Americans have such a long and muddled history with racism that we sometimes forget that racism isn’t intrinsic to the U.S. Even though racists in America have willfully marginalized blacks, America is certainly not the only area of the world where blacks face discrimination. A recent study on how British children feel about their plight was so troubling that film director Steve McQueen sounded the alarm. The Guardian reports that…
The most interesting aspect of Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R-MS) win was the impact of black voters. Some have speculated that Cochran squeaked by thanks to black voters who came out to push him over the top. Local news reports even showed blacks waiting in line to vote in the Republican primary, which is uncommon amongst a demographic that usually votes overwhelmingly for Democrats. “It may be a Republican runoff between…
Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) is embattled in a political race that could end his career, but that doesn’t mean he’s playing it safe. Even though the outspoken 84 year old lawmaker is trailing his primary challenger, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, Rangel is still as blunt as ever when discussing President Obama’s critics. When MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt asked Rangel if Republican opposition to Obama is “based on race,” Rangel didn’t bιte…
Reported by April V. Taylor After a series of racist incidents targeting black soccer players, many of whom are Brazilian, Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff labeled this years World Cup the “anti-racism World Cup.” As recently reported by The Root, when one takes a closer look, race has a much more complex existence in Brazil. Outside of Africa, Brazil has the largest population of people of African descent. In addition, Brazil…
The Los Angeles premiere of the film “Dear White People” has critics wondering whether the film will be a breakaway success. The trailer for the film was premiered at Sundance where it was met with uproarious laughter. Still, given America’s uneasy relationship with race, some guests have been noticeably uncomfortable during the race satire film. Addressing that awkwardness, the film’s director says he wants people to know that it’s OK…
For the most part, the Ku Klux Klan is considered a racist and defanged relic. So the fact that the hate group has been increasingly marketing and dropping fliers in neighborhoods has become worrisome to some observers. As it turns out, the KKK may’ve been trying to rebrand itself as a kinder and gentler racist group because of plans for an upcoming race war. According to a report in The…
By Andrew Scot Bolsinger Though federal law banned “For Whites Only” signs half a century ago, one Dallas nightclub allegedly didn’t get the memo. According to a report in The Root, a popular club called Kung Fu Saloon in Uptown Dallas is under investigation by city officials amid allegations that managers racially discriminated against minorities. The managers allegedly ordered workers to deny reservations to callers who “sounded ghetto or too…
During slavery and even as sharecroppers, many blacks spent their lives picking cotton. Those workers were often faced with brυtal beαtings and repulsive work conditions, but even though it’s now 2014, workers at a Tennessee cotton gin are alleging that they encountered racism on the job. African-American employees at Atkinson Cotton Warehouse allege that the way they are treated brings to mind how cotton pickers were treated during Jim Crow…
By Josmar Trujillo Is a block in Harlem a ticking time bomb between the NYPD and the residents who live there? After a recent incident where over 100 cops and dozens of police cruisers filled the intersection of 125th street and Lexington ave, some think that the worst is yet to come. On the night of April 28th a fιght brοke out between two women, according to police and eyewitnesses….
There are many historically Black fraternal organizations that have highly esteemed members across the country. There’s Congressman John Lewis, a member of Phi Beta Sigma, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, Phylicia Rashad, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and so many more great people. Here are a few things you may not know about the history of black Greek letter organizations: 1.) The…
Reported by April Taylor Research reported by Pew Research and the New York Times is showing that nearly 1.2 million Americans who identified themselves as “Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin,” on the 2000 census have now changed their race identification to “white” on the 2010 census. The astonishing revelation was presented at an annual meeting of the Population Association of America. This is an interesting finding since mainstream media reveres the Hispani…
Reported by Krystle Crossman A student at Nimitz High School in Houston, TX is under investigation by the police for a crime committed while he was in class. The 6’3’’ and 325-pound student became upset when his cell phone was taken away by a substitute teacher. He attacked the elderly woman by shoving her twice as she attempted walk pass him. The third and final time that he shoved her, the 66-year-old…
Authorities say a firebombing at a Los Angeles housing project may have been racially motivated. The arson occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Monday at the Ramona Gardens housing project in Boyle Heights. Victims of the arson were black and Latino and police have not discounted race as a factor in the αttack. LAPD Capt. Martin Baeza said he was not aware of any gang threαts made against the residents….
Reported by April Taylor The prevalence of racial profiling is never far from many people’s minds, but profiling of African American LGBT people is not often talked about. US Attorney General Eric Holder has announced a plan to begin collecting data on stops, searches, and arrests by federal law enforcement officials in an effort to support his newly proposed ban on profiling that is based on sëxual orientation and/or gender identity….
Reported by April Taylor Amiri Baraka, one of the most widely published authors of his generation, has often been either extremely praised or highly condemned for his work. As The Root points out, the revival of his play The Dutchman has stirred up controversy similar to the way it did 50 years ago when it was first released in 1964. Much of Baraka’s work deals with violence, misogyny, homophobia, and racism. The Dutchman is…