culture
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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%.…
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Kid President Interviews and Kisses Beyoncé
Beyoncé asked Kid President to kiss her on the cheek after the 10-year-old YouTube sensation asked her a slew of questions about the United Nations’ World Humanitarian Day campaign, the Huffington Post reports. The day, which was observed on Monday, honors aid workers who have lost their lives helping others. “I think it is so important for…
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Confronting the Racism of White Feminism
Lauren Walker, in a piece at xoJane, describes how her infatuation with women’s rights as a child was a way to numb the insecurities she felt as a black girl. She also realized that it closed her eyes to the erasure of black women within feminism. Ultimately, she says, “oppression in the guise of liberation for another…
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How to Become a 'Trayvon Martin Voter'
In a piece for the Washington Post, Benjamin L. Crump, the lead attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family, is encouraging supporters of the Trayvon Martin movement to sign a petition on Change.org to amend “Stand your ground” laws in 21 states. He also says that these “Trayvon Martin voters” should come out in droves during the…
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Interracial Couple Attacked in NYC
NBC New York and NY1 are reporting an alleged hate crime that took place outside a bar in the New York City borough of Queens early Saturday morning. Billie and Jacob James-Vogel were leaving Shi restaurant in Long Island City with a gay friend after celebrating Billie’s 40th birthday. As they walked down the street,…