culture
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Judge: AKAs Tampered With Witnesses in Howard Case
The Washington City Paper is reporting on a development in the case of two Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority hopefuls’ lawsuit against the organization and Howard University. In it, they allege that AKA wouldn’t honor their legacy status and refused to admit them, in part because they refused to be hazed. (Read The Root’s previous coverage…
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Watch This: Child Shames GOP Lawmaker Into Dropping Welfare Bill
A Tennessee lawmaker has dropped a bill linking academic performance to a family’s welfare benefits after an intrepid 8-year-old girl followed him around the state Capitol, relentlessly questioning him about the measure, the Raw Story reports. State Sen. Stacey Campfield was greeted by Aamira Fetuga, a homeschooled 8-year-old, who presented him with a petition signed…
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Medgar Evers' Life to Be Celebrated 50 Years After His Death
Medgar Evers accomplished a great deal as a civil rights leader before his untimely death in 1963 outside his home in Jackson, Miss., but many remember him primarily as a victim of assassination. His widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and daughter, Reena Evers-Everette, want to change that, the Associated Press reports. As the 50th anniversary of his…
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Reebok Drops Rick Ross Over 'Date Rape' Lyrics
Reebok has released Rick Ross as a company spokesman in the aftermath of a vociferous uproar from activists and rape survivors about his song “U.O.E.N.O.,” which seems to glorify date rape, according to a report at TMZ. The news comes just a few days after a group of activists and rape survivors petitioned Reebok to…
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Watch This: Work Out to Lil Jon's New Zumba Song
Lil Jon, the King of Crunk, is diversifying his platform, borrowing a page from hip-hop moguls such as Russell Simmons, Jay-Z and Diddy. Vibe magazine reports that Lil Jon has partnered with celebrity Zumba instructor Gina Grant and will play DJ for the new Zumba Nightclub Series that launched this week in Boston. According to…
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Republicans Fear Hillary Clinton in 2016
Republican leaders planned their party’s political comeback at Thursday’s Republican National Committee spring meeting. Their strategy includes courting minority voters and updating their political operations, Time magazine reports. But there could be a major stumbling block: Hillary Clinton. One early primary state RNC member put it simply: “If she gets in, we’re toast.” To be…
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NC A&T on Lockdown After Reports of Man With Rifle
Updated: April 12, 12:15 p.m. EDT: Police have not found anyone matching the description of the man with the gun, nor have they found a firearm on campus, according to the News & Record. North Carolina A&T State University is on lockdown after a man was seen with a gun on campus, according to Greensboro,…
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Trayvon Martin: The Latest, Week 57
Friday, April 12, 11:16 a.m. EDT: George Zimmerman’s lawyer asks a judge to unseal settlement documents: An attorney for George Zimmerman on Thursday filed a motion requesting the release of details surrounding a confidential agreement recently reached between Trayvon Martin’s family and the homeowners association of the Sanford, Fla., subdivision where he shot and killed…
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For Ray J and LL: Things Not to Sing About
Michael Arceneaux, writing at Ebony, has a few things for the “I Hit It First” and “Accidental Racist” performers to consider before they head to the studio again. Dear Ray J: As proud as you are about your sexual adventures with Kim Kardashian, I think it’s time someone informed you that no sex is worth…