culture
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Ferguson Police Chief Identifies Officer Who Fatally Shot Michael Brown
Ferguson, Mo., Police Chief Thomas Jackson at a press conference early Friday morning released the name of the officer who was involved in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown. The officer has been identified as Darren Wilson. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that he is a six-year veteran of the force and doesn’t have…
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Chicago Teen Accused of Murdering Mom in Indonesia
In a homicide that has made headlines around the world, the beaten, bruised and half-naked body of Chicago resident Sheila von Wiese-Mack was found stuffed in a suitcase in Bali, Indonesia. To add another stunning layer to the crime, the daughter of the 62-year-old, Heather Mack, has been charged in connection with the wealthy woman’s…
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US Military Relaxes Hairstyle Policy
After much outrage and criticism from service members and lawmakers regarding its restrictive hairstyle requirements, the U.S. military has responded by relaxing the rules that seemingly targeted popular black hairstyles, the New York Times reports. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio), that all military…
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4 Dead Unarmed Men and the Police: What You Need to Know
Eric Garner. John Crawford III. Michael Brown. Ezell Ford. You should recognize these names. They all belong to unarmed black men who were killed by law enforcement since July 2014 for seemingly inexplicable reasons: allegedly selling loose cigarettes, allegedly holding a toy gun in the toy section of Wal-Mart, allegedly running away after a scuffle…
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He Did What to Your Phone?! Aw, Girl, It’s Over
My man [and I] got in a heated argument and [it] got pretty loud. Fine. The next day, I was looking for my phone and found it in a weird spot. It smelled like [urine]! I asked my boyfriend about it and he admitted that he [urinated] on my phone because he was mad. Yes!!…
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Stay Alive, Black Men, Stay Alive
This is what I do whenever I see flashing lights in my rearview mirror: I put on my hazard lights and pull over as soon as safely possible. Then I put the car in park, roll down both front windows fully, turn off the engine, take the keys out of the ignition and dangle them…
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New Witness Gives Her Account of Michael Brown Shooting
A new eyewitness to the fatal police shooting of unarmed Ferguson, Mo., teen Michael Brown has come forward, claiming that she saw Brown and the officer scuffling and witnessed the fatal shots that left the 18-year-old dead. According to Tiffany Mitchell, who spoke to Don Lemon on CNN Tonight, Brown was trying to pull away…
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Obama Calls for Calm, Says There Is No Excuse for Violence in Ferguson
President Barack Obama took a break from his vacation at Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., to speak on the rising tensions surrounding police and protesters in Ferguson, Mo., where an unarmed 18-year-old was fatally shot by a police officer Saturday. The president called for calm and asked for protesters and police to “take a step back.” “Now…
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McDonald’s Mom Who Left Child in Park Has Personal Info Leaked by Local News
For Debra Harrell, the South Carolina mother arrested in June for letting her daughter play in a park alone, the ordeal is not over. Local ABC affiliate WJBF News Channel 6 obtained and posted Harrell’s police interrogation video and personal information, including her Social Security number. In the video, Harrell can be heard answering the police officer’s…
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24 Hours in Ferguson
Something has snapped in Ferguson, Mo. Maybe not so much snapped as erupted. The racial tension that reached its tipping point at the killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown has dissolved police-community relationships seemingly beyond restoration, at least for now. Protesters came out in full force Wednesday night, continuing their calls for justice for the…