culture
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LAPD Buying 7,000 Body Cameras for Police Force
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday that the city would purchase 7,000 body cameras for police officers, reports the Los Angeles Times. The introduction of body cameras is part of an effort to increase transparency. Body cameras have become a focus since the killing of Michael Brown by now-former Ferguson, Mo., Police Officer Darren…
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Ala. Man Arrested After Allegedly Putting Heroin in Toddler’s Diaper
An Alabama man was arrested after narcotics detectives say they found 14 grams of heroin (about $2,500 worth) stashed in his 2-year-old daughter’s diaper, the New York Post reports. Detectives were assisted by 23-year-old Kenneth Bell’s 5-year-old daughter, who told authorities that “Daddy put something in Sister’s diaper,” Irondale, Ala., police spokesman Detective Michael Mangina…
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We Need Black Programming That Reflects Our True Diversity
Any cursory check of one’s Facebook or Twitter feeds—or the local newspaper—would reveal an onslaught of images of black men and women either cut down in their prime or engaged in all manner of foolishness. What’s missing is a stream of rich, varied images depicting our true diversity. When there’s a lack of such imagery, a…
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5 Things You Should Know About the US-Cuba Breakthrough
In a stunning display of mic-dropping, post-midterm comeback, days before the holiday recess set in, President Barack Obama announced the first massive thaw in tensions between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century. The implications of the move are, no doubt, enormous and far-reaching. Not only did the embattled POTUS completely…
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SC Teen George Stinney Jr. Exonerated 70 Years After Execution
It’s been 70 years since George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old South Carolina boy, faced the electric chair for the 1944 murders of two young white girls in Alcolu, but his name has finally been cleared after a circuit court judge tossed his murder conviction, NBC News reports. George was so small, weighing just 95 pounds…
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Hillary Clinton: ‘Black Lives Matter’
On Tuesday, during her acceptance speech at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights in New York City, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against torture around the world and also noted that “black lives matter,” reports the New York Daily News. Clinton told attendees that she was proud to…
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Arrest Made in #IAmJada Rape Case of Texas Teen Whose Photos Went Viral
Two men have been arrested in the case of Jada, a Texas teen who experienced having pictures of herself after reportedly being sexually assaulted go viral on social media. In July, 16-year-old Jada was reportedly raped at a party, and pictures of her unconscious, naked body were posted to social media using the tag #jadapose.…
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New PBS DVD From Henry Louis Gates Jr. Explores African Influence on the Caribbean
Just as the U.S. has announced a resumption of diplomatic relations with Cuba, there will now be a way for Americans to learn more about the history of Afro-Cubans and other descendants of Africa across the Caribbean and Latin America. In a press release, PBS announced that it is releasing a new set on DVD…
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4-Year-Old Va. Boy Calls 911, Unlocks Door for Paramedics to Help Grandmother
Little Ra Sheed Jackson was home with his grandmother Nov. 29 in Richmond, Va., when the older woman suddenly collapsed. However, the smart 4-year-old jumped into action, knowing exactly what to do, WRIC reports. “Nana was on the floor,” Ra Sheed told the news station. “She was bleeding.” Ra Sheed’s mother was at work, but…
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Obama Signs US Spending Bill, Avoids Government Shutdown
President Barack Obama on Saturday signed a trillion-dollar spending bill that will keep the government up and running for the next nine months, Al-Jazeera reports. “Passage of the 1,603-page bill on Saturday was a long, tough struggle in the Senate and the House of Representatives marked by bitter disputes over changes to banking regulations and Obama’s recent executive order…