culture
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Why Juror B29 Should Be Sorry
Juror B29, also known as Maddy, should have stood her ground (pun intended), Wayne Bennett writes at the Field Negro, if she felt so strongly that George Zimmerman should have been convicted in his second-degree-murder trial. A hung jury would have allowed the state to try him again, he writes. So this Juror-B29 lady felt…
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Is Kanye West an Angry Black Man?
Black America gets that Kanye West’s angry outbursts against the media represent retaliation against racial oppression and other pain, Gerren Keith Gaynor writes at Ebony. Unfortunately, because of racism, everything that he does reflects all African-American men. Recent polls conducted by TMZ reveal a majority of respondents agree that Kanye is a “danger” to Kim Kardashian, so…
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Why National Dialogue on Race Is Needed
(The Root) — Trayvon Martin’s tragic death has inspired nationwide demonstrations and calls for action that have reverberated all the way to the White House. President Obama’s spontaneous and heartfelt words about the plight of race relations in America touched upon the need for a national conversation about race but expressed skepticism that politicians might…
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Sybrina Fulton on Juror B29: 'Devastating'
After juror B29 said in an interview on Thursday that she feels George Zimmerman “got away with murder” in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, his mother, Sybrina Fulton, released a statement calling the comments “devastating,” CBS News reports. Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, released a statement saying, “It is devastating for my family to…
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Dominique Strauss-Kahn Charged With Aggravated Pimping
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund, will face charges of aggravated pimping in a French court, the Associated Press reports. Strauss-Kahn was thrust into the media spotlight in 2011 after he was arrested on charges that he sexually abused a maid, Nafissatou Diallo, at a Manhattan hotel. A New York City…
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What Young Activists Could Teach Jay Z
(The Root) — When legendary humanitarian and activist Harry Belafonte slammed Jay Z for what he said was the rapper-mogul’s lackluster use of his platform for social responsibility, Jay Z’s response — that he’s doing his part simply by existing and making money, and that his “presence is charity” — missed the point entirely. That reaction…
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Why Isn't the Morning-After HIV Pill Advertised?
AIDS activists recently staged a protest in New York City about the medication that could dramatically reduce the rate of HIV infection after exposure, Colorlines reports. Over at New York Magazine, Tim Murphy recounts a recent action by ACT UP outside of a city hospital for the confusion surrounding a pill that could dramatically reduce the rate…
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Jay-Z on the George Zimmerman Verdict
Many have spoken out against the unfortunate not-guilty verdict for George Zimmerman, who was on trial for killing 17-year-old unarmed Trayvon Martin. From the president of the United States to Stevie Wonder, people have expressed a range of emotions on not only the verdict but also the issue of race, which has been at the…
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9-Year-Old to Chicago School Board: 'You're Pulling Me Down'
Nine-year-old Asean Johnson, who made a splash earlier this summer when he criticized the Chicago Board of Education for massive school closures, returned on Wednesday to appeal to officials to save teachers, the Huffington Post reports. The emotional plea came after the board announced thousands of teacher layoffs last week. The Marcus Garvey Elementary student…
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Tristan Wilds: 'The Wire' Movie Will Never Happen
In an interview with MTV’s Hive, actor Tristan “Mack” Wilds was asked about the possibility of there being a movie version of The Wire. Wilds played the likable bad guy Michael Lee in the fourth and fifth seasons of the groundbreaking HBO drama and is currently promoting his music debut, in which he’s rapping under the…