culture
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Outgunned: Reducing Violence With Economic Opportunity
Editor’s note: Read part 1, part 2 and part 3 of the series. Chicago. New Orleans. Detroit. All of these cities are frequently cited as epicenters of gun violence, with stories about neighborhood shootings regularly appearing on our nightly news. But rarely will news coverage offer the full context for inner-city violence: In particular, these cities are among…
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What’s in a (Black) Name? An Interview With Searching for Shaniqua Director Phill Branch
The blogosphere has been on fire over a story about Kylie Austin, a biracial teen who changed her name from Keisha to Kylie because she was frustrated with being taunted about her “black” name by her mostly white peers. And there’s a new film on the way that takes this issue head-on. There have been…
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Chicago Violence: Mom Still Mourns Heaven
Editor’s note: For the past two weeks, The Root and the NAACP have partnered to present a series of reports on gun violence, its causes and potential solutions. To highlight the urgent nature of the problem, The Root is updating cases we have previously reported, including this Chicago story from 2012. A few days from…
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Get a Clue: If He’s Not Calling Back, He’s Not Into You
“I’m interested in a guy, but he’s inconsistent in calling and texting me. Usually when I call or text, I don’t get a response, but then I’ll see that he’s using social media. I take that to mean he has the time but he’s not using it to stay in touch. That means he’s not…
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NYPD Data: Majority of Shooting Suspects in 1st Half of 2013 Were Black
As a black person, you are 25 times more likely to be shot in New York City, and also more likely to be arrested for pulling a trigger, than a white person, the city’s Police Department statistics show. Of the 567 shooting victims in the first half of 2013, 74 percent were black, 21.5 percent…
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Ebony Magazine and the Grio Sponsor a Makeover for Rachel Jeantel
After dealing with the trial of George Zimmerman, charged with the murder of her best friend, Trayvon Martin, and facing an onslaught of criticism (and some praise), Rachel Jeantel is getting a makeover, compliments of Ebony Magazine and the Grio. According to the Huffington Post, the teen is looking forward to entering the next stage…
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Watch This: Michelle Obama Talks Education and Worst Outfit on 106th and Park
Pretty sure the first lady’s appearance last night on 106th and Park marks the first time a member of the presidential family guested on the video talk show. Making the rounds to push President Obama’s “North Star” Goal—that by the year 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the…
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Government Worker Keeps Job After Racist Email
He sent a racist and homophobic message from his work email, but in Montana, Yellowstone County Treasurer Max Lenington does not need to fear for his job, KTVQ reports. In a memorandum and legal analysis from Monday, the county’s attorney’s office stood by the treasurer, saying that the offensive email and repeated personal use of…
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NYPD Says Stop-and-Frisk Numbers Have Plummeted
Stop-and-frisk numbers have plunged 80 percent in the past few months, in comparison with around this time last year, according to New York Police Department data, the Associated Press reports. For the months of July, August and September, there were slightly more than 21,000 stops, since the police changed their training methods after heavy criticism…
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Another Failed Michael Jordan Paternity Suit
For the second time in recent months, an Atlanta woman has claimed that NBA star Michael Jordan was the father of her child. It is also the second time that the suit has been tossed out and the accuser made to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees for Jordan. Laquetta Theus, the 30-year-old mother…