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Position of Trayvon Martin's Hands Key in Trial Opening
Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart says that former neighborhood-watch captain George Zimmerman lied about the positon of Trayvon Martin’s hands after the scuffle that resulted in teen’s death. Already skeptical of Zimmerman’s claim of getting on top of the teen after shooting him to “push his arms apart,” Capehart explains that that encounter never happened and…
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Paula Deen and Serena: 2 of a Kind
(The Root) — If she who is without sin should cast the first stone, then perhaps she who is with sin should just shut up, taking her rock and heading home before the walls come crumbling down around her. Nowhere does this modern twist on the oft-quoted Bible verse seem more apt than in the…
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Is the Voting Rights Act Outdated?
Derek Thompson, a senior editor at The Atlantic, says that voter-registration data provided by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts supports the argument for striking down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. This morning, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional. Writing for the…
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How to Update the Voting Rights Act
In a piece at the Huffington Post, George Washington University Law School professor Spencer Overton maps out how Congress can effectively deal with Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision to limit a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act. He says the law is salvageable through bipartisan congressional support. Five Supreme Court Justices just rolled back the most…
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They Got the Beat: 20 Black Music Producers
In honor of Black Music Month, we’ve created a list of the top black music producers working today. The list is a mix of the well-known and the up-and-coming, which means the sounds you hear booming out of car windows this summer will most likely have been created by one of these top black producers.…
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Mandela Smiles on Hearing of Obama's South Africa Trip
Nelson Mandela “opened his eyes” and smiled after being told of President Barack Obama’s imminent visit to South Africa, according to NBC News, which cites reports from the ailing former leader’s daughter. The news only adds to speculation that the two men might meet. The 94-year-old remains in a critical condition, South Africa’s government said…
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Clarence Thomas: Race Traitor?
(The Root) — One of the most destructive epidemics plaguing the black community for years is the notion that there is a specific way to “act black” versus “acting white.” The destructive part is the idea that acting white is synonymous with speaking grammatically correct English and having high academic achievement, while “acting black” is…
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R&B Pioneer Bobby 'Blue' Bland Dead at 83
The New York Times is reporting that Bobby “Blue” Bland — the soulful balladeer who gave us hits like “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” (which Jay-Z sampled on his 2001 album, The Blueprint), “I Pity the Fool” and “That’s the Way Love Is” — has passed away. He was 83. The…
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Chris Brown Goes on the Defensive
(The Root) — Chris Brown is speaking out against allegations that he was involved in a hit-and-run. According to TMZ, the Los Angeles city attorney has charged the singer with leaving the scene of an accident without exchanging the proper information and with driving without a license. He could also be subject to probation-violation charges,…
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Social Media Helps National Zoo
(The Root) — It was the most adorable jail break ever: Rusty, a red panda, disappeared from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., yesterday. The cute little guy just wanted a chance to kick up some dust on the outside for a bit. Roll around in some daisies, maybe. Make friends with a baby otter.…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
