culture
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We Love Downton Abbey So Much, We’re Calling It ‘Brownton Abbey’
Downton Abbey returned for its fourth season last night, and no one seemed happier about it than black Twitter. According to The Root’s Chatterati, Sunday night’s broadcast was the third-most-tweeted topic by black Twitter during the show’s two-hour premiere. So how did black folks get so obsessed over this 1920s British period drama, which introduces…
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Study: Nearly 50 Percent of Black Males in the US Arrested by Age 23
Almost 50 percent of all black males and more than 40 percent of white males in the United States have been arrested by their 23rd birthday, according to a new study, the International Business Times reports. The study, published in the journal Crime & Delinquency, analyzed national data from 1997 to 2008 of teens and…
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Jay Z Donates More Than $1,000,000 From Luxury-Clothing Sales to His Charity
Despite calls for Jay Z to withdraw from a deal with high-end retailer Barneys New York after two racial-profiling accusations, the rapper’s luxury-clothing line raked in more than $1 million over the holidays, the Daily Mail reports. All profits made from sales during the six-week limited run will be donated to Jay Z’s Shawn Carter…
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Dennis Rodman and Other NBA Stars Arrive in North Korea
Dennis Rodman and a group of ex-All Star players—including Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker—have arrived in North Korea as they prep for Wednesday’s game against a home team in honor of leader Kim Jong Un’s birthday, which is believed to be the same day as the match. Rodman, who considers Kim a “friend,”…
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Evander Holyfield: Being Gay Ain't Normal
Boxer Evander Holyfield may regret his comments once he leaves the Big Brother house after claiming that being gay is no different than being handicapped…because a doctor can fix both, TMZ reports. The retired boxer is a housemate on the UK show, Celebrity Big Brother after being asked by houseguest Luisa Zissman if there were…
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Bill de Blasio Opens Gracie Mansion to the Public
It may have taken the De Blasio family a while to decide whether or not they were going to move to Gracie Mansion but it didn’t take long for them to open the doors up to the public, The New York Times reports. On Sunday, newly christened mayor, Bill De Blasio opened his new digs…
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Family Moves Brain-Dead Teen From Hospital
On an empty street and under the cover of night, an ambulance appeared at a secured gate at Children’s Hospital Oakland and then quietly pulled away. Inside on a gurney lay Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old girl declared brain-dead nearly a month ago. Her family had been fighting for this day as they clashed with officials…
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The ‘Chiraq’ War Mentality in Chicago Prevents Solutions
Now that Chicago has recorded the fewest number of murders since 1965, maybe the hyperbole that the city is the murder capital of America will die. Doubtful. But I would like to use this opportunity for the city’s residents to think differently about crime and neighborhoods, and how we respond to perceptions. Chicagoans, let’s please…
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Kendrick Johnson: Family Still Seeks Answers to His Death 1 Year Later
It’s been nearly a year since 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found dead, rolled up inside of a mat in the gym of his Georgia high school. Investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident, falling head-first while reaching for a shoe and becoming trapped, the Associated Press reports. But almost a full day passed…
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Dennis Rodman Announces Players for North Korea Game
Dennis Rodman has released the list of athletes who will play in an exhibition basketball game against a top North Korean Senior National team on Jan. 8, marking Kim Jong Un’s birthday in Pyongyang, the Associated Press reports. Rodman reportedly will lead a team that includes former NBA All-Stars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin…