culture
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First Lady Michelle Obama and Bow Wow Surprise Howard
First lady Michelle Obama and cable television host and rapper Bow Wow joined 37 students from Chicago public high schools for a tour of Howard University, the Washington Post reports. The annual college visit is called Escape to the Mecca, a bow (pun intended) to the university’s nickname “the Mecca.” During the visit, Obama encouraged…
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Former NFL Quarterback Donovan McNabb Serves 1 Day in Jail for DUI Arrest
Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who became the team’s all-time leader in career wins, was released from an Arizona jail Thursday after serving a one-day sentence for a DUI arrest last year, the Daily News reports. The 37-year-old was booked Wednesday into a detention facility by order of the West Mesa Justice Court and…
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20 Years After Illmatic, Nas Says American Gun Culture Needs a Remix
During the 20th-anniversary celebration of Illmatic, Nas has been described as the hip-hop generation’s Angela Davis. Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson declared that Nas’ debut album should be studied alongside Toni Morrison and Ernest Hemingway, and in recognition of his 20-year career, Harvard University established the Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellowship at the prestigious W.E.B.…
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Don’t Like Your BFF’s ‘Ratchet’ Fiance? You Should Still Be a Bridesmaid
My BFF is engaged and so happy. Her fiance is a thug, cheater and liar. I don’t support ratchet, so I hadn’t planned to attend the wedding. I was just going to claim work responsibilities. Now BFF wants me as bridesmaid and for me to pay for my dress. How can I tell her that I…
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Wisconsin: Worst State in Nation for Black Children
If you are raising a black child, think twice before moving to Wisconsin. A recent study has found that no state is worse for black children than the Badger State. According to the study “Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children,” from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Wisconsin has the country’s worst…
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Think of Beyoncé as a Contemporary Mami Wata
Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal sits down to talk with Ali Colleen Neff about her work with Senegalese praise poets, Mami Wata and sea punk. Neff is a visiting assistant professor at the College of William & Mary in the departments of anthropology and African-American studies. Watch:
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B. Scott Loses Discrimination Lawsuit Against BET
Everyone who knows about B. Scott knows that he has a flair for dressing in glamorous, usually more-feminine, attire. But a California judge ruled Thursday that BET was entitled to make Scott change from his usual garb to something more “masculine” for last year’s BET Awards, TMZ reports. The network ended up pulling the personality…
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Long Island High School Students Indefinitely Suspended for Wearing Confederate Flag
Two seniors at a private Catholic high school in South Huntington, N.Y., were indefinitely suspended for wearing a Confederate flag draped around their shoulders, CBS New York reports. The students, who brought the flag to an after-hours sports event at the Long Island school, have prompted outrage, according to the report. “The African-American students who…
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Study Shows Startling Race Gap in Exposure to Air Pollution
A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota have uncovered a disquieting racial gap when it comes to exposure to air pollution, the MinnPost reports. Examining air-pollution exposure across racial, economic, educational and other relevant categories, researchers realized that race and income had the greatest impact on exposure, with people of color being…
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Rapper Andre Johnson Severs Penis, Jumps From Building
Rapper Andre Johnson cut off his penis and jumped from a North Hollywood apartment building early Wednesday morning, police told CNN. According to the report, Johnson, who goes by the name “Christ Bearer” as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated group Northstar, survived the fall with serious injuries. Johnson was being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical…