• Affirmations by Kanye: 8 Most Egotistical Quotes

    Say what you will about Kanye West (and many people, including all of Twitter and President Obama, will join you), but the man loves himself. Here are some highlights from his, um, very confident recent interview with the New York Times. Look in the mirror and repeat some variations of these as affirmations if you’re…

    By










  • 'Fisher v. University of Texas': A Refresher

    (The Root) — Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, the case surrounding a white plaintiff’s challenge to the constitutionality of the diversity-based admissions policies of the University of Texas, is back in the news, with the Supreme Court decision coming any day. But it’s been a while since it was argued way back in…

    By










  • Why Hiding a Jury Won't Help Zimmerman Trial

    In a piece for Slate, Emily Bazelon explains why sequestering a jury, especially in such a high-profile case, does not work. She bases her argument on Supreme Court rulings and suggests that allowing jurors to live at home and read what they want won’t affect their final decision. In fact, it will help them be…

    By










  • Quote of the Day: Ralph Ellison on Culture

    Read more from Ralph Ellison 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. 

    By










  • Not Everyone Can Go Natural

    Teronda Seymore explains in Clutch magazine why her idea to go natural backfired horribly. By being afraid of “the big chop” and not cutting off her relaxer before transitioning, she ruined what was supposed to be a personal journey — and her tresses. It craved that creamy crack. I was relieved to find some under…

    By










  • N-Word, Rap and Black Friends: Awkward?

    (The Root) — “I’m a 34-year-old white male. Me and most of the guys I work with and play in a basketball league with listen to the same music: hip-hop (old and new) and rap. Of course some songs have the n-word in them. I’m one of the only nonblack guys in the group, which…

    By










  • Trayvon Martin: On Trial?

    It will be Trayvon Martin who will be judged in the trial, writes Eric Mann in ColorLines, not his murderer. Mann compares Trayvon’s character assassination to his own experience with anti-police-brutality campaigns during the 1960s. When I worked in the Newark Community Union Project in 1966-1968 in the city’s black south and central wards, we…

    By










  • New Twitter Account 'Live-Tweets' 1963

    (The Root) — This year marks the 50th anniversary of the year 1963 and the momentous things that happened therein. The assassination of Medgar Evers, the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, the March on Washington — many of the events that spring to mind when you think about the civil rights movement happened…

    By










  • Plan B: Did Fatherhood Influence Obama?

    (The Root) — When it comes to President Obama, about the only thing that Republicans and Democrats can agree on is that he has a beautiful family and is a loving father. Even his conservative critics lashed out at the National Rifle Association for referring to Sasha and Malia Obama in an anti-gun control ad.…

    By










  • Quincy Jones Curates Concert to Help Cure Cancer

    “Music can pull people together. It’s a strange animal. You can’t taste it, smell it, see it or touch it. It can change your life,” says Jones. The American Cancer Society (ACS) believes its mission runs parallel to Jones’ legacy. Read More: http://theburtonwire.com/2013/05/31/culture/quincy-jones-acs-concert/ TheBurtonWire.com is the premiere online destination for news, informed opinion and culture…

    By