culture
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No Black Batman for You
Ethnocentric Hollywood producers and American moviegoers would foil any plot to cast Batman as black, the Portland Mercury’s Bobby Roberts argues in response to the widening debate about people of color playing roles of classic superheroes. … It’s a strange tug-of-war that many superhero fans are engaged in. There’s the desire to see superheroes look…
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Educating Black Boys Means Believing in Them
In “a society dominated by forces bent on breaking” black boys “instead of nurturing them,” it’s important for families to show that they believe in their children, especially when it comes to education, Tonyaa Weathersbee writes at BlackAmericaWeb. Raising black boys to be successful in a society dominated by forces that are bent on breaking…
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Remembering a 'Real World' Trailblazer
(The Root) — Now that we live in an age in which the president of the United States has referenced gay Americans in his inaugural address and publicly supports same-sex marriage, it’s hard to remember a time when coming out as gay was career-ending. And at a time when Magic Johnson is thought of first…
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Did My White Ancestor Become Black?
(The Root) — “My father’s grandfather, Will D. Carter, born in 1875 in Fayette County, Ky., is listed as being white in the 1880 census. The family is listed as white, too. But by the time the 1910 census rolled around, he was listed as black. My father remembers a picture of him that used…
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Henry Louis Gates Jr. to Explore 5 Centuries of Black History
One way to bring about structural change in America after a tragedy like the shooting death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin is through schools and their curricula, according to The Root’s editor-in-chief, professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. He hopes to do just that with The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, a six-hour PBS documentary…
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Florida Man Posts Photo of Wife's Dead Body on Facebook
A 31-year-old South Florida man, Derek Medina, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday after his wife was fatally shot in the couple’s home, the Associated Press reports. Before his arrest, police say, he left a chilling photo and confession on Facebook. “Im going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife…
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LeBron James Goes to Jury Duty
On the court, NBA superstar LeBron James wears No. 6. But in court, the four-time MVP winner and two-time NBA Finals MVP almost wore a different number when he showed up for jury duty at the Summit County Courthouse, near his off-season home in Bath Township, Ohio. After the two criminal trials for which he…
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Cop Won't Be Reindicted in Shooting of Unarmed Teen
A New York City police officer, Richard Haste, involved in the fatal shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham last year in the Bronx will not be reindicted by a grand jury, NBC 4 reports. The decision rankled Graham’s family, which led to a demonstration on Thursday of about 100 people, including mayoral candidate William Thompson…
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2 Teammates Call Each Other N-Word and 'Cracker'
Louis Delmas and Tony Scheffler are more than just teammates on the Detroit Lions. Their bond goes back to their days as teammates at Western Michigan University, where Delmas, a freshman safety, met Scheffler, a senior tight end. To see a defensive player and an offensive player become so close is rare in a sport…
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Black Voters More Likely to Forgive Weiner, Spitzer
Black voters have a tendency to be painted with a wide brush. The majority are Democratic, and within that majority, most are Obama-crats. Among the liberal, they are the most liberal, and more likely to forgive politicians who have past indiscretions in their personal lives. Take this year’s New York City elections, for example. According…