uncategorized
-
The Root Celebrates 100 Influencers and Achievers in 2013
The Root celebrated the achievements of its 2013 The Root 100 honorees at a gala event held at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York City Thursday night.
-
Congressman Goes to Sir Mix-a-Lot Concert
Earlier this month, 76-year-old Jim McDermott, one of the older members of the House of Representatives, attended (and by reports, enjoyed) his first Sir Mix-a-Lot concert, Roll Call reports. The Democrat, who represents Washington state, was first introduced to the rapper, a Seattle native, through late-night comedian Stephen Colbert. “Congressman, do you like big butts?”…
-
A Pastor Suffering in Silence Takes His Life
Pastor Teddy Parker Jr. of Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church in Macon, Ga., told his wife and two kids to go ahead of him to church this past Sunday morning and that he would meet them there. So off they went, joining the other 800 members of his congregation. Time passed, and the preacher, who…
-
'12 Years a Slave': In Our 'Postracial' Age, the Legacy of Slavery Lives On
The following essay has been reprinted with permission from the Guardian. Slavery has been written off as part of the pre-history of our world. Contemporary capitalism was shaped by its rational brutality but the banks, insurers and speculators who facilitated and expanded slavery have been able to project their activity as unsullied by a cruel…
-
Louisiana Kidnap Victim's Cousin Slays Abductor
A man hunting for his missing cousin reportedly kicked in the back door of an abandoned house and shot and killed her kidnapper during a daring rescue, according to Louisiana police authorities. When news initially surfaced about the incident on Friday, details were unclear and it was not known who fired shots. But now, police have identified…
-
White Texas Man Elected After Leading Voters to Believe He Was Black
Dave Wilson said he was shocked when he was recently elected as a member of the Houston Community College System Board of Trustees, ousting a 24-year incumbent. Why? Well, the white Republican ran in a district whose voters are overwhelmingly black Democrats, and the odds seemed overwhelmingly against him, MSNBC reports. But he reportedly won…
-
Chris Christie Urges GOP to 'Show Up' for Minority Votes
In what he describes as a winning prescription in future elections for the Republican Party, GOP New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday urged his constituents to reach out to minority voters. Christie should know. As the Associated Press reports, he’s just off a 22-percentage point re-election win, which he attributes to reaching out to…
-
NYC Seeks to Vacate Judge's Stop-and-Frisk Orders
Lawyers representing New York City on Saturday filed papers asking a federal appeals court to vacate a judge’s orders that require the police department to modify its stop-and-frisk practice, which has been likened to racial profiling, reports show. In papers filed with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, lawyers argue that U.S.…
-
Los Angeles Man Freed After 34 Years in Prison
Kash Delano Register, a Los Angeles man who spent 34 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit, walked out of prison on Friday after a judge overturned his conviction, according to the Associated Press. On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Katherine Mader threw out the conviction, determining that prosecutors used false testimony at…
-
Anthony Mackie Arrested on DWI Charge
Actor Anthony Mackie, who has appeared in The Hurt Locker, The Adjustment Bureau and Man on a Ledge, was arrested Saturday morning for allegedly driving while intoxicated, reports show. Police reportedly pulled the 35-year-old star over about 1:30 a.m. in Harlem for tinted windows, but noticed that he had bloodshot, watery eyes, and they smelled…