culture

It was clear from the moment Ricki Lake was introduced as the host of this season’s Charm School on VH1 that there was going to be ‘90s talk-show-type drama on the set. Lake, who always managed to bridge the high-low divide on her syndicated gabfest, is the perfect headmistress for a racially mixed cast of…

This year, as we commemorate four decades of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, it is interesting to see how far children’s publishing has come in featuring books by African-American writers and artists. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards were established in 1969 to provide recognition for African-American authors and later illustrators of exceptional books…

On May 13, more than 200 protesters gathered outside the Detroit offices of House Judiciary Chairman and longtime Michigan representative John Conyers, who sponsored the controversial Performance Rights Act (HR 848). Known as the “performance tax,” the bill would require that radio stations pay yearly license fees for the right to play music on the…

California, Home of Sunshine and Progressive Thought, Upholds Prop 8 In keeping with voter sentiments from last year, the California Supreme Court has voted to uphold the state’s ban on gay marriage the New York Times reports. The Court cited a desire to honor the will of the people in making their 6-1 decision, a desire they apparently…

Thought there weren’t anymore ways to make being broke seem hilarious? Guess again. Funny or Die and rapper Common team up to tell the story of a super bad brotha out to get the bankers who did him wrong. Don’t mess with Dow Jones: He’ll put you in debt.

Almost two weeks ago, the Orlando Magic were teetering on the brink of elimination, and big-time doubts rose about the structure of their offense. Now, with a win on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they will be one game away from the NBA finals. It’s a dramatic turnaround, yet the Magic aren’t doing anything…

My teenage son is a college student in Chicago, where so far this school year at least 36 children and teens have been murdered, a rate of about one a week. It is a sad story only made sadder because the hopelessness of the situation shares the same geographic and psychic space as the enormous…

 Looking for a great big vacation this year? Two words: Mother Africa.   Sure, there is HIV/AIDS, poverty and war. But you can find all those things at home in the U.S., too. The blessings of the African continent make themselves apparent the moment you step off the plane. Nowhere else in the world will you…

In a strange way, Powell and Cheney come from the same place; as two important members of the first Bush administration, both made their mark as part of the team that declared victory in the Cold War. As more prominent players in Bush II, the clashed at that Cold War persists to this moment. Powell…

“If you are paying over $300 for a domestic ticket this year,” says Gerri Willismily: Times New Roman; color: #000000;”> of CNN, “you are paying too much.” The folks at FareCompare.com seem to agree, and they go as far as saying that now is the best time in a decade to fly. According to the…