the new normal as groups join together against what many see as…
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Obama in Cuba: A Step Into History
Editor’s note: This story was first published in March. We’re featuring it again in light Fidel Castro’s death. When Air Force One lands at Havana’s José Martí International Airport Sunday afternoon, President Barack Obama will quickly get a symbolic look at the daunting challenge he faces to make the changes he’s forged between the United…
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Cuba Gooding Jr. Says He Wept Uncontrollably on The People v. OJ Simpson Set
As the ’90s come back in full effect, including the infamous O.J. Simpson case, which is back in the news, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is chiming in as well. Gooding, who portrays the once-upon-a-time gridiron great in the popular FX series The People v. O.J. Simpson, said he suffered a “nervous breakdown” on the set…
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‘Obamacare Kid’ Comes Out as Transgender Teen
Who could forget the cherubic face of the little boy in a vest who stood by President Barack Obama as he signed his landmark Affordable Care Act into law nearly six years ago? The child in the photo, Marcelas Owens, then an 11-year-old health care activist, has just turned 17 and has also recently come…
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Prince Will Release a Memoir in 2017
The artist who continues to delight us as Prince will release an “unconventional” autobiography next year, Rolling Stone reports. Publisher Spiegel & Grau describes the work as “an unconventional and poetic journey through his life and creative work” that will be written by the 57-year-old himself. Prince will reportedly be delving into stories about his…
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Baltimore Ravens’ Tray Walker Dies in Dirt Bike Accident
Tray Walker, a 23-year-old cornerback with the Baltimore Ravens, died Friday from injuries suffered from a fatal crash in Liberty City, Fla., reports CNN. Walker was reportedly riding a dirt bike when he collided with an SUV driven by a 62-year-old woman Thursday night. Walker was treated at the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami’s Jackson…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
