culture

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…

(The Root) — Trayvon Martin’s senseless death and his killer George Zimmerman’s recent acquittal have roused the nation from its perpetual slumber regarding race matters, inspiring nonviolent protests that have run the gamut from old-fashioned street demonstrations to more technologically innovative dissent through social media. It has been an impressive show of unity, the marches…

It wasn’t racism that caused George Zimmerman to be suspicious of Trayvon Martin, says Richard Cohen in the the Washington Post. It was statistics showing that young black males commit a disproportionate number of crimes. I don’t like what George Zimmerman did, and I hate that Trayvon Martin is dead. But I also can understand why Zimmerman…