culture

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in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Jelani Cobb at the New Yorker says that “Stand your ground” laws should be repealed.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…

Since becoming Italy’s first black minister in April, Cecile Kyenge has had to put up with a welter of racist remarks from citizens and colleagues alike. The latest came on Friday when a heckler threw a banana at her while she was making a speech, Reuters reports. Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge, who is originally from…

President Barack Obama told the New York Times that he was worried that years of widening income inequality and the enduring effects of the financial crisis had torn the nation’s social fabric and undercut Americans’ faith in greater opportunity. Upward mobility, Mr. Obama said in a 40-minute interview with The New York Times, “was part and parcel…

CNN anchor Don Lemon on Saturday defended Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s highly contentious remarks about crime in the African-American community and the disintegration of family. Lemon says the conservative pundit did not go far enough, which drew fire from critics on the left, according to the Raw Story. “In my estimation, he doesn’t go…

(The Root) — Many film fans were introduced to actress Adepero Oduye through the 2011 independent film Pariah. Playing lesbian teen Alike, the Nigerian American grappled with sexuality and Christianity in such an honest way that she earned a shout-out from multi-Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. Since then, Oduye has appeared in Lifetime’s Steel Magnolias…