culture

Writing at the New York Times, The Root’s contributing editor Jack White proffers the argument that while enormous wealth may inoculate some politicians from the bald-faced greed that has landed so many public officials in prison, they tend to be out of touch with the electorate.  … But it is just as likely to infect…

Beyoncé fans sort of got what they were looking for on Thursday when Pepsi released an ad showcasing her dancing to her upcoming single, “Grown Woman,” which is produced by Timbaland. The ad, called “Mirrors,” highlights some of Beyoncé’s outfits and dance moves through reflections seen in a studio of mirrors. The commercial is part…

CNN, quoting the Chicago Sun-Times, which syndicated Roger Ebert’s column, is reporting that the legendary film critic, who this week said that he was facing a recurrence of cancer, has died at 70. Writing at his blog on Tuesday, Ebert said that he was planning to slow down and reduce the number of movie reviews…

The Huffington Post is reporting that in a school board meeting on Wednesday, Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett defended the district’s plan to close 54 neighborhood elementary schools, saying that she is insulted by claims her actions are “racist.” “That is an affront to me as a woman of color and it is an…

New York City’s fast-food workers planned to walk off the job on Thursday in what organizers promised would be the largest-ever strike against the fast-growing, virtually union-free industry, Salon reports. Will employers give in to their demands? The workers are demanding that chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s raise their wages to $15 an hour and…

A racially charged brawl broke out at a downtown Los Angeles jail on Wednesday, forcing guards to fire rubber pellets and pepper spray to squash the incident, which involved more than 60 inmates and resulted in several being escorted to the hospital, Reuters reports. The altercation between Hispanic and African-American inmates erupted shortly after noon…

In a stinging piece at the New York Times, Ta-Nehisi Coates argues that Dr. Benjamin Carson, the present darling of the right, is wearing a mask as he answers a call by white conservatives to challenge President Barack Obama’s policies after the failure of so many other “Conservative Black Hopes.” The present darling of the…

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…

(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…