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RIP, Frankie Knuckles
The legendary Frankie Knuckles, the “godfather of house music,” passed away at the age of 59 on Monday. Knuckles’ longtime business partner, Frederick Dunson, confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that Knuckles died unexpectedly of complications related to diabetes. The Grammy Award-winning producer and DJ, who was born Francis Nicholls in the Bronx, N.Y., on Jan. 18,…
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Single Mothers, Sons and the Sex Talk
I remember the day as if it were yesterday. My son, who was 11 years old at the time, excitedly walked into my room in the middle of the afternoon. “Mommy, I’m a man now!” I choked on my water, literally. I sat there with my mouth wide open and really didn’t know what to…
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Dream Defenders Confront Florida Legislators
The Dream Defenders are sticking to their goal of making sure their voices are heard by protesting inside Florida’s Capitol in Tallahassee Tuesday morning, the first day of Florida’s 2014 legislative session. The group, an organization of young people fighting systemic injustice toward communities of color, stepped into the spotlight after the shooting death of…
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Hateful and Hurtful: Colorism Is Alive Within Our Kids
My first experience with colorism as a child wasn’t exactly a personal experience. In our house, there were four kids, two light and two brown. My brother and I were the brown ones. It’s not as though we cared, either, or even noticed. We did things kids do on a daily basis: went to school,…
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There Are Tons of Black Female Comedians for 'SNL'
Kenan Thompson is way off the mark in suggesting that the reason Saturday Night Live has too few black female comedians is that there aren’t enough funny, talented black women for the job, Yesha Callahan argues at Clutch magazine. In a recent interview with TV Guide, Thompson removes all blame for Lorne Michaels, the executive producer…
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Tyra Banks in Whiteface Is Not Reverse Racism
In a piece at Clutch magazine, Yesha Callahan cautions against claiming reverse racism about Tyra Banks’ participation in a photoshoot emulating white supermodels in which she appears lighter. Although Callahan doesn’t particularly like the photos, she has a hunch that much of the outcry stems from the backlash white people receive when they appear in…
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Despite Protests, R-Word Stays in 'Washington Redskins'
Writing for Clutch magazine, Yesha Callahan rounds up the back-and-forth between advocates such as members of the Congressional Native American Caucus and the NFL brass they’re lobbying to get the r-word removed from the football team’s name. It’s an ongoing effort that does not appear to be successful. (Team owner Dan Snyder has said, “We’ll never…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
