culture

According to a report from TMZ, actor James Avery, best known for his six-season run on the hit NBC comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, died Tuesday evening, New Year’s Eve, at the age of 68 at a Los Angeles-area hospital. He appeared in numerous shows and movies during his career, including hits such as…

Around the family dinner table over Christmas, the conversation turned to the recently announced Outkast performance at Coachella 2014—the event that pretty much all hip-hop heads are looking forward to—and the overall state of hip-hop going into 2014, which has decidedly more mixed reviews. Was 2013 a good year for the music we love, or…

Don’t let the health care rollout or the reported drops in approval ratings fool you. According to a newly released Gallup poll, President Obama is still the most admired man in America. The six-time consecutive winner in that category was joined by his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who was the most admired woman.…

Looks like not everyone is happy with Beyoncé’s new album. Some current and former NASA astronauts have labeled the songstress “insensitive” for using audio of the space shuttle Challenger at the beginning of her video for “XO,” ABC News reports.   Jan. 28, 1986, the nation watched live as the space shuttle exploded 73 seconds…

A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in the fatal shooting of rapper Doe B. and a woman at an Alabama bar, the Associated Press reports. Jason Quan McWilliams surrendered to police Sunday evening and is being held without bond. The 22-year-old rapper, whose real name is Glenn…

Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson, son of the outspoken Phil Robertson, will help Fox News ring in the New Year and will discuss his father’s brief suspension from the family’s hit A&E reality series, according to the Associated Press. No word has been given on whether or not Willie Robertson will address directly the homophobic…

The doctors at Children’s Hospital Oakland had cleared the family out of Jahi McMath’s hospital room on Monday evening. The time to take the brain-dead teen off the ventilator was approaching. Then the phone rang, and a prayer was answered for the family, who have been desperately looking for another hospital to care for the…

As we prepare for 2014, our thoughts turn to the events that shaped our year, from the acquittal of George Zimmerman to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington to the recent passing of Nelson Mandela. Indeed, it has been a year of great loss, remembrance and, yes, hope. Hope that in honor of…

Over the weekend, the New York Times published “A Reluctant Bride Conquers Her Fears” in its Weddings section. The story focused on a black couple who said “I do” on Dec. 14. It was a celebratory tale with a happy ending, but some women found themselves in tears before they finished. “I’m crying over this Demetria,”…

Black men triumphed in 2013. From film to politics and music, here’s a look at how they captured America’s hearts and minds. Steve McQueen The British auteur scored seven Golden Globe nominations—including one for best picture-drama—for his groundbreaking film, 12 Years a Slave, based on the memoir of Solomon Northrup. More than one critic described…