culture
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Juror Says Dunn Would Have Killed a White Teen
In the first interview with a jury member since the controversial verdict was handed down in the trial of Michael Dunn, who shot and killed 17-year-old unarmed Jordan Davis, one juror spoke with Byron Pitts of ABC News. She says that the jury vote was deadlocked 9-3 to convict Dunn of first-degree murder. Pitts, who…
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Who Owns the (Philadelphia) Soul of Black Music?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoyed the Coors Light beer ads that featured the O’Jays’ classic recording, “Love Train.” But I’m sure many folks would also be curious as to how that song—one of the great anthems recorded on the Philadelphia International Records label—ended up in a commercial for a company whose…
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Am I Allowed to Correct My Afro-Latina Girlfriend’s English?
“Speaking of manners and race, what are the rules, inside your race but outside your culture, for correcting a friend or loved one’s English? I’m a young African-American professional, and the woman I’m involved with is, too. She is of African (and other) descent but from a Spanish-speaking country, where she lived until her family emigrated when…
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Malcolm X Was More Than MLK’s Alter Ego
This Friday marks the 49th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X—and the 20th-century icon is still making headlines. His memory remains contested and debated, as witnessed by the recent controversies over his depiction in rapper Nicki Minaj’s cover art and a Queens, N.Y., public school teacher forbidding students to write about him during Black…
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Noose Found on Statue of 1st Black Student at the University of Mississippi
University police at the University of Mississippi are investigating who is behind the vandalism of a statue honoring integration, the Daily Mississippian reports. The student newspaper reported that officers were called early Sunday morning after a contractor discovered a rope and a “pre-2003 Georgia state flag” (containing the Confederate symbol) hung from a statue of…
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Melissa Harris-Perry Welcomes a Baby Girl
On Valentine’s Day, Melissa Harris-Perry took to Twitter to tell her followers that she is a new mother. She posted pictures of her new daughter wearing a onesie that reads, “daddy and mommy’s little valentine.” On Tuesday, the MSNBC host revealed the struggles she endured and how she and her husband ultimately chose surrogacy. “Many…
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Jordan Davis: A Dream Denied
Jordan Davis would have celebrated his 19th birthday on Sunday. Instead the 17-year-old was killed by Michael Dunn at a Florida gas station in 2012 when Jordan and his friends refused to turn down their loud music. On Saturday night, Dunn was found guilty of three counts of second-degree attempted murder but was not convicted…
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Michael Dunn Compares Himself to a Rape Victim
Michael Dunn, convicted on three charges of attempted murder for shooting at a car full of black teenagers, is now comparing himself to a victim of rape, saying that his situation made him think of when “chicks” are blamed for being assaulted because of their style of dress, ABC News reports. Prosecutors released audio on…
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The Root Live: Bring It to the Table Tackles Career Changes
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 nine…
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Oklahoma Pharmacy Agrees Not to Sell Drug for Missouri Execution
A pharmacy in Oklahoma has agreed not to give Missouri a drug to use for a convicted rapist-murderer’s execution after the man’s lawyers filed a case against the pharmacy, hoping to stop the business from providing the drug, the Associated Press reports. Part of the deal included the pharmacy’s acknowledgment that it had not already…