culture
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NBC and Netflix Pull Bill Cosby Projects Amid Rape Allegations
Updated Wed., Nov. 19, 4:15 p.m. EST: Bill Cosby’s downward spiral continues as NBC announces that it has canceled its plans to develop a new comedy starring the famous TV dad, the New York Times reports. According to the report, the television broadcasting company did not say why it suddenly scrapped the anticipated project, but it…
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Watch: The Root Staffers Explain Their Frustrations With the Term ‘Dark-Skinned’
When CNN’s John King used the term “dark-skinned” to describe the individual that he thought was an alleged suspect in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, he was widely criticized for not being descriptive enough and also for using a charged phrase that carries with it racial connotations. “There are some people who will take offense…
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The 5 Best States for Black People
America isn’t an easy country. If you fall down, you’ll mostly get a lot of people trying not to make eye contact with you as you panhandle on the street. The fall can be even harsher if you’re African American—when your time on the street probably came with a stint in prison. But it’s not…
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Homeless ‘Don’t Take S–t From N–gers’ Boston Couple Faces Criminal Charges
A Boston couple are facing criminal charges after they allegedly attacked a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority worker while hurling racial slurs, saying that they didn’t “take s—t from n—gers,” WCVB reports. According to the news station, the 29-year-old victim was trying to escort the intoxicated pair out of a station early Sunday morning at closing…
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If This Fundraiser Succeeds, Ferguson Could Wind Up With a Billboard That Reads ‘#PantsUpDontLoot’
Gawker is reporting that Ferguson, Mo., could soon be seeing a billboard that declares, “#PantsUpDontLoot.” According to the report, a supporter of Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson has crowdsourced enough funding to pay for at least one such controversial billboard, to be erected in the city as it grapples with racial tension following the Aug.…
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African-American Debt Is a New Form of Slavery
If African Americans do not get control of personal debt and begin to live healthier financial lives, “we will never own our neighborhoods,” and “we will never leave a legacy for our children.” This dire prediction from a prominent religious leader has motivated a financial-freedom movement that is grounded in religious teachings. Wednesday’s episode of…
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Female Suicide Bomber Kills 13 in Northeast Nigeria Town
A female suicide bomber walked into a mobile-phone store in Azare, Nigeria, on Sunday and blew herself up, killing at least 13 people in the town and injuring 65, Al-Jazeera is reporting. It’s the latest incident in a string of suicide bombings that have rocked the region. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack,…
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NFL Commissioner Suspends Adrian Peterson Without Pay for Remainder of the Season
The NFL sent Adrian Peterson a letter on Tuesday, notifying the Minnesota Vikings running back that he would be suspended for the remainder of the 2014-2015 season without pay, CNN is reporting. “The timing of your potential reinstatement will be based on the results of the counseling and treatment program set forth in this decision,”…
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Baseball Sensation Mo’ne Davis Lands Book Deal for Memoir
Although she’s still just a teenager, Mo’ne Davis, this year’s “it” girl in the sports world—the first female pitcher to win a Little League World Series game—has landed a book deal for a memoir about her yet brief, but amazing, life, the Associated Press reports. The memoir, titled Mo’ne Davis: Remember My Name (surely, we…