culture

(The Root) — This has been a long, hot summer, dominated in part by the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. The trial, which became a media spectacle, was at its heart the story of the unfulfilled search for justice. The verdict in that case broke millions of Americans’ hearts and…

“It’s not just that black actresses are auditioning and not getting cast in larger roles — it seems that they are frequently absent from the casting process entirely,” Aisha Harris writes in a piece at Slate that challenges a claim that this has been a great year in film and television for black women. ……

Colorlines‘ Jamilah King was spurred to round up actual facts about the abolitionist in response to the “Harriet Tubman Sex Tape.” Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital YouTube channel has now removed the video, on which comedians joked about how Tubman used sex to blackmail “her master into letting her run the Underground Railroad.” 1. Harriet…

Lauren Rankin, in a piece at Clutch magazine, explores friendship and other relationships from a feminist angle. She relates how ending one toxic relationship helped her learn to take care of herself and become a better friend in healthier situations. … As women, we’re taught to maintain the peace, to keep our voices down, to smile,…

The author of a new study says that lenders are likely to perceive African-American women as positively as white men in approving loan applications and would lend them as much money, the Huffington Post reports. According to the study’s lead author, University of Iowa sociologist Sarah Harkness, lenders perceive African-American women just as favorably as white…

(The Root) — Just typing out the words seems like a betrayal: “Harriet Tubman Sex Tape.” It’s as bizarre and brutal as a sudden slap in the face. A spoof about a real-life American superhero voluntarily reducing herself to the antics of every other reality-show airhead? And someone thought this was “hilarious”? That someone happened…

(The Root) — When reports surfaced that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West had named their new daughter “North ‘Nori’ West,” it was simply assumed that they were following in the footsteps of fellow celebrities with oddly named kids — kids like Apple Martin (daughter of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin) and Pilot Inspektor…

The Raw Story is reporting that a 92-year-old African-American woman has filed a suit against North Carolina after Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed a restrictive voter-ID measure. The suit says that Rosanell Eaton will be disenfranchised after voting for 70 years because “the name on her certified birth certificate does not match the name on…

A clown who wore an Obama mask at the Missouri State Fair this weekend as an announcer called for him “to get gored” has been banned after a public uproar, CBS News reports. The announcer has resigned. The fair banned the clown from any future events, saying in a written statement that he had engaged…

Update: Thursday, Aug. 15, 10:01 a.m. EDT: The hip-hop mogul issued an apology at his Global Grind site, saying, “When my buddies from the NAACP called and asked me to take down the Harriet Tubman video from the All Def Digital YouTube channel and apologize, I agreed.” Earlier: All Def Digital, the brainchild of Russell…