culture
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1st Openly Gay Black Federal Judge Confirmed
On Tuesday the Senate confirmed the first openly gay black man to become a high-level federal judge with an astounding 98-0 vote, Al-Jazeera reports. Darrin Gayles has been appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida after serving three years as a judge in the Florida Circuit Court. The George Washington…
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Boko Haram Reportedly Attacks Nigerian World Cup Fans
On Wednesday, World Cup fans in Damaturu, Nigeria, became the latest victims of a suspected Boko Haram bombing. According to the Washington Post, the blast killed 14 people and blew off the limbs of the many survivors among those who had gathered to watch the Brazil-Mexico match. Survivor Babagana Mohammed told reporters, “The bomb just…
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Innocent NYC Man Who Spent 24 Years in Jail Sues City for $162M
Jonathan Fleming, the Brooklyn, N.Y., man who recently walked free after spending almost 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, now wants $162 million from the city, the Associated Press reports. The 52-year-old has filed a notice of claim to inform the city of his intention to sue. “I think this is…
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Ga. Man Rescues 15-Month-Old Baby From Highway
The last thing one Georgia man expected to see during a routine drive down the highway was a 15-month-old baby crawling near the embankment. “What the hell is going on? A baby?” was Bryant Collins’ knee-jerk reaction to his unusual discovery, according to 11 Alive. Collins said he caught a glimpse of something out of…
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US Patent and Trademark Office Revokes Washington Football Team’s Name
The battle over the Washington, D.C., football team’s name has been decided in one fell swoop, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceling the federal trademark protection that the offensive name has enjoyed, calling it “disparaging to Native Americans,” the Washington Post reports. The particular groundbreaking case was filed on behalf of five Native…
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NC Teen Arrested for Calling 911 Because Mom Took Her Cellphone
North Carolina police arrested a teen after she called 911 because she was upset that her mother had grounded her and taken away her cellphone. According to ABC 11 News, police arrived at 16-year-old Jasmyne Keyonia Davis’ home a little after midnight Tuesday after the emergency operators received a call from a female who was…
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Alice Walker and Rosario Dawson Want Women of Color Included in My Brother’s Keeper
Updated Wednesday, June 18, 1 p.m. EDT: The White House has issued a response to a letter signed by various women and girls of color, including famed activists Alice Walker and Angela Davis, pushing for the involvement of women and girls of color in the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. The White House response—issued by Senior Adviser…
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New Video Shows Texas Police Fatally Shooting Handcuffed Man
The city of El Paso, Texas, after being ordered by the Texas Attorney General’s Office to obey an open-records request made by the El Paso Times, has finally released video detailing how body builder Daniel Saenz died while in police custody, the El Paso Times reports. In the video, released Monday, a police officer attempts…
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Gun Violence Is the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time
Fifty years ago America redefined its social, political and cultural landscape by guaranteeing civil rights—and voting rights the following year—for all citizens, irrespective of race or background. A half-century later, too many young people of color, especially black boys and young men, are routine victims of gun violence. And stemming this rising tide of gun…
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The Conspiracy to Whitewash Hip-Hop
When asked about Forbes’ claim that hip-hop is run by a white, blond, Australian rapper named Iggy Azalea, incumbent queen bee Nicki Minaj laughed hysterically. The financial magazine may be qualified to calculate the $250 million valuation of Nicki’s Myx Fusions Moscato wine coolers, Nicki reasoned, but only the hip-hop community can bequeath the throne to…