culture
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In the Shadow of Newtown, a Father Grieves and Fights
When Hartford, Conn., police arrived on the scene, they found Shane Oliver lying on the ground. The 20-year-old had been shot twice in the back. One bullet had pierced Oliver’s muscle and bone, perforated his heart and lungs and pushed its way out of the right side of his chest. Two-and-a-half hours later, Oliver—a young…
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An Exploration of What It Means to Be Black
Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal sits down with Yaba Blay to talk about her new book, (1) Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. Blay is an assistant professor and co-director of the Africana Studies program at Drexel University. Her book explores mixed-race identity, what exactly is blackness, what does it mean to be…
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More Fans Should Be Outraged by R. Kelly’s New Album Cover
By now you’ve seen the cover photo for R. Kelly’s latest, dubiously titled album, Black Panties. Unfortunately, I’ve seen it, too, and as a father of two daughters, I find it extremely difficult to look at that image, knowing his history: accounts from people like his former manager, Barry Hankerson, about Kelly’s proclivity for underage…
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Why Oprah Would Make a Better Parent Than Most People
Oprah Winfrey is known for succeeding at just about everything she tries: talk show host, actor and, despite a somewhat bumpy start, now as a network owner. But she might just deserve her greatest credit for the one feat she has not tried yet: parenthood. In a revealing interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Winfrey said,…
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If This Rich Kid Has ‘Affluenza,’ Then We’ve All Got ‘Negrobetes’
Ethan Couch, a wealthy teen from the state of Texas, was charged with vehicular manslaughter after he killed four people while he was driving drunk. He was found guilty, but Couch won’t be serving any prison time because he suffers from an affliction called “affluenza.” Affluenza—a hybrid of the words “affluent” and “influenza”—his lawyer argued…
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Instagram Page Lands Man With 142 Felony Counts
How many felony counts is your Instagram feed worth? Dupree Johnson posted pictures to the photo-sharing site like any normal 19-year-old, but his feed caught the attention of one Palm Beach County sheriff, who decide to take a closer look after noticing Johnson’s long rap sheet, which included offenses such as grand theft and felony…
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12 Years a Slave Dominates Golden Globe Nominees
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave tied for the lead in Golden Globe Award nominations, which were announced today, signaling not only the critical success of the brutally honest historical film but also its likely recognition at the Oscars. The movie nabbed nominations for best picture, best director, best actor in a drama (Chiwetel Ejiofor),…
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Aaron Hernandez Is ‘Way Less Stressed’ in Jail
It seems as if accused murderer and ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez is enjoying his prison life, as he awaits trial for the killing of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. In a letter to a male pen pal Hernandez wrote that he was eager to start his trial and “prove his innocence,” but also said his…
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Interpreter Claims Schizophrenic Episode at Mandela Memorial
The man who has been at the center of the controversy over “fake sign language” during Mandela’s memorial service says that he had a schizophrenic episode during the program, and that he lost concentration and started hearing voices and hallucinating, IOL News reports. Thamsanqa Jantjie says that he struggles with mental illness and that he…
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Tutu’s Home Robbed While He Mourned Mandela
Looks like not everyone in South Africa was feeling the loving spirit of Nelson Mandela’s memorial. Police say that burglars robbed the home of retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu the same day that he spoke at the service, the Associated Press reports. Robbers broke into Tutu’s Cape Town home Tuesday night while the 82-year-old was attending…