Barack Obama
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Why Tika Sumpter Was So Nervous About Playing Future First Lady Michelle Obama
In coming months, we will be inundated with the endless highlights from our first black president’s historic two terms. One of the most delightful developments over the first family’s eight-year stay is the emergence of first lady Michelle Obama. Is there any doubt that she helped spark the #BlackGirlMagic that is our reality more and…
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President Obama to Visit Baton Rouge
President Barack Obama is scheduled to travel to Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday to get a firsthand look at the damage left by floods that have devastated the area. According to the White House, Obama will hear from local officials about the response to the disaster and will talk about how the federal government can assist and…
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Democrats for Education Reform Seek to Empower Parents and Strengthen Black Communities
In a piece entitled, “Democratic Political Infighting Over Education Harms Black Families,” which was published on The Root last month, Dr. Andre Perry claimed that our organization, Democrats for Education Reform, not only “attacked” Hillary Clinton—because our position on charter schools differs from that of the former secretary of state—but also that we have broken away…
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Pushback Against the NAACP's Anti-Charter School Stance Is Misguided and Self-Serving
In calling for a moratorium on all charter schools, the NAACP has declared, after years of discussion, that it’s concerned enough about local governance, millionaire charter school board members and public fund-spending to take a stand. While there are a plethora of arguments to be made, for me it all comes down to following the money. Full…
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Marc Lamont Hill on Voting Green, Not Being Afraid of Trump: 'We Can Afford to Lose an Election; We Can't Afford to Lose Our Values'
Marc Lamont Hill—Morehouse College Distinguished Professor of African-American Studies, New York Times best-selling author of Nobody, VH1 talk show host and a much-sought-after political and cultural commentator—swung by 105.1’s The Breakfast Club to chop it up with D.J. Envy, Charlamagne tha God and Angela Yee. Hill not only talked about his road to success—from dropping out…
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Watch: Obama Gets Hype for Blistering DNC Speech by Listening to Eminem's 'Lose Yourself'
If you thought President Barack Obama bodied his swan song speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, you can thank the one and only Slim Shady for getting POTUS amped up. Obama can be seen backstage with his face screwed up, bobbing his head to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” the ultimate get-amped song, with lyrics…
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8 GIFs to Celebrate Obama’s Birthday
Revered (and also hated) by many, President Barack Obama has had his fair share of GIF-able moments over the past eight years. And though his time in the Oval Office may be coming to an end, we’ll never forget his lasting legacy, as well as the entertainment he’s given us throughout his time as the…
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President Barack Obama Commutes Sentences for 214 Federal Inmates
President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 214 federal prisoners Wednesday, granting the most commutations in a single day in more than a century, Time reports. According to the White House, Obama has now officially commuted the sentences of 562 men and women “incarcerated under outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws, including 197 individuals who…
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Black Folks Don’t Need Education Reform; We Need a System We Can Call Our Own
The scant mention of Democrats’ official platform on K-12 education on the main stage at the Democratic National Convention last week was clearly a political effort to distance the party from the fray. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has backed off many hallmarks of the accountability era that started with the passage of No Child Left…
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10 Things I’ll Miss When the Obamas Leave the White House
Although the Democratic National Convention was intended to be a celebration of Democrats, Democratic values, and (in comparison with the Republican National Convention) sanity and science, it was a bittersweet week for much of America, since it also was perhaps the last time we’ll see the Obamas on a national stage as president and first…
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