culture
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On 'Liberty' and Lies: U.S. Flag Also Symbolizes Anti-Black Terrorism
In the wake of the terrorist attack on Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a social media campaign has emerged to #TakeItDown, urging South Carolina to remove the confederate flag from the South Carolina State Capitol building. Dylann Storm Roof, the 21-year-old white supremacist responsible for the attack, holds deep hatred for Black…
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Omari Hardwick: Taking Steamy Love Scenes to Another Level
In the last two years, former NFL hopeful Omari Hardwick’s Hollywood backup plan has been going especially well. He’s made a huge impact, from playing Mary Jane’s married lover on BET’s Being Mary Jane to starring as lead character Ghost on Starz’s Power. The Root caught up with Hardwick in his hometown of Atlanta to…
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Papa Don’t Take No Mess: 5 Films That Show Black Fathers Doing Whatever It Takes
On Sunday we celebrate all the contributions of our fathers. And if you’re anything like me, you’re probably still figuring out what to get your own dad for Father’s Day. But after you’re done signing your name on that last-minute Hallmark card while your father stands in the other room, sit back on the couch…
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8 Times the Black Characters of Orange Is the New Black Made Us ‘LOL’
Netflix released all 13 episodes of the third season of Orange Is the New Black last week, so you’re all caught up now, right? Season 3 played with our emotions. There was intense drama—including a suicide attempt, a hate crime and heartbreaking visits to the SHU—but OITNB also delivered inspired comedy. You can thank a…
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‘Things Fall Apart’: On Mother Emanuel and White Terrorism
Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Natchez, Miss., the church of my youth, was established in 1866, approximately 50 years after Emanuel AME Church, referred to as “Mother Emanuel,” in Charleston, S.C. It is the intertwining legacies of these two institutions that came to mind when I first heard that Emanuel’s pastor, the Rev.…
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Moms vs. Dads: Is the Competition Real?
I tell all young, new fathers: “Be Dad. Never try to compete with who and what Mom does. Not your job.” I stand by that statement 100 percent. A month ago, restaurants, florists and third-grade school projects all spiked in anticipation of Mother’s Day. I am not hating “good job” Mom. However, I am an…
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Charleston Shooting Gets Strong Response From Congressional Members
Strong reactions came from the political world Thursday over the tragic massacre of nine people at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Wednesday night, alleged shooter Dylann Roof, 21, opened fire on a Bible-study group meeting at the “Mother” Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, killing six women and three men, including the church’s pastor,…
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Civil Rights Groups Speak Out on Charleston, SC, Church Shooting
Several civil rights organizations issued responses to the Wednesday shooting deaths of nine people at the hands of alleged gunman 21-year-old Dylann Roof. Roof allegedly opened fire on a Bible-study group at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., killing six women and three men, including the church’s pastor, state Sen. Clementa C.…
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America Urgently Needs a History Lesson About the Confederate Flag
Editor’s note: This article was first published in April before the Supreme Court ruled June 18 that the state of Texas was within its rights when it denied the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ application for a proposed specialty license plate featuring the rebel flag. In light of June 17’s church shooting in South Carolina, allegedly by 21-year-old Dylann Roof,…
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Black Churches Have Always Been Targets of Domestic Terrorists
In the late 1790s, Richard Allen and former enslaved people in Philadelphia were tired of praying in the upper regions of St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church and came down to the altar. When they were summarily removed from their prayerful positions, they came together to birth the African Methodist Episcopal Church—the nation’s first of its…