culture
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Detroit Swim Instructor Changed Clothes Instead of Saving Drowning Student
The prosecutor’s office in Macomb County, Mich., has authorized a charge of involuntary manslaughter for an East Detroit high school swimming instructor who allegedly allowed one of his students to drown last year, the Detroit Free Press reports. Johnathan Lamonte Sails, who has yet to turn himself in for the crime, could face up to…
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Michael Dunn Takes Stand, Racist Letters Take Center Stage Online
Michael Dunn, the man who pumped nine shots into a parked Dodge Durango full of teenage boys, killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis after a dispute over the kids’ loud music, took the stand Tuesday in his defense, telling the jury, “I thought I was going to be killed.” Dunn, 47, claimed that he saw what he…
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It Should Be Called ‘The Real Homophobes of Atlanta’
As college football star and major NFL prospect Michael Sam trended on Twitter Sunday night for revealing that he is a proud gay man, The Real Housewives of Atlanta trended for opposite reasons. There is an unexplored theme in reality TV that features black women: the criminalization of black male sexuality, blatant homophobia and the…
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10 Movies That Empower Black Women
The Oscar buzz is loud for 12 Years a Slave’s Lupita Nyong’o for her riveting portrayal of Patsey, an enslaved woman who manages to out-pick her male counterparts in the cotton field and find a sliver of happiness despite her circumstances. Nyong’o’s performance—which earned her a best supporting actress nomination—is the most recent in a…
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George Zimmerman Fight Back On
If you were hoping that you’d heard the last of the George Zimmerman “celebrity” fight, you may be out of luck. According to TMZ, online streaming service FilmOn.com is claiming that it has gotten the rights to the fight after the original promoter, Damon Feldman, abruptly canceled it because of threats made against his kids,…
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Jesse Jackson Wants to Go to North Korea to Bring Kenneth Bae Home
Jesse Jackson is no Dennis Rodman, but he is hoping that he can be the one to get Kenneth Bae, an American missionary imprisoned in North Korea, set free, and he has the full blessing of the State Department, Buzzfeed reports. “At the request of the Bae family, I think people are aware that Rev.…
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Rap Mogul Murder-for-Hire Trial Under Way
When James Rosemond, aka Jimmy Henchman, was out on the street, he was living two lives. As James Rosemond he was a well-respected music industry executive who worked with popular artists like Brandy, Salt-n-Pepa, Sean Kingston, the Game and Akon. As Jimmy Henchman, he was a well-respected gangster whose beef with rapper 50 Cent’s G-Unit…
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Beverly Johnson: From Model to Mogul, 40 Years After Iconic Vogue Cover
It’s been 40 years since fashion icon Beverly Johnson became the first African-American model to grace the cover of American Vogue, and while a lot has changed since then for black models in the business, she says it’s not nearly enough. During a recent panel discussion for Fashion Week in New York City, Johnson said she…
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L.A. News Anchor Mistakes Samuel L. Jackson for Laurence Fishburne on Live TV
Ouch. A Los Angeles reporter did a number on himself on Monday when he apparently mistook Samuel L. Jackson for fellow actor Laurence Fishburne during a live TV interview with the star, TMZ reports. KTLA Entertainment anchor Sam Rubin was having a virtual sit-down with Jackson, who was in Atlanta for his new movie, RoboCop, when…
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Michelle Obama Calls Michael Sam an ‘Inspiration to All of Us’
Michelle Obama is once again standing behind gay athletes, this time calling University of Missouri football player Michael Sam “an inspiration to all of us” in light of his coming out on Sunday. The first lady sent the message from her official Twitter account: Vice President Joe Biden also showed his support, sending out a…