culture
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Report: Ferguson Police Officer Who Detained Journalists Is Battling Lawsuit for Injuring 12-Year-Old
At least one Ferguson, Mo., police officer has had some legal trouble in recent years, albeit while employed at another law-enforcement agency, the Huffington Post reports. Justin Cosma, who used to work at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, is currently battling a civil rights lawsuit after he allegedly hog-tied and roughed up a 12-year-old boy.…
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5 Crucial Moments From MTV’s Video Music Awards
It’s not MTV’s fault that its staple Video Music Awards is known more for shock and awe than actual trophies. While it definitely aims every year to earn its watercooler moments, far too many freak-of-nature occurrences—Kanye storming the stage, the timing of Beyoncé’s pregnancy—make us tune in each year for the moments that weren’t planned.…
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Death of Handcuffed Louisiana Man Shot in Chest Ruled a Suicide
A Louisiana man who state police claimed shot and killed himself in March while in police custody died, not of a gunshot wound to the back, as police had initially reported, but of a shot to the chest, according to an autopsy report, KATC reports. The shooting occurred in the backseat of a patrol car…
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Jackie Robinson West All-Stars Still Celebrated, Even in Defeat
The Jackie Robinson West All-Stars are still the pride of Chicago, even after a tough loss to South Korea in the Little League World Series championship game. The Jackie Robinson West team put up a valiant fight, including a late rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, but in the end it was not…
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Soccer Player Dies After Being Hit With Object Thrown From Crowd
A 24-year-old Cameroonian soccer player has died after being hit with an object thrown by angry fans upset with their team’s loss, according to the BBC. Albert Ebosse was struck in the head by an unconfirmed object after his team, the Algerian club JS Kabylie, beat another Algerian team, USM Alger, 2-1 Saturday evening. He was…
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Navy Discharges Black Woman Who Refused to Cut Natural Hair
After months of discussion about how styling and protocol related to black women’s hair in the armed forces, the Navy has discharged Jessica Sims, a sailor for 12 years, for “failing to obey an order to cut off her natural hairstyle,” ThinkProgress reports. Sims, “who wears her hair in tightly twisted locks pulled back in…
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Teens Have Greater Fear of Police After Ferguson Shooting
As the fiery protests that erupted in Ferguson, Mo., after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen by a white police officer appeared to be on the wane, several St. Louis-area young people reflected on the incident and talked about lessons learned. While many were demoralized and saddened by the shooting of Michael Brown,…
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I’m Homeschooling My Son Because My House Is the Only Place Where He’s Not Seen As Dangerous
It’s back-to-school season. However, in our family, we won’t be going back anywhere. We have chosen to educate at home. Now, hold on one minute before you judge. Believe me, I never thought I would be one of “those moms.” Let me explain how and why I have chosen this unlikely route and why I…
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Being White and Middle Class, We Had Many Advantages. And We Used Them to Leave North St. Louis
Last December I took a picture with two friends in front of our old elementary school: Bel-Nor Elementary in St. Louis, a little over 3 miles from Ferguson, Mo. It was the last day before Bel-Nor was closing for good; come January, its students and teachers would disperse to other schools in the area and…
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Michael Brown is Laid to Rest
After nearly two weeks of angry protests over his death at the hands of a police officer, Michael Brown is being laid to rest. The presence of White House officials at the ceremony underscores the degree to which the tragic shooting of Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, has sparked a national debate at the highest levels…