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Sex Suits Against Kevin Clash Dismissed
On Monday, a judge in New York City threw out three sensational lawsuits against Kevin Clash, the longtime voice of beloved Sesame Street character Elmo, according to the Daily News. In the suits, Clash, 53, had been accused of preying on underage boys. He resigned from the show last year after the scandal erupted. The…
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Why Didn't BET Let B. Scott Be Himself?
(The Root) — The 2013 BET Awards aired last night, and black folks across the Internet kept a watchful eye on it from beginning to end. Given BET’s record of less-than-stellar shows, I think it’s safe to say that many people watched hoping to catch the screwups as much as to see who performed, who…
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Black College Students in Trouble
(The Root) — Without a miracle intervention from Congress — which is looking increasingly unlikely with each passing hour — interest rates for student loans from the federal government will double as of July 1. This means that after today, a student seeking a loan will no longer enjoy a 3.4 percent interest rate; instead…
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Sentenced to Death Because He's Black?
(The Root) — Duane Buck may soon be facing execution in Houston’s Harris County, even though his death sentence is the clear product of racial discrimination. Now a petition has been launched at Change.org to win a new sentencing hearing for him. The jury was told that Mr. Buck was more likely to pose a…
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Serena's Wimbledon Loss Shocks Internet
(The Root) — The bad news just keeps coming for Serena Williams: first the Rolling Stone controversy, then the spat with Maria Sharapova. Now the tennis dynamo has been defeated by Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon. The defeat of the top-ranked Williams by the 23-seeded Lisicki is something no one saw coming. It marks the end…
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Top Moments From the BET Awards
Did you watch the BET Awards show last night? If so, you know there were a lot of memorable moments at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that are worth chatting about. The Associated Press lists five, including Charlie Wilson’s red coat. Kendrick Lamar and Miguel. Nicki Minaj’s chair. And where was Chris Tucker? CHARLIE WILSON:…
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An Attack on Abortion Is an Attack on Black Women
The war on women is an especially fierce battle for women of color and their access to health care, says France François at Ebony. Although placing restrictions on abortions affects all women, young women of color and low-income women would bear the brunt of any bill that restricts access to health services. Consider the following:…
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Quote of the Day: Gloria Naylor
Read the full quote 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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Nelson Mandela and President Obama
As President Obama tours South Africa while Nelson Mandela’s health is failing, Bill Keller at the New York Times compares the leadership styles of the two icons. Mandela, in his time on the political stage, was a man of almost ascetic self-discipline. But he also understood how to deploy his moral authority in grand theatrical…
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'Enter the Dragon' Actor Jim Kelly Dead at 67
On Saturday, Enter the Dragon actor and martial arts man James “Jim” Kelly lost his battle with cancer. He was 67 years old, reports the Associated Press. Sporting an Afro hairstyle and sideburns, Kelly made a splash with his one-liners and fight scenes in the 1973 martial arts classic. His later films included “Three the…

