culture

Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.org, writes a stern open letter to Jay Z at the Huffington Post, saying it has been several days since news broke about the racial profiling of customers at Barneys New York. Robinson says it’s important for Jay Z to speak out about his upcoming collaboration with Barneys. (The rapper…

The New York Times Editorial Board writes a scathing indictment of Louisiana’s Republican government for gutting funding at Grambling State, which has resulted in the football team’s boycott over conditions. Under Gov. Bobby Jindal, Louisiana has been slashing state support for higher education, with funding for Grambling down 56 percent since 2008 (and funding for…

Recounting the travails one man encountered following his partner’s death, L.Z. Granderson explains at CNN why it’s important that states allow same-sex marriage. In my 20-plus years as a journalist, I’ve written a lot about death. Thankfully, it hasn’t gotten easier. The stories still touch me, although some more than others. Bridegroom’s passing would be…

Hip-hop mogul Jay Z spoke out Saturday, following several days of criticism and questions over whether he would continue his collaboration with Barneys New York after the store was accused of racially profiling two black customers. He made the following statement in a post at his website: This collaboration lives in a place of giving…

On the heels of reports that a Baltimore woman lost her job because of her blonde highlights comes another story about a 24-year-old woman who has been ordered to cut her dreadlocks or be fired. Ashley Davis, of St. Peters, Mo., told Fox 2 St. Louis that a change in policy at the finance company…

Famed music producer Quincy Jones has filed a lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s estate, saying he is owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the star’s biggest hits, including “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” In the lawsuit filed Friday, Jones seeks at least $10 million from Jackson’s estate…

The floodgates have opened. In the aftermath of high-profile racial discrimination claims against Barneys, the upscale retailer, more incidents are coming to light. Now, actor Robert Brown, star of HBO’s Treme, says he was profiled in June at Macy’s after buying his mother a $1,350 watch. He has now filed a civil suit against the…

(The Root) — 12 Years a Slave is being hailed as the front-runner to sweep the next Academy Awards. In addition to Chiwetel Ejiofor’s powerful performance and Steve McQueen’s forceful direction, there is Lupita Nyong’o’s haunting turn as a slave named Patsey. Nyong’o’s ability to convey Patsey’s grace and humanity, regardless of the abuse and…

Political commentator Zerlina Maxwell, writing at Feministing, hits journalists who have health coverage but log on to healthcare.gov, make false calls into the call center and then report negative stories about problems with Obamacare enrollment. She says that these journalists are letting their position of privilege cloud their reporting — and they’re missing the point…