culture
-
Cracks in Jay and Bey’s Picture-Perfect Facade? Not Really
Remember three years ago when Beyoncé revealed her pregnancy from the stage of the 2011 MTV Music Video Awards? It set a then-record for Twitter with 8,868 tweets per second. If my personal social media timelines from yesterday are any indication, I’m going to guess the recent Carter-Knowles melee tops that. Don’t act like you…
-
It’s Time to End Profiling of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People of Color
A few years ago in New York City, a 17-year-old black transgender girl named Trina was walking down the street when she was stopped by police officers and frisked. When a warrant check came up clean, the officer looked in her purse, found condoms and then arrested her for loitering with the purposes of prostitution—the…
-
New Orleans Teachers and Students Wrestle With Racial Tension
Every year hundreds of young, idealistic recent college graduates flood into New Orleans to teach at the city’s public schools. But in a school system where the vast majority of students are African American, the mostly white influx of new teachers has brought complaints of racism and cultural insensitivity, and helped birth a new student-led…
-
15-Year-Old Chicago Boy Killed on Mother’s Day in Suspected Drive-by
It was a painful Mother’s Day for one Chicago grandmother who lost her grandson the same way she lost her son four years ago, by gunfire, the Chicago Tribune reports. Vaughn Holeman, 15, was standing on West 116th Street in the violence-ridden city when a car drove past him and shooting began. The teenager was…
-
Donald Trump Criticizes ‘Double Standard’ for Michael Sam and Tim Tebow
Business giant Donald Trump praised Michael Sam for his NFL draft but said that the first openly gay NFL player’s kiss of his reported boyfriend in reaction to the good news was “out there,” and that reaction to same highlighted a double standard in a society where the NFL’s Tim Tebow was mocked for his…
-
Boko Haram Releases New Video Allegedly Showing Missing Nigerian Schoolgirls
The Boko Haram terrorist cell released a video on Monday claiming to show the kidnapped schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state, Nigeria. In the video, some hundred girls were shown wearing full-length hijab and praying. In the video, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said that the girls had been “liberated” and are Muslim now. He…
-
Nigerian President Refused Immediate Help to Find Missing Girls
On April 15 the Islamist militant group Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from a village in Nigeria, and the next day, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, whom the Associated Press reports was fully aware of the mass abductions, was photographed dancing at an event. According to AP, the Nigerian president did not publicly mention the…
-
Donald Sterling Slams Magic Johnson in Interview
Now that all of the legal evidence is pointing to the Sterling family losing ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers, the “Sterling Family Public Oddity Tour” is in full effect. On Monday Donald Sterling’s latest attempt at groveling for forgiveness—complete with more Magic Johnson mudslinging—will air on CNN, New York’s Daily News reports. In an…
-
NYC Cop Involved in Fatal Shooting of Black Teen Named Cop of the Year
Updated Monday, May 12, 1:10 p.m. EDT: Community pressure may have forced Sgt. Mourad Mourad to decline the Cop of the Year award after several news outlets reported on public outrage over the choice of recipient: a nine-year veteran of the police force who was involved in the controversial fatal shooting of 16-year-old Kimani Gray, according…
-
Why I Can’t Get Behind #BringBackOurGirls
I am not against online activism. In fact, I believe in it and have been moved by its power. From typhoon relief fundraisers to voter-recruitment efforts, I have participated in these Internet-based campaigns and have seen the power that lies in we Americans when we are aligned to create change from behind our computers. It…