culture
-
‘To Be Young, Gifted and Black’: The Roots of a Civil Rights Anthem
Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal speaks to Shana Redmond about her new book, Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora. Redmond is an assistant professor of American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California. Watch:
-
Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Indicted Boston Marathon Bomber
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the young man charged with planting the bombs at the Boston Marathon last year in a devastating attack that killed three people and injured nearly 300 others, should be put to death if found guilty, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday, according to Reuters. Holder has officially authorized federal trial prosecutors to…
-
A Survival Guide for Single Girls on Valentine’s Day
“Valentine’s Day is around the corner. What would you suggest two young, single girls do so they aren’t home pining over a tub of ice cream?”—K.W. Valentine’s Day has got to be the worst holiday on earth. And I say that as a woman who hasn’t spent one alone in about six years. There’s so…
-
MSNBC Faces Right-Wing Backlash Over Tweet About New Cheerios Interracial Family Ad
Updated Thurs., Jan 30, 1:30 p.m.: Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus expressed his concern in a written statement (pdf) about “this kind of attack” on conservatives and banned RNC staff from the network unless President Phil Griffin apologizes. This is more than just a tweet or an offhand comment. This is part of…
-
New Charges in Death of Omaha Girl Killed by Stray Bullet
Four men have now been slapped with heavier charges tied to the death of a 5-year-old girl from Omaha, Neb., who was hit by a stray bullet while eating breakfast in her home, the Associated Press reports. Vincent Hicks, 20, was retained for suspected first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy and three felony weapons counts. He is…
-
White House to Address Petition to Deport Justin Bieber
One of many White House petitions to deport Justin Bieber following his DUI arrest in Miami last week has officially surpassed 100,000 signatures, which triggers an automatic requirement for the White House to respond to the request. According to Buzzfeed, a White House spokesperson confirmed that the office will be responding to the petition, stating,…
-
Former Detroit Lions Running Back Suing NFL, Helmet Maker Over Concussions
Former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best, whose football career was cut short after he suffered several concussions, is suing the NFL and helmet maker Riddell, the Associated Press reports. Best, who was the 30th draft pick in the 2010 NFL draft after breaking multiple records coming out of California, suffered at least four concussions…
-
Cheerios Brings Back Interracial Family, Stands Up to the Haters
Cheerios is back with a new ad, featuring the same interracial family from an ad from last year, in a stand against the racist backlash it received then. And this time the family is getting bigger. In the adorable Super Bowl commercial, an African-American father uses cereal pieces to represent members of the family to…
-
Mall Shooter Wrote of Killing People and That He Was Ready to Die
The gunman who killed two people and injured several others before taking his own life inside a suburban Maryland mall last Saturday wrote of killing people in a journal. He also wrote that he was ready to die, police told the Associated Press, as they released new details about the shooting. Darion Marcus Aguilar expressed…
-
The Super Bowl Needs a Hip-Hop Halftime Show
It’s that time of year again. Your favorite time of year, I would imagine. The Super Bowl is what we all look forward to. But the hyped halftime show—the alleged highlight of the NFL Championship for the greater part of its 43-year history—has been a 50-50 viewing option for me over the years. The new…