Glenn Beck was just trying to see a screening of Alfred Hitchcok’s The 39 Steps when he and his family became the targets of verbal assaults and a wine soaking by fellow moviegoers. At least that’s how he tells it. From Slate: On his radio show, Beck said his fellow moviegoers yelled such gems as:…

After a weekend with five people killed and 32 wounded in shootings, Philadelphia police Commissioner Charles Ramsey is worried that more shots may be fired, Fox News Philadelphia reports: In all, there were nine incidents involving gun fire, including shootings at a bar and a city rec center. One gunman at the top of the…

An article in the Atlantic, “Chinese Workers in Africa Who Marry Locals Face Puzzled Reception at Home,” reports on a post on the Chinese culture blog ChinaSmack, which presents this trend as a solution for Chinese men in a country where they far outnumber available women. (Preferences for male over female babies and the one-child-per-household…

Gerber babies finally reflect American diversity: With today’s census figures (for the first time, nonwhite children outnumber white children in this country), a single white baby just wasn’t going to do it anymore. New ads feature dozens of infants of various ethnic origins, reflecting what the next generation of Americans actually looks like. “Thriller” jacket…

Rocawear’s not just for people who grew up playing basketball and rapping (or wish they did) like its co-founder and president, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, anymore. A new online marketing campaign reflects the shift in branding. According to the hip-hop mogul, the “urban” and “streetwear” focus is out, and “mainstream” is in when it comes to…

The family of George Desdunes filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Monday, seeking to hold Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity responsible for the 19-year-old’s death in an alleged hazing incident. He was found unconscious on a couch at the Cornell fraternity in February and was later pronounced dead. The lawsuit alleges that Desdunes, who was already a full member…

Autum Ashante, a 13-year-old from the Bronx, N.Y., will be starting her freshman year at the University of Connecticut this fall at the age of 13. AOL Black Voices reports that Autum speaks three languages (Arabic, Swahili and Spanish) in addition to English, is an accomplished performer at various of spoken-word venues around the country…

In honor of LGBT Pride Month, NPR’s Tell Me More has invited friends of the show to share their stories of coming out to those closest to them. ColorLines editor Kai Wright, whose writing explores the politics of sex, race and health, weighed in about his admittedly “self-righteous” announcement to his “hypereducated” father — and…

The 2011 BET Awards aired Sunday night, and everyone is going to be talking, tweeting and debating about the winners on Monday morning. Wait a minute, who are we kidding? This wasn’t the Oscars or Emmys. (Have you ever heard a star introduced as a “BET Award-nominated actor?” Yeah, neither have we.) The moments of…