culture

(The Root) — At a time when more laws are being put in place to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, an increasing number of African-American adults are calling themselves LGBT. An estimated 1,018,700, or 3.7 percent, of black adults consider themselves LGBT, and 34 percent of African-American same-gender couples are…

(The Root) — On Wednesday, history was made in New Jersey as Cory Booker won a U.S. Senate seat. The outgoing Newark mayor will be the ninth African-American member of that governing body and, at 44, one of the youngest. This week’s special election, scheduled by Gov. Chris Christie, followed the abrupt death in June…

As lawmakers voted on Wednesday to end the 16-day government shutdown, a House of Representatives stenographer approached the dais and began shouting about God and Freemasons, according to Business Insider. She was promptly removed from the floor. “He will not be mocked,” a woman shouts on the recording. “This is not one nation under God.…

The timing could not have been better, whether intentional or not. On Wednesday, Saturday Night Live announced that Emmy Award-nominated actress Kerry Washington will host the show on Nov. 2 with musical co-host Eminem, Deadline  reports. NBC’s announcement comes amid a heated online debate over remarks SNL cast member Kenan Thompson made to TV Guide.…

(The Root) — Anyone black who’s done time in prep school can appreciate the mixed bag of experiences it can bring: On the one hand, there’s the potential — the promise — of receiving a world-class education, one that makes the transition to the Ivy League practically painless. On the other hand, there’s the potential…

(The Root) — “I had dinner with my white girlfriend and her mother recently. Her mother cooked, and I was surprised that the meal was all ‘soul food’ — chitlins, greens and sweet potato pie. My girlfriend said her mom likes to cook new things and I should think nothing of it. Didn’t think much of…

Writing at CNN, L.Z. Granderson argues that Americans’ abysmal level of academic prowess undermines democracy at the voting booth, which has paved the way for a dysfunctional Congress. He bases the observation on findings of a recent survey showing that Americans trail other countries in literacy, math and computer skills. You see, while we were…

Ben S. Carson, in a piece at the Washington Times, slams critics who have accused him of comparing Obamacare to slavery. “I stated that Obamacare was the worst thing in our country since slavery,” he writes. Many can remember as youngsters doing something wrong, for which they knew punishment was deserved. In order to avoid…

Bill de Blasio is primed to become New York City’s next mayor because the Democratic candidate’s interracial family represents and cultivates social change, Ben Ryder Howe writes at the New York Observer. I had to laugh when I read recently that Bill de Blasio, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, is leading the…

U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos ignited controversy when they bowed their heads and raised black-gloved fists in the “black power” salute during the Olympic medal ceremony Oct. 16, 1968, in Mexico City. While some viewed them as heroes, in the eyes of some they represented a scourge on America. The men were suspended…