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  • We Can’t Ignore the Link Between Ferguson and Those Attica Prison Guards’ Brutality

    On Monday President Barack Obama, surrounded by members of his President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing—created in the wake of last year’s grand jury decisions in the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner—announced policy recommendations to local law enforcement as a response to the outrage generated by a nationwide epidemic of police…

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  • Need Ideas for a Date Night? Work Conference? Boys’ Weekend? Check Out the National Black Calendar

    The Root has officially launched the National Black Calendar, an events-listing website that will capture goings-on across the nation of interest to an African-American audience. Whether you’re looking to plan the perfect date night with your beau, curate an itinerary for a bachelorette weekend in Las Vegas, track down professional conferences relevant to your industry or…

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  • Reggie Love: Catching Up With the Guy Who Used to Spend 15 Hours a Day With President Obama

    Don’t even bother asking Reggie Love about that infamous card game that he and President Barack Obama reportedly played while Navy SEALs were en route to Abbottabad, Pakistan, with orders to kill Osama bin Laden. Because the only thing Love was willing to say during an interview about his new book, Power Forward: My Presidential Education, is that…

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  • Why a Black King Appears in Christ’s Family Tree

    This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black Archive & Library at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. Within the flowering branches of a divine version of the genealogical tree, eight biblical kings flank a majestic vision of…

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  • Obama’s Task Force on Policing Says Cops Need Better Training to Ease Tense Situations

    In December, President Barack Obama commissioned a task force to come up with recommendations on how to deal with recent police killings of unarmed black men and the distrust that working-class communities feel toward law enforcement as a result. On Monday, the President’s Task Force on 21st-Century Policing issued its proposals (pdf), including that “there should be…

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  • Tenn. Lawmaker Says the ‘W’ in Her ‘NAAWP’ Comment Stands for ‘Western,’ Not ‘White’

    Rep. Sheila Butt, a member of Tennessee’s House of Representatives, drew the ire of her black counterparts Thursday when she tried to backpedal away from her use of the abbreviation “NAAWP.” Her critics argue that the initials make a mockery of civil rights organization the NAACP, WKRN reports. Butt responded to a Facebook post about…

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  • Cathay Williams: She Pretended to Be a Man to Enlist as a Buffalo Soldier

    Who was the first (and only) female buffalo soldier? In November 1866, an African American named William Cathey, along with two companions, enlisted in the U.S. Army in St. Louis. Described by the recruiting officer as 5 feet 9 inches tall, with black eyes, hair and complexion, Cathey stated that he was 22 years old…

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  • Glittery Blackface Models Spark Backlash at Milan Fashion Week

    Protests erupted last week after models for an Italian designer emerged on the catwalk sporting glittery blackface at Milan Fashion Week. Claudio Cutugno presented his collection on Feb. 24 as part of his all-black themed show, which featured sheer blouses and feathered embellishments, according to E News. “I’m all for unique and interesting styles that…

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  • Fla. Police Chief Fired After Arrest in Prostitution Sting

    A South Florida police chief found himself on the wrong side of the law last week after he was arrested on a charge of soliciting a prostitute. Miami Gardens Police Chief Stephen Johnson, 53, was fired late Friday after he was arrested at a Dania Beach motel during a sting operation conducted by the Broward…

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  • Watch: Obama and Aretha Franklin Deliver Emotional Farewell to Eric Holder

    A celebration Friday for outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder brought tears to President Obama’s eyes during a performance by Aretha Franklin, who “literally” sang his praises, CNN reports. “I think about all the young people out there who have seen you work and have been able to get just an innate sense, without knowing…

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