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Muslim-American Olympian Asked to Remove Her Hijab at SXSW
The incredibly popular South by Southwest festival, made even more so by President Barack Obama’s address there this week, made an unfortunate misstep when it asked African-American Muslim and Rio-bound Olympian Ibthihaj Muhammad to remove her head covering for a press photo Saturday. To add insult to injury, when Muhammad—who will be the first U.S.…
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Bowie State to Offer 1st Minor in Hip-Hop Studies
Bowie State University will offer a new academic minor program in hip-hop studies and visual culture in the fall 2016 semester, according to BSYou, a weekly newsletter from the school. The program’s curriculum will draw on the arts, technology, media, history and literature to expand opportunities for critical discussion, collaborative research and creative projects. Students will…
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Los Angeles Celebrates Native Daughter Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler, one of the finest science fiction writers ever, is being celebrated by her hometown with “Radio Imagination,” a yearlong series of cultural events honoring her legacy throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Butler, who authored 12 novels and short stories, including Wild Seed, Clay’s Ark, Parable of the Sower, Lilith’s Brood and Parable of the Talents, is especially…
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Was That Mr. T at Nancy Reagan’s Funeral? Sho Nuff
He certainly made a splash when he appeared on the scene. Clad in a fatigue jacket and American flag draped on his head, he definitely stood out amid the sea of somber faces and mourners dressed in black. But still, actor Mr. T came to pay his respects to former first lady Nancy Reagan at…
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President Obama Down to 3 Finalists for Supreme Court: Report
President Barack Obama is down to three finalists for the open seat on the Supreme Court and is expected to make a decision as soon as next week, according to a report by the Washington Post. The Post says that the three—all male—are Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…
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Donald Trump Cancels Chicago Rally Because of Protests; Black Twitter Is Thrilled
After altercations in several cities on the campaign trail, Republican front-runner Donald Trump canceled his rally in Chicago Friday night, saying that he “didn’t want to see anybody hurt.” Trump was slated to speak at the University of Illinois at Chicago just west of downtown Chicago, but thousands of protesters gathered inside and outside the…
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Who Murdered My Aunt in 1920s Detroit?
I have been tracing my family tree on Ancestry.com and I found out that my second great-aunt, Nannie Crenshaw, was killed in Wayne County, Mich., in 1920. If I want to find out if her killer was charged and convicted, what steps should I take next? I have sent you her death certificate. —Adrienne Rose…
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100 Years of Perpetual Occupation: Woodrow Wilson’s Legacy in Haiti
Last Friday, the dean of Harvard Law School, Martha Minow, endorsed the demands of student activists to change the school’s official shield, which contains the crest of Isaac Royall, a plantation and slave owner. The endorsement comes months after students at Princeton University made similar demands. They petitioned the university to rename the Woodrow Wilson…
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Watch: Donald Trump Cancels Rally in Chicago After Supporters and Protesters Clash
Donald Trump canceled a rally Friday at the University of Illinois at Chicago after protesters and Trump supporters confronted each other in the venue. Trump, who never made it inside, issued this statement: Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago and after meeting with law enforcement has determined that for the safety of all of the…
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Obama at SXSW: Tech Isn’t Just About the Next Cool Thing; It’s About Creating Opportunity
President Barack Obama arrived at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, on Friday to call on the tech industry and other digitally savvy folks to help with solving some of the country’s biggest problems. Obama took the stage and fielded questions from Evan Smith, the co-founder and editor of the Texas Tribune.…

