culture
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120-Year-Old Recording of Black Vocal Group Auctioned Off
An 1893 recording of the song, “Mama’s Black Baby Boy,” by the New York-based Unique Quartet, was sold at auction Saturday, the Associated Press reports. The earliest known recording of a black vocal group in the U.S. sold for $1,100 and was contained in a wax-covered cylinder, the AP reports. The recording, one of only…
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Obama and Cornel West Make GQ’s Least Influential List
The sharp differences between Cornel West and President Barack Obama have been well-documented in the media. But now one publication has decided that they have at least one thing in common. GQ magazine has lumped them together on its list of “The 25 Least Influential People of 2013.” President Obama is ranked at No. 17. “He…
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The Daily Show Offers Tips for ‘Shopping While Black’
Just days before the arrival of Black Friday, The Daily Show added a touch of humor to the harsh reality of racial-profiling allegations that have dominated headlines in recent weeks. In the segment, correspondent Jessica Williams doles out tips for black people trying to, ahem, shop on Black Friday because it’s hard to take advantage…
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Baltimore Jail Officers Accused of Taking Bribes, Peddling Drugs
A cadre of Baltimore corrections officers reportedly worked with members of a notorious prison gang to peddle drugs, phones and sex inside the city’s jail and have been indicted, CNN reports. Saying the indictment reads like a script from the canceled HBO crime drama The Wire, CNN reports that prosecutors announced charges against 14 additional…
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Appeals Court Refuses to Boot NYC Stop-and-Frisk Rulings
A federal appeals court has denied a request to dismiss rulings that determined that New York City police conducted its police stop-and-frisk policy in a discriminatory manner, the Associated Press reports. On Friday, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the five-page order during a scheduled appeal of U.S. Judge…
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Profound and Poetic: The Greatest Black Quotes in History
Retha Powers used to dream in quotes. It wasn’t always this way, but after the publishing house Little, Brown and Co. approached the author about compiling and editing a reference volume that chronicles black life through quotations from early Egyptians right up to Cory Booker, the words became a part of her. “There was a…
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Love Terrence Howard, but Don't Like Terrence Howard
The Best Man Holiday may be surpring industry insiders with another strong performance at the box office this weekend, but it isn’t a surprise to long-time fans of the original Best Man and its dynamic cast. Among that cast, though, is a man who nearly kept me from seeing the movie, a man of whom…
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Family: Sex Not Consensual in FSU’s Heisman Candidate Case
The family of the alleged victim in a sexual assault case involving Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston released a statement to the media late Friday, saying that she did not consent and “the player committed rape,” the Associated Press reports. “To be clear, the victim did not consent,” the statement reads, according to the AP.…
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Chris Brown Does Not Have to Appear in DC Court
Chris Brown got a small reprieve from his legal challenges. Washington D.C., Superior Judge Robert Tignor decided Friday to allow the beleaguered R&B singer to waive his scheduled court appearance on Monday, the Associated Press reports. He was scheduled to appear on a misdemeanor assault charge, but his lawyers told the judge that it didn’t make…
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Duke Lacrosse Accuser Convicted of Murder
A woman who made headlines several years ago after falsely accusing three Duke University lacrosse players of rape was convicted of second-degree murder Friday in the stabbing death of her boyfriend, the Associated Press reports. The jury reached its verdict after about six hours of deliberation over two days in the trial of 34-year-old Crystal…