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Rep. Tim Scott to Be Named US Senator
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has chosen Rep. Tim Scott, an African-American Tea Party Republican, to replace Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, three GOP sources told the New York Times. The move will make Mr. Scott the first black senator from the South since the late 19th century. The governor will make the announcement at noon at…
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Wyatt Cenac's 10 Best 'Daily Show' Skits
(The Root) — Reports surfaced last month that funnyman Wyatt Cenac‘s final appearance on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart would be on Dec. 13, the last episode before the show goes on hiatus for the holidays. The details of what’s next for the comic or reasons for his departure from the Comedy Central program…
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Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck Dead at 91
Dave Brubeck, the iconic jazz pianist and composer whose recordings helped the genre gain worldwide popularity, died on Dec. 5 at a hospital in Norwalk, Conn., according to his manager, Russell Gloyd. Best-known for cuts such as “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” Brubeck emerged as an international star when his quartet’s 1959…
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4 Change-Makers Poised for Success
(The Root) — Inspired by the billions allotted to renewable energy in President Obama’s 2008 stimulus package, Donnel Baird, 31, figured the emerging industry is where he ought to be. But instead of angling for a government handout, the Columbia University business school student founded his own company. The result is BlocPower, a venture he’s…
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Michael K. Williams on Playing Stand-Up Dudes
(The Root) — Given the dramatic scar that runs from mid-brow down across his right cheek, Michael K. Williams, 45, seems destined to play bad guys. His breakthrough role as Omar, a gay, gun-toting street hustler who robbed drug dealers on HBO’s The Wire, proved he had the acting chops and the looks to pull…
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Exploring Minstrelsy: 14 Stars and Critics
As co-authors Yuval Taylor and Jake Austen explore in their exhaustively researched book, Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy From Slavery to Hip-Hop, the once hugely popular form of entertainment has a complicated history. By today’s standards, donning blackface makeup and performing an exaggerated song-and-dance number would be considered in extremely poor taste. But in the 19th…
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Producer on Bittersweet Journey of 'Sparkle'
(The Root) — Veteran Hollywood producer Debra Martin Chase played a huge part in getting the 2012 version of Sparkle into theaters this week. But she’s quick to give credit to her homegirl and producing partner Whitney Houston for coming up with the idea for a remake in the first place. “She called me up…
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W. Kamau Bell: Chris Rock's TV Protégé
(The Root) — W. Kamau Bell got the hookup. After comedy-industry insiders tipped Chris Rock to the San Francisco comedian’s irreverent multimedia stand-up act, in which he goofed on race, politics and current events, Rock approached Bell in 2010 to do his own half-hour TV show. The result is Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell,…
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15 Music Biopics We Can't Wait to See
Now that there’s photographic evidence that Outkast’s Andre 3000 is shooting a new biopic in Ireland about guitar master Jimi Hendrix, fans have a legitimate hope that hip-hop’s coolest dude will do justice to rock’s late genius. Unlike many proposed biopics of our music idols, the forthcoming film, All Is by My Side, may actually hit…
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John Carlos on His Fist-Raising Protest
(The Root) — There have been countless Olympic moments that are memorable because of sporting achievements, but one stands out for the political statement it made. After winning a respective gold and bronze medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1968 games in Mexico City, two American track stars — Tommie Smith and John Carlos…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
