culture
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Black Pastors Coalition Wants to Impeach Eric Holder for Support of LGBT Marriage
Some African-American religious leaders are calling for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to be impeached for his support of gay-marriage laws, backed up by a push to have them federally recognized, regardless of state laws, UPI reports. “The attorney general of the United States should be impeached over his repeated lawlessness in attempting to impose…
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Black History Month Reminds Us That Black History Is Living History
During this final week of Black History Month, it’s vital to acknowledge the ways in which this month—as well as the activists, students and scholars who support it—transcends mere historical commemorations and academic analysis. It is actively helping to reshape national race relations. Consider the example of the award-winning film 12 Years a Slave. The companion-book…
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How Not to Panic When Your Toddler Sounds a Little Racist
“My 3-year-old daughter attends preschool at a public charter in Washington, D.C. The school draws students citywide through a lottery system and is very diverse (a black plurality, with significant Latino and Asian populations). In her classroom of 18, she is one of four white children. “We opt to pay for the school-provided lunch, for…
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How I Imagine Trayvon Martin
I imagine you taller now. I imagine you ready for college or the armed forces, or sulking because the world isn’t kind to those who are fresh out of high school. I imagine you annoyed that the economy sucks and that tuition is high and scholarship opportunities are limited and the paperwork is endless. I…
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Get Happy With The Root
We’re two months into 2014, and Pharrell Williams’ Oscar-nominated hit song “Happy” is helping the team at The Root have the best year ever! We’re so happy, in fact, that we want to share it with the world, and we want the world to share it with us! So send us your vids in tune…
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The Tiger Mom on Why Nigerian Americans Are More Successful Than You
Depending on who is asked, the following news lies somewhere between Nigeria’s low ranking in the upcoming World Cup Games (frustrating) and the air conditioning system now operating in Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport (promising). “Nigerian” is the only black ethnicity listed among the eight social groups that have a “cultural edge” when it comes to…
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The Root Live: Bring It to the Table Tackles Debt
In many African-American families, when we have an important issue to discuss we gather in the kitchen and bring it to the table. That’s especially true of financial discussions, whether about how to pay the bills, how to send Junior to college or where to start looking for a new job. For the next eight…
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Judge Returns Guns to Blind Florida Man Who Fatally Shot Friend
A judge in Seminole County, Fla., reluctantly returned two firearms to a legally blind man who was acquitted for killing a friend under the “Stand your ground” law, Gawker reports. According to the site, Judge John Galluzo returned a 10-mm pistol and a rifle to the accused after dismissing the jury and awarding John Wayne…
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Everyone Is Asking the Wrong Questions About the Ray Rice Video
“PSA of the day … If you spit in a man’s face, you deserve to get knocked out. Man, woman or child. Period!” This was a friend’s Facebook status on the day the news broke that Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his fiancee, Janay Palmer, had both been charged with simple assault after…
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Video of Principal Dragging Kindergartners Doesn’t Lead to Firing
A video recorded in the spring of 2012 showing a Connecticut principal dragging two kindergartners down a hallway has surfaced, causing some parents and administrators to question why the principal was not fired, NBC New York reports. The videos, which were made public last week, show Tisdale School principal Carmen Perez Dickson dragging two young…