culture

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…

Excerpted from A Journal for Jordan by Dana Canedy, Pulitzer Prize-winner and senior editor for the New York Times Copyright © 2008 by Dana Canedy. Excerpted by permission of Crown, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the…

If it’s a choice between the mortgage payment and a long weekend away this summer, then, please, stay at home! But if you’ve got a little wiggle room, here are The Root’s picks for great black history road trips. Unless otherwise indicated, admission is free. The Southeast 23 Montgomery St. Savannah, Ga. 912-233-6597 Guided tours…

Citigroup Exec Goes Knucklehead Route, Has Child with Mistress The New York Daily News reports that Richard Parsons, who has been in enough of a professional pickle trying to get the Citigroup’s life together has apparently found enough time in his schedule for an extramarital dalliance with model/philanthropist MacDella Cooper that resulted in the birth of…

One Homeowner Down, Only 399,999 to Go ProPublica reports a baffling statistic regarding Congress’ plan to help homeowners facing foreclosure. The “Hope for Homeowners” plan, launched last summer, was set to help 400,000 homeowners from joining the ranks of the dispossessed. To date, it has managed to help just one homeowner. ONE. How does that even happen? That’s…