culture

Updated Sunday, Nov. 23, 12:26 p.m. EST: A 12-year-old boy holding a toy gun when he was shot by police outside a Cleveland recreation center died early Sunday morning, a police-union official confirmed for Cleveland.com. The youth, whose name has not been officially released, was shot in the stomach at Cudell Recreation Center, at Detroit…

The administrative relief measures that President Barack Obama announced Thursday will benefit an estimated 4 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. This long-awaited measure came several months after the president promised to take executive action in the absence of any cooperation by an obstructionist Congress to pass legislation. What some, including The Root’s…

Still deciding whether to indict Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, a St. Louis County grand jury is expected to reconvene Monday, Yahoo News reports. Downtown STL Inc., a  civic group that promotes St. Louis businesses, told members in an email Saturday that the grand jury will reconvene…

One of the hidden secrets behind the Great Recession is the role different generations have played in the downturn. There are about 78 million baby boomers and about 82 million millennials tweeting away, but Generation X? A paltry 58 million. In other words, the generation now in its prime earning years is too small to keep…

Most African Americans are surely aware of the worsening obesity rates in this country, especially among poorer and underserved communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans are the most overweight racial group, with 47 percent classified as obese—defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher. But less often…

White Americans apparently do not have a problem with the ethnic label of “African American,” but “black” is a different story, according to a report at Pacific Standard magazine. Ethnic labels for people of color, such as “African American” and “black,” determine just how whites perceive them, according to a new study titled “A Rose by Any…

In the midst of a major investigation into accusations of child abuse, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson says his departure from the team could be best for him and the organization, the Associated Press reports. Peterson thinks the coaches and players stand behind him, acccording to AP, citing a report from USA Today. But, the…

In an apparent effort to ease tensions as protests rage across the nation over police violence against blacks, New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton on Friday called the death of a “totally innocent,” unarmed black man an “unfortunate tragedy,” The Guardian reports. “What happened last night was a very unfortunate tragedy,” Bratton said of the…

As a result of low ratings and high costs, The Queen Latifah Show has been canceled, the Daily Mail reports. The daytime talk show, now in its second season, will stop production at the end of the year, though new episodes will continue to air through March, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The Sony Pictures…

Thursday, March 22, 1984. At 11:05 a.m., U.S. District Judge Leonard Wexler completed his instructions to the jury in the Federal Court Building in Brooklyn as Ernie Cobb awaited his judgment. Thoughts continuously raced through Cobb’s mind: How had he arrived here, he wondered, of all places, charged with allegedly conspiring to commit sports bribery…