culture
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US’ Oldest Private Black University Is in Trouble
Ohio’s Wilberforce University, the nation’s oldest black private university, founded in 1856, is in dire straits amid plummeting student enrollment, a financial deficit of $9.7 million and its accreditation hanging perilously in the balance, the Associated Press reports. Alumni have rallied together in an effort to raise $2 million in cash donations that includes $400,000…
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Get on Up: The Rage and Genius of James Brown
The life story of legendary soul singer James Brown is a complicated one. Brown is as well-known for being a musical genius as he is for being a tyrannical, abusive bandleader and spouse. The man who grew up in abject poverty in South Carolina and Georgia danced, sang and shouted his way into a world…
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United in Complexion and Love, but a Culture Apart
At first glance, you might guess by their deep-chocolate complexions, matching warm smiles and coordinated traditional attire that Charlotte Fadare and her husband, Olusola Fadare, have everything in common. But the truth is, these newlyweds come from vastly different worlds, continents apart, and have spent much of their marriage bridging the cultural divide between…
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Georgia Makes History With 5 Black Women on Its Statewide Ballot
Give the state of Georgia a round of applause. For the first time ever, it will have five African-American women on its statewide ballot come November. Democratic state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler said of the historic moment, “We did not want to miss the opportunity to get out and announce this to everyone in the state of…
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Renisha McBride’s Whereabouts and Gathering of Evidence Take Stage in Trial
The murder trial of Theodore Wafer—the 55-year-old Dearborn Heights, Mich., resident who shot and killed 19-year-old Renisha McBride last year—continued Tuesday, with the courtroom hearing details of how the investigation was handled, the Detroit Free Press reports. In the session, marking the fourth day of the trial, where McBride went after she crashed her car…
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The James Brown Effect
From the vocal inflections of his soulful voice to the electrifying dance moves, stunning audience interaction and a theatrical flair for the dramatic, James Brown left a lasting influence that’s apparent to every student of American music. With the upcoming biopic Get on Up, old fans and younger ones alike will get a chance to immerse themselves…
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A Meme to Mock? No Way. I See a Black Woman’s Audacious and All-Too-Rare Confidence
The photo of a full-figured black woman who looks to be wearing a tank top as a skirt and a visible thong and bra to complete her ensemble resurfaced last week and made its rounds on the Internet … again. In the latest version of this photo-turned-interactive meme, viewers are prompted to comment using one…
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8-Year-Old Detroit Boy Fatally Shot While Sleeping
Jakari Pearson was sleeping in his room at around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday when a bullet flew through one of his bedroom windows, hitting him in the chest. The 8-year-old was rushed to a local hospital in his home city of Detroit, where he was pronounced dead, CBS Detroit reports. The news station noted that police…
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Report: Drug Smuggling Aided by Correction Officers at Rikers Island Jail
Rikers Island inmates had easy access to cocaine and oxycodone, aided by about seven correction officers who used their authority to sneak the narcotics into the New York City jail complex, the New York Daily News reports. The implicated guards were paid $400 to $900 to smuggle the drugs in over the last six months,…
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ESPN Suspends Stephen A. Smith for Domestic Violence Comments
Turns out that Stephen A. Smith’s apology for comments made about domestic violence and how women needed to make sure they don’t “provoke” an attack was not enough to prevent ESPN from handing out its own discipline. Late Tuesday evening, it was announced that the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” would be suspending Smith for a…