culture
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Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013: South Africa Prepares Its Goodbye
How do you say goodbye to a man whose life has had a profound impact on just about every world leader, sports hero, politician, college student, professor and Hollywood star? How do you capture the impact of that life in a ceremony? How do you memorialize a man who spent almost a third of his…
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How Obama Has Changed Black Journalists
Left of Black host and Duke professor Mark Anthony Neal is joined by The Root’s own David Swerdlick, who talks about modern journalism and President Obama’s influence on his career. Later, Neal is joined by journalist and playwright Esther Armah to discuss her Emotional Justice project and its holiday campaign for forgiveness, “The ‘F’ Word.”…
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Nelson Mandela Dead at 95
Former South African President and freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, known for his relentless stance against apartheid, has died at his Johannesburg home from a prolonged lung infection. He was 95. “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father,” South African President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday in a nationally televised…
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How Mandela Kept His Enemies Close
As a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post, Lynne Duke, who died April 19, 2013, at the age of 56, covered the late Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and his presidency. Her experiences as a journalist covering the transformative time in South Africa as well as the region at large are chronicled in her…
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Mourning an Icon: The Life of Nelson Mandela
On Feb. 11, 1990, South African political leader Nelson Mandela walked out of a prison after 27 years to fulfill his mission: dismantling the country’s apartheid regime. By 1994 the Nobel Prize winner had achieved just that by establishing the first democratic elections in South Africa and becoming its first black president. The towering statesman died today…
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New NYC Police Commissioner William Bratton Innovated Stop-and-Frisk Policy
New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has chosen his new police commissioner. William Bratton will return to the city, which he presided over from 1994 to 1996, a move confirmed by de Blasio’s transition team. “Bill Bratton is a proven crime fighter. He knows what it takes to keep a city safe and make…
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FSU Quarterback Jameis Winston Will Not Be Charged With Rape
No charges will be filed against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, who was alleged to have sexually assaulted a former student, state attorney William Meggs said Thursday at a press conference that was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. but started seven minutes earlier after ESPN scooped the press conference. Jeff Cameron of 97.9 ESPN Tallahassee…
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Cartoon Portrays President Obama With Apelike Features
Cartoonist Ted Rall is dealing with the backlash he created after he posted a controversial cartoon depicting the president with seemingly apelike features to the Daily Kos site, a liberal political blog. According to The Grio, the Daily Kos pounced on the artist, slamming him for the drawing and threatening to rescind his publishing privileges.…
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Is Kanye West Losing It?
The colossally egocentric self-proclaimed genius who subjects concertgoers to his “visionary stream of consciousness” rants during his performances may be wearing his audience thin. On Tuesday, Kanye West’s roadside attraction of a hip-hop concert played to fewer than 4,500 people at the Sprint Center in Kanas City, a venue that holds 19,000. It’s a paltry…
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2 Men May Face Death Penalty in Beating Death of Black Teen
Two Ohio men accused of beating a 16-year-old black boy to death in an apparent drug robbery gone bad were arraigned Tuesday and could be facing the death penalty, WHIO reports. Michael A. Geldrich, 36, and Michael J. Watson, 39, were charged with aggravated robbery and murder. Judge Rupert Ruppert set the bond at $1…