culture

Joan Walsh, Salon‘s editor-at-large, eviscerates a group of Republican House members, who represent mostly white districts, for trying to destroy the nation’s first black president through their latest ploy: a partial shutdown of the federal government.  On the day the Affordable Care Act takes effect, the U.S. government is shut down, and it may be…

The Daily Beast‘s Jamelle Bouie upbraids members of the Republican Party for failing to acknowledge kids with cancer, food stamp recipients and others who have been gravely affected by the partial shutdown of the federal government.   For Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the government shutdown is just a “temporary inconvenience.” The libertarian lawmaker is right…

(The Root) — In 1999 the satirical media outlet The Onion asked several “everymen” what they thought of Kweisi Nfume’s accusation of flagrant whitewashing in major network programming. “With the possible exception of MLK’s assassination, there has been no greater setback in the struggle for racial equality than the 1997 cancellation of Homeboys in Outer…

A new study reveals that fear of racial profiling prevents some black men from jogging in mostly white neighborhoods. Research by sociologist Rashawn Ray, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, shows that black men are less likely to run outside if they live in a predominantly white neighborhood, according to Runner’s World.…

Maybe the shutdown of parts of the federal government isn’t all that bad. Turns out, it resulted in the cancellation of a Ku Klux Kan rally that had been scheduled to take place over the weekend in Maryland at the Gettysburg National Park, the Daily News reports. The Confederate White Knights of Maryland had been…

On Wednesday, Joe Rickey Hundley pleaded guilty in Atlanta federal court to charges stemming from an incident on a Delta Airlines plane in February, in which he allegedly slapped a black toddler and told the child’s mother, Jessica Bennett, to shut the child up, using a racial slur. According to the Associated Press, Hundley faced…

On Tuesday evening, voters in New York City decided to make history. With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting, Letitia James, 50, was elected to be the next New York City public advocate, becoming the first African-American woman elected to a citywide office, after beating her opponent, Daniel Squadron, in a costly Democratic runoff.…

The Obama administration and states are under pressure to get health insurance exchanges up and running smoothly after consumers seeking coverage on the second day overwhelmed websites and tied up phone lines with questions, the Associated Press reports. The logjam is good news for President Obama because it shows high interest in what has become…

For decades, students at Prairie View A&M University who wanted to vote needed to prepare for a small hike if they did not have a car or ride of their own. Voting meant a mile-long walk to the county community center and waiting in line near a busy roadway. But for this year’s November elections, students…

(The Root) — “‪When my fiance and I are out, I often catch him looking at women who, let’s say, look more like his ex than me. It makes me feel some kinda way. I try to ignore or look away, and I know all men look, but it still makes me feel insecure.” —E.I. …