culture
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Da Vinci's Patron — as a Black Man?
(The Root) — This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black in Western Art Archive at Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. The art of the Italian Renaissance embraced a wondrously varied range of imagery and subjects. One of the most…
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Meet Brooklyn's Preteen Rock Stars
They’re in middle school. They’re budding rock stars. They’re black musicians in a generally pretty white genre. They’re incredibly self-possessed. Questlove has noticed them (and tweeted about it). And, as Buzzfeed put it in a post on their metal band, Unlocking the Truth, Jarad Dawkins, 11, and Malcolm Brickhouse, 12, of Brooklyn, N.Y., are “cooler…
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Jurnee Smollett-Bell Makes Vampire Debut
Actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell jumped into action when she found out she was being considered for a role on the hit HBO series True Blood. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Smollett-Bell said that she and her husband shot an impromptu audition video in her in-laws’ basement to convince producers that she had what it takes…
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Dave Chappelle's Back: 13-Date Tour Coming Soon
After his 2003 disappearance from the Chappelle’s Show spotlight and years of only sporadic appearances, Dave Chappelle is officially going back on the road for a monthlong tour with Funny or Die’s Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival. It’s set to kick off in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 23. From the Huffington Post: After abruptly walking…
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Allen Iverson's Ex-Wife: He Abducted Our Kids
In the ongoing saga that is Allen Iverson’s life, his ex-wife, Tawanna Iverson, has filed papers accusing the former Philadelphia 76er of abducting their children. He has yet to return them to her after taking them on vacation on May 22, according to Sports Illustrated. Tawanna Iverson filed papers that said Allen asked for permission…
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DNA Samples Are a Big Invasion of Privacy
Privacy is a controversial concept these days, especially since the recent Supreme Court decision allowing DNA samples to be taken during certain arrests. Andrew Cohen writes at The Atlantic that not all personal property is equal. He disagrees with former SCOTUS Justice John Paul Stevens, who recently spoke about the case. John Paul Stevens, the…
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Forget Child Support, Dads; Your Kids Just Want You
A man’s role as provider is ingrained into American society, but Columbia University doctoral student Eva Haldane writes at Parlour magazine that, whether or not they receive child support, kids usually just want to hang out with their dads. To all the fathers who don’t live with their kids; your kids don’t care if you…
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Obama to Back NSA Surveillance, Says White House Chief of Staff
As more information emerges about the National Security Agency’s leak, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday that President Obama will soon come out in support of the surveillance activities. President Obama does not believe his administration has violated the privacy of any American in light of…
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2 Harvard Sociologists Challenge 'Deadbeat Dad' Stereotype
The stereotype of a father deserting the mother of their children to bear the burden of child rearing alone is being turned on its ear by Harvard sociologists Kathryn Edin and Timothy J. Nelson, who wrote the book Doing the Best I Can: Fatherhood in the Inner City. The pair interviewed numerous men in New…
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'No Father's Day' Campaign Targets Gun Violence
While many celebrate the bond between fathers and their children on Sunday, those who lost their little ones to gun violence during the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Conn., are using their energy this Father’s Day to raise awareness about gun violence through the e-card campaign No Father’s Day, the Huffington Post reports. Begun by…