culture
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Review: Star Has the Potential to Shine
A first look at the new series Star aired right after Empire Wednesday night. It has a great advantage: It’s a Lee Daniels production set in the music world. It also has a great disadvantage: It’s a Lee Daniels production set in the music world. Empire’s debut set the bar pretty high and went on to be…
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Empire Fall Finale Recap: The Cookie Effect
In the fall finale, “A Furnace for Your Foe,” Empire was at the top of its game with Cookie’s exploits, the seeds for a brutal family feud, sharp dialogue, good music and all the outrageous, over-the-top drama we love. Let’s go! Mayoral candidate Angelo Dubois and Cookie’s class-vs.-sass storyline is on display during a beachside…
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That ‘Uber Bae’ Story Is Hilarious, but What if the Driver Had Been a Woman?
Have you been following the online buzz about “Uber bae”? If you just wondered, “D, what are you talking about?” let me explain: Two friends—college students—go out to a party Saturday in Washington, D.C. Because a car is now completely optional because of Uber, they “call” for one. Mr. Driver arrives and is apparently bearded…
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Sandbranch, Texas: A Small Community Denied Water for Over 30 Years Fights Back
Sandbranch, Texas, a small unincorporated community in Dallas County, has been fighting for over 30 years to have access to clean running water, but between the machinations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Dallas County officials, the community continues to go without this most basic and critical of human rights. Sandbranch is located 14…
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6 Gift Ideas for Moms Who Keep It Fly Like Cookie on Empire
Does your mom have a closetful of animal print, hoop earrings for every occasion and a coffee addiction? Then she is like Cookie from Empire. Here are some gift ideas fit for the Lady Lyon in your life. Every busy woman should have a personal assistant like the fabulous Porsha, but sadly, there’s only one,…
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Maintain, Don’t Gain, This Holiday Season With These 5 Quick Tips
The year 2017 is ready to make its debut, and you may be ready for that “new year, new you” resolution. However, since the holidays come only once a year, a more manageable and realistic goal would be to indulge—in moderation, of course. So pass the eggnog and attend those holiday parties with a stress-free…
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Check the Facts: Increasing Our Media Literacy in the Age of Fake News
Fake news has been a frequently discussed topic throughout this year’s presidential election. It has been cited in some cases as having had an influence on the election, and in other cases, it has led to real-life consequences, with people purportedly duped by fake-news reports acting on the false information contained in them. Take, for…
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Reading Racism: Don't Let Books Become Victims of Our Discourse on Race
At a time when racist actions fill our newsfeeds and send us into a low-grade depression, the last thing we want to see is the n-word in our children’s schoolbooks. So the recent decision of a Virginia mother to ask that state’s Accomack County to remove Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird…
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Loving: Interracial Relationships in the Trump Era
In 1967 the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia legalized interracial marriage in all states. And nearly 50 years later, Richard and Mildred Loving’s brave story is portrayed in the film Loving, in theaters now. At this time in our nation’s history, however, race relations appear to be regressing, and since the conclusion of…