Fans Get Too Close to Rumi Carter at the ‘Cowboy Carter Tour’ Until They See …Jay-Z
Behind Florida’s Sheriff’s ‘We Will Kill You’ to Anti-Trump Protesters
What Black Men Secretly Want For Father’s Day
5 Gangsta Moves From Gov. Gavin Newsom Throughout the Years
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Cosby's Humor Honor
Bill Cosby, one of the country’s most enduring and familiar entertainers, has been selected to receive this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center announced this morning. Cosby, 71, has conquered many media platforms in his nearly 50 years in show business, from stand-up to recordings to television to publishing. His wide-ranging…
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John McCain Loves Black People
Sen. John Mccain is pushing hard for a presidential pardon for boxer Jack Johnson, America’s first heavyweight champion, and aside from O.J. Simpson, perhaps the most roundly hated, unliked and reviled black person among whites in the history of our country. That’s how disconnected McCain is: He thinks he can shore up his bonafides and…
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Wednesday's Headlines
Reuters: Taliban Spokesmen Say the Darnedest Things! WFAA: Police Misconduct Is for Quitters: Officer in Moats Incident Resigns ABC: Rio Plans to Wall in Slums, US: “Just Call it a ‘Housing Project’ and You’re Set” USAT: Calipari: ‘ I Do Not Walk On Water’, Leaving Feat to Obama, Jesus The Job: Conservation Can Be Deadly!…
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Mr. Obama in London
If there were ever a time for the average American to pay close attention to a president’s trip to an international summit, this would be it. Hopefully, this week’s G-20 summit in London will help to turn around the ailing global economy, but also, it may remind the American people—understandably preoccupied with domestic economic woes—that…
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The Living Link That Expired
I had only been teaching at Duke University for a few months when I caught one of my first public glimpses of John Hope Franklin. It was a chance encounter at a local supermarket—one of the many times I would encounter him during his daily routine. Flanked by my then-7-year-old daughter, I approached Dr. Franklin…
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John Hope, the Prince Who Refused the Kingdom
When I was 20, I decided to hitchhike across the African continent, more or less following the line of the equator, from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. I packed only one pair of sandals and one pair of jeans to make room for the three hefty books I had decided to read from cover…
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Help! My Industry is Dying
Yesterday I got an e-mail from the entertainment editor at King magazine soliciting pitches for the magazine’s July/August issue. I immediately started brainstorming potential story ideas. Six hours later I learned via a status update on a staff member’s Twitter profile that the magazine had folded. Yes, I am not ashamed to admit it: I like King magazine…
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Lord of the Ring
My boyfriend wants to give me an engagement ring for my birthday, and I’m all with it—except I know it’s going to be too small. He’s an understated kind of guy in general, and he makes a really good salary—but he hates being flashy. So I’m pretty sure the ring is going to be tasteful.…
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Re-discovering black people
ABC’s “Good Morning America” is doing a series called “Black and White Now” where I guess they are trying to figure out when racism will be over or not. They got a three-part series jumping off this week, and I swear I wish someone would just shoot me now. These programs about black people most…
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Travel Prep: Can the G-20 Summit Replace the American Consumer?
It’s encouraging to see that the dynamic between France and the NATO alliance is resuming a military footing. Last week, French troops rejoined the organization, which is currently supporting US-led efforts in Afghanistan—a break with 40 years of policy under president Nicolas Sarkozy’s predecessors. This cooperation with Barack Obama may, however not translate to the…