news
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Michael Jackson Said It Best, Black People: ‘You Can’t Win’
Sometimes, when I’m feeling a special kind of cynical, I put on Michael Jackson’s “You Can’t Win” from The Wiz and wallow in its bluesy refrain. Being black in the U.S. of A., if you watch the news, or think too hard about the daunting odds of America living up to its promise of parity,…
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Descendants of 272 Slaves Sold by Georgetown Say They Want Reparation$$$ Now!
As reported by The Root when the story first broke, the storied academic institution of Georgetown owes its entire existence to the sale of enslaved black men, women and children. In 1838 the sale of these humans by Jesuit priests saved the school from bankruptcy; to this day, it remains a thriving academic institution, thick…
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Former Kentucky Cop Told Recruit to Shoot Black Teens if He Caught Them Smoking Weed
In a case that just bolsters my theory that law enforcement has become a haven for virulent white supremacists, a former Prospect, Ky., assistant police chief told a Louisville Metro Police Department recruit that if he caught juveniles smoking marijuana, he should “shoot them” if they were black. And worse. According to documents released Friday,…
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Viola Davis Slays Her 2018 Women’s March Speech: ‘Nothing and No One Can Be Great Without a Cost’
She came. She roared. She conquered. Actress Viola Davis, who has been thrilling audiences with her passionate, deeply felt words since at least 2017 (or that year she made us all cry at the Oscars), gave no less at the Women’s March 2018 in Los Angeles this past Saturday. Decked out in a leather…
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Jamaica Declares a State of Emergency After Violence Rocks the Montego Bay Area
Jamaica’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, recently announced a state of emergency for St. James Parish, which includes the tourist hot spot of Montego Bay, amid a sharp increase in violent crime in the area. On Thursday the politician dispatched the military to the area. “I have been advised by the security forces, in writing, that…
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Police Discover Child Pornography on Las Vegas Shooter’s Computer
You may have been wondering, as my colleague, The Root staff writer Monique Judge, recently did, why “Las Vegas shooter” is trending again. It’s because authorities have found a mass of child pornography on his computer, according to authorities. On Oct. 1, 2017, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock acted as a sniper from his hotel room, shooting…
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Jackson, Miss., Community Leaders Step In as Students Face Food Insecurity During School Water Crisis
Jackson Public Schools remain closed due to low water pressure—or no water at all—in outdated school infrastructures, and many students are left wondering how they will eat during the day. Mississippi’s capital city has struggled to function as subfreezing temperatures continue to cause water main breaks and hazardous driving conditions. To date, 60 percent of…
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Congress Meets Saturday to Try to End Government Shutdown
Though there is enough hand-wringing, blame (see #ShumerShutdown, #SchumerShutdown, #TrumpShutdown) and hypocrisy to go around, the fact is that the federal government shuttered after midnight on Friday. Now members of Congress are scheduled to meet Saturday to strike a deal. The Washington Post reports that the House was expected to reconvene at 9 a.m. and…
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Dear White People Cast, Crew Create Jordan Edwards Scholarship Fund
The cast and crew of the Netflix series Dear White People are honoring the life and legacy of Jordan Edwards with a scholarship fund created in partnership with Jordan’s family and the Black Alumni Association. The Jordan J. Edwards Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund was conceptualized “to promote the education of deserving undergraduate students who enroll…
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Jeff Sessions’ War on Marijuana Will See Him Face Off in Court Against a 12-Year-Old Girl With Epilepsy
Instead of focusing on much more important issues like the opioid crisis and the steady dismantling of American civil rights, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has turned his attention to battling against legalized marijuana. That pretend war will now see him in court as he goes up against a 12-year-old girl who suffers from epilepsy.…