-
16th Street Baptist Church: Still Standing
(The Root) — The doors of Birmingham, Ala.’s 16th Street Baptist Church are open seven days a week, and almost every day, visitors from across the country and around the world come to see the place where a bomb killed four little girls Sept. 15, 1963, at the height of the struggle for civil rights…
-
A Black French Woman Smiles at Freedom
(The Root) — This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black in Western Art Archive at Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. A young black woman, her face timeless yet somehow familiar, looks down with a sideways glance, her lips parted…
-
Can You Grant Permission to Use the N-Word?
No one can grant anyone else permission to use the n-word, Gene Demby argues at the NPR blog Code Switch. There isn’t a consensus on whether or not black people should use it, and although white people aren’t encouraged to use it, there’s wiggle room there, too, depending on the person and context. There’s this…
-
Black Women and 'Strip Club Chic'
Even though celebs like Nicki Minaj frequent strip clubs, black women should think critically about supporting such venues, Monique John argues at For Harriet. Historical exploitation of the black female body makes the decision all the more personal, political and complicated. Nicki Minaj. Rihanna. Diamond. Young B. These celebrities have made going to the strip…
-
George Zimmerman Involved in Gun-Related Incident
Twitter is in an absolute uproar in response to reports that George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of murder in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, has been involved in another incident involving a firearm. The Associated Press is reporting that George Zimmerman’s wife summoned police to her father’s house in Florida on Monday…
-
Obama's Syria Plan: Ill Conceived, Ill Timed
(The Root) — President Obama’s decision to pursue military action against Syria (he’s currently trying to rally congressional and public support) in response to the Bashar al-Assad government’s use of chemical weapons is unfolding as a major foreign policy error, one that may severely undermine American credibility abroad and domestic priorities at home. Obama’s march…
-
Black Jobs Crisis: Could GOP Do Better?
(The Root) — After five years of nonstop bad news regarding black unemployment, the Obama administration was finally able to celebrate some good news last month, or so it seemed. In July African-American unemployment dipped to 12.6 percent, a small but significant change from June’s 13.7 percent unemployment rate — and substantially lower than the…
-
Lessons From the Birmingham Bombing
(The Root) — Sept. 15 marks the 50th anniversary of perhaps the most tragic episode of the civil rights movement. On that day Denise McNair, 11, Carole Robertson, 14, Addie Mae Collins, 14, and Cynthia Wesley, 14, were killed in a terrorist-sponsored explosion at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Their deaths overtook…
-
Who Is the Real Black Candidate?
(The Root) — While the New York City mayoral campaign may appear issues-based, a closer look reveals blurred lines linked to race. In elections, perception is often everything, and politicians charming the public with their families is nothing new. But a white candidate wooing potential African-American voters with his black family and liberal politics is…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
