culture
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The Bible, Republicans and the Poor
In a piece at News One, Michael Arceneaux writes a satirical admonishment of Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who invoked a biblical quote to support his calls to drastically cut food stamps for the young, elderly and poor. “No matter, though, because like most arguments framed by way of a biblical citation, there’s more than likely several…
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The Burden of the American Dream
In a piercing piece at The Guardian, Gary Younge says that as costs rise and wages remain the same, the U.S. workforce is becoming less and less enamored of the pursuit of the American dream. The final chapter of America’s Promise, a high-school textbook on American history, ends with a rallying cry to national mythology. “The…
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The Real Danger for the GOP Is Obamacare's Success
Republicans have tried their best to make Obamacare synonymous with the bogeyman before its implementation, but the Washington Post‘s Eugene Robinson writes that its success after Oct. 1 might prove to be their greatest foe. The GOP has tried its best to make Obamacare a synonym for bogeyman and convince people that it’s coming in…
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Zimmerman's Wife Doubts His Innocence
Shellie Zimmerman, the estranged wife of George Zimmerman, said on Thursday that she now has “doubts” about the innocence of her husband, who was acquitted in the Trayvon Martin murder trial. Her change of heart follows a domestic dispute in which she complained that her husband had threatened her with a gun. She later refused…
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'Invisible Man': A NC School District Overturns Ban
We all know it’s a rare moment when public officials admit to bad decision-making, especially wrongdoing. It’s even rarer when they reverse bad decisions. But a North Carolina school board has done just that. The Randolph County Board of Education voted 6-1 on Wednesday to reverse a ban of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, the Associated…
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Today's Non-News: Man Won't Date Black Women
(The Root) — A story about a Texas man who wants to marry anyone but a black woman is causing a bit of a buzz today. It centers on Austin wedding photographer Larry Busby’s poorly written expression of that position on his website. His words are blunt, bordering on hateful. I will not date a…
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Tia Mowry on Why Blacks Should Get Flu Vaccinations
Saying that a new campaign could save lives in the African-American community, actress Tia Mowry has embarked on an effort to encourage people to get flu vaccinations, according to Atlanta Black Star. Mowry, who co-stars with her twin sister on the Style Network’s Tia & Tamera, has teamed with MedImmune Specialty Care, a division of…
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Cory Booker's Twitter Messages With a Stripper
The hits just keep on coming for Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker. As he runs for the U.S. Senate in a special election, he has had to answer questions about his sexuality, tall tales in his speeches (remember T-Bone and Wazn Miller?) and even his growing gut. Now the New York Times is reporting on private Twitter…
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We Must Check Gun Violence in America
In a piece at the Huffington Post, the Rev. Al Sharpton inveighs against mounting gun violence in America. He says that lawmakers and civic leaders have a moral obligation to fight gun lobbyists and the laws that feed the crisis. It’s easy to sit in Congress or in a gated secluded community and talk down…
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Sandwiches for a Ring: Desperate Move?
(The Root) — “I saw on Twitter that you ‘didn’t see the big deal about cooking’ in reference to the New York Post story on Tuesday, ‘I’m 124 Sandwiches Away From an Engagement Ring.’ I think it’s irresponsible to tell educated women with careers to get in the kitchen to snag a man. What happened…