culture
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Prince Stopped Cursing in His Music Because of Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali, who died Friday, was one of the most inspirational figures in the world, both inside and out of the boxing ring. His words and deeds were a call to action for many, but it was the words he didn’t use that led Prince to stop cursing in his music. The artist known for some of…
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Obama on Ali: He ‘Shook Up the World. And the World Is Better for It’
On Saturday, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama shared their thoughts on the death of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Here is their full statement. Statement from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on the Passing of Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali was The Greatest. Period. If you just asked him, he’d tell you. He’d tell…
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A Silenced Ali Was a Likable Ali for White People
“I am the greatest.” There will be thousands of well-deserved tributes to Muhammad Ali, and all will talk about his transformation from heavyweight boxing champion to international humanitarian. And that is important to note. But the thing most will miss is how Ali’s voice—a bold black and Muslim voice that spoke eloquently for the aspirations…
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That Time Muhammad Ali Beat Superman
The best thing about going to my barbershop as a little kid in the mid-1970s was the Muhammad Ali pinball machine. Black power had faded, to be replaced by Afro Sheen. This was the period when Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, and Earth, Wind & Fire were pushing the boundaries of spirit,…
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Watch: 10 Entertaining Moments With ‘the Champ,’ Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali had a lot of classic moments. Enough for several lifetimes. As we mourn his passing, let’s take a look at 10 televised moments when the original “Greatest of All Time” mingled with TV hosts and entertainers, always keeping it sweet, keeping it blunt, keeping it funny and keeping it real. 1. The always blunt Ali…
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Muhammad Ali, From Fiery Young Man to Serene Survivor, Dead at 74
One of boxing’s most legendary fighters, Muhammad Ali, died Friday, June 3, in Arizona after being hospitalized for respiratory problems. He was 74. Ali had long been in decline as a result of the Parkinson’s symptoms he developed soon after his boxing career ended. As celebrated as he was for his performance inside the ring—amassing 56…
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He Wants to Marry Me, but He Doesn’t Want to Buy an Engagement Ring
My boyfriend wants to get married but doesn’t want to buy an engagement ring. Money isn’t an issue. He has a good job, a home and a luxury car. He wants simple gold bands. I want a diamond ring. He thinks a diamond is a waste of money and the industry is a scam. The…
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5 Things to Avoid if You Want to Have a Good Time at a Bachelor Party
Inside the black time capsule from the year of our Lord 1999, you’ll find a number of items evoking the spirit of the time: a CD-ROM single of C-Murder’s stroll classic, “Down for My N—gaz”; a 5X, Latrell Sprewell New York Knicks jersey; a copy of Zane’s Sex Chronicles. If you move aside the pile…
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Shaming Angela Simmons for Her Pregnancy Shows How Screwed Up We Are When It Comes to Sex
For weeks, bloggers and social media viewers speculated about the pregnancy status of Angela Simmons—fashion designer, reality-TV star and daughter of the rap legend known as Rev. Run. It’s not an uncommon conversation, and happens to almost every celebrity with a newly announced engagement (Simmons announced hers last month) or who appears on a red…
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On Those Too Stuck On ’90s Nostalgia to Appreciate Great NBA Basketball Today
There are few ironies as clear and demonstrative as the fact that Michael Jordan—a man who from 1985 to maybe 2005 was perhaps the coolest man on the planet (and is still able to sell millions of shoes from the residue of that status)—has somehow emerged as a proxy for what is decidedly uncool. Of…