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Ga. Uber Driver Is Assaulted and Called the N-Word by a College Lecturer
Chiddi Stober, a Georgia history teacher who works as an Uber driver part time, says that he was assaulted and called the n-word by a passenger who works as a lecturer at a local state university, WSBTV reports. Stober said the ride began normally. He picked up the passenger—whose name is being withheld because he…
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Did This Son of Former Slaves Really Escape Hanging in the 1880s?
Dear Professor Gates: I have been helping my co-worker Quemardo Castilla research his family history, which centers around Madison, Mo. His maternal great-great-great-grandmother’s name was Moriah Castilla, born in 1842. Her exact place of birth is unknown. She had a son named Spencer (spelled Spence in a census record), who was born in 1865. Moriah…
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Your Bestie Slept With Your ‘Friend With Benefits’? Girl, Please
My best friend of seven years slept with my “friend with benefits.” Yes, I have no claim to the man, but I let them both know prior to this incident—after they made out in front of me while drunk—that it made me uncomfortable. They both agreed to respect how I felt. Fast-forward two weeks: We…
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18 Mariah Carey Songs You’ve Probably Never Heard
Editor’s note: This week we’re celebrating the birthdays of phenomenal performers who not only share late-March birthdays but who also have voices that have defined their generations. On Monday we honored the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan. On Wednesday it was the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and on Thursday we celebrated the boss, Diana Ross. Today…
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Lauryn Hill Concert Review: Star Still Arrives Onstage Late but Is Worth the Wait
Maybe the two-city Small Axe: Acoustic Performance Series tour signals Lauryn Hill’s return to the contemporary-music scene. Her sporadic appearances and legal troubles did little to give fans hope that the artist who blew us away on the Fugees’ The Score and the path-breaking The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was indeed back for real, for…
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The Root Hosts manCODE Event in NYC
Wednesday night in New York City at the event space 404, 180 African-American men came together to network, share insights and engage with a multigenerational panel of black men from all walks of life. The Root’s annual event, called manCODE, sponsored by Prudential, is designed to provide a safe space where men can speak openly about…
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Supreme Diva: 5 Iconic Diana Ross Moments
Editor’s note: This week we’re celebrating the birthdays of phenomenal performers who not only share late-March birthdays but who also have voices that have defined their generations. On Monday we honored the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan. On Wednesday it was the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Today it’s the boss, Diana Ross; and on Friday, the…
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4 Feet Tall, in Men’s Clothing, She Was an Artistic Genius in 19th-Century Italy
The idea that in order to succeed an artist must first suffer is one with a long history. In that sense, the life and work of Edmonia Lewis, the first black sculptor to gain an international reputation, is instructive, since art historians have judged that “the obstacles [she] overcame are unparalleled in American art.” She…
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How These Former Inmates Are Fighting for Prison Reform
Yusef “Bunchy” Shakur, Shaka Senghor and Chris Wilson are activists, community leaders and businessmen. They are also among the formerly incarcerated. The three are speaking out about their journey from prison to prosperity and why the American justice system needs to move away from mass incarceration and more toward rehabilitation and reform. Their efforts as…
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Mich. Woman Shot Up McDonald’s Drive-Thru After Botched Bacon Order
A Michigan jury found Shaneka Torres guilty of shooting up a McDonald’s drive-thru window because employees at the fast-food chain twice forgot to add bacon to her cheeseburger order, the New York Daily News reports. Both encounters happened on the same day in February 2014, when Torres placed an order for a cheeseburger with bacon.…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
