news
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Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson, 1st Female Pitcher to Play in the Negro Leagues, Dies at Age 82
Mamie Johnson—baseball legend, trailblazing icon—the first female pitcher to play in the Negro Leagues, died Tuesday at the age of 82. “Peanut,” as Johnson was also known, was one of three women to ever play in the Negro Leagues, WUSA 9 notes. As a black woman, Johnson had to overcome unique adversity during her time,…
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Judge Throws Out Michael Jackson Sex Abuse Lawsuit
A Los Angeles judge threw out a lawsuit brought by a choreographer against Michael Jackson that alleged the singer had molested him as a child. According to USA Today, the lawsuit was one of the last major claims against Jackson’s properties. Wade Robson, an Australia native who has worked as a choreographer for Britney Spears…
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Watch: Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas Rekindle Their Friendship After 25 Years of Pettiness
Decades before LeBron James and Dwyane Wade straddled a floating banana to become this generation’s poster children for BFFs, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas donned their Daisy Dukes to kiss at half-court before each of their iconic NBA duels. Not only were the two men considered the best point guards of their era (sorry, John…
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New Zora Neale Hurston Book Will Tell Story of the Last Survivor of the US Slave Trade
Eighty-one years after Their Eyes Were Watching God debuted, a new work by Zora Neale Hurston will appear on bookshelves. In 2018, publisher HarperCollins will release Hurston’s account of the last-known survivor of the American holocaust known as the U.S. slave trade. In 1931, Hurston spent three months in Alabama interviewing Cudjo Lewis, who came…
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Figurines Depicting White Cherub Stepping on Head of Black Cherub Removed From Detroit Dollar Store After Customer Complaints
A metro Detroit Dollar Store removed some ugly ass figurines from its shelves after the images depicted sparked controversy among customers who complained about the racial undertones. According to WXYZ-TV, the figurines were being sold at the Super Dollar Center in Lincoln Park. The statuettes showed a white cherub, decked out in armor and holding…
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Charlottesville, Va., Dedicates Street in Honor of Woman Killed in Car Attack During White Supremacist Rally
A little more than four months has passed since Charlottesville, Va., native Heather Heyer was killed after a car plowed through a group of people protesting a horrific, and ultimately deadly, white supremacist rally there. On Wednesday the city will continue to honor her memory, designating part of Fourth Street, where the gray Dodge Challenger…
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Report: Water Is Wet, Fire Is Hot—Oh, and Race Relations Got Worse After Trump’s Election
A fascinating new report has revealed some important information of which you may not be aware: If you touch a hot stove, you might get burned. Water is wet, fire is hot, and most Americans believe race relations in our country got worse after Donald Trump was elected. OK, so maybe the latest national survey…
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White Campus Security Guard Who Lied About a Black Man Shooting Him Unlikely to Do Jail Time
A white campus security guard who accidentally shot himself with his own gun and then lied to police and said a fictitious black man shot him will not face immediate jail time for his crime—and if he completes the court’s requirements, he may not face jail time at all. Brent P. Ahlers, 35, told a…
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Everything You Need to Know About the GOP’s Tax Heist but Were Afraid to Ask
Congress is poised to pass a piece of legislation that will amount to a $1.5 trillion tax hike for Americans who don’t have trust funds, silver spoons or monocles. No one knows what is in the final bill because Republicans have added more changes than Kim Kardashian’s plastic surgeon, but luckily The Root always has…
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5-Year-Old Mississippi Hero Calls 911, Helps Cops Capture the Grinch to Save Christmas for Us All
TyLon Pittman, who happens to be a 5-year-old hero, loves Christmas. In fact, he loves Christmas so much that he helped the cops capture the nefarious Grinch in order to save Christmas for us all (and Lord knows we need a little extra help this year). But no, seriously, in a story too cute to…