culture
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‘Gentler War on Drugs’ for Whites Is a ‘Smack’ in Black America’s Face [Retracted]
RETRACTED (6/12/18): This story has been removed because we have discovered it was in breach of our editorial standards. If you’d like to know more, you can read an editor’s note here. A cached version of the story is available here for transparency.
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Patti LaBelle Lost 2 Sisters to Lung Cancer; Now She’s Fighting to End the Disease
Award-winning singer Patti LaBelle has a personal stake in spreading awareness about lung cancer: She has two sisters who succumbed to the disease within two years of each other. Her sisters, Vivian and Jackie, both of whom she lost in the early 1980s, are why she joined the American Lung Association Lung Force initiative as a…
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Rapper Jahi Educates in the Classroom and From Behind the Mic
Jahi isn’t your average rapper. He doesn’t have to just worry about flow and lyrics when he tours with Public Enemy as part of the group PE 2.0. As an educator and pioneer of the African-American Male Achievement program in the Oakland, Calif., public school system, he has to wait until summer break, when the…
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Why You’re Wrong to Be Mad About Spike Lee’s Chi-raq Trailer
Quite typically, there’s a lot of controversy over the trailer for Spike Lee’s latest film, Chi-raq. This happens every time Lee releases a new film. Every. Single. Time. This time, folks are upset with Lee for the name of the film, a slang term merging the city of Chicago with the war-torn Middle Eastern country…
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Scandal Recap: Madam President
On this week’s episode of Scandal, strange alliances were formed, new enemies were made and Olivia Pope officially became the show’s villain. President Pope: Thanks to Olivia, who got her father, Rowan, released from prison in exchange for his blackmailing the members of the congressional impeachment committee, the impeachment investigations are over, Fitz Grant’s presidency…
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How to Get Away With Murder Recap: Who Shot Annalise?
The list of “Who shot Annalise?” suspects is growing. On an episode where Annalise and the crew rep a client accused of harassing someone until he killed himself, the real drama of who wants to kill Annalise gets going: Tell us how you really feel, Bonnie. Bonnie wants Annalise Keating dead. So, should the professor be afraid?…
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5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Talk About Your Ex on the Internet Like Eric Benét and David Justice Did
Earlier this week, a middle-aged black man named “David” and another middle-aged black man named “Eric” bonded over the memory of an ex they share. According to them, this ex’s public persona was much different from her private one, and since they were both painted as “the person in the wrong” when each of their…
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Empire, the Thrill Is Gone
Empire is a huge show. Season 1’s success caught everybody by surprise, including the people who created the show, and you cannot convince me otherwise. I even claimed, hyperbolically, that Empire was the best show on television for a number of paradoxical reasons. Each week, last season, the viewership grew, and for good reason. With…
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Empire Recap: Rush Hour
It’s the episode we’ve all been waiting for. In the final seconds of the last one, Hakeem got snatched off the street. Those previews were tense, huh? And thanks to the World Series, we had to wait two whole weeks. It’s gonna be a nail-biter; let’s go! At the Lyons’-den studio, Cookie is salty because…
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Bonded: Black Actresses Who’ve Shared the Screen With 007
It’s hard to think of a film franchise bigger than Bond. Dr. No, the first one, hit the big screen in 1962, and the latest one, Spectre, the 24th in the installment, opens Friday. During that 53-year span, the following five black actresses have orbited the 007 universe. Trina Parks: Diamonds Are Forever (1971)…