culture

“I’m an African-American woman. My good friend, who is a white male, very progressive and pretty much a hippie, is thinking about getting dreadlocks. He’s been asking me for my opinion about it and whether it would be offensive to black people, and I’m not sure. I don’t know if it’s fair to say, ‘Don’t…

Ebony’s Miles Marshall Lewis breaks down what Kanye’s new album means to the rap game. The sixth studio album from the rap genius is full of emotion and angst, Lewis says, and clearly isn’t like Kanye’s other work. Lewis also compares Kanye to Prince in his heyday: His new musical direction may not be radio-friendly,…

In a piece for the Huffington Post, the Rev. Al Sharpton applauds the high court’s recent ruling striking down Arizona’s attempt at voter suppression, known as Prop 200. It’s a victory for voting equality and justice — and a blow against racial profiling. Voting is a right, not a privilege. Apparently some folks need a…

Jay-Z’s latest business deal with Android involving his upcoming album is a win for the company, the rapper and African Americans, writes Jamilah King for Colorlines. The business mogul clearly knows his audience: Young black consumers love their smartphones, and blacks are more likely than other groups to report favoring Android. Jay-Z is teaming up…

We’ve seen him as a professional bank robber in Takers, a working-class father in Daddy’s Girls, a demented but brilliant detective in Luther — and of course as Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire — but we’ve never seen Idris Elba as a historical figure. Until now. Check out the new poster for the upcoming…

Black and Latino children with autism and other disorders don’t have the same access to specialists and care as white children with the same diseases, a recent study in the journal Pediatrics suggests. According to CNN, minority children with autism are often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed as early as white children. Specifically, African-American children aren’t diagnosed until roughly…