culture
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Jamaican Cultural Theorist Stuart Hall Dies at 82
Stuart Hall, a celebrated Jamaican cultural theorist, has passed away at the age of 82, the Voice reports. Hall had, in recent years, disappeared from the public eye due to various health problems, including kidney failure, the news site notes. Yet his admirers remained strong. Just last year, one such admirer, acclaimed director John Akomfrah,…
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How a Gay Football Star Could Change Black America
On Sunday night, Michael Sam made history. The college football standout and likely top NFL draft pick publicly acknowledged that he is gay, which would make him the first athlete in a major American professional team sport to announce he is gay at the very beginning of his career. Sam’s announcement is already one of…
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Michael Dunn’s Girlfriend Fights Tears on Stand in Jordan Davis Trial
In a rare Saturday court session in the trial of Michael Dunn, Rhonda Rouer took the stand to tell her side of what happened Nov. 23, 2012, the night her boyfriend, Dunn, fatally shot 17-year-old Jordan Davis. Rouer told the jury that her boyfriend had “maybe three or four” rum and sodas at his son’s…
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Marcus Smart Suspended 3 Games for Shoving Fan
The punishment is in, and Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart is going to watch his team play without him for three games. He was suspended for shoving a Texas tech fan in the final seconds of Saturday’s game, ESPN reports. The three-game suspension was announced Sunday by Cowboys coach Travis Ford. “I want to apologize…
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The World Insists That I’m ‘Exotic,’ but I Just Want to Be Black
The first time I remember someone saying that I looked more “other” than African American, I completely misunderstood the comment. My second-grade teacher told my mother that I looked Samoan. I had no idea that “Samoan” referred to an ethnic group and wasn’t some frivolous adjective like “cute.” In my 7-year-old mind, the word sounded…
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From Khalil Gibran Muhammad: A Message to Our Young Futurists
I recently taught history to a group of Harlem’s best and brightest teens. They are kids from all walks of life. Some are outgoing and energetic. Others are shy and reserved. All of them are leaning forward, toward a brighter future, leaving the past behind. These young people are very much like you. Their optimism…
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Introducing The Root's 2014 Young Futurists
Each year during Black History Month, as The Root recognizes and celebrates the great accomplishments of our forebears, we believe it is also important to recognize and celebrate the young African-American men and women who are forging a path to future greatness. We call them Young Futurists, and we are pleased to introduce our 2014…
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Harvard Afro-Latin American History Professor to Edit Transition Magazine
The Hutchins Center at Harvard University has announced the appointment of Alejandro de la Fuente as the new editor of Transition, the longest running Pan-African cultural magazine in history. Under professor de la Fuente’s leadership, the journal will extensively broaden its print and online distribution, and will highlight emerging Afro-Latin perspectives, while continuing to publish…
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3 Things to Consider Before Condemning Marcus Smart
Let’s be clear, if Oklahoma State University sophomore basketball star Marcus Smart was still in the running for sportsman of the year, he isn’t now. Saturday night, after trying to block a shot and falling into the stands in the waning moments of a heated game against rival Texas Tech, he reacted to something said…
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Trayvon Martin Remembered 2 Years After His Death
Two years after Trayvon Martin’s killing ignited a passionate debate about race, the slain teen’s parents are hosting a memorial gathering today in Davie, Fla., bringing together community leaders, celebrities and other supporters, the Daily News reports. The gathering, described as a gala event and sponsored by the Trayvon Martin Foundation, is the culmination of…