black history month
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Malcolm X Tells His Story in New Documentary Featuring Rarely and Never-Before-Seen Footage
In front of a rapt audience at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Malcolm X’s third daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, talked about witnessing the assassination of her father at Harlem’s Audubon Theatre and Ballroom on Feb. 21, 1965. “I’m told my mother placed her entire body over my sisters and me that…
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Before She Was 2nd: Daphne Maxwell-Reid Broke Beauty Barriers
Actress Daphne Maxwell-Reid is arguably best known for being second. Most remember her as Janet Hubert’s replacement in the role of Vivian Banks on the hit TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But Maxwell-Reid had groundbreaking firsts as a black woman: the 1969 cover of Glamour magazine, and homecoming queen at the prestigious Northwestern…
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The Hood Incubator: Oakland, Calif., Organization Empowers Black Communities to Take Ownership of Cannabis Industry [Retracted]
RETRACTED (6/12/18): This story has been removed because we have discovered it was in breach of our editorial standards. If you’d like to know more, you can read an editor’s note here. A cached version of the story is available here for transparency.
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Perfect Music Moments in Black History: Nina Simone’s ‘4 Women’
For a certain segment out there, I imagine that Jay-Z’s song “The Story of O.J.” introduced them to Nina Simone (born Eunice Waymon). The song samples her famous 1966 song “Four Women,” released on the Wild Is the Wind album. For those who were introduced to her through Jay-Z, I’m both happy and sad: happy…
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Why Black People Are Always Bringing Up Old Stuff, Explained
Hey, bruh, I’m back again for our weekly explainer. I thought we might talk about Black History Month this time. Sure! I always enjoy our talks. In 1915, black Harvard historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History with minister Jesse Moorland. So … Because haters gonna hate,…
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Lena Horne’s Family Responds to NYC Principal Accused of Blocking Black History Month Lessons
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, at 2:40 p.m. EST: Following reports that a Bronx, N.Y., middle school principal confiscated a poster of Lena Horne from a student, Jenny Lumet, granddaughter of the legendary actress, issued a statement to The Root on behalf of the Horne family: The Horne Family sends its love, support, and deepest…
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Boston Police Department Celebrates Black History Month by Honoring White Man
Apparently unable to find 28 black Bostonians worthy of recognition, the Boston Police Department decided that it would commemorate Black History Month by honoring the legacy of one of its most notable heroes: the great and noticeably Caucasian Celtics Coach Red Auerbach. Before you start calling this seemingly intentional oversight racist, allow me to explain.…
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Watch: You Have a Black Man to Thank for Your Video Games
All right, listen up, gamers. Gerald Lawson is the pioneer of games you almost never hear about. In the mid-’70s, he perfected the game cartridge, making it possible to play multiple video games at home. As a teenager, the electronics genius operated a radio station from a housing project in the Jamaica neighborhood of New…
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Black NYPD Commanding Officer Accused of Celebrating ‘Hate Group’ After #BlackLivesMatter Tweet
A black New York City Police Department commander is receiving sharp criticism from other law enforcement officers after her police precinct’s account tweeted out the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on Friday. According to the New York Daily News, Deputy Inspector Janice Holmes, who commands the NYPD’s 100th Precinct in the city’s Queens borough, is facing backlash from…