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Obama Doubles Down on Vow to Eradicate ISIS
President Barack Obama doubled down on his vow to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria—the terrorist group responsible for the recent beheadings of two American journalists—Wednesday during a press conference in Estonia. According to an Al-Jazeera report, Obama, using an alternative acronym for the group, issued this declaration: “Our objective is clear, and…
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Leaders of the New School: Hip-Hop Classes Across the Country
Did you enjoy Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city? There’s now a class for that. Multiple colleges are offering hip-hop-focused classes this fall. From courses on Jay Z to Tupac, these pop-culture classes are proving that rap is worthy of hefty academic study: 1. “Good Kids, Mad Cities” at Georgia Regents University This fall, students…
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I Found the Ship My Slave Ancestors Were On. What Now?
I would like help finding the parents of my slave ancestors Edward Wright and Adeline Boston (or Benett, we think). Both of them, my third great-grandparents, were shipped to Savannah, Ga., on separate dates on a ship called the Calhoun. Edward Wright was born in Essex County, Va., circa 1836 and died circa 1887 in…
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No, You Don’t Have to Buy Dinner for Your Date’s Kids, and She Shouldn’t Have Asked
There’s been a Facebook photo floating around lately in which a man details an odd occurrence on a date: I have no idea which group was asked this query, and in all my years—10-plus—listening to dating anecdotes from thousands of people and advising or coaching people through various mishaps, I have never heard of anything…
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Black America Needs Its Own President
Every so often, an incident symptomatic of deeper issues triggers a release valve for collective despair. The killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., sparked a movement much larger than concerns about the aggressive policing of black men. The marches and protests are a larger commentary about the economic and societal disenfranchisement of black people…
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Questioning the Deaths Dubbed ‘Houdini Handcuff Suicides’
A name has been given to the recently publicized rash of alleged gunshot “suicides” by young men of color who were handcuffed and in police custody: Houdini handcuff suicides. The moniker is an homage to the famed magician Harry Houdini, who staged jail escapes in shackles. It also highlights the puzzling circumstances under which Victor…
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Ferguson Is a Starting Point for a National Conversation on Race
On Sept. 15, at Tufts University’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, we will host the second annual National Dialogue on Race Day. This year’s program carries particular significance in light of the tragic death of Michael Brown and last month’s events in Ferguson, Mo., and we are committed to advancing a better…
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Black Is the New Face of American Comic Book Heroes
For better or for worse, there has been an increased effort to diversify the comic book realms of Marvel Comics and DC Comics over the past five years. Superheroes, many of whom have spent decades being household names, have been reinterpreted and transformed in ways that many have celebrated, while others have criticized. In essence, many…
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Keli Goff Leaves The Root to Join the Writing Staff of BET’s Being Mary Jane
As summer gives way to fall, The Root is feeling bittersweet about our own transition as Keli Goff, our special correspondent, leaves us to join the writing staff of BET’s Being Mary Jane. Goff joined The Root’s editorial team in 2012 and built a compelling catalog of articles that offer unique insight on topics ranging from politics…
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2nd Black American Fighting for ISIS in Syria Is Reportedly Killed
Abdirahmaan Muhumed is reportedly the second black American to have been killed while fighting in Syria for the jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to CBS News and KSMP-TV in Minneapolis. Muhumed was reportedly killed in the same melee that took the life of Douglas McAuthur McCain, the first American—and first black American—known…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
