culture
-
Why Obama's Base Is Angry at Him
In a piece at CNN, former White House adviser Van Jones argues that the president’s base is angry because instead of asking for more from the rich to shore up Social Security, his budget proposal would take more from the middle class and poor. … Some may call this a knee-jerk response from liberals who…
-
Parenting Our Gay Children: Choose Love Above All
The Tom Joyner Morning Show’s Nikki Woods writes at BlackAmericaWeb.com that parents should choose love upon learning that their child is gay or lesbian, citing as an example Magic Johnson’s support of his son Earvin Johnson Jr. Last week the world learned what basketball great Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie had known for many…
-
The NRA's Terror Campaign Against Congress
Earl Ofari Hutchinson argues in a piece at his blog that the NRA is poised to use its considerable influence to water down a gun control bill, holding out 2014 as a carrot for a number of GOP House members and senators who will be facing re-election campaigns in several conservative strongholds. There are two…
-
Easier Access to Plan B: Bad for Black Girls?
(The Root) — If Susannah Baruch were in charge of the nation’s biggest chain pharmacy stores, she’d issue orders today. They would read: Make room on store shelves, somewhere between the pregnancy tests and the condoms, for another form of effective, over-the-counter birth control. “That’s exactly where emergency contraception should be, between the condoms and the…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…