culture
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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…
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40 Percent of Whites: No Friends of Color
An estimated 40 percent of white Americans and about 25 percent of nonwhites have friends only of their own race, according to the Raw Story, which cites a recent ongoing poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos. The figures highlight how segregated the United States remains in the wake of a debate on race sparked by last month’s…
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Oprah Among 4 Blacks to Receive Medal of Freedom
(The Root) — Four African Americans are among 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, according to a statement released by the White House on Thursday. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the award established by President John F. Kennedy. “The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their…
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Why It's Time for Tavis and Cornel to Stop
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are raking in major profits while making wildly inflammatory statements about President Barack Obama, Eric L. Wattree writes at his blog, the Wattree Chronicle. These comments, in turn, are damaging the black community. … And please keep this in mind — the worse the Black community is doing, the more…
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The Correlation Between Violence and Racism
In a piece for the New York Times, author Jesmyn Ward explores the close connection between violence and racism by casting a decades-long lens at what it was like for members of her family to be black growing up in Mississippi. There are moments from childhood that attract heat in our memories, some for their…