culture
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Was Kwame Kilpatrick's Sentence Too Harsh?
(The Root) — It is a sentence more associated with murder than political corruption, but many in Detroit say former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick deserved the 28-year sentence he got for kickbacks, bribery, extortion and fraud, which cost the city millions. Even though a contrite and remorseful Kilpatrick pleaded with the judge for leniency, his detractors…
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Los Angeles Sheriff's Dogs Bite Only Blacks and Latinos?
(The Root) — During the first six months of 2013, 100 percent of the people bitten by dogs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Canine Services were black or Latino. That’s 100 percent. As in every single one. The data comes from a report by the Police Assessment Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that…
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Why the NFL Should Tackle Domestic Violence
Professional football should join forces with domestic violence advocacy groups, as it does for breast-cancer awareness, Jessica Danielle argues at Ebony, to put the spotlight on an issue that’s often swept under the rug. If you’ve been watching football for the past two weeks, you’ve probably noticed the plethora of pink items the players are wearing in…
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'Acting Black': The Evolution of the Comedy Sketch
Gene Demby serves up snark in NPR in a piece about the evolution of black actors having to “act black” onstage and in Hollywood. He tackles the issue through the prism of a recent comedy-troupe production by the Upright Citizens Brigade. It’s an old, hardy comedy trope: A black person has to turn up the…
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Has President Obama Neglected HBCUs?
Brandon Brice, at the Washington Times, asks whether President Barack Obama could do more to help historically black colleges and universities. The federal government prepares to enact a new set of loan-eligibility requirements, which could greatly reduce enrollments. Imagine if black colleges didn’t exist. What if the ability of black students to attend or complete…
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Setback for AIDS-Vaccine Research
(The Root) — First do no harm. That’s the golden rule of medicine. But a new analysis of a trio of AIDS-vaccine trials shows that’s exactly what happened in two of the three studies. In trials conducted across four continents with a combined total of more than 6,000 participants, vaccines using a flulike virus that…
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Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Sentenced to 28 Years
(The Root) — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick received a 28-year prison sentence for corruption on Thursday, bringing a definitive end to the scandal that has rocked the city for years. “I really, really, really messed up,” Kilpatrick said before his sentence was handed down, according to CBS Detroit. “I apologize to the citizens of…
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Slur Highlights Race Problem in Gymnastics
(The Root) — When Gabby Douglas became the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the individual all-around competition, her triumph sparked a great deal of discussion about the sport’s lack of diversity. As Douglas’ own long struggle to succeed made clear, training and traveling costs are great obstacles to many aspiring…
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McDonald's Worker Arrested After Confronting Executive Over Wages
Jeff Stratton started out working behind a McDonald’s counter in Detroit nearly 40 years ago. Now he’s president of McDonald’s U.S.A. Not bad. With such roots, it would seem that he would have strong relationships with workers, from those in corporate suites to the line cooks. Perhaps he does, but that certainly did not appear…
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'Look at Me When I'm Talking to You'
(The Root) — In just the first four minutes of last week’s season premiere of Scandal, giddy gladiators finally got a glimpse of what life must have been like in the Pope residence. And, for anyone who grew up under the thumb of an exacting parent, that scene looked all too familiar. As it turns…