culture

Author Walter Mosley addresses George Zimmerman’s acquittal at the Daily Beast by relating a powerful and lasting lesson on racism that he received as a teen from his father in 1969, which was that “living in the land of the free doesn’t make you free.” I remember when I was 17 years old, in 1969; three…

(The Root) — Just two days after a jury acquitted George Zimmerman, Jacksonville, Fla., lawyer Cory Strolla stood in the Florida State Court hallway and spoke to a huddle of reporters. “I worry they’re going to say, ‘We lost Zimmerman, so let’s get Michael Dunn,’ ” Strolla said, referring to Florida State Attorney Angela Corey.…

At Colorlines, Brentin Mock writes that the only good news about Florida’s colorblind trial against George Zimmerman is that it now allows the U.S. Department of Justice, which has broader resources and authority, to build a stronger case against the former neighborhood-watch captain without excluding race. Veteran civil rights attorneys and advocates are convinced that…

Although the New York City Police Department policy of “stop and frisk” disproportionately affects black men, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Richard Cohen argues in favor of such practices because they protect the general public. Cohen says that since most shooting suspects in New York City are black men — 78 percent…

The Associated Press is reporting that on Thursday, Detroit became the largest city in the U.S. to file for bankruptcy, after the state-appointed emergency manager filed for Chapter 9 protection. The filing, which had been feared for months, put the city on an uncertain path that could mean laying off municipal employees, selling off assets,…

(The Root) — From the moment juror B37 spoke out for the first time about why she voted to acquit George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, she has been the target of criticism. Her compassion, intellect and motives have all been questioned, by social media and just about every person in my social…

Update: Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton did a tour of the network morning shows on Thursday, expressing shock and disbelief that a jury acquitted George Zimmerman in the shooting death of their unarmed 17-year-old son, ABC News reports. It was the first time they’ve appeared in public since the verdict was announced on Saturday. On…

Conservative radio host Larry Elder criticized Rachel Jeantel’s speech impediment Wednesday night during a heated exchange on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, the Raw Story reports. Jeantel’s speech became a big topic of conversation during George Zimmerman’s second-degree-murder trial. Elder said that the way she speaks suggests that she’s unintelligent and uneducated. She suffers from a…

The National Center for Health Statistics says that although there remains a difference of four years between the life spans of white Americans and black Americans, overall, life expectancy for black Americans is improving, according to the New York Times. With a 17 percent increase in life expectancy at birth and an 11-year increase in…

(The Root) — “I seriously want to get married, but I’m dating a guy I know is not marriage material. He’s a ‘street guy’ who has kids but doesn’t seem passionate about them. He ‘works’ in the local club scene, so he parties most nights. He’s a lot of fun. Is it wrong to spend…