culture
-
Ray Rice to Enter Pretrial Program, Avoids Jail Time
Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was involved in a domestic dispute that included video footage of Rice dragging an unconscious woman from an elevator, will avoid jail time as long as he completes a pretrial intervention program, ESPN reports. Rice was accepted into the program Tuesday, and as long Rice attends the program…
-
A Bittersweet Tribute to Black Womanhood
“Where are the ants?” It’s Mother’s Day. My mother has come to New York to spend the weekend with me, her only child. After a rooftop brunch, I insist that we swing through the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, N.Y., to see Kara Walker’s latest art exhibit, “A Subtlety” (or “The Marvelous Sugar Baby”). I’m especially…
-
Is Using Lotion a Black Thing?
Genuine question: Is lotion a black thing (especially for guys)? A random white dude at the gym asked me why I use all these “products” (basically face lotion and body lotion). I asked, “Don’t you use lotion?” He said, “For what!?” I know lotion is marketed mostly to women (if advertising is correct), but I just remember from…
-
Malcolm X Always Spoke Truth to Power, No Matter the Cost
The anniversary this week of Malcolm X’s 89th birthday offers us the context to reflect on the life of the man whose activism continues to reverberate around the world. After a youth scarred by trauma, the man born Malcolm Little turned his seven years in prison into a world-class political and religious education. In the…
-
Meet the Black Officer Who Went Undercover as a KKK Member
Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Retired police Sgt. Ron Stallworth’s story—about how he, a black undercover Colorado cop, infiltrated one of the nation’s most notorious hate groups in 1978—is one such truth. Stallworth, 61, recently released the book Black Klansman, detailing his amazing story during his early years of service. “I was sitting…
-
Sam Greenlee, Spook Who Sat by the Door Author, Dies at 83
Revered Chicago novelist Sam Greenlee has died in his home city at the age of 83, the Associated Press reports. Greenlee, who was also known for his poetry, is best-identified through his 1969 work, The Spook Who Sat by the Door, which tells the story of a black CIA agent who trains young black Chicagoans…
-
NBA’s Charles Barkley Earns Ire of San Antonio Women
Charles Barkley wasn’t exactly made to feel completely welcome at the opening game of the Western Conference Finals in San Antonio on Monday, when a group of women, apparently led by the girlfriend of the Spurs’ Tim Duncan, wagged their collective fingers at him. The TNT analyst and former NBA player has made some pretty…
-
Peabody Awards Celebrate Stories in Different Media
Storytelling across electronic media was celebrated on Monday at the 73rd annual Peabody Awards ceremony, which took place at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. Among the recipients of the esteemed award was The Root’s editor-in-chief, Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr., who accepted the award for his PBS documentary series The African Americans:…
-
Two Men Arrested for Sagging Pants in South Carolina Waffle House
Two men whose pants were sagging low enough to show their boxers were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after a security guard at a South Carolina Waffle House told them to pull their pants up or leave the restaurant. According to the Smoking Gun, Andrew Gehring and Donovan Johnson, both 22, became belligerent and…
-
NBA Issues Charges Against Donald Sterling, Vote Set for June 3
The divorce proceedings involving owner Donald Sterling and the Los Angeles Clippers were officially set in motion Monday when the NBA charged the embattled owner with “damaging the league and its teams with his racist comments,” the Associated Press reports. Sterling has less than 10 days to respond to charges and then a hearing will…