News
DC Comics & CW Announce New TV Series based on Vixen, Black Female Super-heroine of the Justice League
from AFROPUNK
"With the current uprise in race relations taking place in America and around the world, positive and powerful images of minorities on television and in the media could certainly aide in the movement towards equality, and bring additional prominence to the overall picture. Coincidentally, one network has already been on the move."
Black Milk Talks Secrets to Sampling, Detroit’s Legacy, and Working With Jack White
from Mass Appeal
"It may be Detroit vs. Everybody in the blogosphere, but Black Milk is more concerned with improving himself. The Motor City producer and emcee dropped his album If There’s A Hell Below in October, months after his Glitches In The Breaks album. Fans could tell that he’d been shifting more towards personal stories in his rhymes rather than spitting tough guy bars. Regardless, his production remains top notch."
The Rise of The Black British Actor
from Buzzfeed
"A brilliant actor who can melt inside of a role and turn in a performance worthy of high praise from his contemporaries, Oyelowo — who first came of notice as doomed spy Danny Hunter on BBC’s Spooks (called MI-5 in the U.S.) — wasn’t finding much material that allowed him to push himself to the next level. He’d had minor success doing prestigious work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but breaking into TV and films proved to be challenging. And he envisioned more for himself when he fancied a performance art career."
The Greatest Hayao Miyazaki Characters, Ranked
from i09.com
"Whether you think of him as the world's greatest anime director, one of the greatest animators of all time, or perhaps one of the best directors period, the works of Hayao Miyazaki are beyond compare… except perhaps to each other. Here's the best of his best. "
What the Backlash Against 'bae' Reveals about Society's Attitude Toward Black Culture
from The Daily Dot
"Although many people and brands love adopting African-American Vernacular English, it’s often denigrated and denied the same regard as any other words and phrases borne of popular culture. Unfortunately, the cultural backlash against “bae” reflects how mainstream American society takes a voyeuristic, if not disposable approach to black culture."
Sorry, Jay Z, hip-hop isn't a race relations cure-all
from Detroit Free Press
"Even though entertainment mogul Jay Z is practically a billionaire, I'd love to buy him a couple of tickets to see director Ava DuVernay's brilliant new film "Selma." I may even spring for popcorn for Mr. and Mrs. Carter. "
Demolished: The End of Chicago's Public Housing
from NPR
This photo essay by David Eads and Helga Salinas using photos by Patrica Evans details the life of people in Chicago's public housing.
Writer At War
from XXL
"A lot of times in interviews, people ask me things like, “How does it feel now? What have you bought your mom and your pops and family?” Nobody ever really asks about what it’s like trying to adapt to fame and money and how much of a depression it can make for you. How much of a depression it could put you in knowing that so many kids hang on to your words. I can’t make a song like “i” without being in that dark place."
Madonna's Racist Instagram Posts Prove She's Still 'Hung Up' On Cultural Appropriation
from Mic.com
Madonna posted a series of photos on her instagram in which she manipulated the faces of black icons to match her most recent album Rebel Heart.
Science Just Discovered Something Amazing About What Childhood Piano Lessons Did to You
from Mic
"If your parents forced you to practice your scales by saying it would "build character," they were onto something. The Washington Post reports that one of the largest scientific studies into music's effect on the brain has found something striking: Musical training doesn't just affect your musical ability — it provides tremendous benefits to children's emotional and behavioral maturation."
25 Women Who Shook Things Up in 2014
from Autostraddle
"Here’s a list of 25 women who shook things up in 2014 – be it in politics, pop culture, or our hearts. (In alphabetical order, because ranking women is tired.)"
Pilgrim Couple in Westbrook Attire Faces Wrath of Twitter (Photos)
from Black Sports Online
If Russell Westbrook was rocking it people would say it was hot instead of……
Before you see the jokes let me say @Quelliam & @tigg_olebitties were very good sports about it and if they had a good time, that’s wassup.
Texas Hair Braiding Laws Unconsitutional: Hair Braiders Win Right To Open Braiding Schools
from Clutch Mag
"Over the past year, Natural Hair Stylist Isis Brantley has been fighting to teach hair braiding in the state of Texas. Now, A federal judge has finally ruled in her favor."
3 Compelling Truths About Feminism That All Black Men Should Consider
from Everyday Feminism
How can black men contribute to the feminist movement?
How DDoS Attacks Work, And Why They're So Hard To Stop
from Kotaku
"Christmas celebrators across the world hooked up their brand new Xboxes and PlayStations only to find that both online networks were down, leaving countless new games totally unplayable."
President Obama's "Year in Photos" Will Rebuild Your Faith in Democracy
from Mic
"In an interview on Charlie Rose, Souza said that he "probably sees the president of the United States more than the first lady, his children or his chief of staff." It's not easy to slack off when the leader of the free world is your officemate — or when the White House press corps accuses you of "replacing independent journalism with visual press releases.""
10 Comics That Shut Down Terrible Internet Arguments
from i09
"Is there a persistent Internet argument that you're just sick of responding to? Don't have the energy to explain the problem with the argument for the billionth time? These comics can help, countering those troublesome arguments with a few words and pictures."
In 2015, Let's Try For More Compassion
from The Daily Beast
"Perhaps the only thing more alarming than these injustices themselves (no small thing) was the public’s reactions to them. Within minutes, it seems, of the disclosures of these tragic events, large numbers of people chose a side and stuck to it. All the subsequent facts didn’t seem to matter."
White Police Chief Draws Fire for Challenging Racism
from The Root
"Pittsburgh, Pa., Police Chief Cameron McLay thought he was practicing an important tenet of community policing when he obliged an activist’s request to take a picture holding an anti-racism sign at the city’s New Year’s Eve parade, MSNBC reports. The sign read: “I resolve to challenge racism @ work #EndWhiteSilence.”"
In The Wake of Tragedy, Black Twitter Proves It’s More Powerful Now Than It Has Ever Been Before
from Atlanta Blackstar
"Black Twitter has become an online mecca of comedic memes driven by pop culture references, the creative hub that produces a unique wave of slang and lingo and a digital town hall where members of the community come together to voice their frustrations with a nation shrouded in racism."