News
In Washington, Second Thoughts on Arming Police
from NYtimes.com
"Jolted by images of protesters clashing with heavily armed police officers in Missouri, President Obama has ordered a comprehensive review of the government’s decade-old strategy of outfitting local police departments with military-grade body armor, mine-resistant trucks, silencers and automatic rifles, senior officials say."
Huge Potential Leak May Reveal Full Smash Bros. Roster
from Kotaku
"Last week, leakers claimed to have screenshots of the final character and stage rosters for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. games. Today, some rather convincing videos have popped up that appear to confirm the veracity of that leak, showing off some exciting unannounced characters from the highly-anticipated Nintendo fighter."
55 Stunning Twitter Photos from Space Show Just How Incredible Earth Can Be
from Mic.com
"Reid Wiseman is a NASA astronaut currently floating around the International Space Station. He's been in orbit since late May, when he and his team launched into space as part of Expedition 40/41, the projects of which focus on biology and biotechnology, physical science investigations and educational activities, among others. "
This Woman Is About to Make American Political History
from Mic.com
"One Aug. 2, she won a highly competitive Democratic gubernatorial primary election in the Virgin Islands, an unincorporated U.S. territory. With midterm elections fast approaching, this is major news: If elected in November, Christenson will become the first black woman to ever govern a U.S. state or territory."
How Ferguson Has Exposed a Civil Rights Generational Divide
from The Root
"This past week’s racial crisis in Ferguson, Mo., has uncovered a divide within the black community—one based on generation, class and the cloudy political vision offered by African-American politics in the Obama age."
Meet The 10-Year old CEO of Mr. Cory's Cookies
from News One
"Cory Nieves (pictured) is a chicly dressed 10-year-old who plans on building a cookie empire even before he’s old enough to drive! The bespectacled fifth-grader’s to-be cookie line, Mr. Cory’s Cookies, is being heralded across these shores and now the young lad is making moves toward making his all-natural cookie dough available online"
Mo'Ne Davis Becomes the First Little Leaguer to Snag The Cover of Sports Illustrated
from Clutch
"Mo’Ne Davis is taking the sports world by storm. The Little League World Series player is not only the 18th girl to play in the series in its 68-year saga, but also has made history as the first Little Leaguer to grace the sought-after cover of Sports Illustrated."
7 Things Worth More Than a Black Person's Life in America
from Mic.com
"We’re constantly being asked to qualify black life in America. So when Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson identified Darren Wilson as the officer who killed 18-year-old Michael Brown during a press conference last week, the logic he employed to justify Wilson's actions was all too familiar."
White St. Louis Has Some Awful Things to Say About Ferguson
from New Republic
"It was a stark contrast to Ferguson, which is two-thirds black. Olivette is almost the exact opposite, at over 60 percent white. St. Louis, and the little hamlets that ring it, is one of the most segregated cities in America, and it shows. "
Can’t Find the Words to Talk About Ferguson? Read These
from The Root
"On Saturday, Aug. 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown was gunned down by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer. The unarmed teen’s death, the refusal of the police department to release the name of his killer until Friday morning and law enforcement’s treatment of demonstrating citizens have left many observers of this week’s events shocked and speechless. Others, in articles, tweets and on camera, have found just the right words to communicate the depth of this American tragedy."
29 Tumblr Posts About White People That Will Make You Sip Your Tea
from Buzzfeed
buthtatsnoneofmybusiness = Hilarity
Finally a Groot Toy That Can Dance
from Kotaku
"Sometimes if you want a toy badly enough, you gotta make it yourself. That's what Patrick Delahanty did — taking a "Movin' & Groovin'" flower, hacking it apart and turning it into Groot's dancing baby form from the end of Guardians of the Galaxy"
Cool Jobs: Stuntman Talks Dangers & Rewards Working in the Shadows
from Black Enterprise
"Clay Donahue Fontenot, is one of the most sought-after stuntmen in Hollywood. He embarked on the journey to career stardom 23 years ago, after leaving Florida for California."
Pete Rock Talks working on Kendrick Lamar's New Album
from Mass Appeal
"Hip hop patriarch Pete Rock is currently working with Lamar on his new album, and states that he “ did some scratching” and is “on the hook on one of his songs on his album,” comparing the track to the set up of the Nas classic “The World Is Yours” on Illmatic."
Questlove on Robin Williams: 'The Smallest Gesture Can Mean The World'
from Colorlines
"There’s been an outpouring of grief since word spread that Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams, 63, died Monday of a suspected suicide. That sentiment also extends to the hip-hop world, as Questlove memorialized Williams on Instagram"
Understanding What's Happening in Ferguson
from Colorlines
"If you’re catching up on the shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer, the day’s must-read is this exclusive Trymaine Lee interview with Brown’s friend. It describes 22-year-old Dorian Johnson’s last image of Brown. With police brutality and the apparent cheapness of black life making national news again, reaction and commentary are coming at a furious clip. Here are a few items to guide you through the noise."
"Aunt Jemima's" Heirs Sue Quaker Oats for Billions
from Clutch Mag Online
"While strolling through New Orleans’ French Quarter during Mardi Gras, it was apparent that the Southern state with delicious eats and hospitable natives still has a penchant for antebellum relics. Miniature statues of mammies, sambos and other caricatures of Black women and men lined the shelves of multiple French Quarter stores, as if they were a link between the integrated current and the segregated past. "
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown Shows How Black People Are Portrayed in Mainstream Media
from The Root
"As tensions remain high, not only in the town of Ferguson but also on social media, Twitter users created #IfTheyGunnedMeDown to make a statement on how the media draws a biased narrative when it comes to telling the stories of black men and women. The following images not only tell a truthful story but also prove that we, as black people, know what our narrative is, but we are also not blind to the fact that the media will, of course, be biased in showing the truth"
"Dear Lifetime: How Does One Cast a Light-Skinned, Skinny Missy Elliott and Timbaland?"
from The Root
"Lifetime’s Aaliyah biopic is really starting to perturb a lot of people. In the cable network’s most recent casting reveal, we have the actors who will portray Missy Elliott and Timbaland, two of the people who had a hand in crafting Aaliyah’s sound. "
15 Most Influential #BlackLifeMatters Tweets You Should See
from Black Enterprise
"The streets of St. Louis are running rampant with strong emotions, as the weight of a recent shooting at the hands of a police officer takes hold of the city."