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Charges Against Rekia Boyd Cop: ‘An Exception to the Rule’
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., scholars and the lawyer who represented Rekia Boyd’s family in a civil suit expressed surprise this week that a white off-duty Chicago police officer has been charged in the shooting death of the unarmed black woman. “The fact that the officer in this case was charged is an exception to…
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Why a Supreme Court Challenge of Obamacare Matters
Despite the seemingly endless bad press that the rollout of the Affordable Care Act has received in recent weeks, supporters of the Obama administration and “Obamacare” could take comfort in one thing: Aside from Sen. Ted Cruz et al’s blustering, overturning Obamacare was virtually impossible. That is, virtually impossible at the legislative level, something critics…
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Quote of the Day: Yvonne Brathwaite Burke on Politics
Read more about Yvonne Brathwaite Burke’s decision to go into politics here. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and founding director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. He is also the editor-in-chief of The Root. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
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A Quick Act Saves a Child From Slavery
“And then the paddy rollers came, and they threw me in a ditch.” For most of my mother’s life, she held on to this puzzling fragment of conversation from her paternal great-grandmother, Nancy Scott. Mrs. Scott lived into her 90s. And when she was very old she held my mother, Cynthia, on her knee, and…
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Yes, Single Women Can Send Photo Holiday Cards
“I’m a 32-year-old successful, fun, funny, energetic, attractive and—wait for it—single! African-American woman. Does that mean I can’t send a photo holiday card featuring an image of myself? I’m being serious, and in the interest of full disclosure, I’ve already done this once, two years ago (skipped a year just because of a busy travel…
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A Child, a Singer, a Comic Top Philanthropy List
Teresa Wiltz is senior staff writer at Stateline, the journalism outlet of the Pew Charitable Trusts. ’Tis the season for giving—and some folks give a lot more than others. Some are celebrities wielding big checkbooks, while others are working behind the scenes, donating their time and talent. But whoever they are, they’re all about uplifting…
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Black Friday: Wal-Mart and the High Cost of Low Wages
A sign posted near several plastic containers at a Wal-Mart in Ohio says it all: “Please donate food items so associates in need can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.” News of the in-store food donation efforts sent shockwaves across the country, once again shining a light on Wal-Mart’s hypocrisy: How can a company that raked in $15.7…
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What It's Like #LivingWhileNatural
Welcome to this year’s 30th installment of “Hey black girl. Your hair makes me uncomfortable, so it’s wrong. Please do something else with it.” Vanessa VanDyke, a 12-year-old student at Faith Christian Academy in Orlando, Fla. was told by school officials that she had one week to choose between her glorious hair or expulsion. “It says…
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The Root 100 Season 2 Premieres on Aspire TV
Want to know why Jamal Simmons calls writer-director Issa Rae “hilarious”? You’ll find out when you tune in Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET to the season 2 premiere of Aspire TV’s The Root 100. The series, co-hosted by Suzanne Malveaux, features Simmons’ up-close interviews with some of the most influential African-American leaders and innovators…
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Why It Matters That Angelina Jolie’s White Child Plays With Black Dolls
Angelina Jolie is known for her unconventional family, which includes three biological children with longtime partner Brad Pitt and adopted children from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Her multiracial and multicultural family has generated headlines, most notably when critics have felt the need to weigh in on her Ethiopian daughter Zahara’s hair. Some challenged Jolie’s ability…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
