culture
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The Root’s Summer Reading List: 10 Great Books
Looking for a book to read this summer? Here are 10 releases by African-American authors published during the first half of 2015. Ranging from memoirs to classics, mysteries to satire, there is something here for readers of all tastes. 1. The Light of the World, by Elizabeth Alexander This powerful, poignant memoir by the poet…
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We Should Think About How to End the Scourge of War and Killing
Memorial and Veterans Days come with mixed feelings for veterans like me, especially as we witness how most Americans ‘celebrate’ these holidays. The purpose of Memorial Day is to remember the dead. Some choose to only honor service members. Others, like me, choose to honor all lives lost due to war. This includes the countless…
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He Cries Alone: Black Men and PTSD
They’re crying out for help. But will anyone listen? They are African-American men, struggling with mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder—many are veterans, but many more are civilians struggling in secret, ashamed. These are men like 26-year-old James Brown. Brown served two tours in Iraq. When he returned home he was diagnosed with PTSD. He…
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It’s a Good Time to Be Black and Sexy
The idea of being black and sexy is practically nonexistent in mainstream TV shows and movies, but the creators of Black&Sexy TV believed that there was an audience for stories that examined black sexuality and relationships when they launched their first Web series, The Number, on YouTube in 2011. Of course they were right, and…
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Corrective Rape: The Epidemic of Violence Against South Africa’s LGBT Community
Editor’s note: This article was first published by Fusion. Anti-rape activists believe that a woman is assaulted every 107 seconds in the United States. In South Africa, a number is hard to pin down—estimates ranged from every 26-36 seconds, at least until activists decreed there are too many discrepancies in data collection to provide a…
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Hey, Grads, Time for Real Talk: 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me in a Commencement Speech
As graduates across America bask in the pomp and circumstance of commencement festivities, I have tried to reflect on the indispensable words of wisdom famed news anchor Dan Rather shared with my fellow classmates and me during his commencement address to the University of Texas, College of Communication, Class of 2002. … As it turns out, I…
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The Problem With the Debate Over Fixing Your Man’s Plate
The melee started, it seems, with a meme. The photo was of an innocuous scene, one that many are anticipating this Memorial Day weekend: hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill. It was the caption that set everything off. It read: “Soooo you are at a barbecue. Your man is hungry. He lets you know…
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From Relaxed to All Natural: Johnny Wright, the Man Behind Michelle Obama’s Hair
Michelle Obama with an Afro? Michelle Obama with an Afro! It could happen! And celebrity stylist Johnny Wright—the stylist to the first lady—is the man who would make that happen if it did. Wright, who says Michelle Obama has been completely natural for years now (he straightens her hair with a flat iron), says it is…
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7 Changes You Can Make Right Now to Get Fit for Summer
Spring may have taken its time this year, but I know what won’t be lagging behind: summer. That’s right; it’s just over 30 days away, and once those pool-party invites start rolling in, there’s no turning back. Point blank, you’re going to have to show some skin. So if you’re already fretting about this season…
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5 Useless Fees That are Wasting Your Money
Did you ever have to pay your bank a monthly maintenance fee because you let your checking account balance slip below a certain amount? The fee, which can run anywhere from $12-$15, might not seem so bad if it allows you to access all your money when you need it. What about that early termination…