culture
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Man Uses Facebook to Brag About Sexually Assaulting His ‘Friend’
While I was scrolling through Facebook posts Tuesday, between pudgy, dancing babies and the latest political debate, one status stopped me cold. According to the post, in response to a woman who shared that she had recently been date-raped, a man decided to explain the mind of an alleged rapist by detailing how he had…
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Why I Hate Howard’s Homecoming Weekend
It’s Howard University’s homecoming this weekend, right? I think so. You’re not sure? No. I didn’t go to Howard and I don’t live in Washington, D.C., so I don’t have the Howard homecoming dates tattooed on my chest. But you do think it’s happening this weekend. Why? Well, I do have multiple friends and followers…
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Hip-Hop’s Nas Joins Eric Holder as W.E.B. Du Bois Honoree
The third annual Hutchins Centers Honors convened Wednesday evening at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre. The event honors trailblazers in politics, culture, business and finance. This year’s Du Bois Medal awardees—including Muhammad Ali (in absentia), former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the Children’s Defense Fund’s Marian Wright Edelman, Ariel Investments’ Mellody Hobson, journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, artist…
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Prison Kids Film Brings Awareness to Plight of Children Put in Solitary Confinement
It’s time to end the practice of putting juveniles in solitary confinement. That was the message the makers of the new Fusion Investigative Unit documentary Prison Kids had for Washington, D.C., Wednesday as they held screenings on Capitol Hill and at the Motion Picture Association of America’s theater space in downtown D.C. Right now the…
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Empire Recap: Trying to Build a Dynasty
Warning: This episode, “Without a Country,” may cause mental confusion. Did Cookie’s outfits border on tasteful? I initially chalked it up to Empire Stockholm syndrome. She’s no FLOTUS, but considering her usual getups, Cookie’s business attire was practically sedate. During Hakeem’s auditions for a new girl group, the wannabes showed up in acid-washed daisy dukes…
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The Apollo Theater to Induct 3 Black Comedy Legends Into Its Walk of Fame
In 1969, trailblazing comedian Jackie “Moms” Mabley stood onstage in her trademark floppy hat and flowered housedress and told the audience her slogan for the week. “Quit it if you can’t get it,” she told the crowd to raucous laughter. “If you can do something with it, get it!” The African-American vaudeville-circuit fixture turned Broadway…
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College Planning in Today’s Economy
Before the establishment of the United Negro College fund in 1954, the reality for most African Americans who wanted to go to college was to either come from a wealthy family or get their tuition from private resources or benefactors. Across all racial lines, basic education was reserved for the privileged and college was reserved…
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Andre Royo: From Bubbles on The Wire to Thirsty on Empire
Thanks to The Wire, arguably television’s most underrated series of all time, Andre Royo is affectionately known as “Bubbles” or “Bubs,” the drug-addicted informant. But it’s been some time since he’s been back in the mix in a television series. Although he has a role as Mayor Robert “Bobo” Boston on Amazon’s Hand of God,…
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How to Turn Networking Into Cash
Harriette Cole is the author of the book of meditations 108 Stitches: Words We Live By and a contributing editor at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.
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Review: New Fetty Wap Album Might as Well Be a Long Remix of ‘Trap Queen’
I am a hip-hop head and could sometimes be considered a backpacker a few Tuesdays a month, but I’m far from being a purist. I don’t hate all of this new “rap” the way that people who swear by Black Moon on Facebook do. I listen to Rich Homie Quan and laugh at Young Thug with the…