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No Black Pope, but Twitter Has Jokes
We were warned over a month ago that it was possible but very unlikely that Pope Benedict XVI’s successor would be black. Yet some people evidently kept their hopes up that one of the African cardinals who were semi-in the running would be the next leader of the Catholic Church. When the white smoke was…
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Quiet Bias: The Racism of 2013
(The Root) — America is not yet done with the illness of racism, the electoral success of Barack Obama notwithstanding. Yet most white folks don’t want to talk about or hear about race anymore. And a good many black folks fret that it is strategically wiser for us to let it alone for now. I…
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White Smoke: New, Argentinean, Conservative Pope
It’s official. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit from Argentina, has been selected as the next leader of the Catholic Church. He’ll be the first-ever Latin American pope (to be clear, that’s a description of the region he calls home, not his ethnicity), he’s 76 years old and he’ll go by the name “Francis.” A…
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Strautmanis to Leave White House
Michael Strautmanis, who’s been by President Obama’s side since the very beginning of his Senate term, is leaving the White House — where he’s currently deputy assistant to the president and counselor for strategic engagement to Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett — at the end of next week, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The Chicagoan with deep…
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Florida Lt. Gov Resigns Amid Racketeering Scandal
Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has resigned amid a gambling, racketeering and conflict-of-interest scandal, NBC reports. The Republican was the first African-American official elected statewide in Florida and the first woman to serve as the state’s lieutenant governor. Carroll’s resignation letter to Gov. Rick Scott didn’t provide details about her reason for leaving. But Scott’s…
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Innocent Man Freed After 14 Years in Prison
On Tuesday, Johnny Williams, 37, of Oakland, Calif., spoke out publicly for the first time since a judge overturned his conviction for an attempted rape he had nothing to do with, NBC Bay Area reports. Amazingly, he didn’t seem the least bit bitter about the failure of the criminal-justice system, which was recently proved with…
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What Detroit Needs Is an HNIC
(The Root) — In her best-seller Dead Aid, noted African economist Dambisa Moyo said that what is needed for many poor countries suffering from corrupt, incompetent or ineffective leadership is a “benevolent dictator,” whom she defined as someone who is brave and powerful enough to push through necessary reforms. Despite the debate that ensued after…
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Black Feminists: Our Feisty History
As The Root celebrates Women’s History Month, here’s a look back at the black feminists who have charted the course for contemporary women’s progress. While authors like Pearl Cleage used a pen as their weapon, others, like Ntozake Shange, used the stage; still others, like the flamboyant Florynce Kennedy, used the law to protect women’s rights.…
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Black Feminists: Our Feisty History
As The Root celebrates Women’s History Month, here’s a look back at the black feminists who have charted the course for contemporary women’s progress. While authors like Pearl Cleage used a pen as their weapon, others, like Ntozake Shange, used the stage; still others, like the flamboyant Florynce Kennedy, used the law to protect women’s rights.…
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Google Equates Black Girls With Sex; Why?
(The Root) — Ever do a search in Google and get back some crazy result you weren’t expecting? A few years ago, I did a Google search on the term “black girls” to assist my nieces and stepdaughter in some stuff for school. What was the first search result? www.hotblackp—sy.com. I was horrified. But I…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
