culture
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Lee Daniels Says People Are Angry That Obama Is President
Following the No. 1 weekend opening of Lee Daniels’ The Butler, the Hollywood filmmaker Lee Daniels, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz sat down Monday with CNN‘s Piers Morgan. Responding to a question from Morgan about postracial America in the age of Obama, Daniels said, “I think that people are angry that he’s president, and…
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What Is Wrong With Mayor Michael Bloomberg?
In a bruising profile of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New Yorker tackles his 12 years in office, describing him as “a plutocrat” who used his sizable wealth to remain in power. The article paints him as being out of touch, especially regarding minorities and low-income residents. His remarks on the subject of stop-and-frisk have sometimes…
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Robin Thicke and the Art of Jacking for Beats
(The Root) — “Gimme dem beats fool/It’s a full-time jack move.” —Ice Cube, “Jackin’ for Beats” (Kill at Will) In their 40 years of creating classic beats and rhymes, rap- and hip-hop-influenced R&B producers have always found inspiration from soul, funk and rock-and-roll musicians. Whether it is Ice Cube’s sampling of James Brown’s “Funky Drummer”…
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Former Intern Sues Diddy's Bad Boy for Back Pay
A 26-year-old former intern filed a class action lawsuit on Tuesday in a federal court in New York City, saying that Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment and its parent company violated minimum wage laws, the Daily News reports. Rashida Salaam, 26, filed a class-action lawsuit Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court, accusing Bad Boy and…
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Producer Scott Storch Robbed at Gunpoint
Hip-hop producer Scott Storch, along with members of his entourage, was robbed at gunpoint after putting in time during a graveyard shift at Platinum Studios near Times Square at around 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. The group had entered a livery cab and was waiting for a second one for…
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Georgia Student Not Allowed to Use Social Media for 5 Years
There is an unspoken but generally understood rule about social media: Inflammatory remarks almost never go over well, even when they’re written in the name of art. Take, for example, 20-year-old Caleb Clemmons. In February the former Georgia Southern University student went to his Tumblr page and published a post threatening to blow up his…
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'Stand Your Ground' PSA Re-Enacts Trayvon Martin Killing
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, a nonprofit advocacy group for changes in gun laws, has released a dramatic public service announcement in its ongoing efforts to repeal the controversial “Stand your ground” law. The PSA features a re-enactment of the night George Zimmerman killed 17-year-old unarmed Trayvon Martin in February 2012 and uses audio…
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Are Weight Comments a Nonwhite Thing?
(The Root) — “I’m white, and I notice that people of ethnicities and nationalities different from mine can be very blunt with their comments about my body — from when I spent time in Jamaica and people openly called me fat without any negative tone, just matter-of-fact, to the Vietnamese women where I get my…
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March on Washington: What They Wore
(The Root) — The 1963 March on Washington attendees and supporters were a fly bunch. Here’s how they sartorially represented civil rights. RDA/Getty Images Playwright James Baldwin, center, and friends attend a pro-March on Washington event in Paris, August 1963. Baldwin also joined the marchers in Washington. Carl Iwasaki/Getty Images Members of the Carmel Presbyterian…
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Black People: Don't Avoid Mental-Health Services
In a piece for Ebony, Dr. Donald E. Grant Jr., a psychologist, encourages black people to give therapists, psychologists and other mental-health experts a chance to weigh in on their wellness needs. Although Black suicide has historically been low when compared to other groups, don’t be fooled. From 1981-1994, Black suicide rates grew by a ghastly 83%.…