culture
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Is Retirement Really an Option Anymore?
In the years since the Great Recession, many 30-somethings have had to rely on their 401(k)s to keep them afloat. Danielle C. Belton, writing for Clutch magazine, points out that the idea of being “done” with the rat race might be reserved for superstars like Janet Jackson and her billionaire boo. How many of us…
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Free the Slaves — and Then What?
(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. This large, impressive painting, so redolent of the ideals of liberty and future prosperity, is rooted in a staunch…
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One Child's Story of Gun Violence
As politicians tussle over weapons legislation, the gunshots continue to fly in cities like Chicago, eventually landing on someone’s doorstep. Young Tania Williams writes at Ebony that after the first time she experienced a friend being shot, she couldn’t stop shaking. As my mom called the ambulance, she told me to get him some water,…
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Jay-Z to Sell Stake in Brooklyn Nets
Jay-Z may have begun as an MC, but he’s branching out into sports management with the imminent sale of his stake in the Brooklyn Nets and the birth of his fledgling Roc Nation Sports agency, reports Billboard. Jay-Z launched Roc Nation Sports, a joint-venture sports management agency with Creative Arts Agency, at the beginning of…
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Valerie Jarrett: What I've Learned
Senior White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett spoke with Esquire about the personal anecdotes and advice that she’s used throughout her life. Anytime I was hesitant about taking a chance, my grandmother would say, “Valerie, put yourself in the path of lightning.” I was the first person in my family to become a lawyer. I was…
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Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka Wins Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
On Monday, award sponsor the Cleveland Foundation announced the winners of the 78th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. The recipients are the following: * Laird Hunt, Kind One, Fiction * Kevin Powers, The Yellow Birds, Fiction * Eugene Gloria, My Favorite Warlord, Poetry * Andrew Solomon, Far From the Tree, Nonfiction * Wole Soyinka, Lifetime Achievement …
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Boston Bombings: Obama Requests Moment of Silence
Following his last statement regarding the capture of the second Boston-bombing suspect on Friday, President Obama has asked for a moment of silence on Monday at 2:50 p.m. EDT, the time when the first bomb exploded at the Boston Marathon, to remember victims Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu and Martin Richard, according to USA Today. Massachusetts…
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2 African Runners Win London Marathon
As the Boston area recovered in the wake of Friday’s manhunt for the Tsarnaev brothers, London’s marathon on Sunday went on without incident. Two African athletes took home the winning prizes, according to the Daily News. The men’s race was won by Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede; the women’s champion was Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo, not to be…
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How to Heal After Boston and Other Terrors
Amid the investigation and news cycle following the Boston Marathon bombings, Colorlines contributor Rinku Sen offers advice on how Americans can mend after such violence. When I heard about Boston, I wanted to push it away. I’m so exhausted from the cycle of sorrow, panic, defense and more sorrow that every incident of mass violence…