Politics
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Bill O’Reilly, Valerie Jarrett Talk ‘Gangsta’ Culture
While conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly did toss the Obama administration the odd compliment, saying that he thought President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative would work, he still had a few ideas as to how society’s ills could be fixed. Talking to Valerie Jarrett, White House senior adviser, O’Reilly accused the administration of not sensing…
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How ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ Initiative Just Might Save Black Boys
On Thursday, President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper, a joint initiative of government, philanthropy and business leaders to improve life outcomes for men and boys of color. This is a politically significant move, marking the first time that President Obama has unabashedly launched a racially targeted program. But more important, the initiative holds the promise of…
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How Obama Plans to ‘Keep’ His ‘Brothers’
The official launch of My Brother’s Keeper—the initiative President Barack Obama previewed in his State of the Union address, telling Americans, “I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing especially tough odds to stay on track and reach their full…
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Black Nationalist Chokwe Lumumba, Mayor of Jackson, Miss., Dies at 66
Chokwe Lumumba. It’s a revered name within the African-American community, and on Tuesday the former black revolutionary succumbed to heart failure after experiencing chest pains, USA Today reports. The 66-year-old civil rights icon became mayor of Jackson, Miss., last year, taking office by storm and seeking to revive a crumbling city dealing with an eroding…
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US Attorney General Eric Holder Rushed to Hospital
A Justice Department official released the following statement, according to NBC Washington: “During his regular morning meeting with senior staff, the Attorney General began experiencing symptoms including faintness and shortness of breath. As a precaution, the Attorney General was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center to undergo further evaluation.” NBC News’ Pete Williams reports that Holder,…
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President Obama to Unveil ‘My Brother’s Keeper’
On Thursday, President Obama is set to launch My Brother’s Keeper, a public-private program set to empower disadvantaged black and Latino young men who, according to a White House fact sheet, are “more than six times as likely to be victims of murder than their white peers and account for almost half of the country’s…
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Deval Patrick and the Curse of the 2nd Black President
If two-term Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick wants to be a candidate for president in 2016, he’s faced with one problematic detail: We’ve already had a black president. Patrick, who’s the Bay State’s first African-American chief executive, is openly chewing on a bid for the White House, answering “maybe” in a recent Politico interview when asked…
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Where ColorOfChange Stands on ‘Stand Your Ground’
Like so many of you, I was outraged—but not surprised—by the Michael Dunn verdict. Just two years after Trayvon Martin was killed, another Florida jury has told us what we already know: Our nation’s gun laws do not protect the innocent, the justice system is deeply unfair and our media culture continues to create an…
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Joe Biden May Be a ‘White Boy,’ but He’s Got His Black Card
Vice President Joe Biden made headlines twice yesterday. He told ABC’s Barbara Walters that he won’t be standing down in the 2016 White House race, even if Hillary Clinton jumps in, saying that “Whether she runs or not will not affect my decision.” And that’s—as Biden might say—a pretty “gutsy” call. On a lighter note,…
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‘Stand Your Ground’ Still Stands 2 Years After Trayvon’s Death
Today marks a somber two-year anniversary, mourning the brutal and untimely death of Trayvon Martin. It also marks another full year in which nothing has been done to change the “Stand your ground” law partly responsible for Trayvon’s death. Oh, we’ve been hearing quite a bit—but, that doesn’t necessarily mean the same as actual movement…