crown heights
-
Ujamaa That! Annual Kwanzaa Crawl Brings $250,000 to Black Businesses in Gentrifying Harlem and Brooklyn
Even us anti-capitalists recognize that economic freedom is power in the good ole US of A. And as it relates to Kwanzaa, on this fourth day, we celebrate Ujamaa (ooh-jaa-mah), meaning cooperative economics and also, “shared wealth and work”, “economic self-reliance” and “obligation of generosity.” Last year, we feted Richelieu Dennis, and in 2017, it…
-
Peak Beckery: Brooklyn Woman Steals from Local Black-Owned Bakery, Then Calls Her Actions ‘Harmless’
We know, we know, we throw the word “Becky” around a lot in these parts. But sometimes, there really is no other word that qwhite captures that particular blend of Caucasity, entitlement, split ends and aggressive victimhood. “Becky” is such a thing that Merriam-Webster (a.k.a. the damn dictionary) says they’re keeping their eye on the…
-
Growing Pains: Colin Warner Was Locked Up for 21 Years for a Crime He Didn’t Commit
Many people dream of their lives being made into movies. Maybe Halle Berry or Denzel Washington will play you in your epic life story. Colin Warner’s life was recently made into a movie called Crown Heights, but it wasn’t the type of biopic Warner was hoping for. The movie told the story of Warner’s arrest…
-
Watch: Bullet Holes and Rosé: Exploiting Black Pain for Profit
Updated Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, 2:52 p.m. EDT: Becca Brennan, the owner of Summerhill, plastered over the holes in the wall that caused a storm of controversy when she referred to them as “bullet holes” in a press release, according to Gothamist. The repairs happened late Tuesday night. At a town hall in July, Brennan…
-
A Noose—No, 2 Nooses—Grow in Brooklyn
Not trying to be flip, but what can you say when lynching paraphernalia is being spread around the United States like Whole Foods in the hood? Last week, two more nooses were found in Brooklyn, N.Y., and this, of course, raises concerns about safety. “Nooses have been found, which obviously signify … lynching,” said Brooklyn…
-
Crown Heights Exposes a Very Common American Problem: Wrongful Conviction
The time is 1980. The place is the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in New York City. The man is 18-year-old Colin Warner. It’s a familiar scenario. An unarmed black man is walking through his own neighborhood, minding his business, when, within the blink of an eye, his whole life changes. Police officers pull up,…
-
Lakeith Stanfield Loves the Beauty, Curls and Challenges of Being Black
Black and Proud is a video series on The Root that focuses on the pride that our favorite black celebrities, tastemakers and thought leaders feel about being black. Many of them talk about our resilience and strength throughout history, and some talk about our undeniable talents, while others mention our dance skills, dopeness and more.…
-
‘Bye, Becky!’ Protests Erupt Over Gentrifyng Brooklyn, NY, Bar That Promoted Itself With Fake Bullet Holes Behind $12 Cocktails
On Monday a press release for a new “boozy sandwich shop” in Brooklyn, N.Y., went out, complete with a photo of a chichi cocktail in front of a “bullet hole ridden wall”—a wall the new owners said they were proudly keeping, but which turned out to be fake (at least the bullet holes were). By…
-
83-Year-Old Man Attacked, Robbed Outside NYC Senior Center
Ernest McCain, an 83-year-old veteran from Brooklyn, N.Y., was attacked and robbed by another man in his 60s outside a senior center in the New York City borough’s Crown Heights section Monday afternoon, NBC New York reports. McCain said he was leaving the senior center when a stranger came up to him and accused him…
-
Police Search for 15-Year-Old Mom and Infant Son Who Vanished From NYC Group Home
Early Wednesday morning, Shantay Howington, 15, and her 2-month-old son, Demontae, vanished from a Brooklyn, N.Y., group home, the New York Daily News reports. Police say that mother and son were last seen around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday at the group home in the New York City borough’s Crown Heights neighborhood. Authorities say the mother has…