culture

Last summer, Brandon Jennings looked like a pioneer who would change the way that young men become professional basketball players. Now, he looks like just another teenager with NBA dreams. Jennings, a 19-year-old from Compton, Calif., had signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Arizona. He wasn’t planning on receiving a degree,…

Nine people have been confirmed dead in the DC metro crash from yesterday. Check out the WASHINGTON POST for ongoing coverage of this tragedy. POSTED THIS MORNING: A collision between two rush hour commuter trains resulted in the deaths of at least six people and injured seventy-six others in the late afternoon Monday. The accident…

Senator Roland Burris is no longer under investigation for perjury. According to BET, Illinois state prosecutors say that though the senator was not terribly open about conversations with disgraced governor Rod Blagojevich’s brother Robert, he didn’t lie about said conversations. Said State Attorney John Schmidt in a letter: “It is clear from the conversation that…

Photo illustration of the Obamas, Bed-Stuy 1989 style by Kristen DiFate. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Take this test online! ______________ Finish planning your own Do The Right Thing @ 20 house party with these free downloads! How to Rock it like it’s 1989 African Medallion coasters! LOVE/HATE four-fingered rings!…

Real hip-hop heads know that Islam and hip-hop have been longtime friends, feeding off each other’s energy. Muslim ideals of self-respect and social change have inspired some of the greatest emcees, and hip-hop is giving voice to the dreams and daily struggles of a generation of Muslims. This cross-pollination between Islam and hip-hop is vividly…

SCROLL down to begin the Do the Right Thing Compatibility quiz. Also: The politics of the first couple’s first date to see “Do The Right Thing” by Dayo Olopade. READ more of The Root’s DTRT @20 coverage Natalie Hopkinson: Why Mookie did the wrong thing. Teresa Wiltz: Spike’s woman problem DOWNLOAD The Root’s Official DTRT@20…

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THIS TRIVIA GAME! ______________ Finish planning your own DTRT @ 20 house party with these free downloads! How to Rock it like it’s 1989 African Medallion coasters! LOVE/HATE four-fingered rings! Do or Die Bed-Stuy Banner The Official Sal’s Pizzeria Box Michelle/Barack Compatibilty Quiz _______________ READ more of The Root’s DTRT @20 coverage

From the New York Times (via the AP): “The Supreme Court has ruled narrowly in a challenge to the landmark Voting Rights Act, exempting a small Texas governing authority from a key provision of the civil rights law. The court, with only one justice in partial dissent, avoided the major constitutional questions raised in the…

By now you’ve seen Do the Right Thing more times than you can count. But are you really “Bed-stuy Do or Die”? How well do you know Da Mayor, Sal, Buggin’ Out and Pino, Tina and Mother Sister? One way to find out. Take The Root’s trivia challenge and relive your favorite DTRT moments. Only…

Yep, it’s been 20 years since we all headed to theaters to check out Do the Right Thing. Back then Spike Lee movies were Events, almost sacred rituals that united all corners of the black community. On June 30, 1989, whether you lived in a big city or small one, down South or in the…