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Iconic Jazz Club Is Reborn in Harlem
When restaurateur and executive chef Alexander Smalls and his business partner Richard Parsons, former CEO of Time Warner and retired chairman of Citigroup, began scouting for spots in Harlem to fulfill their vision for fine dining and upscale entertainment about five years ago, they knew it would be an uphill battle. After settling on the…
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Cliven Bundy’s Black ‘Bodyguard’ and the Black-Friend Defense
We’ve all heard it so many times that it’s officially a cliché—everyone who says something that offends a particular group manages to conveniently claim that he has a “friend” in that group—and it’s supposed to be definitive proof that he can’t really be racist, sexist, homophobic or insert-whatever-phobic. The gold standard cliché among all of…
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NBA Enabled LA Clippers’ Owner and Now Must Oust Him
The News: The union that represents National Basketball Association players has demanded that Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling receive the “maximum” penalty for racist comments recently attributed to him, starting with a suspension for the remainder of the playoffs. “The players are not going to sit on the sidelines and allow decisions to be…
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A Raisin Still in the Sun
Editor’s note: For those who are wondering about the retro title of this black-history series, please take a moment to learn about historian Joel A. Rogers, author of the 1934 book 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof, to whom these “amazing facts” are an homage. Amazing Fact About the Negro No. 77: Which pioneering play introduced…
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Maybe White Girls Should Play With Black Dolls
When we hear about the importance of multicultural toys, it’s often in the context of giving black girls dolls that look like them to support their healthy self-image. While this is no doubt important, I wonder why we don’t do more to encourage white girls to play with diverse dolls, too. Let me explain. As…
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Columbus Short Needs to Clean Up His Act to Save His Career
Just when Scandal fans thought they’d said goodbye to their beloved show for the season, they received an unexpected opportunity to revel in the drama of their favorite primetime TV soap opera—for all the wrong reasons. On Friday night, ABC announced the departure of series regular Columbus Short. It was one of the few Scandal…
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Donald Sterling’s Long History of Racism and Offensive Remarks
The racist diatribe attributed to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is clearly not the first time he has been hit with such charges. The billionaire apparently has a long and storied history of making racially insensitive remarks, geared not only toward athletes, but prospective tenants looking to rent apartments in properties he owns. 1.…
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Obama Remarks on Alleged Racist Rant by LA Clippers' Owner
President Barack Obama on Sunday weighed in on the controversy embroiling Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, saying that his alleged racist remarks reflect the damaging legacy of slavery that still exists in the U.S., CNN reports. Obama said that while the country has made great strides in confronting the racial divide, the comments attributed…
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Bill Urges Schools to Teach Racial Import of Obama Election
Saying that Barack Obama’s election marked a “historic step in the effort towards equality in the United States,” California lawmakers last week passed a bill to encourage schools to teach students about the racial significance of his presidency, the Associated Press reports. The California Assembly, with unanimous bipartisan support, passed the measure Thursday. It now…
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Chicago Anti-Violence Advocate Fatally Gunned Down
Leonore Draper spent hours working to end violence on the streets of Chicago. But Friday, she became a victim of it herself when she was fatally gunned down outside of her home, NBC News reports. The 32-year-old was shot in the arm and chest while returning home to her West Pullman neighborhood from a fundraiser…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
