Politics
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Donald Payne on Libya: Far From a Slam Dunk
In the days since President Barack Obama authorized U.S. military strikes in Libya, there has been a barrage of commentary on whether he should have made the conflict our problem. Supporters agree with the president that America could not stand idly by as Col. Muammar Qaddafi waged violence against citizens — a situation that they…
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VIDEO: Has Qaddafi's Son Been Killed?
The Huffington Post is reporting that ABC News’ Diane Sawyer spoke with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this afternoon about the situation in Libya: According to Clinton, there are unconfirmed reports that at least one of Gaddafi’s sons has been killed. She says that Gaddafi’s behavior is unpredictable. “Some of it is theater. Some of…
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Michelle Obama's Garden Book: Part of a Campaign to Bully Fat Kids?
The first lady is going to become an author. She’s writing a book about the White House garden and the benefits of healthy eating. The book will complement her Let’s Move Campaign, since the garden has served as the backdrop of her efforts through the program to curb childhood obesity and encourage healthier eating habits. But…
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Who Is Herman Cain?
Read the latest Herman Cain news on The Root. In his 2005 book, They Think You’re Stupid: Why Democrats Lost Your Vote and What Republicans Must Do to Keep It, Herman Cain commiserates with voters who have grown weary of Washington politics. Now he’s petitioning that same electorate to support his (potential) bid to become…
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No More Forums About a Black Agenda
I said I’d wait a year, and as of this week, I have. Last March, there was an Event, with prominent participants, the theme of which was to call on President Barack Obama to put forth a black agenda. Holding his “feet to the fire” was a metaphor that came up here and there. I…
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Muammar Qaddafi's Chicago Connection
From keeping crack cocaine off Chicago’s streets in the mid-1980s to becoming the first Americans convicted of domestic terrorism, the El Rukns have had one of the most fascinating gang stories with global reach. They sold synthetic heroin. They prayed in a mosque. They held community meetings. They got arrested for murder. In the 1970s…
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Emmett J. Rice, Federal Reserve Governor, Dies at 91
Emmett J. Rice, 91, a former World Bank official and member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and the father of Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, died March 10 at his home in Camas, Wash. He had congestive heart failure. Dr. Rice was a pioneering economist, banking official and…
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Supreme Court Keeps Door Open for Prisoner Civil Rights Claims
Criminal justice has always held a prominent place in the work of civil rights. From the trials of the Scottsboro boys; to the wrongful convictions in Tulia, Texas, in the 1990s; to the NAACP’s recent successful intervention on behalf of the Scott sisters, rooting out injustice in the criminal-justice system has long defined the essence…
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Presidential Hopeful: 'Don't Condemn Me Because the First Black One Was Bad'
Potential Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain attempted to distance himself from President Obama during a recent interview in New Hampshire. The Union Leader reports on his comments: “But there are some people who will say, ‘I’m not going to vote for another black guy because this one didn’t work out.’ “And my response is, ‘Well,…