culture

The Rev. Jesse Jackson apparently struck a nerve among some members of the Grand Old Party during a recent visit to Florida, when he spoke with the Dream Defenders, a group of young activists and professionals, at the state Capitol. While discussing efforts to repeal Florida’s “Stand your ground” laws, he used the phrase “Selma…

In a Q and A with Parade magazine that also features director Lee Daniels and actor Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey reveals her thoughts on the n-word and racism and discusses her role in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which will be in theaters Aug. 16. The film, which raises questions about race in America, stars Whitaker…

Optimism among minorities in the U.S. about their economic future now outpaces that of whites by the widest margin since at least 1987, the Associated Press reports. The findings come after the AP reported that four out of five adults have struggled with joblessness, near-poverty or dependence on welfare for at least part of their lives,…

(The Root) — Netflix’s original series Orange Is the New Black has taken the Internet by storm since its release July 11. Not everyone is on the bandwagon, but many are lauding the show, describing it with words like “addictive,” “fresh” and “ambitious.” We’re big fans of the show, too, and Orange Is the New…

(The Root) — On May 7, officials at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, better known as “ol’ Parchman,” planned to strap Willie Jerome Manning to a gurney and pump a lethal cocktail of drugs into his veins at precisely 7 p.m. But just five hours before he was set to die, the state’s Supreme Court halted…

(The Root) — Although the New York City Police Department has battled allegations of racial bias for the manner in which it executes its stop-and-frisk program, the New York City Fire Department has faced criticism of its own from civil rights proponents. In 2012 the city of New York was forced to pay $128 million…

The Associated Press is reporting that O.J. Simpson has been granted parole on some of his 2008 convictions for the kidnapping and armed robbery of two sports-memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room. But the former football great won’t be released anytime soon. He still has to serve at least four more years on…

George Zimmerman was stopped for speeding at an undisclosed rate on Sunday in Forney, Texas, TMZ reports. During the five-minute stop, he informed officers that he had a firearm in his glove compartment, according to the report. A description of the weapon was not disclosed. Zimmerman was speeding in Forney, Texas on Sunday, just after…

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, currently under construction in Washington, D.C., has expressed interest in ultimately acquiring one of the most iconic symbols of the Trayvon Martin movement: the hoodie Trayvon wore the night he was gunned down by George Zimmerman. It’s a move that the Rev. Al Sharpton would support,…