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Jackie's Widow: More Than a 'Baller Wife'
(The Root) — Thanks to the film 42, new generations are being introduced to one of America’s greatest legends, baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson. But though billed as a sports biopic, 42 has also introduced filmgoers to one of America’s greatest love stories. While much of the film focuses on baseball executive Branch Rickey’s unwavering, crucial…
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3rd Plea in FAMU Hazing Case
Caleb Jackson, 24, has entered a no-contest plea to charges of manslaughter in the case of the hazing death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion, the Huffington Post reports. That choice — which does not admit guilt but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him — came with an agreement to testify against…
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Black American's DNA at Center of Discovery
(The Root) — An African-American family is at the center of a discovery that researchers say pushes back previous estimates of how deep the roots of the human family tree are. Analyzing DNA provided by the kin of a man from South Carolina, they estimate that the most recent common ancestor of all humans with…
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The Living Legacy of 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'
Writing for the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Idea blog, Dr. Eric L. Motley, a vice president at the institute, explains the power of “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” which he read for the first time with his grandfather before he left home for college in 1992. Beginning that August summer day in 1992, when I encountered “Letter…
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Could Boston Tragedy Heal America?
(The Root) — Though we are still waiting for answers regarding the culprit and motives behind the Boston Marathon attack, one thing we do know is this: It is impossible to avoid comparisons of this tragedy to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. There were instant similarities — most notably the shock, followed immediately by the…
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Will Boston's Nightmare Affect London's Race?
(The Root) — I’m in France at the moment watching the horrible events in Boston and their effect on London. Brits who were there are returning to the U.K. with terrible tales to tell, some still in shock. It’s the same in France. The Boston marathon is a huge international event that many nations see…
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Threats to Voters Who Need Help at the Polls
(The Root) — Remember 102-year-old Desiline Victor, whose story President Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address? The entire country heard about how she stood in line for three hours to cast her ballot in the presidential election. A lesser-known fact: She also got translation help from an assistor in the community who…
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Quote of the Day: W.E.B. Du Bois
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. Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
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White Mandela Painting: 'Not Suitable'?
A painting by artist Kobus Myburgh was scheduled to be displayed as part of South African municipality’s celebration of World Art Day, but that plan has been scrapped, and the piece of art is locked up in a storeroom. Why? It depicted Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma as white, and former heads of state Hendrik…
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Black Designer Fuses European and African Culture for Collection
Today’s business market is more global than ever, with women making international boss moves from coast to coast. In a special series on women entrepreneurs of the diaspora, BlackEnterprise.com will bring you highlights on power females who have taken their passions and made them profitable — from North America to Europe to Africa and everywhere…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
