culture
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Young-Adult Author Walter Dean Myers Dies at 76
Renowned author of young-adult fiction Walter Dean Myers, who made a mark for himself by writing books about young African Americans, has passed way at 76, the Los Angeles Times reports. “Walter’s many award-winning books do not shy away from the sometimes gritty truth of growing up. … He wrote with heart and he spoke…
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Black Supremacist King Samir Shabazz Jailed Again on Charges of Illegal Gun Possession
Minister King Samir Shabazz, an outspoken black supremacist and New Black Panther Party Philadelphia-chapter leader, is sitting in a Mercer County, N.J., jail cell after police arrested him on gun charges—his second gun arrest in a year, reports Philly.com. Police arrested Shabazz, 42, who was born Maruse Heath, in Trenton, N.J., while serving an outstanding…
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NJ Cheerleader Shot ‘Execution Style’ 2 Weeks After Graduating
A Newark high school cheerleader was shot and killed two weeks after her graduation, and New Jersey police are searching for any witnesses, CBS New York reports. “They told her to get on her knees and they shot her in the head execution style,” Michael Bond, the uncle of 17-year-old Cheyanne Bond, told the news…
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History, Hiking and Hideaways: Visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands offer varied experiences. On St. Croix, St. Thomas, and the smallest island, St. John, visitors will find entertainment, challenging watersports, and unspoiled terrain. Americans need not use passports or foreign currency, and English is the official language. ST. CROIX: PEACEFULLY PICTURESQUE St. Croix’s atmosphere fosters a laid back experience and small…
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British Mom of 3 to Marry Minnesota Inmate She Met Online
This is not your typical love story. A British mom of three is hoping to marry an inmate from the U.S. later this year when her love is released on parole, the New York Daily News reports. Jennifer Butler, who is 29 and a single mom to three kids under 10, is planning to fly…
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2-Year-Old Passes Out in Hot Car While Parents Drink at a Bar
Police found a 2-year-old boy unresponsive in a hot car outside a bar after his parents reportedly left him behind while they went inside to have a drink. According to WPXI in Pittsburgh, the toddler was in his car seat “slumped over, sweating and unresponsive” when officials arrived. The car was locked and its…
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78-Year-Old Jailed Over $500 Debt
Debtor prisons are supposed to be a thing of the past, so how did this elderly man end up in jail? Iheanyi D. Okoroafor, a 78-year-old retiree living in South Hadley, Mass., was imprisoned for a $508.27 bill, according to the Boston Globe. On June 11 Judge Robert S. Murphy Jr. sentenced Okoroafor to 30…
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African Slaves Were the 1st to Celebrate Ramadan in America
This past weekend marked the beginning of Ramadan. Nearly one-fourth of the world will observe the annual fast and 8 million Muslims in America will abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset during the holy month. A grueling task at any time of the year, Ramadan this year will be especially daunting during…
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Prince Leads an All-Star Lineup at the Essence Music Festival
It seems fitting that the Essence Festival—which has hosted and broken some of the biggest names in black music for the past 20 years—would have the man who at one point was so big that he used only a symbol as his moniker to headline the 20th-anniversary installment of the three-day musical free-for-all. The Purple…