culture
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False Panic Over Howard? Official Calls 'Gone in 3 Years' Letter 'Unduly Alarming'
If Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, the vice chair of Howard University’s board of trustees, was hoping to bring attention to the school’s financial situation in a letter she wrote that was published last week in the Chronicle of Higher Education, she was successful. In it, Higginbotham-Brooks predicted that, barring major changes to the school’s finances, it would…
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OWN's Focus on Real Black Women: It's Working. What Took So Long?
In a piece for the Daily Beast, Allison Samuels reflects on the announcement of the renewal of three of the Oprah Winfrey Network’s top reality shows: Iyanla: Fix My Life, starring Iyanla Vanzant; Life With La Toya, starring La Toya Jackson; and Raising Whitley, starring Kim Whitley, all of which feature black women as their starring characters. They’re…
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End of White America: Should We Care?
(The Root) — Is it time to start saying goodbye to majority-white America? Maybe, according to census data and estimates out on Thursday. The highlights that are getting the most attention: a prediction that, based on current rates of growth, whites in the under-5 age group are expected to slip to a minority this year…
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No, You and I Will Not Be Dating. Here's Why
Niesha Davis outlines at Clutch magazine the various reasons that she will not date a guy. Her list comes as she is getting back to dating after a two-year hiatus. … It seems that the men who approach me find someway to eliminate themselves from the running before we even start. Take one fellow that…
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Zimmerman Trial: Just 1 Scene in a Gun-Culture Drama
In a piece for the New Yorker, Jelani Cobb discusses the George Zimmerman trial, which began on Monday, in terms of America’s gun culture and perceptions of race. It’s possible — no, reasonable — to look at Martin’s death as the opening scene in a four-act drama centering on American gun culture. The subsequent scenes…
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BMW and Dollar General Accused of Discrimination
In a complaint filed Tuesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused two major U.S. companies — BMW and Dollar General — of indirectly discriminating against African-American employees and potential employees. How? By using criminal-background checks to screen out workers in a way that violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Washington…
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Nelson Mandela Responding to Treatment
South Africa’s 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela, is responding to medical treatment after “a few difficult days” in the hospital, the country’s president, Jacob Zuma, told Parliament on Wednesday. He said that he was happy with Mandela’s progress, adding, “We urge South Africans and the international community to continue to keep President Mandela and the…
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Some People Missed the Whole Trayvon Martin Thing
Last year’s shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin at the hands of self-appointed neighborhood-watch coordinator George Zimmerman set off an in-depth national conversation about race and justice — one that it would be easy to assume most Americans followed closely and formed opinions about. Not so. At least not according to the Orlando…
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Kanye Is the Opposite of 'Anti-Celebrity'
(The Root) — Articles like this one probably annoy Kanye West. Attempts to analyze the litany of quotables that tumble out of his mouth during any given interview are nothing but white noise to the hip-hop star, who in a recent sit-down with the New York Times, dubbed himself an “anti-celebrity” — and also the…
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Affirmations by Kanye: 8 Most Egotistical Quotes
Say what you will about Kanye West (and many people, including all of Twitter and President Obama, will join you), but the man loves himself. Here are some highlights from his, um, very confident recent interview with the New York Times. Look in the mirror and repeat some variations of these as affirmations if you’re…