Here’s a key event that happened on this day brought to you by Black Facts 1902 – Marian Anderson born 2/27/1902: On this day Marian Anderson, who will become a world-renowned opera singer and the first African American soloist to perform at hte White House , is born in Philadelphia, PA.
Meek Mill is not content to let his beef with Drake die, so he’s fired more shots at the Canadian rapper. When the Philadelphia rapper dropped his EP 4/4 this weekend, he took aim at Drake in a track called “I’m Da Plug.” It’s been months since we’ve heard anything out of this feud, but […]
Nicki Minaj and her boo Meek Mill decided it was time for a date, so they hit up a basketball game. Meek, who just dropped another Drake diss this weekend, seemed to be in a great mood as he and Nicki enjoyed a very special welcome at the Philadelphia 76er game on Saturday night. While […]
When we think about discrimination directed at a person because of both their race and gender, the image of a Black man is not what usually comes to mind. And yet, that is what Brarailty “Rel” Dowdell, an independent Black filmmaker (most notable for the film Train Ride and Changing the Game) and adjunct professor at the Community College of Philadelphia might be looking to change. According to Philly.com, Dowdell recently filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that the CCP denied him a full-time position because he was both Black and male. He also claims that none of the seven full-time faculty members hired for the English department this year were African-American men… [ MadameNoire ] Viral Tweet Raises Important Question: Why Aren’t Tampons Free? There is an interesting debate happening online about the price we pay to menstruate. It all started from a tweet, which stated: “If you can afford to give boys free condoms you can afford to give girls free tampons. Menstruation is a lot harder to refrain from than sex.”… Folks do not fully understand the abuse women, in particular, receive online just for the mere infraction of making a good point in public. Still, the tweet has sparked months of debate, particularly on the Facebook page of 99.9 FM The Sun in Canada… Those who were in support of the tweet left messages for the contrarians like this: “Condoms, lubricants,sunscreen and nicotine patches are all tax-free because they are classed as ‘important’ health goods. Why aren’t sanitary products viewed in the same light?!” [ MadameNoire ] Relive A Golden Era With The 90’s FreakNik: An Atlanta Story While tropical oases like Mexico and Florida became preferred destinations for college spring breakers, Atlanta’s annual FreakNik was the place to be for the multitude of HBCU students around the country in the 1990s. What started out as a mere cookout would soon grow into something much bigger, complete with live performances from music’s crème de la crème. The legendary weekend event gathered attendees from every corner of the U.S. to a place where all kinds of entertainment, fellowship, and debauchery transpired. The 40-minute documentary surfaced the Internet featuring narration from several different ATL area DJs who tell their side of how Freaknik all started and the influence it had on the city’s music… [ HipHopWired ] Marshawn Lynch Finally Trademarks His Phrase “I’m Just Here So I Won’t Get Fined” [ Vibe ] Dubai — Massive Hotel Blaze Before NYE Firework Display [ TMZ ] Denying People A Job After They’ve Left Prison Is Unconstitutional, Court Rules [ HuffingtonPost ] 10 Songs To Start The New Year Off Right [ StarPulse ]
DC rapper Shy Glizzy had his chain snatched while performing in Memphis. To add insult to injury, the chain popped up on social media via taunts from Instagram user “dmuney_stacks.” Continue
Higher education has always been promoted as the best way to address most, if not all, of the Black community’s social and economic ills. But what if our personal quest for empowerment is actually helping to drive the school-to-prison pipeline? It is a question that some college students at the University of California have begun weighing and organizing around. More specifically, the student group, which calls itself the Afrikan Black Coalition (ABC), released a report last month on its website, revealing how the UC system, which includes 10 campuses across the state, is “an indirect investor of private prisons through mutual funds-managed by outside investment bankers.” Well, according to the ABC report, the UC system has allegedly invested $25 million in both the Corrections Corporation of America and private prison provider The Geo Group…In response to its own findings, the student group has decided to take action against the university… [ MadameNoire ] NYU Admin Prospective Student: If You Can’t Afford $65 Application Fee How Will You Pay $60K Tuition? Joshua Jackson is drawing much-needed attention to the exorbitant cost of higher education in America, not to mention the elitism and subtle racism that underlies much of that cost. The Black cartoonist gained Internet fame over the weekend when he exposed an NYU administrator for a rather out of pocket response to his request for the $65 application fee into one of the school’s master’s programs be waived. Jackson was interested in applying to the Tisch School of the Arts’ Art & Public Policy master’s program… Whatever enthusiasm Jackson had about this program dwindled significantly when he was basically told he’s too poor to help other poor people. Here’s how things went down, according to Jackson’s Twitter exposé… [ MadameNoire ] Snoop Dogg & adidas Team Up For Sports Talk Show #TurfdUp Snoop Dogg uses his football expertise throughout his every step of life (he recently gave Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly an explicit earful that may align with diehard fans) and he’s using that carnal sports knowledge to launch a new talk show alongside the powerhouses of adidas and branding ideas of Cashmere Agency. The upcoming show Turf’d Up will showcase “Coach Snoop” interviewing former NFL players, celebrities and sports personalities including Terrell Owens, Tony Gonzales, Robert Horry, George Lopez and more. The eight-episode series will air Snoop’s YouTube Channel WestFestTV, starting on December 30 and will release new episodes each Wednesday afterwards… [ HipHopWired ] Kobe Bryant Names The Five Best Players And Teams He’s Faced [ Vibe ] Richard Simmons: Christmas Got All Grinchy … No Love For Carolers [ TMZ ] 25 Books By Black Authors From 2015 You Need To Read [ HuffingtonPost ] Bee Decline Study: Pollination Supply And Demand For Bees Is ‘Mismatched’ [ StarPulse ]