culture
-
No, Mayor de Blasio, There Is Never a Wrong Time to Say That Black Lives Matter
During his remarks Monday at the Police Athletic League, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called for a moratorium on protests demanding justice for the scores of black people who have fallen victim to police brutality while the city mourns the deaths of two police officers—Wenjian Liu, 28, and Rafael Ramos, 40—killed in Brooklyn on…
-
Cop Killer’s Mom Publicly Apologizes
The mother of New York City cop killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley spoke out, apologizing for the havoc and devastation her son caused when he killed two police officers in cold blood before taking his own life, CNN reports. “Ismaaiyl was a very troubled young man whose life was in turmoil and spiraling out of control,” Shakuwra…
-
Baltimore Protester Confronts Local Fox Affiliate That Edited ‘Kill a Cop’ Chant
One Baltimore protester got to clear the air Monday night after a local Fox affiliate edited the chant she was leading to make it sound as if demonstrators were calling for the death of cops, Talking Points Memo reports. WBFF apologized on Monday, inviting Tawanda Jones, the woman who was leading the chant at a…
-
Shaneka Thompson Isn’t Just ‘a Woman in Baltimore’—Her Life Matters and You Should Know Her Name, Too
Shaneka Nicole Thompson’s name should be familiar to you by now—but it isn’t. Shaneka Thompson is a black woman who was shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley this past Saturday before he headed to Brooklyn, N.Y., and tragically killed two police officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, before killing himself. Thompson is the woman vaguely referred to…
-
Eric Garner’s Daughter Lays Wreath on Memorial for Slain NY Officers
On Monday Eric Garner’s daughter, Emerald Garner, visited the memorial for two New York City police officers who were killed Saturday. Emerald Garner laid a wreath at the makeshift site for officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were fatally shot by lone gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley while sitting in their patrol car. Brinsley committed suicide…
-
North Korea Allegedly Hacked Sony Pictures—Did Obama Respond in Kind?
President Barack Obama announced on Friday that the United States would levy a proportional attack against North Korea, since the East Asian giant is widely believed to be the cyber culprit responsible for hacking into the emails of Sony Pictures. So when North Korea’s Internet services went out cold on Monday, rumors began to circulate…
-
NYC Mayor Encourages #BlackLivesMatter Protesters to Suspend Demonstrations
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is encouraging protesters rallying against racial bias in law enforcement and the criminal-justice system to suspend their demonstrations in light of the killing of two New York City police officers this past weekend in Brooklyn, the New York Times reports. “It’s time for everyone to put aside political…
-
11 Signs Your Hood Is Being Gentrified
In Washington, D.C., as in many cities undergoing extreme urban makeovers, if you miss a week of moving about in certain neighborhoods, you’ll miss a whole heck of a lot. Sad times for you if you’re a landmark driver like I am, when even a short trip on familiar streets can induce a fog of…
-
Assata Shakur’s Journey in Her Own Words
When President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. was restoring full diplomatic relations with Cuba, talk immediately turned to the fate of Assata Shakur, who evokes a sense of victory among some African Americans, primarily because she escaped imprisonment while serving a life sentence for a murder that many believe she did not commit. Shakur…