culture

Just in from the Washington Post: Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has decided to appoint a prosecutor to examine nearly a dozen cases in which CIA interrogators and contractors may have violated anti-torture laws and other statutes when they allegedly threatened terrorism suspects, according to two sources familiar with the move. Holder is poised…

From the good folks of AroundHarlem.com: The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival annually assembles some of the finest musicians in the world who reflect Parker’s musical individuality and genius, to promote appreciation for this highly influential and world-renowned artist. The two days of free concerts take place in neighborhoods where Charlie Parker lived and worked, in…

MEND has decided the niceties with the government are over. From Al Jazeera: The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said the move to end the truce on on September 15 was in response to the government’s 60-day amnesty programme. The government has invited fighter groups to hand in their weapons in return…

The first lady stepped off Air Force One during the Obama family’s recent mini-vacation out West wearing a pair of moss-colored shorts. They were not the kind of knee-grazing Bermudas or pedal pushers that the fashion industry has long advocated as work-appropriate sportswear during the summer months. They were not tailored, nor were they masquerading…

LONDON—This city’s been long-known as a multicultural haven, a world capital boasting a bustling population of brown and black Brits. But there’s a sad truth here, one that’s been growing in intensity: Most of London’s young people of color are more likely than not to know someone whose life has been literally cut down by…

What’s worse is that this is NOT unbelievable. An editorial from the NY Times on Judge Sharon Keller and her decision to close the county clerk’s office thus eliminating Michael Richard’s last chance for appeal. From the Times: Judge Sharon Keller, the Texas appellate court judge who closed the clerk’s office before a death row…

When Tameka Foster posted the blog entry “She’s Pretty for a Dark-Skinned Girl…” on The Huffington Post, both celebrities and regular women alike celebrated her blog message on Twitter and Facebook. Unbeknownst to them, while they were saluting Usher Raymond’s soon-to-be ex-wife’s essay on skin complexion, author Aisha Curry, who wrote the book ‘Pretty For…

Originally posted on ESPN: Count me among those who seriously questioned whether “justice” was properly meted out to Donte’ Stallworth, the NFL wide receiver who spent only 24 days in jail after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter. Let me restate the obvious for the thousandth time: Michael Vick got almost two years in federal prison…

This article was original posted on The American Prospect: Last week, over 8,000 people lined up to be treated by medical volunteers at the Forum stadium in Inglewood, California. It was a rare moment of visibility for the hidden faces of the health-care debate — the 46 million Americans without health insurance, who have largely…