culture
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The Incredible Life and Trying Basketball Times of Kobe Bryant, Part 1
“We’ve learned Kobe Bryant has been asked to run the Federal Reserve. The feeling is, he can do more with three quarters than most of us can do with a whole dollar.” —Peter Vescey, the New York Post What are the makings of a titan? In Greek mythology, a titan is an immortal deity of great…
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Biracial Girls Will Be Fine If Their Dolls Don’t Look Like Them
“Hello. I’m wondering if you can offer some broad guidance before I head out to the malls for Christmas shopping. I have two beautiful nieces in a very diverse, melting pot family. My sisters and I are white, and one has a daughter who is half-Japanese, and my younger sister’s husband is half-African American. The…
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Kwanzaa Greetings From the Obamas
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama kicked off the first day of Kwanzaa Thursday by extending best wishes to everyone celebrating the weeklong holiday. “As families and communities across our country come together today to light the Kinara, our family sends our hopes for a prosperous and healthy new year,” President Obama said…
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McDonald’s Shuts Down Website After Workers Told to Avoid Fast Food
McDonald’s has shuttered a controversial employee-resources website that contained posts that, well, advised workers to avoid consuming the very food they serve, CNN reports. A graphic on the site showed a meal with a cheeseburger, fries and drink that was captioned “Unhealthy choice,” the report shows. Next to it was an image of a sub,…
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White Texas Man Suspected in ‘Knockout’ Attack Against Black Man
While the so-called knockout game has become known nationally for its racially tinged attacks against whites by blacks, a case in Texas presents a new twist on the themed attacks that some have dubbed an urban myth. Federal authorities have charged a white Texas man in connection with a hate crime for targeting a 79-year-black…
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White Teacher to Black Student: We Don’t Need Another Black President
A white Cincinnati-area teacher has been suspended for allegedly telling an African-American student that “we do not need another black president” after the student said he would like to become president, the Cincinnati Inquirer reports. The Fairfield Board of Education suspended Fairfield Freshman School science teacher Gil Voigt after he allegedly made the comments with…
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Jesse Jackson Goes Duck Wild
Jesse Jackson wants a formal sit-down with the executives at A&E over the comments made by Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, the Chicago Tribune reports. Jackson compared Robertson’s recent comments about African Americans, gay people and women to comments made by the driver of Rosa Parks’ bus, in a statement issued Tuesday, the Tribune reports.…
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President Urges Americans to Volunteer This Holiday Season
President Barack Obama gave his annual Christmas message Wednesday and used the opportunity to ask Americans to remember the troops who are serving the country far from their loved ones. “Our extraordinary men and women in uniform are serving so that the rest of us can enjoy the blessings we cherish during the holidays,” the…
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Family Spends Christmas With Brain-Dead Teen
The family of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, who has been on life support since tonsillectomy surgery earlier this month, spent Christmas next to her in the hospital. They set up a Christmas tree in her room with presents for her and her siblings, ABC 7 reports. On Tuesday, McMath’s family got the news that the girl…
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Why He Gets a Pass for Cheating and She Doesn’t
“It amazes me the double standards of cheating: Friend cheated on wife; both their families more or less were upset but shrugged, expected her to stay/forgive. She then cheated two years later and everyone was screaming he should leave her. Why is a woman cheating more unforgivable?” —F.T. We live in a patriarchy that’s full…