culture
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Shaping Conversations Around What #SafetyIs in Black Communities
Throughout the summer, new hashtags representing the names of black and brown people who have lost their lives to police violence have flooded our social media feeds. #KorrynGaines, #PhilandoCastile, #AltonSterling and hundreds more people’s lives have been tragically cut short at the hands of police. This week, on Tuesday, communities came together under a different hashtag,…
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Korryn Gaines May Have Been a Sovereign Citizen. Here’s What You Need to Know
On Aug. 1, Korryn Gaines reportedly holed herself up in her Baltimore home refusing police entry. The reason the police were there in the first place is still sketchy. Initially it was reported that the 23-year-old mother was being served a warrant for a failure to appear in court, and now news has come out…
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George Zimmerman Punched in the Face After Bragging About Killing Trayvon Martin: Report
George Zimmerman won’t stop talking about killing Trayvon Martin, except this time, he apparently got punched in the face for it. According to witnesses who spoke with CNN, Zimmerman walked into a Florida restaurant and bragged about killing the unarmed teen in 2012. Joseph Whitmer told the news station that he and some friends were sitting…
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Take the Shot: Adults Need Vaccinations, Too
Nearly all of us remember suffering through multiple vaccinations as children, for everything from the measles and polio to those painful tetanus inoculations. But medical experts are warning that older adults, particularly African Americans and Latinos, are disproportionately at risk for preventable illnesses because they are not getting vaccines themselves. “I’m urging all adults, especially…
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Antonio Sabato Jr. and Stacey Dash Believe Stumping for Trump Got Them Blacklisted From Hollywood
Pop quiz (and bonus points if reading those words made you think of Tamia): When is the last time Antonio Sabato Jr. was poppin’? Most will likely answer the early to mid-1990s, when Sabato gained attention as a Calvin Klein underwear model and appeared in the legendary Janet Jackson video for her single “Love Will Never…
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Open Letter to White People Who Are Obsessed With Black-on-Black Crime
Dear Caucasian Brethren, I decided to sit down and write this letter to you because every time I try to have a nuanced conversation with you, I am interrupted by the same shrill refrain. Here is an excerpt from every conversation when I ask you to help me find a solution to a problem: Us:…
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8 Olympic Athletes Embrace Their Black Girl Magic in Rio
Long before the hashtag went viral, the Black Girl Magic that women of color exude has been omnipresent in the actions of both everyday and famous ladies alike—from the single mother who selflessly puts family before herself, to the fierce sisters who proudly rock their natural hair in all its glory, the brave activists like…
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All of a Sudden My Boyfriend Doesn’t Believe in Marriage
I’ve been with my boyfriend for two-and-a-half years. We’ve discussed marriage and looked at rings, at his request. Recently he’s been conflicted about whether marriage (as an institution) is for him. He says he loves me and doesn’t want to break up. I don’t know if this is a normal fear and I should give…
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In France, Black Lives Struggle to Matter, Too
I have an older cousin named Halima. She lives in Nimes, France, with her husband and 5-year-old daughter, named Hikma, who is an avid Frozen enthusiast (called La Reines des Neiges in French) and Beyoncé-in-training. For the most part, they live relatively peaceful middle-class lives. But every morning, Halima makes the trek from Nimes to…