-
How Trayvon's Brother Will 'Celebrate' Today
On the one-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death, his brother says he’ll indulge in one of the Florida teen’s favorite pastimes. Jahvaris Fulton rarely gives interviews. But on the anniversary, he spoke to MSNBC about how he’s coping and what he plans to do to reflect on the loss. While George Zimmerman’s shooting of the…
-
'The Wiz' in All White? Black Kids Boycott
The Wiz, an adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is described at the Guide to Musical Theatre website as “a black version of the perennial Wizard of Oz,” and by IMDb as an adaptation “of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ that tries to capture the essence of the African American experience.” But according to students…
-
Oscar Snubs Provide Fruitful Lesson
(The Root) — During February, there has been a lot of discussion about whether Black History Month is still relevant or needed, particularly because of the “racial progress” that blacks have made over the last few decades. In the Huffington Post, Trudy Bourgeois writes that “Black History Month Needs to Go” for a variety of…
-
Why the Onion's Crappy Apology Is Worthless
(The Root) — When I watched Quvenzhané Wallis telling the story of a little girl called Hushpuppy and her adventures living in a poor Bayou area in Beasts of the Southern Wild, I was enchanted by how well she articulated her life and the world around her. I had so much hope that she might…
-
A Baby, the N-Word and a Slap
The 60-year-old airline passenger’s recent attack on a toddler is as American as monster trucks, writes Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., arguing that his animus toward black people is woven through the fabric of our law, economics, health care, education, news media and culture. … So now, Jonah has received a lesson in How…
-
A Vivid Glimpse Into Slavery in Brazil
(The Root) — This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black in Western Art Archive at Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. This image permits a vivid glimpse of slavery in Brazil as it existed along the rough trails of its…
-
Trayvon Martin's Mother: He Was 'My Baby'
Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, tells Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart that she is “still in disbelief” over his death, not only because it was so sudden but also because he was just a teenager. “It was … you know, it was my baby,” she said. “From that day until now, I’m still in disbelief.…
-
Obama's Credibility Gap on Black Fatherhood
(The Root) — When President Obama gave a speech in his hometown of Chicago in a bid to address the city’s stratospheric gun violence, his remarks drew criticism, but not just from the usual suspects. While his gun-control remarks often spur complaints from the National Rifle Association, this time he also found himself under attack…
-
Three-Fifths Clause: Why Its Taint Persists
(The Root) — President James Wagner of Emory University recently asserted that the three-fifths clause of the Constitution is a good example of how people with differing political views can find common ground. He was referring to the provision in the U.S. Constitution, written in 1787, that counts each enslaved person as three-fifths of a…
-
Black Rage: The Continued Impact of Racism on Mental Health
Notwithstanding the recent saga of Christopher Dorner, Travis L. Gosa, Ph.D., writes at Ebony that very few black people ever snap and go “Rambo” or become real-life “Djangos” despite historic and ongoing racial discrimination. He examines the impact of black rage. A fired, ex-employee returns to work and goes on a shooting rampage. Or, a…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
