culture
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Obama Likely Will Not See Mandela in South Africa
President Obama is unlikely to see ailing civil rights icon Nelson Mandela when he visits South Africa later this week, the country’s minister of international relations said on Tuesday, according to Agence France Presse. “President Obama would have loved to see president Mandela, but he is indisposed,” said Maite Nkoane Mashebane. Mandela is in a…
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Watch This: Paula Deen's Emotional 'Today' Show Interview
After skipping out on the Today show last Friday, Paula Deen appeared in the studio Wednesday morning in an exclusive interview with Matt Lauer, the Huffington Post reports. Deen was composed when she began but crumbled under pressure during Lauer’s questioning. Watch the interview here: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about…
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Supreme Court Strikes Down Defense of Marriage Act
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, ruling that it is unconstitutional to prohibit the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. As it stood, the law denied same-sex married couples federal benefits, such as Social Security and the ability to file joint tax returns. “DOMA…
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Yes, I'm Biracial, and I Cover Black Stuff
(The Root) — In a Reddit Ask Me Anything, our Race Manners columnist, Jenée Desmond-Harris, opened herself up to all of your burning questions about race. Can African-American publications survive? Why isn’t there a White Entertainment Television? What are we supposed to make of Dark Girls? And where does a biracial woman get off talking…
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Position of Trayvon Martin's Hands Key in Trial Opening
Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart says that former neighborhood-watch captain George Zimmerman lied about the positon of Trayvon Martin’s hands after the scuffle that resulted in teen’s death. Already skeptical of Zimmerman’s claim of getting on top of the teen after shooting him to “push his arms apart,” Capehart explains that that encounter never happened and…
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Paula Deen and Serena: 2 of a Kind
(The Root) — If she who is without sin should cast the first stone, then perhaps she who is with sin should just shut up, taking her rock and heading home before the walls come crumbling down around her. Nowhere does this modern twist on the oft-quoted Bible verse seem more apt than in the…
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Is the Voting Rights Act Outdated?
Derek Thompson, a senior editor at The Atlantic, says that voter-registration data provided by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts supports the argument for striking down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. This morning, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional. Writing for the…
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How to Update the Voting Rights Act
In a piece at the Huffington Post, George Washington University Law School professor Spencer Overton maps out how Congress can effectively deal with Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision to limit a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act. He says the law is salvageable through bipartisan congressional support. Five Supreme Court Justices just rolled back the most…
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Mandela Smiles on Hearing of Obama's South Africa Trip
Nelson Mandela “opened his eyes” and smiled after being told of President Barack Obama’s imminent visit to South Africa, according to NBC News, which cites reports from the ailing former leader’s daughter. The news only adds to speculation that the two men might meet. The 94-year-old remains in a critical condition, South Africa’s government said…
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R&B Pioneer Bobby 'Blue' Bland Dead at 83
The New York Times is reporting that Bobby “Blue” Bland — the soulful balladeer who gave us hits like “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” (which Jay-Z sampled on his 2001 album, The Blueprint), “I Pity the Fool” and “That’s the Way Love Is” — has passed away. He was 83. The…