culture
-
Chicago House Music Icon DJ Rashad Found Dead in His Apartment
Beloved Chicago house music DJ and footwork pioneer Rashad Harden, better known as DJ Rashad, was found dead in his apartment Sunday after what police believe was a drug overdose, the Associated Press reports. He was 34. Chicago police spokeswoman Janel Sedevic told AP that a friend found Harden’s body in his home on the…
-
LA Clippers Stage Silent Protest Against Owner’s Alleged Racist Remarks
It had been rumored that the Los Angeles Clippers players wouldn’t take the court against the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their NBA playoff game after a leaked recording, of what has been reported as the Clippers owner spewing racist remarks, hit the news. Their coach, Doc Rivers, assured Clippers fans that he…
-
A Raisin Still in the Sun
Editor’s note: For those who are wondering about the retro title of this black-history series, please take a moment to learn about historian Joel A. Rogers, author of the 1934 book 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof, to whom these “amazing facts” are an homage. Amazing Fact About the Negro No. 77: Which pioneering play introduced…
-
Maybe White Girls Should Play With Black Dolls
When we hear about the importance of multicultural toys, it’s often in the context of giving black girls dolls that look like them to support their healthy self-image. While this is no doubt important, I wonder why we don’t do more to encourage white girls to play with diverse dolls, too. Let me explain. As…
-
Columbus Short Needs to Clean Up His Act to Save His Career
Just when Scandal fans thought they’d said goodbye to their beloved show for the season, they received an unexpected opportunity to revel in the drama of their favorite primetime TV soap opera—for all the wrong reasons. On Friday night, ABC announced the departure of series regular Columbus Short. It was one of the few Scandal…
-
Donald Sterling’s Long History of Racism and Offensive Remarks
The racist diatribe attributed to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is clearly not the first time he has been hit with such charges. The billionaire apparently has a long and storied history of making racially insensitive remarks, geared not only toward athletes, but prospective tenants looking to rent apartments in properties he owns. 1.…
-
Chicago Anti-Violence Advocate Fatally Gunned Down
Leonore Draper spent hours working to end violence on the streets of Chicago. But Friday, she became a victim of it herself when she was fatally gunned down outside of her home, NBC News reports. The 32-year-old was shot in the arm and chest while returning home to her West Pullman neighborhood from a fundraiser…
-
LA Clippers Owner Apologizes After Backlash
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling issued an apology Saturday for a racist rant that is being attributed to him, TMZ Sports reports. The move follows a backlash over the comments from civil rights leaders, social media users, and current and former NBA players. In a statement released by the Clippers to TMZ, Sterling says…
-
There Is No Room in America for Donald Sterling
Damn, I was pissed at LeBron James when he took his “talents to South Beach.” And I write this from a hotel in South Beach watching the Miami Heat compete in the playoffs on television, as my beloved New York Knicks are finished for the season. At the time, I was pissed because I had…
-
What Happened After a 16-year-old Chose FAMU Over Harvard
There has been a swarm of media reports celebrating young African-American teenagers who have been killing it in college admissions. There are the DC-area triplets deciding between Columbia and University of Pennsylvania, the North Carolina young man who got into seven Ivy League schools and the New York teen who got accepted into all eight…