culture
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‘I’m Terrified of Dying Like Eric Garner’
When video footage of a California highway patrolman pummeling a defenseless 51-year-old black woman named Marlene Pinnock surfaced on July 1, it sent shock waves throughout many communities around the country. It took place in broad daylight on the side of a freeway and was heart-wrenching to watch as she was pursued on foot by…
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Parenting Do-Over: Having Children Many Years Apart
At times I look at my 15-year-old son and think to myself, “Is it too late to have another child?” As a woman slowly approaching 40, I can hear my reproduction clock slowly ticking in the distance. It seems as though every year I age, it gets a few decibels louder. But then I remember…
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Why Isn’t Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars: Episode 7?
When the cast photo for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII was released in April, nerds everywhere jumped for joy. The rumors that had been swirling around for a few years were true. Not only were Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher reprising their roles from the original trilogy, but they were apparently going…
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Yes, We Camp, and if You Don’t, Here’s What You’re Missing
When I was growing up in New Jersey, my siblings and I typically spent our summers crammed in the back of my grandmother’s station wagon, heading to the Jersey Shore. With blankets and coolers in tow, we would start our days at sunrise and end them at sunset. But one summer, when I was 11…
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Report: Va. Dad Leaves Twin Babies Alone in Car and Is Caught Having Sex 30 Feet Away
A Virginia father is in a lot of trouble after being accused of leaving his 1-year-old twin girls in his vehicle, which was parked in a driveway, before engaging in sex with a woman about 30 feet away from it, CBS 6 reports. “We went around to the back of the duplex and discovered a…
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Pregnant NC Mom Loses Kids After Seeking Home for Them on Craigslist
One North Carolina mom lost custody of her five children after posting a Craigslist ad on July 9 searching for housing for them, the News and Observer reports. Moshimalee Johnson reportedly tried to find housing assistance through Durham County Social Services but was unsuccessful, and so days later she put up the ad. “Five kids…
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11-Year-Old Chicago Girl Killed by Stray Bullet at Slumber Party
Shamiya Adams’ mother did all she could to protect her daughter and her twin brother. According to CBS News, Shamiya’s mother, Shaneetha Goodloe, was so unnerved by the persistent violence in Chicago that she forbade the 11-year-old and her brother from playing outside, saying that if Shamiya wanted to hang out with friends, it would…
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Journalist Wins Right to View James Brown’s Documents
While excitement is brewing for the new James Brown biopic to be released this summer, one freelance journalist is more interested in the legal battle over the Godfather of Soul’s estate. According to the Associated Press, a South Carolina circuit court judge has ordered the state’s attorney general to give Sue Summer the documents she…
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The Rev. Al Sharpton Wants Justice in Choke Hold Death
Four New York City emergency workers who responded to a 911 call after police apparently choked a man—who later died while in police custody—have been put on “modified” duty, the Associated Press reports. According to the Fire Department of New York, two EMTs and two paramedics have been barred from responding to 911 calls after…
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Vandals Damage Tuskegee Airmen Tribute Statues
They were 13 brightly colored statues of boys and girls wearing aviator goggles, who stood proudly on Chicago’s lakefront. They were called “The Watch” and were Chicago artist Hebru Brantley’s tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, the brazen men of color who flew and fought in World War II. On Sunday, vandals destroyed them. According to…