culture

The Dream Defenders, a group of young activists and professionals in Florida, will convene a “People’s Session” in front of Gov. Rick Scott’s office on Tuesday, July 30, in support of “Trayvon’s Law” — proposed legislation that confronts a trifecta of issues that are believed to have led to the death of Trayvon Martin and…

(The Root) — President Obama boldly acknowledged the connection between institutional racism and economic injustice during an interview with the New York Times on Sunday. Obama’s robust comments on the links between racial justice and economic opportunity came on the heels of a week in which the president tried, once again, to shift the nation’s…

William C. Thompson Jr. is the only black candidate in the New York City mayoral race. He has never spoken out explicitly against Gotham City’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy. But in a New York Times article, Thompson not only came out against stop and frisk but also drew a correlation between the policy and George Zimmerman’s…

As a professor and creative director at New York University’s film school, Spike Lee has been honing the minds of future filmmakers for the past 15 years. One of his study guides includes a list that he gives to his students of the 50 films he feels every aspiring filmmaker should watch. The list is…

The Washington Post is reporting that a Bethesda, Md., man was beaten and robbed early Saturday morning in Washington, D.C.’s trendy neighborhood of Adams Morgan by three men who yelled, “This is for Trayvon Martin,” before attacking him, police said. The victim suffered minor injuries and declined medical attention. The incident is being investigated as…

Embattled New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner said Sunday that he would not pull out of the race, even as he confirmed that his campaign manager had quit amid a mounting scandal, and that his chief opponent called him unfit to run the city, USA Today reports. Weiner said that campaign manager Danny Kedem…

(The Root) — Besides sex scandals, there’s nothing the media loves more than a good feud. When two powerhouses battle it out in lyrics or on Twitter, it gives all of us something to write about. Basically, feuds are good for business. But true feuds only work when the parties involved are perceived as on…

Comparing and contrasting the varied ways in which gun violence could escalate in the aftermath of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Jelani Cobb at the New Yorker says that “Stand your ground” laws should be repealed. The verdict has given the National Rifle Association renewed vigor to peddle right-wing vigilantism,…

Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. tackles what he calls McDonald’s insulting budget advice, ostensibly aimed at helping minimum-wage workers, who have been fighting for higher pay. “If there is one thing poor people do not need, it is lessons in how to be poor,” he says. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. As fast food workers…

Jamilah Lemieux writes a compelling piece at Ebony that condemns and challenges the broad reach of white privilege. It was written in response to a white blogger who questioned the veracity of hip-hop artist Questlove’s moving Facebook post after George Zimmerman’s acquittal. “The funny thing about white privilege is that it knows no bounds,” Lemieux…