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At Least the Dollar is Helping Someone
To most Americans (i.e. not Bernie Madoff, AIG execs., etc) the dwindling value of the dollar has been nerve-racking, to say the least. It has also had an impact internationally. The BBC reported one country, in which, the dollar might actually be helpful. Zimbabwe is undergoing a “dollarisation,” which seems to be offering some temporary…
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How Do You Count the Crowd at Inauguration?
Want to know how many folks are expected for the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty predicts at least 3 million people could be crammed onto the National Mall for the swearing-in ceremony. Law enforcement agencies expects about 1 million folks will witness the…
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Win Tickets to The Root's Inaugural Ball
The Root is having a ball! An inaugural ball, that is. And you have a chance to join us! To kick off inauguration week, The Root is throwing a grand, invitation-only, black-tie gala on Sunday, Jan. 18 in Washington, D.C. The evening event will be brimming with all of our favorite writers, movers and shakers,…
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The Trouble with Kwanzaa
OK, this may not be politically correct to say, but I just don’t get what’s up with Kwanzaa. Our family celebrated it two or three times in the ’90s. We had a kinara, handmade by my Uncle Calvin; the seven candles, three red ones for the struggle, three green ones for hope and a black…
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Taming of the Shoe
“He totally just wrote me off like I’m that nigga to steal on.” – Charlie Murphy “I’m Rick James, he’s Charlie Murphy.” – Rick James If the Iraqi justice system worked anything like ours, Muntader al Zaidi, reporter for the Al-Baghdadiya network and erstwhile thrower of hard-soled dress shoes at President George W. Bush, would…
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When White Vigilantes Reign
America has never had a terribly forthright relationship with its history. No surprise, then, that three years after Katrina laid bare the deep, deadly inequality festering in our nation’s cities, we’ve already blotted the memory. In a breathtaking article in this week’s edition of The Nation magazine, investigative reporter A.C. Thompson (you can read my…
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A Conversation with A.C. Thompson
America has never had a terribly forthright relationship with its history. No surprise, then, that three years after Katrina laid bare the deep, deadly inequality festering in our nation’s cities, we’ve already blotted the memory. In a breathtaking article in this week’s edition of The Nation magazine (reprinted today in The Root), investigative reporter A.C.…
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'Seven Pounds' Too Heavy
There’s been a great deal of mystery—OK, hype—surrounding Will Smith’s newest movie, Seven Pounds. Critics were embargoed from revealing the plot twist, and in an interview with Barbara Walters, Smith cautioned her against saying anything about the flick that he was plugging: “Don’t ruin my movie, Barbara.” Watching the trailers, it’s hard to figure out…
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NBA Coaches Get Benched
The NBA season is barely six weeks old and six coaches have already lost their jobs. P.J. Carlesimo was canned in Oklahoma City, Randy Wittman lost his gig in Minnesota, Eddie Jordan was shown the door in Washington, and Sam Mitchell was dismissed in Toronto. Then just as things seemed to be settling down, Maurice…
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The Root's Holiday Playlist
I still believe in Christmas. It is the one time of the year that I believe the world will stay upright, that people are inherently good and kind, and that slow drivers aren’t out to deter me from getting to my destination as fast as possible. I believe in the Christmas spirit, the idea that…