culture
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MLK III to Marchers: 'The Task Is Not Done'
Tens of thousands of people came to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Saturday to observe the 50th anniversary of the famous march, the Associated Press reports. Speakers called for marchers to continue fighting for King’s dream, saying it includes equality for gays, Hispanics, the poor and disabled. The event was an homage to…
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An Album That's Still at the Top of the Class
(The Root) — Aug. 25 marks the 15th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, arguably one of the most important albums of the hip-hop generation. The album was so resounding and influential that it is still cited by many artists as the greatest release this side of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Hill’s first album —…
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Today's Women of Hip-Hop: Where Are They?
Because music executives have little faith in the profitability of female solo artists, women, who were once a dominant force in hip-hop, have become almost completely invisible in the industry today, Feminista Jones writes at Salon. But who are the notable women in mainstream hip-hop today? There is Nicki Minaj who, while often charismatic and…
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The Fresh Determination of MLK's 'Dream'
Leonard Pitts Jr., at the Miami Herald, asks pointed questions about race in America as the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. “What have you chosen not to see?” he asks. “What will you do to make it right?” This is “tomorrow.” Meaning that unknowable future whose unknowable difficulties Martin Luther…
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Why Chris Lane and Trayvon Martin Are Not the Same
In a piece at Salon, Alex Seitz-Wald explains why the white conservative media are wrong about Chris Lane being “Trayvon Martin in reverse.” First, the police weren’t forced to arrest anyone after Lane’s grisly shooting death. It’s incredible that in 2013 we’re really arguing about this, but from Henry Louis Gates [Jr.] to Travyon Martin…
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March on Washington 2013: A Scene of Unity
(The Root) — It is difficult to imagine yourself living in a different chapter of history, but I tried this morning while walking among the waves of people on the National Mall. I hummed to myself the spirituals and protest songs I remembered hearing people sing in grainy black-and-white footage from the ’50s and ’60s:…
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John Lewis: I Gave Blood, You Must Fight
(The Root) — In remarks commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, U.S. Rep. John Lewis — who was the youngest speaker at the 1963 march — harnessed his own history of civil rights activism to rally attendees to push for legislative reforms to protect voting rights. Lewis, known…
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What a Difference 50 Years Makes: Holder Rallies Marchers
(The Root) — In his remarks commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Saturday morning, Attorney General Eric Holder addressed minimum wage, voting rights, LGBT rights, gun control and women’s rights, telling the crowd gathered in Washington, D.C., “This morning we affirm that the struggle must and will go…
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Philadelphia Woman Shows Up After Her Own Funeral
When family members attended Sharolyn Jackson’s funeral and burial August 3, some noted that her nose looked thinner, the Associated Press reports. They, however, figured something happened during the embalming process. But they were wrong. The truth is far stranger: The woman they buried that day was not, in fact, their loved one but a…
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Paula Deen: Lawyers Drop Discrimination Suit
Attorneys on Friday agreed to drop a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against Paula Deen, who lost contracts with the Food Network and other partners after she said under oath that she had used racial slurs in the past, the Associated Press reports. A document filed in U.S. District Court in Savannah said both sides…