culture
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Butt-Dialing Pizza Man's Racist Songs
The CEO of Papa John’s has apologized to a Sanford, Fla., customer after a deliveryman accidentally dialed the man’s voice mail after dropping off an order and left a singing voice mail consisting largely of n-word remixes of The Barber of Seville and Rhythm Heritage’s “Theme From SWAT,” Mediaite reports. The apology came after a…
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Va. Governor to Restore Nonviolent Offenders' Voting Rights
On Tuesday a task force commissioned by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli found no legal basis for either the governor or the General Assembly to automatically restore the voting rights of former convicted felons, but the governor found a way to do it anyway, Colorlines‘ Brentin Mock reports. Gov. Bob McDonnell announced that he would…
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Why Nothing's Like Playing Mas at Caribana
(The Root) — Underneath a sun-drenched blue sky, the noises of the steel pan pierce the air, their jubilant sounds forcing us into hip-swaying and rump-shaking as we trek down Lake Shore Boulevard in a blissful state. Everyone is under the influence of the infectious rhythm that the Caribbean music carries, while others find themselves…
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A Feast for the Senses, Every Year in Seattle
(The Root) — As Seattle emerges from the rains of winter and spring and heads into the somewhat less rainy months of summer, we citizens of Rain City shed the fleeces, roll down the windows and try to remember where we put the sunscreen. It’s festival weather, and one staple of the season is Festival…
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Art From Around the Diaspora in ATL
(The Root) — You can always tell when the National Black Arts Festival is headed to Atlanta. Colorful banners with its logo sway on lampposts dotting Peachtree Street. Black talk-radio stations begin interviews with organizers and participants. Local media start featuring ads. And there’s also the kickoff celebration. “They definitely do a good job [advertising…
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The 'War on Terror' Really Is Over
The Washington Post‘s Eugene Robinson says that a war against identifiable foes can be won — and, for the most part, has been. President Obama wisely avoided the phrase “mission accomplished” in his major speech last week about the “war on terror,” but columnists aren’t obliged to be so circumspect: It is time to declare…
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New Orleans' Weekend of Smiling Faces
(The Root) — There was only one reason five guys journeyed to New Orleans on a Fourth of July weekend five years ago: women. Black women. All shades, shapes and sizes of ladies from all over the world were going to be in Nola for the annual Essence Music Festival. To my four friends and…
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Urban School Reform Isn't Truly About Kids
A piece by Leslie T. Fenwick in the Washington Post makes the case that blacks don’t control the critical economic levers shaping school reform. She also explains why that’s a problem. The truth can be used to tell a lie. The truth is that black parents’ frustration with the quality of public schools is at…
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White Writer, Black Characters: Bad Idea?
(The Root) — “I’m a well-known writer of women’s fiction. I want to incorporate black characters into my books. How does a white woman write black women correctly? For example, is it disrespectful to have a black woman have a bit of a thing for white men? What’s the best way to introduce a black…
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Reflections on 'Scandal' and Interracial Romance
Angela Onwuachi-Willig explains at the Huffington Post why the relationship at the center of the drama is personal for her, and a reminder of how far we have to go. My reaction to Scandal is, on one level, personal. As a black woman who has been married to my white husband for 17 years and,…