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Poll: Half of Americans Say Criminal-Justice System Favors Whites Over Blacks
Four in 10 Americans believe that race relations have gotten worse since President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, a new CNN/ORC poll has found. The poll’s findings come at a special time in American history as Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, Ala., during which several hundred individuals attempted…
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Philadelphia Police Officer Shot Dead Trying to Prevent a Robbery
Philadelphia Police Officer Robert Wilson III was shot dead Thursday in a GameStop by assailants who were about to rob the video game store, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Wilson, 30, was in the store carrying out his patrol duties when the attempted burglary began. Wilson engaged the robbers and gunfire was exchanged. “Officer Wilson was…
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American Crime Recap: Murder, Junkie Love and Family Dysfunction
On Thursday night, American Crime premiered on ABC and delivered every bit of drama that was promised in the previews. The show opens up with a 911 call from an unknown man telling the dispatcher that his neighbors “pretty much look like they’re dead.” Russ Skokie (Timothy Hutton) is woken up in the middle of…
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Ohio Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 90 Days for Showing ‘How to Die’ Film to Students
In an Ohio judge’s eyes, there were two offenses committed in a case involving a Columbus high school classroom. First, that a substitute teacher who couldn’t speak Spanish was brought in to be a long-term fill-in for a Spanish class. Second, that the teacher, Sheila Kearns, 48, showed the class an inappropriate film depicting 26…
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Miami Brothers Arrested on Charges of Kidnapping and Forcing Teenage Girl Into Prostitution
Brothers Bogacski Thomas and Tavarus Ballard, both 24, were arrested in South Miami Tuesday on charges they kidnapped a 16-year-old girl and forced her into prostitution. She was forced to have sex with approximately two dozen men every day, the New York Daily News reports. Thomas and Ballard are facing several charges, including human trafficking,…
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Without My Indentured Ancestor’s ‘Crime’ I Would Not Exist
My Colonial ancestor was a woman named Sarah Summers, who I believe was from England and sentenced to serve seven years in the America[n] plantations for an unknown offense. I believe her to have been a “seven-year passenger,” who arrived in Virginia in 1756, according to a mention in Peter Wilson Coldham’s book series, Bonded…
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Are You More NeNe Than Beyoncé? Take Our Quiz and Find Out!
In honor of Women’s History Month, The Root helps you determine which female star best represents you. Take our quiz and find out!
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Ben Carson Apologizes ‘Unreservedly’ After Saying Being Gay Is ‘Absolutely’ a Choice
Taking to Facebook Wednesday night, Ben Carson apologized for remarking that being gay was “absolutely” a choice, saying in a statement that his “choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues.” His apology followed an appearance earlier in the day on CNN, in which Carson offered that “a lot of people…
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Since Obama Marched in Selma 8 Years Ago, We’ve Made Progress—but We’ve Got More Work to Do
As the eyes of the nation turn to Alabama this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, it gives us a moment to reflect on the progress we’ve made since that time, including the election of the nation’s first African-American president, and the work that remains…
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US Justice Department Will Not Bring Federal Charges Against Darren Wilson
As is the case regarding George Zimmerman, the Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will not bring federal charges against now-former Police Officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., the New York Times reports. The Justice Department released an 80-page report detailing its investigation and found that while several witnesses were adamant about where…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
