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Stephen A. Smith: The New Don Lemon
(The Root) — Apparently, former sports journalist and current TV pundit Stephen A. Smith saw all the fun Don Lemon was having blaming black people for white people’s behavior and wanted a piece, too. This morning on ESPN’s Sports Center, Smith commented on the recent Riley Cooper controversy, essentially blaming black people for Cooper’s hurling…
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Jay Z-Belafonte Feud: A Generational Divide
(The Root) — Hip-hop mogul Shawn Carter, aka Jay Z, and legendary singer and human-rights activist Harry Belafonte have been recently embroiled in a highly publicized dispute over the responsibilities of black icons to the larger African-American community. Belafonte, who has effortlessly wedded a successful international career as a singer, dancer and actor with vocal…
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LAPD to Implement Racial Mediation Program
In light of rising racial tensions in America, the Los Angeles Police Department has announced that it is implementing a three-year, voluntary racial-mediation program. The plan calls for officers and citizens to talk out their differences — face-to-face. According to the Huffington Post, the Community-Employee Mediation Pilot Program is a chance for both “officers and accusers…
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Jesse Jackson: Florida Is the 'Selma of Our Time'
The Rev. Jesse Jackson apparently struck a nerve among some members of the Grand Old Party during a recent visit to Florida, when he spoke with the Dream Defenders, a group of young activists and professionals, at the state Capitol. While discussing efforts to repeal Florida’s “Stand your ground” laws, he used the phrase “Selma…
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Oprah: My Friends Don't Use the N-Word
In a Q and A with Parade magazine that also features director Lee Daniels and actor Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey reveals her thoughts on the n-word and racism and discusses her role in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which will be in theaters Aug. 16. The film, which raises questions about race in America, stars Whitaker…
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Blacks More Optimistic Than Whites About Economy
Optimism among minorities in the U.S. about their economic future now outpaces that of whites by the widest margin since at least 1987, the Associated Press reports. The findings come after the AP reported that four out of five adults have struggled with joblessness, near-poverty or dependence on welfare for at least part of their lives,…
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Why We Love 'Orange Is the New Black'
(The Root) — Netflix’s original series Orange Is the New Black has taken the Internet by storm since its release July 11. Not everyone is on the bandwagon, but many are lauding the show, describing it with words like “addictive,” “fresh” and “ambitious.” We’re big fans of the show, too, and Orange Is the New…
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Quote of the Day: Martin Luther King Jr. on Love
Read the quote in its full context here. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute 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.
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The Death Penalty: How Long Will It Survive?
(The Root) — On May 7, officials at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, better known as “ol’ Parchman,” planned to strap Willie Jerome Manning to a gurney and pump a lethal cocktail of drugs into his veins at precisely 7 p.m. But just five hours before he was set to die, the state’s Supreme Court halted…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
