culture
-
Students Charged With Hate Crimes Against African-American Roommate
“Three-fifths” and “Fraction” are the names three white roommates at San Jose State University gave their black freshman roommate to remind him that there was a time when blacks were considered a fraction of a person. They also outfitted the room with a Confederate flag and wrote the n-word on a dry erase board. Then…
-
Sasha Obama Causes Unicorn-Sweater Hysteria
When Sasha Obama went to the Comcast Center to watch her Uncle Craig’s Oregon State Beavers destroy the Maryland Terps last Sunday, I doubt she thought her black sweater with the unicorn on the front was making a fashion statement. Turns out, her sweater was the real winner that night—at least for ASOS. The online…
-
Benjamin Crump: 'Zimmerman Belongs Behind Bars'
On Tuesday, an admitted killer walked free—again. And after a Florida judge set George Zimmerman’s bail at a mere $9,000, he was able to make bond—and walk away hours later—after his second arrest in connection with a domestic disturbance following his acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Pending trial, Seminole County Judge Fred…
-
Left of Black With Public Enemy’s Chuck D
For his Web series this week, Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal is joined by Chuck D of Public Enemy and his wife, Gaye Theresa Johnson. Professor Johnson teaches in the Department of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
-
Alabama Posthumously Pardons 3 Scottsboro Boys
It was one of those events that helped sparked the modern civil rights movement, prompting protests over racial injustice and two milestone decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1931 a group of nine black teenagers were fighting false charges that they had raped two white women. All of them ended up serving time after…
-
How a Racist Serial Killer Restored My Faith in the Death Penalty
Last month, headlines blared, “U.S. Death Penalty Support Lowest in More Than 40 Years.” Based on that pronouncement, one might assume that an overwhelming number of Americans oppose the capital punishment. That assumption would be wrong. If anyone actually read past the provocative headlines and read the actual data, 60 percent of Americans still support…
-
James McBride Wins National Book Award; Maya Angelou Honored
Sometimes it’s the pain of loss that pushes the creative. James McBride won the National Book Award in fiction, and upon accepting his award he spoke about his recent tragedies. He told the audience of 700 guests at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City that he wrote The Good Lord Bird—his novel about a…
-
DNA Analysis Links FSU Quarterback to Accuser
In a story that many believe is being tried in the court of public opinion, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has confirmed that DNA provided by Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston matches the sample taken from the underwear of the woman who has accused him of sexual battery, ESPN.com reports. Winston’s attorney, Tim Jansen,…
-
Chicago Teen Donates Kidney to Stranger to Save His Mom
It is clear that Tevin Hamilton loves his mom. The teenager from Chicago has wanted to donate his kidney to her since he was a little boy, CBS Chicago reports. “When I first found out, it was kind of sad, because I was like, ‘Now she’s helpless,’ and I want to save her,” Hamilton told…
-
Teen Spent 3 Years at Rikers Without Being Convicted of Crime
In May of 2010, Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old sophomore in high school, was walking home in his Bronx, N.Y., neighborhood after a party. Someone told the police that Browder robbed him weeks ago. Cuffs were applied, and Browder was slammed behind one of the toughest prisons on the planet. The 16-year-old would stay there for…