culture
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Is It Safe for a Black Male to Dial 911?
(The Root) — Editor’s note: We were reminded again yesterday that in America, color may still matter as much as character when you’re black and male and you have an encounter with police. And we ask this question: When is coincidence more than coincidence? As The Root reported on Tuesday, Jack Lamar Roberson of Waycross,…
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She Calls 911 to Help Fiance; Cops Kill Him
Updated Oct. 9, 2:15 p.m. EDT: Jack Lamar Roberson’s family has taken the first step toward legal action in the fatal shooting of the allegedly suicidal man and have been in contact with an attorney, although no formal arrangements have been made, The Root has learned. It may be a long battle, with both sides…
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'Grey's Anatomy' Star Rejected On-Screen Interracial Relationship
When Ellen Pompeo, the lead actress on Grey’s Anatomy, was offered the role of Dr. Meredith Grey, she had no idea it would become the role of a lifetime, but she was certain she did not want the role to be anything like her real life. As Grey’s Anatomy celebrates its 200-episode milestone, Pompeo reveals…
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Trayvon Martin Day Riles Parents
Trayvon Martin Day at a Pittsburgh high school was meant to bring students together and raise social awareness while commemorating the life of the unarmed African-American teen who was shot and killed last year by George Zimmerman, the Daily News reports. Instead it resulted in a loud public outcry from parents, who called it divisive.…
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We Need More Black Female Comic Book Characters!
Chaka Cumberbatch, in a piece at xoJane, takes issue with the lack of black female representation in the superhero genre: “Quick — off the top of your head, no Googling allowed — how many black female characters in comics, sci-fi or video games are you able to think of?” Cumberbatch is encouraging the powers that…
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What Makes White People Feel Invisible?
(The Root) — In the latest in a series of Reddit “Ask Me Anything” sessions, our Race Manners columnist, Jenée Desmond-Harris, opened herself up to more of readers’ questions about race (and about the story of the Race Manners advice column itself). Check out the conversation here. Bandjo: How do I apologize for being a white man…
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Billionaires Save Head Start During Shutdown
(The Root) — There has been very little news worth celebrating during the current government shutdown, making it hard to decide which news is more depressing: that our leaders are collecting paychecks while hundreds of thousands of federal workers, including Secret Service agents and Capitol police, go without theirs; that politicians refuse to put the…
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A Comeback for Lauryn Hill? Too Late
(The Root) — From 1994 to around 2005, I was Lauryn Hill’s biggest fan. I’m sure there are plenty of people who have laid claim to that title and would challenge my statement. I’m happy to battle it out by quoting lyrics and dueling with an encyclopedic knowledge of every quote Hill’s ever given, interview…
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Rutgers: No. 1 in Getting Your Swirl On?
Administrators at Rutgers University have a new recruitment tool they can include when they talk about campus life. According to InterracialMatch.com (the self-proclaimed No. 1 interracial-dating site in the world), the New Brunswick, N.J., campus is the top college for interracial dating. No. 2 on the list? Stanford in California. The Star-Ledger reports: “It’s not…
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Feel Sorry for Chris Brown Now?
(The Root) — Like most people with a modicum of common sense, I have long considered Chris Brown to be a pretty despicable human being. Besides his horrific assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna, there was his almost total lack of remorse after the event, followed by a series of additional violent outbursts, including a notorious incident…