culture
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Educated Black Men Remembered as ‘Whiter’
If you happen to be intellectually successful and black, your peers may remember your complexion as being a little bit lighter than it actually is, a new study published on Wednesday in SAGE Open has found. The article, “When an ‘Educated’ Black Man Becomes Lighter in the Mind’s Eye: Evidence for a Skin Tone Memory…
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Used-Car Dealer Targeted Blacks With Inflated Prices
An operator of used-car dealerships is facing a federal lawsuit after officials determined that he and his two Charlotte, N.C.-based dealerships charged black customers more and offered them “predatory” terms from 2006 to at least 2011, the Charlotte Observer reports. According to the lawsuit, filed Monday by the U.S. government and the state of North…
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Family of Unarmed Man Shot to Death by Police Files Civil Suit
The family of former Florida A&M football player Jonathan Ferrell, who was unarmed when he was fatally shot last year by police in Charlotte, N.C., has filed a civil lawsuit against several parties they believe were involved in his death, CNN reports. According to the complaint filed by Ferrell’s mother, which was viewed by CNN,…
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Musician Prince Is the New Guy on New Girl
Legendary singer Prince is set to guest-star on the Fox comedy New Girl, E! News reports. The episode staring the “Purple One” will air after the Super Bowl. Prince not only watches the show, but also reached out to the stars himself with an idea of how he could be involved. “He contacted us last…
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Our Playlist for Michelle Obama’s 50th Birthday
Michelle Obama is celebrating her 50th birthday Jan. 17 with a dance party Saturday night at the White House. The Root offers up a playlist. ‘I’m Every Woman,’ Whitney Houston Because the first lady truly does represent every woman. ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered,’ Stevie Wonder It was no accident that the Obama team selected the song…
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MLK Was a Revolutionary, Not Just a Dreamer
Today, on what should have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 85th birthday, it’s time to reflect on his legacy and reimagine the significance of commemorations attached to his name. King’s outsized iconography towers over contemporary American race relations. Through a hard-won national holiday, hundreds of books, an endowed lecture series and, most recently, a memorial…
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Small-Business Owners: Raise Your Prices, Hire Help, Make More Money
Editor’s note: How many times in your life have you heard some version of the words “go get a job” from well-meaning parents, teachers, friends or spouses? But has anyone ever told you to “go start your own company”? Does that seem too scary, too tough or impractical? Yes, it can be hard. And yes,…
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What to Do When Slavery Lessons Put Black Kids on the Spot
“I teach after-school enrichment at a predominantly white elementary school. While I was doing an art project with the kids last week, two of the black kids told me that while their teachers were teaching all the kids about African-American history, and in particular about slavery, they felt very uncomfortable because all the other kids…
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Notable Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Founded in 1908 at Howard University, the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha marks its 106-year anniversary today. Here are some notable members. 1. Phylicia Rashad Alpha chapter Actress 2. Toni Morrison Alpha chapter Author 3. Alicia Keys Honorary member Entertainer 4. Maya Angelou Honorary member Author 5. Kamala Harris Alpha chapter First African-American and South Asian…
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Alabama State University President Can’t Cohabitate With Anyone
Gwendolyn Boyd is one of the few black female university presidents in the United States, but what singles out Boyd in her new position at Alabama State University isn’t necessarily her race or her sex—it’s the peculiar contract that she agreed to upon accepting her presidency. The single 58-year-old gets a $300,000 annual salary, a…