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Traveling in Kenya, Where Signs of Security Battle the Realities of Terrorism
I knew maybe three things about Kenya when my plane landed in Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in late February: The traffic was awful in Nairobi; it was a “party city,” with the good times rolling as late—or, er, as early—as 9 a.m.; and in 2013, the city’s most upscale mall, Westgate, suffered a four-day…
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Postal Service Releases New Maya Angelou Stamp, but the Quote Isn’t Hers
The U.S. Postal Service released a stamp Tuesday to commemorate Maya Angelou’s life and work. First lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Ambassador Andrew Young and The Root co-founder Henry Louis Gates Jr. (who appeared via video) introduced the “forever” stamp to the mailing community. Attendees and the public were encouraged to share news about the…
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20 Years Later, Bad Boys Is Still a Must-See
The music, opening scene and skyline made you feel as if you were back in the ’80s, about to watch Axel Foley take down the gang responsible for the “alphabet crimes.” When you saw the Porsche and realized that its occupants weren’t Taggart and Rosewood but Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, and you saw that…
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2 White Professors Sue Alabama State University for Racism Against Whites
Two white faculty members at Alabama State University have filed a lawsuit against the school in which they claim that ASU discriminates against whites in its hiring and admissions processes, USA Today reports. Steven B. Chesbro, reportedly the only white dean at Alabama State, and his partner, John Garland, a faculty member, also took issue…
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For DC, Easter Monday at the National Zoo Is an African-American Tradition
For most families, Easter festivities may have concluded on Sunday as they tossed out the eggs and retired their Sunday best back to their closets, but in Washington, D.C., celebration was still in order on Easter Monday. Beyond Sunday’s church ceremonies, bunnies and delightfully colorful eggs, for many families in D.C., the “Easter panda” is…
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‘Banning the Box’ Helps Prisoners Become People
“Have you ever been found guilty of a felony?” For too many people, that question is the difference between living a life of dignity and living a life of shame and bitterness. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe made a bold move Friday and signed an executive order to “ban the box.” Through this statewide initiative, state…
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Campus Racism: Teachable Moment or Serious Threat?
Last month the campus of University of Maryland at College Park was rocked when an inflammatory email sent by Kappa Sigma Fraternity member A.J. Hurwitz became public. In the email, Hurwitz used racial slurs to refer to African-American and Asian women, urging the fraternity to exclude them from parties. He also urged fraternity members to…
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The Rev. Gardner C. Taylor, the ‘Dean of Black Preachers,’ Dies of a Heart Attack at 96
The Rev. Gardner C. Taylor, one of the leading voices on faith, politics and social justice during the civil rights movement, died Sunday of a heart attack, the New York Times reports. He was 96 years old. Taylor presided over a 10,000-member congregation in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ from 1948…
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Bronx, NY, Teen Dies After Falling Off Roof While Fleeing Police
Hakeem Kuta, a 17-year-old Bronx, N.Y., native, was smoking marijuana with others in the lobby of an apartment building in the New York City borough Thursday evening when police officers approached, according to Raw Story. The group began to run in different directions, and Hakeem and a 14-year-old friend ended up on the building’s rooftop,…
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Kenya Retaliates Against Campus Shooting and Bombs 2 al-Shabab Camps in Neighboring Somalia
Kenya is retaliating against al-Shabab—the militant Islamic group that assumed responsibility for the campus shooting in Garissa last week that left 147 dead—and has bombed two al-Shabab camps in neighboring Somalia, the BBC reports. According to Kenyan military spokesman David Obonyo, Kenya launched the airstrikes Sunday night. Obonyo explained that the al-Shabab camps were located…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
