culture
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Why Are Black People Nearly 4 Times as Likely to Be Arrested for Weed?
Millions of people each year are arrested for marijuana possession, but a black person is 3.73 times as likely as a white person to be arrested for the same offense. That, says the American Civil Liberties Union, is a form of racial injustice. So, this week, the organization launched The Uncovery, an advocacy tool that lets…
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Judge Upholds Firing of Police Officer Who Shared Rihanna Injury Photos
A judge has upheld the firing of a police officer who distributed an evidence photo showing injuries singer Rihanna sustained after she was attacked by then boyfriend Chris Brown. The photo found its way onto the celebrity website TMZ, the Associated Press reports. Former Los Angeles police officer Rebecca Reyes took a picture of an…
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It’s Official: Aaron McGruder Out at Boondocks
Aaron McGruder, creator and executive producer of The Boondocks, has had no involvement with the upcoming fourth season of the cartoon, Adult Swim confirms, fueling suspicions that began on Facebook, where McGruder claimed The Boondocks page had been “hijacked.” According to a press release issued by Adult Swim, “this season was produced without the involvement of…
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Officials Investigating Reported Confession in Kendrick Johnson Case
A communications company has been ordered to release Internet records after an anonymous email was sent to investigators declaring that an ex-schoolmate had confessed to killing Georgia teen Kendrick Johnson, CNN reports. According to the news network—which managed to obtain the e-mail and the subpoena—the email was from Jan. 27, with the sender claiming that…
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15 Famous 1st Black Tweets: Thanks, Twitter!
To celebrate the microblogging site’s own eighth birthday, this week the folks at Twitter unveiled their new #FirstTweet finder page—an easy way to see what your tweeps said when they first jumped into the Twitter fray. It’s also an easy way to see if your favorite notables had any Twitter game when they first joined.…
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Can the Media Keep Up With Modern Black Families?
In the decades since 1978, when Hampton University held its first conference dedicated to unpacking the issues facing black families, plenty of aspects of American life have changed for people of all races. At the 36th annual event, held this week on the campus of the Virginia HBCU, participants took a critical look at the…
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Former Police Captain Released for 2nd Time in Ex-Wife’s Murder Case
He had already spent nearly 15 years in prison for the killing of his ex-wife, but somehow on Thursday morning former Akron, Ohio officer Douglas Prade found himself in custody once again while at a morning hearing, the Associated Press reports. An appeals court had found the judge who freed him based on DNA testing—showing…
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Scandal Recap: Pretty Hurts
Everyone on Scandal looks like they could be in a Macy’s catalog (never mind that everything is in shambles and they’re desperately in need of Iyanla Vanzant to fix their lives). In last night’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” episode, Jake, Mama Pope, OPA and the White House crew fall even deeper into a wormhole of…
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Singer Anita Baker Wanted in Detroit for Missing Court Appearance
An arrest warrant has been issued for singer Anita Baker, TMZ reports. According to the gossip website, the “Sweet Love” singer is wanted in Detroit on a bench warrant issued Thursday when she failed to appear in court for a hearing in a legal dispute with a painting and decorating company. Ray A. Smith Painting…
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Police Searching for 8-Year-Old DC-Area Girl Find Woman’s Body
Police searching for a missing 8-year-old girl found the body of a woman who appears to have been beaten to death, NBC Washington reports. Prince George’s County police discovered the woman’s body at a Red Roof Inn in the Washington suburb of Oxon Hill, Md., while trying to find Relisha Tenau Rudd. Relisha was last…