culture
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From a Black DACA Recipient: African-American Support Critical to Reform
Mwewa* always knew she was undocumented. “I just didn’t understand what that meant and the consequences it would create for me,” she says. It wasn’t until a high school classmate, while studying financial planning, asked Mwewa if she had her Social Security number memorized that it began to hit home. As an immigrant from Zambia…
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The Privilege of White Individuality
Stop lying; you did it, too. I’m sure I’m not alone in being among those who—for a brief moment when they heard about the Las Vegas shooting—quietly mumbled to themselves, “Dear God, please don’t let the shooter be black.” As you’re reading this, someone is typing a variation of the comment “Nah, I knew. Black…
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Russian Artists Explore Soviet Union’s History With Black People
Claude McKay was a young writer exploring the possibilities of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics when he addressed the 4th Congress of the Comintern in the Kremlin’s Throne Room in 1922. A key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, the Jamaican writer wondered if the USSR could offer him what the United States did not:…
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Watch: On Chadwick Boseman, Marshall and Tokenism in Hollywood
On Oct. 13, Marshall, which stars the likes of Chadwick Boseman and Sterling K. Brown and is directed by Reginald Hudlin, will be making its debut in theaters. Usually I’d be super pumped at the idea of those names being attached (together) to a huge project like this. But in this case? I’m barely whelmed…
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#NotRacists Be Like: The Top 10 Phrases Used by People Who Claim They Are Not Racist
This is not about racists. This is about not-racists. You’ve seen them before: the special class of white people who say racist shit and do racist things but declare themselves the “least racist person you know.” Their racism isn’t always intentional. Sometimes it is a byproduct of privilege, sometimes it is a deflection, and sometimes…
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Tamar Braxton Is Finally the Solo Star She’s Long Wanted to Be, so Why Is She Quitting?
Five years ago, Tamar Braxton appeared on Good Morning America to promote Tamar & Vince. It was a year after she became the breakout star of the breakout hit Braxton Family Values, and a year before the release of her album Love and War. She had a peppy smile plastered across her face throughout the…
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10 Things I Know All Black People Would Protest
Like many African Americans, I am boycotting the NFL this season. I’ve also permanently banned all R. Kelly music from my life. I also believe that some police are racist and allow that racism to decide how they are going to handle a situation involving African Americans before they’ve even encountered them. As such, I…
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#FanniesArmy: GirlTrek Organizes Thousands of Women to Walk on Fannie Lou Hamer’s 100th Birthday
GirlTrek, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of black women and girls, is gearing up to celebrate the life of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer on Friday, the 100th anniversary of Hamer’s birth. “Fannie Lou Hamer died too soon, and we want to celebrate her life in a big way,” GirlTrek…
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How to Whitewash a Mass Murderer
Before we begin, you should know what this is all about. Instead of waxing eloquently about how white men get to become sympathetic figures even after they commit the most heinous acts imaginable, we decided to show you. When Adam Lanza strolled into Sandy Hook Elementary strapped with guns and opened fire on 6- and…