culture
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How the Voting Rights Act Affected Congress
The Voting Rights Act was signed into law 48 years ago this week. The landmark legislation set out to end blatant voter suppression against black people while increasing the diversity of political representation. A Huffington Post report and graphic shows how effective the VRA was in that mission. When the law was passed in 1965,…
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'Dapper' Gangs: What Would Don Lemon Say?
(The Root) — Last week, few could resist responding to a list of things Don Lemon proposed black men do to show respect for themselves, thereby improving their overall well-being. It was apparently inspired by advice his mother gave him when he was in kindergarten: Stop saying the n-word, stop littering, finish high school and refrain…
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Ebony Magazine September Issue: 'We Are Trayvon'
In an effort to continue the conversation about race in America and to explore “Stand your ground” laws, Ebony magazine has released a special edition of its September issue, according to the Huffington Post. The publication is rolling out four separate covers with the headline “We Are Trayvon,” featuring the slain teenager’s family, Sybrina Fulton…
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Inside Atlanta's $147 Million Public High School
Sitting atop 56 acres in an old IBM office building, North Atlanta High School is looking like every bit of the $147 million it costs to build it. Although that number is nowhere near the most expensive public school in the country — Robert F. Kennedy High School in Los Angeles cost $578 million —…
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Donald Glover Creating New TV Series
Comedian and actor Donald Glover, aka rapper Childish Gambino, will now add showrunner to his growing list of multihyphenates. Glover will executive-produce, write and star in a new television series currently in development with FX, according to Deadline. Tentatively entitled Atlanta, the comedy is set against the backdrop of the Atlanta music scene. Glover grew up…
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Riley Cooper Doesn't Want Teammates' Forgiveness
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper, who was caught last week on tape saying the n-word at a Kenny Chesney concert, returned to the team’s training camp with a surprising message to the media: He has told all of his teammates not to exonerate him for his remarks, according to ESPN. “I talked to everyone…
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Is Hair Care Oppressing My Black Daughter?
(The Root) — “I’m (white) Latina and my husband is African American. We have little girls the same age from previous relationships. His daughter is with us for the summer, and we are not seeing eye-to-eye on her hair. He and his mother think she should sit to have her hair braided, which hurts her…
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The Many Faces of Idris Elba
(The Root) — For nearly 10 years, Idris Elba has been nothing short of an international star. From his deep baritone as the drug kingpin Russell “Stringer” Bell in HBO’s The Wire to his recent success on the Hollywood circuit, he has become one of today’s most versatile actors. Later this year he’ll star as…
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Issa Rae to Star in HBO Comedy Series
According to Deadline, Internet star Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore, creator of The Bernie Mac Show, have teamed up to co-write a comedy series for HBO. The project focuses on the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern day African-American woman. These are also themes Rae has tackled in her successful webseries, The Misadventures Of…
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Raven-Symoné Privileged to Tweet About Her Sexuality
Actress Raven-Symoné’s established career enables her to post on Twitter about her same-sex relationship, but it’s a freedom that eludes most actresses, Allison Samuels argues in a piece at the the Daily Beast. “Interracial relationships and sex-same relationships are still subjects most famous people of color won’t discuss,” says black film historian and NYU film professor…