culture
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Black Music Month Playlist No. 2: Cosby Ain’t the God We Made Him
Editor’s note: Every Friday for the month of June, aka African-American Music Appreciation Month, aka Black Music Month, we’ll be creating a Spotify playlist based on the news of the week. Check out the story behind last week’s playlist here. Talk about trials and tribulations. I don’t think the country has seen this much testifying…
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Watch: It Comes at Night Cast Names America’s Apocalyptic Disease
There’s a new thriller in town! Jordan Peele’s instant classic, Get Out, set the tone for a new type of thriller and proved that there’s nothing better than a fresh perspective on making people squirm in their seats. It Comes at Night has accomplished that feat, too! This new thriller, which opens June 9 and…
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Tracing Your Roots: I Want to Post the Names of My Ancestors’ Slaves
Her ancestor’s will named 13 slaves, and she seeks help getting this information to their descendants. Dear Professor Gates: My ancestors were slave owners in Victoria County, Texas. My three-times great-grandfather John James named 13 enslaved people in his will, dated Sept. 3, 1863, in Victoria County. They included three boys, named Woodson, George and…
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Un-American Terrorists Are Planning a Major Event for This Weekend
The man who applauded the actions of the 9/11 hijackers has teamed up with white supremacist organizations across the country to hold rallies in at least 26 American cities this weekend. The Southern Poverty Law Center—the country’s leading watcher of hate groups—reports that the hate group ACT for America and terrorist sympathizer Billy Roper have…
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Apparently, Free Speech Is a White Privilege
Less than 48 hours after an egomaniacal, snooty, three-toed, sloth-looking wet diaper joked about being a “house nigger” on Friday’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, white supremacists armed with bats, bricks and cans of Pepsi rioted in Portland, Ore., at what they deemed a “free speech rally.” The day after the “Portland Purge,”…
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Thirst Traps Are Body Positive, Too
Two months ago on a whim, I got my first tattoo. After an hour and a half, I emerged with a tiny Egyptian cross etched between my least favorite parts of my body—my breasts. It was a daily reminder not to ignore them and to finally start to embrace them. It’s safe to say I…
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The Jheri Curl Turns 40: A Look at the Most Iconic, Insulted and Revered Hair Craze Ever
The last time I saw someone wear a Jheri curl with a straight face was in the summer of 2015. In June of that year, retired NBA point guard Baron Davis appeared on ESPN’s First Take sporting a high-and-tight take on the activator swirl. His was in the big-Luther tradition of being “not quite right”;…
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#NeverForget: Bill Maher Once Questioned a Black Woman’s Blackness Over the N-Word
Friday’s moment when TV host Bill Maher uttered the n-word was not the first time he crossed the line where race is concerned. Long before Real Time With Bill Maher was a thing, Maher once talked over, insulted and questioned the blackness of veteran black actress Anne-Marie Johnson, all while arguing that white people should…
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#SaveUnderground: Aisha Hinds on Freedom Dreams and Revolutionary Art
Last week, WGN America announced that it had canceled the critically acclaimed and riveting historical drama Underground. Allegedly moving in a more conservative, programming direction, the network is leaving behind a show that introduced millions of viewers to the relatively unknown network. As the cast and crew confirmed and responded to the news, outraged fans—#TeamNoalee,…
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Solange, Pharrell and Friends Highlight Epic 10th Anniversary of the Roots Picnic
More than 10,000 music lovers flocked to Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia Saturday for the annual Roots Picnic. This year’s festival marked the 10th anniversary of the unofficial summer launch party and kicked off Black Music Month. Stars of the past and present came out to celebrate the historic event. Despite the absence of one its…