culture
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Michael Jackson’s High Musical Standards Still Resonate on Xscape
The ghost of Michael Jackson appeared during Sunday night’s broadcast of the Billboard Music Awards, but the holographic stunt pales in comparison to the actual ghost of Jackson that still haunts the vaults at Sony Music. Or so Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley might say, expressing in the 20-minute making-of video that accompanies the digital release of…
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Sherri Shepherd’s Divorce: Is It a Wake-Up Call for Women?
Though she and her co-hosts regularly discuss the marital woes of other celebrities on their daytime talk show, The View, in recent days Sherri Shepherd has been noticeably silent about the relationship problems of one particular celebrity: her. Multiple outlets have reported that Shepherd’s husband of three years, Lamar Sally, filed separation papers with Shepherd and…
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PTSD in the Inner City Needs a Name That Respects Its Victims
Editor’s note: The Root has not been able to independently confirm that any researchers coined the term “hood disease.” The CBS station in San Francisco that originally reported this story has removed references to “hood disease” from its online report. It has been widely reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others…
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About Dean Baquet Not Having a College Degree
Editor’s note: In a profile about its new executive editor, the New York Times reported that Dean Baquet does not have a college degree. Baquet dropped out of Columbia University after his sophomore year after landing a summer internship at a New Orleans newspaper that he parlayed into a full-time job. The revelation took many by surprise…
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Police Commissioner Who Called Obama the N-Word Resigns
The 82-year-old police commissioner who was overheard calling President Obama the N-word and would later refuse to apologize citing that the president meets all of his criteria for being called such, has resigned amid heavy political pressure and national outrage, The Washington Post reports. Police officials confirmed to the Post that Robert Copeland turned in…
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12 Years A Mannequin: Store Displays Slave Outfit With DVD
An English supermarket is showing its patrons how to get the latest in slave fashion. According to The Independant, an Oxford, England location of English grocery store Sainbury’s put a poorly planned mannequin next to its display for the 12 Years A Slave DVD and Blu-ray release. The mannequin is dressed like Solomon Northup, tattered…
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Next Season, Let’s See SNL Do Better at Portraying Black Women
Two week after Leslie Jones’ controversial segment on slavery, I was very worried about this week’s season finale of Saturday Night Live. With the frenzy surrounding what happened between Solange, Jay Z and Beyoncé in that elevator last week, I was sure a sketch was coming. For the past week across Twitter, gossip sites and…
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Fines for Sagging Pants in Tennessee
If you’re walking around Pikeville, Tenn., you may want to make sure your pants are properly on your hips and belt up as a double precaution … or you could soon be hit with a $25 fine or more, the Times Free Press reports. Last week the City Council unanimously approved the first reading of…
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New Documentary Recalls Nat King Cole’s Racist Neighbors
According to a new documentary set to air on the BBC, Nat King Cole’s white Hollywood neighbors terrorized the singer and his family with racist and hate-filled acts, including killing their dog and burning the n-word onto their lawn, The Independent reports. Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark reveals the hostility that the Cole…
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Paralyzed Eric LeGrand Delivers Graduation Speech After Controversy
After a bit of a scandal that involved a keynote speaker invite and a rescinding of said invitation, paralyzed football player Eric LeGrand delivered an impassioned commencement speech to his fellow Rutgers graduates Sunday, the Associated Press reports. LeGrand, who suffered an injury during a 2010 game that left him paralyzed, took to Twitter a…