culture
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End the Corporate Exploitation of Food Deserts
Writing at Ebony, food-justice advocate Tanya Fields says that big corporations intentionally create these areas in poor communities. If you have been following the conversation around the lack of fresh foods available in certain districts across the country, then you have probably heard the label “food desert.” More and more, this term is being used to…
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Ex-NBA Star: 'I Took an Innocent Life, Too'
(The Root) — Could this be one of the great comeback stories? Former NBA player Jayson Williams spent 18 months in jail for the death of limousine driver Costas Christofi, whom he said he mistakenly shot and killed inside his home in 2002. A year ago he was released, and now he is a community…
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Does Tyler Perry Even Watch His Own Films?
(The Root) — Confession? I actually like really bad movies. Film reviews and criticism, though valuable to those who enjoy thinking, aren’t too helpful when you know going into the theater that once the lights go dim, you’re in for something pretty dumb. But boy, does Tyler Perry’s latest effort — Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions…
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The Racket With Standardized Test Scores
Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson says that creating a situation in which teachers are more likely than children to cheat cannot be the right path to improving American education. It is time to acknowledge that the fashionable theory of school reform — requiring that pay and job security for teachers, principals and administrators depend on…
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Should We Treat Rape-Glorifying Rappers With Love?
Clutch magazine’s Kirsten West Savali says that Rick Ross is a “joke” and shouldn’t be treated with any more sensitivity than other enemies of the black community. Marc Lamont Hill’s HuffPost Live conversations, known among other things for their analytical critiques on issues that matter to the Hip-Hop community and urban culture at large, are often fiery…
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He Knocked Her Up While Dating Me
(The Root) — “I found out someone I am dating has gotten someone pregnant while also seeing me. I feel like I’ve been hit by a freight train. I have no clue what to do. I don’t want to judge him. I’m far from perfect.” —S.U. Unfortunately, I’ve been in your shoes. And surprisingly, a…
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NYPD Chief: Stop and Frisk Is 'Lifesaving'
(The Root) — What happens when you put the Rev. Al Sharpton and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in the same room, in front of a mic? You get Sharpton making a joke: “We gonna bring Kelly on after I stop and frisk him in the back,” referring to the controversial police practice…
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Kerry Washington and 'Scandal' Co-Star Grace EW Cover
A little something to keep fans of ABC’s Scandal going until Thursday’s episode: Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn — who plays President Fitzgerald Grant on the political drama — are on this week’s Entertainment Weekly cover. Inside the magazine are some teasers from Executive Producer Betsy Beers. Apparently things are going to get more intense…
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Brittney Griner: 1st Woman in the NBA?
Brittney Griner, at 6 feet 8, was the NCAA’s leader in blocked shots and the second-leading scorer in women’s college basketball history when she finished her career at Baylor University. It seems that if Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has anything to say about it, she might add another title to her athletic résumé: first…
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Why Did It Take So Long to Fire Mike Rice?
(The Root) — Embattled Rutgers University men’s basketball coach Mike Rice has officially been fired after a video showing him abusing players during practice went viral on Tuesday. While many are applauding his firing, I’m wondering why it took the brass at Rutgers University so long to do what should have been done nearly four…